COSTA RICA

San Jose Plus the Coastal City of Puerto Viejo


Experience the natural beauty and spirituality of this natural wonderland!

 Costa Rica offers you one of the world’s greatest collections of rain forests, wild rivers, unspoiled beaches, wildlife, mountains and volcanoes. With its unique combination of beauty and spirituality, it’s the ultimate refreshment for your body, mind and soul.

Enjoy this unique “Vacation with a Reward!”

Most of us look forward to our vacations and take a traditional holiday.
But how much better would it be if you could combine great destinations, sightseeing,
local cuisine and atmosphere with an opportunity to “give back” ?

We are privileged to partner with Fundacion Humanitaria to create a combination of traditional touring
with participating in Fundacion Humanitaria renowned “A Bed for Every Child” program
that assists children and their families who live in poverty in Costa Rica.

Fundacion Humanitaria is an organization serving children and their families living in severe poverty. The renowned service program you will be participating in is called “A Bed for Every Child.” The children, typically sleeping on the floors of tiny dwellings made of tin and concrete blocks, are susceptible to all sorts of parasites and illness. Fundacion Humanitaria treats them with medicines to purge the parasites and then gives them a bed of their own so they will not be infected again. Fundacion Humanitaria has a standard, simple design for the sturdy bunk beds that often have to be broken down and then reassembled on-site inside the tiny homes. The children and their families participate with us in these projects and the joy touches the hearts of all involved. The bed is typically the best piece of furniture the proud family now owns.

As a guest in the country either living there or visiting as a tourist, it’s REALLY IMPORTANT to show one’s gratitude by GIVING BACK in whatever way one can to the wonderful people & land of this AWESOME country! It’s this belief has that created the start of “Gracias Costa Rica — a sort of clearing house where people can at least give back. It’s a perfect combination for spiritual community service volunteering.

Plus there will be a special Volunteer program with a project called “El Puente – The Bridge, that offers educational assistance, food and local work projects mainly to indigenous people in Costa Rica. The School Program assists families with educational expenses for young children. The Food Program provides a gathering place, healthy meals and the work projects assist locals in rebuilding the infrastructure with approaches that have been helping people out of poverty globally since 1987. Used together, these programs provide powerful support for families working together toward self-sufficiency

Tour Includes:

  • Round-trip international flights from Newark
  • Round-trip transfers between airport and hotel
  • Accommodations in the 1st Class BW Irazu in San Jose
  • Accommodations in comfortable standard hotels in Puerto Viejo
  • U.S. airline and hotel taxes
  • Service charges at hotels
  • All meals included as per itinerary
  • Local bilingual guides for sightseeing
  • Sightseeing tours, as per itinerary, including entrance fees
  • Pre-Paid Gratuities

Added Features:

  • Special Tirimbina Rain Forest Tour including the fantastic Zip-Ride
  • A Sarapiqui River Cruise

Volunteer Projects in Costa Rica include:                      

  • The Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation is an organization serving children and their families living in severe poverty. The renowned service program you will be participating in is called “A Bed for Every Child.” The children, typically sleeping on the floors of tiny dwellings made of tin and concrete blocks, are susceptible to all sorts of parasites and illness. CRHF treats them with medicines to purge the parasites and then gives them a bed of their own so they will not be infected again. CRHF has a standard, simple design for the sturdy bunk beds that often have to be broken down and then reassembled on-site inside the tiny homes. The children and their families participate with us in these projects and the joy touches the hearts of all involved. The bed is typically the best piece of furniture the proud family now owns.
  • The “Dream Project” pairs you with a local student and together discuss the student’s dreams for this art project. We have found it to be a valuable opportunity in teaching children the value of dreaming: how important it is to have dreams, to wish for things, to have goals in life…..and how visualizing ones dreams in this way and keeping them near you while you sleep helps your dreams come true.
  • Work with the Gracias Costa Rica program where you will participate in various volunteer activities such as renovating and refurbishing school equipment, painting a classroom/tables and/or chairs in the local school. Help rebuild and clean up areas that have been left impoverished.
  • There will be Gift-Giving to children of poverty. They have very little and are genuinely appreciative of even the smallest presents: pens, pencils, crayons, markers, storybooks or educational toys, etc. that are great motivators for the kids.
  • Three days working with El Puente – The Bridge that offers educational assistance, food and local work projects

TOUR ITINERARY

Day 1. Saturday: US/San Jose (D)

Depart Newark on your international flight to San Jose. Arrive same day. Clear Immigration, Baggage Claim and Customs. Meet your local tour representative. Transfer to our home base for this week at the BW Irazu Hotel. Free time. Group Dinner. Overnight San Jose.

