Archive for 'San Jose'

San Jose Costa Rica Plus

voluntourism costa rica

Experience the natural beauty and spirituality of this natural wonderland as you visit the best that Costa Rica has to offer—On this wonderful journey you will experience wildlife through inland water-ways, stay at a jungle lodge, have a relaxing message in a Spa next to a Volcano (inactive); Enjoy lunch as you cruise on a deluxe Catamaran

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 Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation to create a combination of traditional touring with participating in CRHF renowned “A Bed for Every Child” program and Dream Pillow program that assists children and their families who live in poverty in Costa Rica.

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.

Tour Includes:

  • Round-trip international flights
  • Round-trip transfers between airport and hotel
  • Accommodations in the 1st Class hotels
  • U.S. airline and hotel taxes
  • Service charges at hotels
  • Breakfast every day
  • Additional meals included as per itinerary
  • Local bilingual guides for sightseeing
  • Sightseeing tours, as per itinerary, including entrance fees
  • Pre-Paid Gratuities

Added Features:

  • Visit to the Arenal Volcano
  • Full day Catamaran cruise including lunch
  • Contribution on your behalf to the Fundacion Neotropica to benefit Costa Rica’s eco-tourism
  • Participating in the CRHF “Bed-Making program
  • Costa Rican Humantarian Foundation service program
  • “Dream Pillow” program
  • Community Project coordinated by the Fundacion Humanitaria

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.
  • 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.

Donation to Fundacion Neotropica on Your Behalf

As temporal inhabitants of this planet, RMC Travel is donating $25 in your name for this organization. In exchange you will not only receive the satisfaction of collaborating to preserve the richness of the tropics, but will also receive a certificate from the Fundación Neotrópica, a special membership card valid for 3 months and the latest Newsletter as you help Save the Planet.

The Fundación Neotrópica, is a private, non-profit organization that aims to transform existing natural resource management practices in the neotropics into sustainable practices that protect our natural heritage and improve the quality of life for present and future communities. The Fundación Neotrópica promotes all activities that aim to conserve Costa Rica’s natural riches

TOUR ITINERARY – (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner)

Day 1. Friday: US/San Jose (D)
Depart on your international flight to San Jose. Arrive same day. Clear Immigration, Baggage Claim and Customs. Meet your local tour representative. Transfer to our hotel. Late afternoon. meeting with Costa Rica’s Costa Rican Humantarian Foundation staff to discuss the service projects that you will be participating in tomorrow. Group Dinner. Overnight San Jose.

Day 2. Saturday: In San Jose. CRHF Orientation/ CRHF Bed Making Program (B/L/D)
Breakfast will be followed by a transfer to CRHF’s home base at La Carpio. Here is where we participate in the program that 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. Sunday: In San Jose. CRHF Bed Making Program & Dream Pillow (B/L/D)
This morning after last minute completion of the bed deliveries we return to CRHF for lunch. After lunch, participate in CRHFrenowned Magic Dream Pillow Workshop. Here we’ll be paired with a student and together discuss the student’s dreams for this art project. We have found it to be 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 life…..and how visualizing ones dreams in this way and keeping them near you while you sleep helps dreams come true. Using fabric, non-toxic paints and markers (travelers will bring them), the children create designs and affirmations, as well as put their names on their pillowcases. Sayings such things as Sweet Dreams, Dreams Come True, etc. Each child will leave with a Dream Pillow. We have found that this program gives these children an experience that can affect them very positively for years to come. Dinner at our hotel. Overnight San Jose.

Day 4. Thursday: In San Jose. “Gracias Costa Rica “ Community Volunteer Project (B/L)
This morning we will work with the Gracias Costa Rica program where we 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. Return to the hotel for some well-deserved R & R. Dinner on our own at nearby San Jose to try some of the wonderful local restaurants. Overnight San Jose.

