Tropical Adventures: Volunteer and Travel in Costa Rica

Tropical Adventure stood out from other international volunteer experiences for its personable and detailed website and what made me actually pursue our experience with them was their responsiveness and excellent follow through. Scott arranged for me to speak with 3 other families who volunteered and he himself assisted me with all the preparation details. Then Susan helped refine our itinerary and gave some excellent suggestions for working in BriBri as well as suggested side-trips to take. We ended up going over to Panama and **everything** worked out like a charm.

Our experience in Bri Bri was well attended to by the staff as well as our guide Mario. My 15 y/o daughter was very enthusiastic about the experience as it unfolded. I wasn't sure because she had not encountered the kind of environmental and social extremes we were embarking upon. She was the one who coached ME through some of the challenges. It was hot and muggy and there were ants and spiders. We joked and helped each other through it and focused on why we were there.

Mario was *excellent*. He is very knowledgeable and helped us organize the kids for our projects. He took us on hikes and pointed out the plants, fruits, and of course the crocodiles who enjoyed our chicken bones. He attended our volunteer projects and helped us with language interpretation and offered his heart-felt presence to both us and the children and elderly we worked with.

Overall we felt very well taken care of and all my questions and concerns were addressed prior and I felt we were well prepared and supported for the experience! I have referred many people to TA and I wouldn't hesitate considering the experience again.

Shawn & Hannah
Tucson, AZ

I did intense research for over a year on various countries & programs. I ultimately chose TA bc they were legitimate, they allowed my 10 y/o child to volunteer, they offered a program to directly work w/ & assist people (as opposed to eco-programs), the communities to choose from were safe, & CR has a sound infra-structure (roads, nearby hospitals, competent medical care -- all impt to me w/ my child). In prep for our visit, Susan was responsive to my many em's & Qs. I would strongly suggest asking all of your questions in advance as the "handbook" needed to be updated & online info was a bit remiss. Armed w/ the answers to my Qs, I felt we could not have been more prepared for our trip.
During our stay, our host family & the school were PHENOMENAL! No, we did not have hot water, a private bathroom, a/c, or even solid interior/exterior walls. Yes, we had to walk in the heat several blocks to the school & around town & got quite a few mosquito bites (no biggies). BUT, the hospitality of our host family & the overall generosity & spirit of Hojanchans made it all worth it & then some. Hojanchans by & large make it a point to visit with extended family & friends almost every day & didn't seem to fret over the small things. The kids at the Center were smart & precocious & enjoyed the projects we brought w/ us. Lucy, our TA assistant at the school, was incredibly helpful & extremely attentive to our needs. My daughter will always remember her time there & hopefully never forget to enjoy & focus on what's truly important in life. We got to experience the REAL PURA VIDA! Much gratitude to our host (Rosemary & her family), Hojancha, & TA!

I decided to go to Costa Rica at the last minute, and Scott and Susan from Tropical Adventures were very helpful in putting something together in a short amount of time. We had some trouble keeping in touch with each other, because of conflicting work schedules (Scott and Susan were in the jungle and I work late), but we kept at it, and planned a good trip. I felt really good about the work done at the animal rescue (the monkeys and one rambunctuous coati being my favorites), and about the folks I met there. I enjoyed the home-stay as well. Met some wonderful American college kids working for their winter mini-semester, and my Tico hosts were top-notch and a lot of fun. And I finally got to Monteverde, on this, my fourth visit to Costa Rica.

I took four teenagers to volunteer in Puerto Viejo on the Carribean coast of Costa Rica. We taught English in a local school until 2 pm, and then had afternoons free to go to the beach or explore. We stayed with a host family and it was a wonderful experience. The kids at the school were fun and enthusiastic. Isaac and Susan advised us on places to go and even helped us get there. We went on a fun side trip to a sloth rescue center, and another one kayaking down a rain forest river. I would definitely recommend Tropical Adventures for a great volunteer experience and vacation at the same time!

We were able to go out on the restricted beach area and monitor the turtles as they came up on the beach and dug their holes to lay their eggs. We were able to count the eggs and assist in tagging the Olive Ridleys. It was one of the coolest things I have ever witnessed. We also cleaned the beach ... played sand volleyball .... walked the tide pools ... and assisted the Leatherback Turtle project in building a hatchery. Truly a life-changing experience!!

I had a great experience with Tropical Adventures back in October 2007. I spent 2 weeks volunteering in Bambu Talamanca on the Indigenous reservation. The Tropical Adventures staff spent a lot of time before my arrival preparing me for my experience.
I loved staying with the host family, and have kept in touch with them since my departure. The residents and staff at the retirement home were so sweet and appreciative of the time I spent with them.
Everyone in town, while a bit shy at first, really warmed up quickly and made me feel at home.
This project is in a very remote area, no phones, Internet or TV.
The tours available here are truly unique, travelling into the country of Panama by dugout canoe was my favorite!