Day 2. Sunday: In San Jose. CRHF Orientation/ CRHF Bed Program (B/L/D)

Breakfast will be followed by a meeting with Costa Rica’s Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation staff to discuss the service projects that you will be participating in today and tomorrow. The CRHF Program features beds that are a standard, simple design for building sturdy bunk beds that after constructing will be personally delivered to the children and their families. Experience the joy that touches the hearts of all involved. The bed is typically the best piece of furniture the proud family now owns. Lunch will be provided for everyone. Return to the hotel for free time and dinner. Overnight San Jose.

Day 3. Monday, November 7: In San Jose. CRHF Bed Program (B/L/D)

Continuation of the CRHF Bed Program. After completion of the beds, they will be delivered to the homes, where they will typically be the best piece of furniture the proud family now owns. Lunch provided again today. After completion of the bed deliveries you will return to the hotel for free time. Dinner at our hotel. Overnight San Jose.

Day 4. Tuesday: In San Jose. Morning Dream Pillow program. (B/L/D)

This morning participate in CRHF renowned Magic Dream Pillow Workshop. Local children will join you to work on this art project. You will have a valuable opportunity to teach the children the value of dreaming: how important is to have dreams, to wish for things, to have goals in our life — and how visualizing your dreams in this way and keeping them near you while you sleep helps your dreams come true. Using fabric paints and markers, the children can create designs and affirmations, as well as put their names on their pillowcases. Sayings such as Sweet Dreams, Dreams Come True, etc. – all in Spanish, of course! Each child will leave with a Dream Pillow. So, bring your loving and creative self and let’s give these children an experience that can affect them very positively for years to come. Lunch will be during the project. In the afternoon, we meet with Gracias Costa Rica to participate in our volunteer program. Return to the hotel for before dinner and spiritual exchange with fellow Costa Rican SOM members.

Day 5. Wednesday: To Puerto Viejo: Start Volunteer Program (B/L/D)

Early departure from San Jose for Puerto Viejo in the southwest part of Costa Rica. Puerto Viejo is the largest tourist destination in Costa Rica’s small Caribbean coast. The vibe here is laid-back, Caribbean-style with a great diversity of people living here and visiting here. After lunch at our hotel, we will begin our Volunteer program with “El Puente” – “The Bridge”. The Bridge is a Non-Profit corporation and is affiliated with the United Centers for Spiritual Living to provide spiritual tools to transform our personal lives and make the world a better place. During our brief stay in Puerto Viejo, we hope t maximize a family’s chances of working from extreme poverty to self-sufficiency.

Day 6. Thursday: In Puerto Viejo: (B/L/D)

A full day of Volunteering which could include the Food Program. The Bridge encounters people who simply need help with food. Some of these are the “Ancient Ones,” old people who are no longer capable of working. Some are families in the Microloan or School programs. Rather than turn them away, as is common practice among other sources, The Bridge chose to implement a program to help. They will serve a healthy meal of soup, fruit, crackers, coffee and juice. Qualifying families are eligible to work for a bag of food. Families in crisis may receive a free bag of food, at the sole discretion of The Bridge team.

Day7. Friday: In Puerto Viejo. Afternoon to San Jose: (B/L)

Continue the Volunteer program this morning. For example, we could help with the construction of a wood platform and tarp roof for outside eating area. Or work with the schools The Bridge impacts and determine what we can do to help. After lunch, we return to San Jose to relax and have the evening on your own. Maybe go to nearby downtown San Jose to try one of the wonderful local restaurants on your own.

Day 8, Saturday Friday: In San Jose. Tirimbina Rain Forest Tour and Sarapiqui River Cruise (B/L/D

 After breakfast, we depart for the Trimbina Rain Forest where a trained naturalist will help uncover and interpret the secrets of the tropical Rainforest. Discover wildlife hideouts and learn of the rainforest’s natural history in two-life zones that show how the forest has two vastly different uses. Your walk will also reveal areas of a secondary forest, an abandoned cacao plantation, and a variety of Costa Rican plants and unusual species. Once you arrive to Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquíi, you’ll board a river boat and you’ll be on the way to discover the richness of Costa Rica’s nature along the waterway. During this two-hour boat ride, you’ll have the opportunity to witness the magnificent rain forest and its inhabitants, such as toucans, monkeys, sloth, crocodiles and many other exotic species. At a private farm, you’ll be served a delicious home cooked lunch and also experience their wonderful Butterfly Garden. One more opportunity to hike on one of the nature trails before returning to our hotel for our farewell dinner at our hotel. Overnight San Jose.

Day 9. Sunday: San Jose/USA (B)

Transfer to the airport for your flight back home. Arrive the same day.

NOTE: This is a sample itinerary for group tour leaders.

It is a suggestion to assist teachers, religious leaders, organization heads, authors, speakers and other leaders who are planning a travel program for their group.

Your organization could go on a tour like this.
To get started CLICK HERE