Costa Rica luxury nature holiday

Planet

As an in depth specialist tour operator to Costa Rica, we take a considered approach to the social, environmental and economic impacts of the holidays we design. To us, this means much more than a simple donation to a charity for each client. We try to build long and constructive involvements with local guides, wildlife lodges and hotels, in the course of which we, and our clients, can make lasting wide-ranging contributions to the wonderful places and people we engage with. In this itinerary we have selected several hotels and lodges whose documented practices align with this approach:

El Silencio Lodge, Bajos del Toro sources goods and services from businesses and suppliers in the Bajos del Toro community where possible. The lodge also reports that approximately 95% of its employees are from the local area. Local traditions are incorporated into guest experiences, including opportunities to make tortillas by hand and learn traditional oxcart-painting techniques. The lodge holds the highest 'elite' level Tourism Sustainability Certification (CST) from the Costa Rican Institute of Tourism (ICT). The lodge's property provides habitat for the Cinchona Plantation Treefrog, a species classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. The lodge also supports the protection of native stingless bees, including species locally known as Picusaro and Jicote Barcino.

Lapa Rios operates an on-site electricity system using solar panels and hydroelectric turbines rather than relying solely on the public electricity grid. The property uses locally sourced timber and palm thatch in its construction, where permitted, and gives preference to locally sourced biodegradable products and organic foods where available. Food scraps from the restaurant are processed through an on-site biodigester, with the resulting biogas used in the staff kitchen. The lodge employs local staff and provides environmental and cultural education for employees, community members and guests. Lapa Rios also charges a one-time US$25 per-guest Conservation Fee. According to the lodge, this fee supports programmes relating to the surrounding natural environment and local community.

We were the first tour operator in the UK to form a partnership with the Rainforest Alliance to work towards the implementation of best management practices in tourism. In practical terms, this has involved working with hotels that have introduced specific social, environmental and economic initiatives within their businesses and local communities.

People

In Costa Rica we work with local ground handlers, helping to retain a significant proportion of our operational expenditure within the Costa Rican economy and supporting employment, including in more remote regions. By incorporating locally owned hotels, restaurants and the services of local guides and drivers into our itineraries, we aim to keep as much tourism expenditure as possible within the local economy, allowing local businesses and communities to benefit from tourism.

We use local guides in all of our destinations. It is our experience that, with the right approach, local guides' detailed knowledge of their destinations makes them particularly well placed to guide our tours, while their local connections enable them to share their knowledge of the communities and places we visit. We also see employing local guides as a way of creating opportunities for people to build careers in their own communities rather than having to move elsewhere to find work.