Program Reviews

What drives people to volunteer in a programm abroad? This was a question I asked myself a few years ago. I’m from Newcastle upon Tyne in Northern England and I had just gratuated from school. My best friend, Ben, and I were sick of the noisy city life and as many others we wanted to see more of the world before starting work life or studying and somehow we wanted tomake a change. I was so pleased that we chose going to Costa Rica. Never ever have I experienced such genuine hospitality, care and lust of passing on knowledge. Participating in this volunteer project has probably changed my life. It was beautiful to learn about other cultures, especially the cooking sessions were great. Also, Ben and I had no clue of Spanish language. But Ken and his family had patience and now I‘m a Spanish-pro =D. I guess seeing nature in its purest form, the smell, the colours, the noises, the people(s)! – basically the total contrary of our life in England, has somewhat opened my eyes and made clear how important it is to preserve, restore and promote nature. And Ken, his family and Planet One World are doing their best of fullfilling these aims! It is totally worth a trip. Thank you Planet One World, thank you Costa Rica!
P.s.: The food is just delicious ;)

I have been there for half a year in 2013 and my time there had a major impact on my life decisions. I still feels like a part of my family now is in Costa Rica and I know that I will always be welcome if I come back (What I already did and will do again in the future). It is not always easy to live on a farm far away in the jungle. Work can be hard and when it comes to nature conservation, back throws are normal and you need a long breath. Now that I am in a master program for international nature conservation, I can tell you: That is normal. Compared to the founds, the impact of the work at finca one world cannot be overestimated. The private nature reserves that we established in 2013 is an important stepping stone for wildlife between the Manzanillo National Park in the south and the Indigenous Reserve Talamanca in the north. Without the commitment of Ken, his family and neighbors and all the volunteers over the last years, this reserve would not have been able to survive as a whole. Economic interests are growing and illegal logging and hunting are still common. I think my work there really had an impact. Moreover, if you decide to go there please keep in mind: It’s also one of the most beautiful places on the planet direct in the heart of the Caribbean!

It was awesome to be a part of such an impactful project. Ken, his family, Adolfo and Hortensio are such sweet persons. They teach you everything they know about farming the animals and the plant on the farm and in the refuge. I saw so many animals I even didn’t know they exist. The farm work was always quite fun with the other volunteers and a joking Ken. You have to image it more as practical lessons. You will do all the stuff on the farm and Ken or Adolfo is explaining everything to you. I was so impressed by the tequnices on the farm. Imagen creating electricity out of pig shit 😉. Beside the farm and refuge work Ken really wants to educate about the environment. We went to a school and did a workshop there or went to the BriBri community to help them with some projects. There we met Don Lizandro the shaman of the BriBri’s with whom we celebrated a BriBri ceremony. It was so exciting. And of course the tours and activities we did were just fun and we really saw a lot of the beautiful nature. On the weekends we stayed down near Puerto Viejo at a little house of One World. I really loved the rasta-hippie culture on the beach and it was the perfect alternation. I can recommend it from the bottom of my heart.

We had a great time in the rainforest. We have been there in October 2017. When we got there, we directly got a private tour from Ken. He showed us his property. He has shown us his property and how he cares for himself and his family. That’s really impressive. The next day,early in the morning, we did a rainforest tour. We saw many animals, like monkeys and frogs. It is totally wort it, to visit one world Costa Rica.

During my time with fabi and fin I learned a lot about the beautiful nature and wildlife of puerto viejo talamanca. During our trips to the jungel or national parks or just kayaking at the local river they explained me so much and had a great knowledge about the animals and especially reptiles of this beautiful country. I warmly reccomand to go and check out how working for RARG can enrich your life and enlarge your knowledge. Thanks again for this amazing experience.

You will have a great time and ample opportunity to help further pursue the vision of Planet One World. Ken and his family try to protect a huge area by planting endangered species and other plants to create a safe habitat for all animals around. One World felt like home for me. I will definitely come back to see how everything has developed – quite curious about it 😊. The program was just perfect. We did so many activities inside and outside the farm, it didn’t feel like work. Ken’s friend Don Lizandro, the shaman,was a unique encounter for me. I really connected with the BriBri culture and I am so happy to see that my support in the community really helped. I highly recommend the program to anyone who wants to really experience something they can no where else. I even extended my stay.

Every day seemed to be a new adventure whether it was the ranger training in the Los Guardianes Wildlife Refuge or the visit oft he BriBri reserve. You dive into an entirely new world. People are so warmhearted and friendly and do everything for you. I improved my Spanish a lot by speaking to Adolfo. He is such a lovely person and told me everything I wanted to know about his BriBri-culture. We also met his uncle the shaman in reserve and did a special ceremony. Working on the farm was always fun with all the other volunteers. I made so many friends and even met my travel buddy at Planet One World. Time is rushing by as you will stay there. The Friday tours are just amazing, and at the weekend we always went down to the beach and slept at the beach house from One World. I had so much fun, saw so many of the Caribbean side, was allowed to get to know the indigenous culture and contributed to the protection and reafforestation of the project.
Just go there and get lost

I had a great time, met incredible people, made some friends for life and learned a lot about animals, plants, farming techniques and the indigenous culture. The spirit which is driving this project is unbelievable. Ken and his team are full of energy and try to spread their beliefs. We taught a school class about environmental issues and planted trees. The farm with all the animals is so beautiful and peaceful and the night walks in the refuge were always such an adventure. You see animals you’ll never see during daylight. Best of all was the rafting tour and the ranger tour at another national park, where we slept on the beach with a campfire and cooked and sang all night. My favourite person was Adolfo. He is the shaman's grandson and such a peaceful and friendly soul. He taught me a lot of Spanish while working on the farm. I was always surprised what easy natural solutions he had for everything. It was such an inspiring experience to be part of this big family. I can truly recommend you: Go and experience One World!

Planet One World is a once in a lifetime experience. Jungle, indigenous culture, action tours, survival trips, permacultural farming, wild animals, warmhearted family, personal care. I enjoyed my stay so much. Ken and his family are such nice persons. I felt so welcomed and loved to work with them side by side. I really like the educational approach Ken is following. It seems to me that he taught me everything he knows. Working with school classes and teach a sustainable lifestyle and environmental care was so much fun. The kids were just adorable. I was amazed by what an effort Ken is doing for us. All the unforgettable tours, the cook classes and the support of my own project on the farm. I told him what I wanted to do and he supported my idea and even got all the material. At the weekends we slept at the beach house near Puerto Viejo. Literally, it’s paradise! The beaches, the pure old deep nature, the nightlife and the alternative scene. But the best of all was the ranger training in which we patrolled the wildlife refuge and build one new ranger camp. If you want to see Costa Rica as a tourist and a local at the same time volunteer and support Ken’s project!

Unforgettable stay. Lovely family and staff. Planet One World is more than a volunteer program. You‘ll find so many new friends - Ken and his family aren’t just your host family they are your new home. You get to know the different cultures like BriBri or Rasta culture at Puerto Viejo. The project is amazing. I still miss the peaceful chirping at night, the calm mornings with all the animals passing by and the funny and lovely staff. You’ll never eat so healthy and tasty in your life again. Everything is directly from the farm, and Ken’s wife Jury is a great cook. Working with the other volunteers and Ken and his team was always fun and diversified. We had this incredible cute kinkajou, which we reintroduced successfully at the end into the wildlife refuge. Was so hard for me to let it go. The first times it always came back…
Weekends on the most beautiful beaches I saw so far in Central America and all the different activities and tours…One World makes you fell in love with Costa Rica and in protecting this beautiful part of the earth.