Day 5. Tuesday: To Arenal (B/L/D)
After breakfast the journey continues to the Arenal Volcano area as we travel through the Costa Rican countryside. The Arenal Volcano is considered one of the most active volcanoes in the world; it has been active since 1968 when it suddenly exploded. Nowadays, trees and vegetation are starting to regenerate in some areas of the volcanoes base. Soon you will see the Volcano hot spring, which are the result of rainwater heated in the Earth’s interior. Once heated, the waters rise to surface, taking with them minerals found in the earth’s rocky crust; this way, waters become very benefic to our bodies because of its temperature that helps to relax muscles, clean pores and rejuvenate the skin. We will make a stop for lunch along the way before arrival at Arenal. Relax this afternoon. Overnight and dinner in Arenal.

Day 6, Wednesday: In Arenal (B/L)
Today, it’s a full-day tour of the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge and the Rio Frío, both areas considered to be one of the richest in biological diversity in Costa Rica. Our first stop is Los Chiles; a culturally mixed village located only 2 miles from the Nicaraguan border. There a boat awaits us for a river adventure. We will cruises for about 2 ½ hours on a floating Safari of the Tropical Rain Forest, pastures and marshes. The trip includes a typical Costa Rican lunch, with regional fruits, natural juices and coffee, all served for the visitors’ comfort at the new Restaurant Río Frío; canned drinks, natural juices and more during the boat tour. Dinner on our own. Overnight in Arenal.

Day 7, Thursday: To Manuel Antonio – Catamaran Cruise (B/L/D)
We depart for Manuel Antonio, one of the most beautiful spots in Costa Rica, Along the way, we will have we will board have a special day of cruising onboard the Calypso’s super catamaran Manta Raya. With its expansive deck area that includes 2 deck pools, we will enjoy a level of cruising luxury and comfort in 100% Calypso style.

Day 7, Friday: To San Jose Airport (B)
We depart Manuel Antonio To San Jose airport and board our flight home.

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

 

San Jose, Costa Rica

voluntourism costa rica

Sample itinerary for a special vacation with a reward
in Costa Rica’s capital, San Jose

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 partnering with Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation, an organization serving children and their families living in severe poverty. This is a combination of traditional touring with participating in CRHF’s new “Carpio Clean… Carpio Green… Carpio Healthy… Carpio Happy.”

La Carpio is a shanty town of 34,000 residents that sits between a trash dump and the Tobias Bolaños International Airport northwest of San José, where a splash of paint, a small toy and something green can go a long way. La Carpio is one of the poorest areas of Costa Rica, inhabited largely by Ticos from other parts of Costa Rica and Nicaragua who fled a bloody revolution in their home country, and later, a collapse of their economy, began settling in La Carpio in the 1980s.

We also will have our “Dream Program,” where you are paired with a local Costa Rican child and together discuss the student’s dreams for this art project.

Your Journey Includes:

  • Round-trip international flights
  • Round-trip transfers between airport and hotel
  • Accommodations in the 1st Class BW Irazu Hotel in San Jose
  • U.S. airline and hotel taxes
  • Service charges at hotels
  • Breakfast every day
  • Additional 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
  • A “Zip-Ride” over the forest canopy
  • A Sarapiqui River Cruise
  • Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation service programs
  • The “Dream Project” program
  • Special Hygiene kits given to each child

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 “Carpio Clean…Carpio Green…Carpio Healthy…Carpio Happy.”
  • The “Dream Program” pairs you with a child and together discuss the child’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 one’s dreams in this way and keeping them near you while you sleep helps your dreams come true.
  • 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.
  • We also will be giving special Hygiene gifts including toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, nail clippers and more in an effort to teach better health and grooming habits.

