Costa Rica family adventure

Planet

Starting in July 2019, we have been measuring every kilometre travelled as part of our holidays, plus every kilometre travelled to get there, and back, from your door.

This lets us calculate the carbon generated and do something about it. To be sure that our travels are truly positive, for every carbon kilometre of your trip, we balance off a carbon mile.

We are passionate advocates of what Costa Rica has to offer visitors, but also of protecting and maintaining the country’s habitats and native cultures. As such we have been careful to ensure our partners on the ground are as equally committed to responsible travel practices as us. Our tours are structured to create the least possible impact on local ecosystems.

We are passionate about the places we visit, so to help preserve the integrity of these destinations we keep groups small and encourage you to travel longer to minimise environmental impact – in this case we tailor this trip for 2 or more people.

People

The guides we use for walks in the national parks are all trained naturalists and many live locally to the area. They are experts in the flora and fauna of the region and are incredibly passionate about passing on their knowledge, so clients have a greater understanding of local environment and the delicate balance of regional ecosystems. Where possible we only use small, locally run properties, who stand up for their employees’ social rights and offer an honest wage.

Most of our trips are conducted on an independent basis, usually with a hire car, and we encourage clients to book any day tours on the ground with local companies. This gives clients the freedom to explore at their own pace as well as insuring the money spent directly benefits the local economy.

One of the lodges in this itinerary has helped to set up a community programme which has now become a fully-fledged independent non-government organsation. The Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center works to educate community members in the importance of conservation, particularly within the context of ecotourism. The end goal is to help improve the job prospects of schoolchildren, whilst simultaneously create new sustainable occupations.

Visitors are given the opportunity to directly engage with the local residents and international volunteers who help deliver their programmes. Visit the Pack for Purpose website for a list of items that you could bring with you to help support their activities.