Expedition in Costa Rica

Highly recommend the experience for gap year students. I spent 3 weeks in an indigenous community learning from and supporting them. The community was a 2hr bus then a 5hr trek into the mountains but so worth it. Everyone had the overcome personal challenges whether it was fear of insects or no phone signal for 3 weeks. As a group we came away so close after being there through the highs and the lows. The trek was amazing as well, tough mentally and physically, but such an achievement! Came away with so many friends, it was truly a once in a lifetime experience!

Costa Rica is a beautiful country with amazing landscapes and a wide variety of animals. I loved that I was able to join an indigenous community I would have never been able to meet otherwise and prove myself to be capable of anything after completing the Adventure Leadership Trek. The people I did the projects with were all very hard-working, supportive and kind, which made the projects much more fun and easier. The challenging bit of my Raleigh expedition was having barely any personal space, which made me feel overwhelmed and drained from time to time. As an introvert, I need some time to recharge every now and then, but because I was always around other people I did not always feel like I could fully recharge. This, however, did also help me with opening up to other people and communicating my needs to them.

I’ve always been a very quiet and introverted type of person so taking part in Raleigh was a really big thing for me. I knew no one before I arrived and was completely out of my comfort zone! Being surrounded by positive and likeminded individuals helped me to come out of my shell and just be myself. Working in indigenous communities and in wildlife parks was so worthwhile as you can see the positive difference that you make which was so special. Trekking 256km through the heart of Costa Rica was both physically and mentally challenging but also so fun and rewarding as it makes you realise how much you’re really capable of. I have made some of my best memories on Raleigh and was probably THE best thing I have ever done in my life! I have grown so much as an individual and made friends for life. If you’re not quite sure whether or not to take part in Raleigh just take the leap of faith because you will most certainly not regret it!

For my gap year before university, I spent 10 weeks volunteering with Raleigh International in Costa Rica from February to April 2022. I didn’t have many expectations before heading out, only that I would be doing a community project, environmental project and a trek. Within 3 days of arriving, I felt really settled and had made friends I’d felt I’d known be years. First, I did the indigenous community project which I absolutely loved. We were so isolated, with no service and connection to the outer world which I loved! It was easy to connect as a group and mix in with the children. We helped repair a turmite-infested building, build a guard house, and then we taught some classes to the children about the environment, English and maths. We also did a few sports days which was really fun, and being able to speak Spanish, I could communicate with the children (who’s second language was Spanish too). We did an action day, in which we taught the community about the importance about keeping the water source clean, and then took part in a football match! The locals gave us a few Cabecar lessons (their language) and taught us about their culture, which was such a privilege! For my second project, I volunteered in a national park. We helped clear the paths of leaves and rocks, dig holes for new fence posts and make a new hot spring. It was a lot harder work, and we often only found out what we were doing that morning which could be frustrating. However, we were camping within a national park, where nobody else could stay and woke up to monkeys in the trees above us, and surrounded by amazing wildlife. It was honestly an amazing experience. Finally, I took part on a 19 day trek. It was a challenging experience, but one I can say that is very doable! We bonded so well as a group, and were always so supportive of each other. The VM’s and Field Base team helped us with any issues we had and made sure to cater for what we needed and when, even if it wasn’t the plan, which really helped when some of our team were ill. The views we had, and the towns we passed through was such an amazing experience, and one I would love to do again! I would so recommend Raleigh to anybody. It’s a once in a lifetime experience, where you make likeminded best friends which you will keep for the rest of your life.

I had the most amazing 10 weeks volunteering in Costa Rica for Raleigh. It had allowed me to explore a new country in a completely unique way, whilst at the same time having a genuine and positive impact on the people and the environment. I had the opportunity to camp in a national park; live inside a remote indigenous community and trek 260km across the breadth of the country, experiences that most people will never have access to. Raleigh has also helped me grow in confidence as a leader, and develop my communication skills in social situations. I have met so many amazing people, many of which I will stay in touch with for a long time.

I spent 10 weeks in Costa Rica with Raleigh international. My first project, a 3 week trek was incredible. The team was amazing and I definitely learnt more about leadership roles and improved my confidence. My next phase was spent in an indigenous Comunity, helping to build a dining room for a school. This will improve access to education and definitely felt like we were making lasting change. The final environmental phase was so good seeing all the wildlife and helping the rangers. My experience in Raleigh has been so rewarding and made a lasting difference on my life.

I volunteered as a Project Manager with Raleigh Feb-Apr 2019, it was quite simply the most rewarding, exciting and fun 3 months of my life! I had the opportunity to work on all three different 'stages' from a trek across the country building the confidence of international youth, to digging trails in a National Park to bring tourism to a new remote area, to building a school in an indigenous community.
As a project manager you co-lead a group of 15-20 international volunteers aged 18-25 so your impact is not only on the local communities of Costa Rica but of also on the development of youth from all around the world.
I met friends for life and really came away feeling like a made a different to so many lives, I am proud to continue to support Raleigh as an Alumni and love continuing to watch their impact grow over seas, I couldn't recommend it more.

I had such an incredible time on Raleigh. I met people I didn’t think I’d ever meet and did things I never thought I’d get the chance to do! Honestly, couldn’t recommend enough! Working in an NRM project was so beautiful and trekking across Costa Rica was challenging but so rewarding! Working with indigenous communities was so eye opening and I’m so grateful to have had the chance to go there. I have made incredible friends that I will keep in touch with for the rest of my life and I really hope that many more people will get to have the experience that I have had! The support and learning you receive throughout your Raleigh experience is invaluable. I feel I have developed so many different hard and soft skills, few of which I would ever have had the chance to develop had it not been for Raleigh. Thank you all so much!