TOUR ITINERARY
(B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner)

Day 1, Monday: US/San Jose (D)

Depart on our international flight to San Jose. Arrive same day. Clear Immigration, Baggage Claim and Customs. Meet our local tour representative. Transfer to our home base for this week at the BW Irazu Hotel. Free time. There will be an afternoon meeting with Costa Rica’s Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation staff to discuss the service projects that we will be participating in tomorrow Welcome to San Jose Group Dinner. Overnight San Jose. Welcome dinner at our hotel.

Day 2, Tuesday: In San Jose – Volunteer Program (B/L/D)

To La Carpio. Upon arrival, today’s Volunteer program will be “Carpio Clean.” Painting the front of houses. Picking up trash and promoting recycling through talking with people and showing how to sort trash. It will be an opportunity to show how pleasant it is to have something to look at that’s not trash, not gray dirt, but clean. Working with the local youth of the community through the painting of a mural with this theme. An example is a mural painted over a flap of corrugated tin shows a tree reaching into a night sky.
12:00 pm Lunch (Box lunch will be prepared at the hotel & taken with you on your way to La Carpiuo.) After lunch, continue today’s Volunteer program. Pick-up at La Carpio back to hotel to relax and some R & R before dinner.

Day 3, Wednesday: In San Jose – Volunteer Program (B/L/D)

Back to La Carpio. Upon arrival, today’s Volunteer program will be “Carpio Green,” an initiative way to improve the crude caliches roads and haphazard constructions that visually define La Carpio and to make it into something prettier to look at. Building a sense of self-worth in a community requires it to look presentable. We will create and pass out bottles to start a Bottle Gardens – plants potted in modified plastic bottles – for residents who want to decorate their spaces with something green and sometimes edible. A chance to grow herbs like thyme, basil, spearmint, parsley and coriander, as well as potted cherry tomatoes, carrots and potato plants. Some plants you may be giving out are butterfly plants, the ones that attract butterflies. (Box lunch will be prepared at the hotel & taken with you on your way to La Carpiuo. After lunch, continue today’s Volunteer program.-up at La Carpio back to hotel to relax and some R & R. Meet for dinner at the La Gallera Restaurant.

Day 4, Thursday: In San Jose – Volunteer Program (B/L/D)

After breakfast, we return to La Carpio for Volunteer program for “Carpio Healthy and Happy”. We start by pairing up with Local children and youth of the community as they create their own “Dream Mat” program. which will be an opportunity to teach the children the value of dreaming: how important it is to have dreams, to wish for things, to have goals in our their hearts as they put their names on cloth (in Spanish of course). Each child will leave with two mats as a decoration that they can hang in their homes. So, bring your loving and creative self and give these children an experience that can affect them very positively for years to come.
This will be followed by passing out the hygiene kits you have put together and as they are given to the children, you will be interacting with them to practice hand washing, hair care, nail care.
Local lunch at Carpio, followed by a local handicrafts program and exhibit (also for purchasing items). Depart Carpio for San Jose and some time for independent exploration and shopping. Return to the hotel before dinner

Day 5, Friday – Touring to Canopy Rain Forest Tour and Sarapiqui River Cruise (B/L/D)

A day of fun and fantastic touring as we have the opportunity to view Costa Rica’s ever-changing panorama. Arrival at the Hacienda Pozo Azul, to start your ZIP-LINE (perfectly safe) tour of the Sarapiqui area rain forest. The tour will feature 12 cables (that you hook into) and 17 platforms that are build from 60 to 90 feet above group as you “fly” through a canyon and over the Sarapiqui River Continue on your full day excursion as boat your Rover boat and navigate through the Sarapiqui River, with its beautiful scenery surrounded by lowlands of tropical rain forests and quiet farmland. As the boat passes through green waters and lush vegetation, you will also see a variety of Costa Rican plants, animals and birds. Lunch will be served during the cruise. Return to the hotel where you will have some time to relax. Meet in the lobby for dinner at the La Gallera Restaurant

Day 6. Saturday: San Jose/USA (B)
Breakfast on own time. Later meet in lobby for transfer to airport.

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