Costa Rica Adventure with Gapforce

Enjoyed it all saw everything I wanted to see and more
Got to experience once in a lifetime events
Learned a lot about the country and the culture whilst downing litres of hot chocolate
Had an amazing time in quepos doing the marine conservation and
scuba diving
As the diving usually finished at around 1 we had the rest of the day to explore and chill on the beach. The bus to the next down was very cheap which had great beaches
Learning about the bri bri was amazing and and the jungle section was quite an experience
The turtle sanctuary was a shock but an amazing experience I never thought I would see a leatherback turtle especially one digging it’s nest to lay eggs in was something I will never forget
The food on the whole trip was amazing rice and beans or beans with rice I never got bored of them.
The staff were all great and helpful worth going on

I had a great time on my Costa Rica trip with gapforce. I was really nervous going into it because I had never traveled alone before. Everyone was super nice and supportive, so I quickly made some great friends. I loved every second of the trip and feel that I grew as a person. I spent the first 2 weeks in Quepos on the pacific side learning to scuba dive. That was a lot of fun and our instructors were awesome. Our group stayed at a home stay which allowed us to practice our very beginner spanish and really get a feel for the Costa Rican culture. The last 2 weeks we went to the Caribbean's side. There we volunteered at a macaw sanctuary, a cocoa farm, and a turtle sanctuary. It was a lot of hard work, but it was very rewarding. Overall I had a great experience and met a lot of really cool people. I definitely recommend this trip to anyone looking for an adventure!

I had an absolutely amazing time in Costa Rica! Despite being nervous about travelling alone and not knowing anyone there I felt so comfortable as soon as I arrived. The first two weeks of my trip involved learning to scuba dive, getting to see the coral reefs and the marine life that calls it home was incredible, my instructor Sam was so helpful and a brilliant teacher! I loved exploring the area in my free time and had some of the best moments of my life with the friends I met on the trip. The last two weeks of my trip involved volunteering on a few different projects, which was mostly a great experience, especially visiting a indigenous cacao farm, as well as the turtle conservation, despite not being lucky enough to see a turtle. I didn’t really enjoy the volunteering at the Green Macaw sanctuary; it required lots of digging up mud and because the trip is so full on and the hot, humid conditions it was very hard work. Living in the jungle for a few days was an exciting experience, I had a lot of fun especially on solo night, making my own fire and cooking my own food and quickly got used to the many animals and sounds that seemed pretty scary at first! Our group was able to go out for a few nights out to experience the local nightlife and traditional food which allowed us to relax, have fun and get to know each other better, salsa night was a personal favourite of mine! To sum it up I had an amazing experience with some amazing people and I would recommend this to solo travelers who are looking to do the same.

I had an amazing time in Costa Rica! I was really nervous before the trip but the minute I got there GapForce made us feel welcome and very safe. The staff are amazing and really supportive all the way through the trip. We travelled all over the country and I did things I never thought I would do and will likely never get the chance to do again. For example, zip lining over ravines, or going to a Coffee Farm. Made great friends and met interesting people from all over the country. I would recommend this trip to anyone who is travelling alone, or who wants to see a whole new culture and lifestyle. Going into the jungle was massively interesting and nowhere near as scary as you’d think (if you don’t mind insects too much). I saw loads of wildlife such as crocodiles, monkeys, sloths and coatis. An all round wonderful trip!!

So when i went to Costa Rica I had absolutely no idea what to expect. Having only the brief information and no further contact on what was going on it was a slightly scary unknown. So when me and my best friend walked off the plan we had no idea who we were meeting or where we would be going. Thankfully we walked out of the airport to the smiling face of Joe. Who was not just our leader but a great friend and a massive part of the trip being fun. Throughout my month away i faced so many fears and believe i grew a lot as a person. Whether it was small things like trying rice and beans, as i am an extremely fussy eater, or the big things like zip lining across the rainforest, i made sure to give everything a go. And i definitely would have regretted it if i didn't. Being someone who is extremely scared of heights i was extremely nervous to zip line but due to the support around me i gave it a go and i must say it was one of the best days of my life! There were so many once in a life time experiences throughout the trip and even though some things do not go to plan (For example the hostel set on fire) I would not change it for the world . Both the experience and the people. I would not have had the same experience without them, and Joe was definitely a good leader that helped me enjoy the trip to the fullest.

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip and learnt much about what to consider when being a medic on an expedition. As the role of medic and expedition leader can be quite interchangeable - often trips will have one person doing both roles - a lot of our training focused on how to look after the group and things to consider when leading an expedition.

I also learnt a lot about my own body and how I cope with such a tough environment, this was a very important lesson as it will help me to consider my group members and what health problems they could potentially encounter.

The Spanish lessons around the fire in the evening were particularly enjoyable and, unlike learning a language at school, we learnt very useful phrases and vocabulary for our situation. It made me feel much more at home in this Spanish speaking country.

Expedition Medic Course-I had a great experience during my expedition medicine course. We spent the first three weeks of my course learning the theory via lessons, workbooks, scenarios, quizzes plus on-going feedback from the instructor. This proved beneficial as the whole group, who all started with significant differences in medical knowledge, were able to learn and complete the course with a sound practical understanding of expedition medicine. The course instructor, Jade, is extremely knowledgeable with obvious working experience of both teaching and being an expedition medic. The course was well structured and Jade created a good, enjoyable learning environment.

Spanish-A few days into the course we met the other leader, Colin. He began teaching the group Spanish. Again it its clear he has a great amount of experience teaching which made learning this new language easier. Through regular short sessions the group managed to pick up a good basic language in a small amount of time.

Jungle-The jungle experience was a good opportunity to learn basic survival skills; camp set-up, cooking and hygiene practices, as well as practice expedition medicine through more realistic scenarios. The group was also introduced into incident management and evacuation procedures. The week in the jungle helped solidify the knowledge learnt plus allowed yourself to be tested in the expedition medic role.

RR-Mixed in with the education was regular rest days and fun activities, mines included surf lessons and white water rafting. These were fun relaxing days where I got to experience and attempt to learn new skills. Again I would recommend both Jade and Colin on their encouraging attitude during these lessons.

What impressed me the most in the course was how well organised Jade and Colin managed to run the whole trip. Their flexibility combined with their adaptability allowed the course to suit everyone’s individual needs while running in a smooth and professional way. This is a good comprehensive yet enjoyable course, I would recommend it to healthcare students.

This is a trip that's not like 'normal' travel companies will dare provide. It's a real adventure with a real challenge and no safety net! Something to really build the character.

If I take away one story it'll be when the rope bridge over the raging river collapsed when we were half way across and an hour after it was dark, in the driving rain, the resourcefulness and braveness of the group leaders were able to get us all across to the local plantation...