Volunteer in Costa Rica with Maximo Nivel - Best Rated Projects

I was nervous at first, but felt much better after orientation and meeting other volunteers. My placement at an orphanage teaching English was as Maximo said...chaotic. The children take a while to warm up to you (who can blame them?), but the first hug you get makes it worthwhile. I made a picture along with a young girl, and had the other volunteers "vote" on which one they liked better.Her grin when she won (and got a first place ribbon I made), was priceless. You can tell she felt special! The biggest difficulty I saw was the "competition" from their television and snacks during our time there in the afternoons. Luckily, we could usually get them outside at some point. Very sweet kids, but they have obviously been through a lot. One more suggestion would be to try and pair someone fluent in Spanish with the rest of us, at least in the beginning. The kids seem to listen better for awhile afterwards.

Waking up at 6:30 to wonderful aroma of fresh Costa Rican Coffee and Gallo Pinto ( rice & beans) seved with a fried egg and fried plantains my fav!!!Catching the local bus only .50 cent fare and runs regularly every 10 min's (except for rush hour around the universities).Arrive in San Jose in about 20 mins and walking the beautiful Avenida Central (pedestrian only avenue) for approx another 15-20 mins to catch the second bus to my project. On the way pass by many Tostadors (Roasting place) (coffee & nuts)$1 for amazing coffee also cappuccino, lattes you name it! And the most appetizing aromas form the freshly baked pastries in the various bakeries!Easy breakfast, ooops I forgot already had breakfast at home OK just a snack, hahaha! With all the walking and the playing with the kids (skipping rope and soccer)once you arrive at the project, no problem!Beautiful faces and open hearts!What else can one ask for???

This was our first overseas volunteer experience and we did not know what to expect in terms of the culture, the stay with a local family and the volunteering itself. We were amazed by what the country had to offer and Maximo is surely the icing on the cake. They are so organized and take care of every need you have, even going out of the way to ensure your questions and needs are cared for. The Spanish lessons are extremely nice and we loved our teaches (Teddy and Angela). I wish we could stay more than just 2 weeks, and next time I will definitely plan to stay longer. I am already planning my next trip to Latin America and if I go to CR, Peru or Guatemala, it will surely be through Maximo!

Ajay and Sonali, USA.

I had an amazing time spending a week in Monteverde, Costa Rica. I wanted to do service work abroad, I only had a week, and I wanted to do something outdoors and environmental related since I'd never really done anything like this before. I was a little unsure at first what the work would be like, what the town would be like, or what my family would be like but they were all wonderful. My family was kind and patient and it was great to have the service work connected to the family itself and their livelihood. My first day, my first hour, of work, was already the most meaningful community service I had ever participated in. Unlike internships or jobs in college where I felt like people were creating work for me to do that didn't really matter too much, the work at this coffee farm was clearly deeply valuable to the farmers; if it wasn't us (the volunteers) working, it would have been them. The work was hard, but good. My week, in mid-August, we were helping prepare the nursery. We packed bags with fertilizer that were going to be filled with the baby coffee plants. The farmers were clearing land and creating spaces to place rows of bags. They had 4000 bags to fill and there was two men, one of their sons, and sometimes another daughter - and that was it! But they were creating this nursery, and had purchased their own roaster, so that they could work for themselves (not in maintanence, like one farmer had at a nearby school), work their own land, and do what made them happy. It was amazing to feel included in this process, know that I was contributing in a positive way to their lives. the work could get tedious, and it was hot, but we were never alone, always working with and talking with the farmers and families, learning about them and sharing about ourselves. Also, the region is stunningly beautiful and the work days were short enough to have plenty of time to explore, hike and walk around this small, rural, rustic community and setting.

I did my volunteer placement in San Jose, Costa Rica. Upon reaching the new country, as expected, there was a culture shock, especially due to the language barrier between my host family and I. However, after day 1, I adjusted rapidly. The people at Maximo Nivel were very friendly, helpful and made you feel comfortable. I was placed in an HIV clinic in Cartago, a nearby city. Volunteering there was one of the best experiences I've had. I learned so much, was able to meet many wonderful people, and enjoyed every moment there. Additionally, during my free time, I was able to go zip-lining, white water rafting, and bungee jumping. You really make your trip what you want it to be. I only wish that I had spent longer than 9 days there. It was an amazing experience!