Program Reviews

I have been to Costa Rica before, I spent time in the more visited surf towns like Tamarindo & Montezuma, so when my wife suggested we look into the Sea Turtle Initiative I was intrigued. Right away, Discover Corps' friendly and knowledgeable team answered all our questions and provided us with a wealth of information to help us decide if this was the right fit. We've never been group travelers but we were ready to have someone else do all the trip planning for us. The week long trip offered up more than we were expecting. Behind every activity, our awesome guide Tara provided context and education and was extremely knowledgeable about the local communities we visited. The volunteer piece was pretty neat, the beach patrols were late at night and while we were told that turtle sightings aren't guaranteed we lucked out and saw 2 sea turtles nesting in the sand. We stood quietly and watched as she dropped all her eggs then used her rear flippers to push sand over the top and disguise the nest. We then took the eggs and relocated them to the hatchery where they are to hatch in protection. We also had the chance to release newly hatched sea turtles into the ocean a different night. I personally really enjoyed the visit to Bejuco Artisnal fishing village and the visit to "Jungle Mike's" where we learned of his enthusiasm for entomology. He toured us around his property and rattled off all the scientific names for every species of plants and insects we came across, very fascinating. Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our trip with Discover Corps, all 3 accommodations were great and the food was delicious. We highly recommend this trip to anyone wanting to see a different part of Costa Rica in a safe and comfortable way. We are already planning our next trip for 2020!

My family (me, my husband, and 3 kids ages 17, 14, and 11) took a 2-week trip to Peru in August and used Discover Corps to organize several days of service while we were there. It was an incredible experience that we will never forget, and one of the highlights of our entire trip. Miguel, our host and guide, was so informative and kind and made us feel like family. We loved spending time with him and the children in the community -- doing arts and crafts, flying kites, eating meals, and teaching them English. We also got to visit an orphanage and a local NGO where women produce dolls that are sold around the world. It gave us an incredible perspective on the country and our lives as well. When my daughter sprained her ankle, Miguel took us to the clinic in the main city, and we got excellent and expeditious care. We couldn't have asked for a better experience. It was just what we wanted, and I highly recommend this trip and the organization.

I had a wonderful experience with Discover Corps. I was especially impressed with the personal one-on-one guidance from the moment I inquired to the moment I boarded my plane. They really make an effort to make sure you are getting the trip you signed on for and are comfortable and ready. The trip itself was also great -- our guide was always 2 steps ahead in making the days go smoothly and as expected. He was very knowledgeable and personable. He took great care of us. And our driver was skilled and a lovely addition to the group. We explored and learned and enjoyed all that beautiful Costa Rica has to offer. The accommodations were fine, not fancy but certainly adequate. The last three days were in a fabulous resort that was definitely over the top luxurious. I had a wonderful time and learned so much. Perfect.

The Sea Turtle Initiative trip with Discover Corps was wonderful. EVERYTHING, from meals to transportation, was taken of as advertised. The guide/interpreter was personable and knowledgable about the culture and country. The diversity of backgrounds of the other volunteers and researchers with Turtle Trax made for interesting conversations. I was able to help with moving sea turtle nests, releasing hatchlings, and beach clean up. The night beach patrols were amazing--the stars above, sound of the surf, and walking in the sand were very calming.
I knew some about problems sea turtles face, but this trip changed my view of how to help & I highly recommend this experience.

The experience of volunteering in the community while staying with a local knowledgeable guide who is well connected in the community is priceless and totally unforgettable. I highly recommend it to any family or group of friends that want to have an experience of a lifetime. You’ll meet new lifetime friends and make a difference in kids lives. Excursions to various points of interest were thoughtful and well managed. Bring your hiking boots have a fantastic time!

I went with my 2 teenager children and my mom for an 8 day trip to Cuba that included 2018 New Years. We had an incredible experience from start to finish and highly recommend this trip. It was great having a private driver, a comfortable, air conditioned vehicle and a tour guide with us virtually the entire time that could answer questions for us and show us around. We usually take trips on our own, so this was a very different experience and we loved it. We were very happy with the level of support we received from the tour operator and their itinerary for us. What an amazing memorable trip.

This trip was a very fine experience. The guide and fellow travelers were wonderful to share experiencing Costa Rica with. We saw a wide variety of plant and animal wildlife at several national parks and an wildlife rescue center. The local people were very nice as we interacted with them in two volunteer experiences. This was my second trip with Discover Corps in Costa Rica and I would go again.

Our Costa Rica tour was an amazing experience where we learned sooo much about the sea turtles and the people of Costa Rica. We had beach patrols every evening looking for females laying eggs. When the females were found, we helped move the batch of eggs to a safe location in the "hatchery" down the beach so the eggs could be protected from poachers and dogs. When they hatch in a few weeks, the baby turtles will be taken to the beach to go their own way and hopefully grow up to adulthood. It was a once in a lifetime experience to watch a female laying eggs and help to save this species. The Discover Corp guides work with local eco-organizations who seek to educate the public as well as tourists on this important mission to save the turtles. Everything was handled for us and there is no way we could have had this experience without all the planning from DC. The guides were awesome and we also had some super fun days at the end when we went white water tubing and zip lining!

I planned this vacation for our family of 6, before our two oldest go off to college. I knew it was going to be something different from our normal vacations but had NO idea how absolutely amazing it would be! Every day brought a new adventure, and every adventure gave us all an insight into Costa Rica as a country not just a destination. The activities brought us closer together as a family, and we enjoyed them all. Not even sure I could pick a favorite one. One meal was better then the next, we especially LOVED the Costa Rican family that taught us to make a true CR meal. They graciously brought us into their home. None of this would have been as amazing as it was without our guide, Tara. You could not ask for a better person to show us Costa Rica, she was absolutely wonderful. Her knowledge was incredible, she speaks Spanish fluently and without a doubt loves her job. Thank you so much Discover Corps for this fantastic experience for all of us from 15 to 58.

I went with my mother on a Discover Corps Family Trip to The Galapagos. The first two days was on the Ecuador mainland and the remaining eight days was in the islands. We had a fantastic time - the group was small, and we got to know our guides and fellow travels. Having bought many travel trips with various companies in the past, I have to compliment Discover Corps for doing such a terrific job, arguably my favorite trip in the last 10 years. You really get up close to the culture and the animals. Discover Corps is very well connected with the local community giving you an authentic perspective. Definitely do one of these with your family - it goes beyond just travel, it captivates special moments with your loved ones.