Costa Rica wildlife holiday with added comfort

Planet

Carbon Reduction

As a travel company we're acutely aware of our impact on the environment. Each one of our tours displays a carbon footprint, and we're working to reduce our emissions by regularly reviewing our itineraries and embracing lower-impact styles of travel such as trains, public buses or walking – which aren't just better for the planet, but we believe offer a more enjoyable and authentic travel experience too. We're a Certified B Corp that's committed to creating unforgettable adventures while protecting our planet for future generations.
During this trip, you'll stay at Casa Turire in the Turrialba Valley, home to its own sustainable farm. You can savour fresh, organic produce grown right on-site, while also contributing to reduced waste and a lower carbon footprint compared to traditional farming methods.
On this trip we also stay at the Cristal Ballena Hotel, proudly awarded the prestigious 4-leaf rating in the globally recognized CST program. The hotel boasts its own water source, with a well on the property and a channelled pristine spring. To reduce water consumption, all bathrooms, showers, and sinks are equipped with pressure regulators and use certified biodegradable products for personal care and cleaning. The hotel features energy-efficient bulbs and air conditioners, solar panels for water heating, and reminders for guests and staff to turn off lights and electrical systems. Guests are also encouraged to indicate if they want daily towel changes, helping to minimize the energy used by the laundry service.

Environment and Wildlife

We strive to support nature and biodiversity through protection and regeneration projects, and for every customer that travels with us we make a donation to Rewilding Britain and Cool Earth.
We encourage customers to avoid single-use plastic on tour, and our leaders give advice on refill points each day. Where tap water isn't safe to drink we recommend Water-to-Go bottles, a filtration bottle allowing you to drink water from any source.
During this trip, we will explore numerous national parks and biological reserves. The entrance fees are used to support the maintenance and continued protection of the wildlife and natural habitats.
Arenal Conservation Area/ Arenal Volcano National Park: A 504,094-acre conservation area, which protects some 16 reserves between the Tilarán and Guanacaste mountain ranges. This area contains a great wealth of geologic and biological complexity.
Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve: The cloud forest of Monteverde is renowned for its staggering biodiversity and is home to over 2,500 plant species, including countless orchids, ferns, and bromeliads. The endemic wildlife found in the cloud forest is equally impressive, with over 400 bird species and an huge array of mammals, insects, and amphibians.
Tortuguero National park: One of Costa Rica's most unique and ecologically significant parks. The park was established in 1975 to protect the nesting sites of sea turtles, including the green, leatherback, hawksbill, and loggerhead turtles, which come ashore to lay their eggs on the park's beaches.
In Tortuguero we have the opportunity to visit the Sea Turtle Conservancy centre, where we learn about endangered sea turtles. Since 1959, the Sea Turtle Conservancy has been dedicated to the conservation of these magnificent creatures in Costa Rica.
Marino Ballena National Park: A protected area where you can find coral reefs and is a sanctuary for breeding and reproduction of whales, dolphins, turtles and sea birds and other endangered species.

People

Local Economy

Our leaders are the heart of tours. They bring passion and unrivalled knowledge of the destinations and communities that we visit. Their guidance ensures we observe the cultural norms in a destination, they act as a bridge between travellers and the local community and ensure that tourism is a positive experience for both host and guest. We believe in supporting local; staying in locally-run hotels, exploring markets, buying snacks from street vendors, and by doing this we add money to the local economy and enhance our connection with the local community.
We only employ local guides and crew members, giving economic benefits to the regions we travel through. We prioritize family-run accommodations over all-inclusive chain resorts, which tend to have a much larger carbon footprint and use more imported foodstuffs.

Employment, Inclusivity and Diversity

Our local partners in Costa Rica have been leading the way in promoting gender equality within the tourism sector; recognising that gender equality is a key element to guarantee social well-being and sustainable development, they are a vocal advocate of the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) mission, which looks forward to achieve equal pay between women and men for work of equal value by 2030.