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Itinerary - Africa and Asia Venture

Itinerary

GETTING THERE

You will fly to Costa Rica's capital, San Jose, arriving in the late afternoon/early evening on Sunday, and be met by our representative. The whole group will be  doing the Spanish Course/home stay and you will be whisked off to the language school in Centro Panamericano de Idiomas in San Joaquin de Flores, which is quite close to the international airport.  The School will arrange individual home stays with local families and place you there that evening.

SPANISH COURSE AND HOME STAY

This will be a three-week activity guaranteed to improve the Spanish and cultural understanding of everyone who takes part. Home stay families are carefully selected for their friendliness and cooking ability! You will stay as an individual with a family and immerse yourself deeply into the life (and language!) of the Costa Ricans. From Monday to Friday, by day, you will join the others in your group and attend four to five hours of Spanish at the level appropriate to you - absolute beginner to advanced. The rest of the teaching days are spent in the city doing some practical exercises, designed to bring on your confidence, and your evenings will be spent with your family or out on the town with AVs and other friends you will make. Apart from dance classes and cookery lessons, which are laid on in the language school, we will arrange some sightseeing for you at the weekends.

DEPARTURE FOR THE CARIBBEAN!

On Sunday morning, with all of you now speaking pretty good Spanish, the whole group will head off to Pacuare. You will disembark at La Rocha jetty and board a boat for the last 30 minutes of your trip into Pacuare Turtle Lodge, overlooking the Caribbean. 

TURTLE CONSERVATION AT PACUARE

After initial familiarisation, you will spend a day on induction and briefings so that you have a clear understanding of the history, culture and customs of the people you will be living with and know how to look after yourself medically and whilst travelling.  Then, it will be two weeks of beach patrols and monitoring the great Leatherbacks, as they come ashore nightly to lay their eggs. You will be working under the direction of marine biologists and you will be busy (and fascinated!).

CARIBBEAN ADVENTURE

After you leave Pacuare, you will be collected from La Rocha jetty by a guide, who will remain with you for the next four days.  He will drive you north to the Arenal Volcano region and you have the opportunity to explore it that afternoon.  Your accommodation will be a lovely lodge, well known for its great food!  The next day will give you the chance to see more of the area as well as the turquoise waters of the Rio Celeste.  You will be collected on Day 3, bright and early, and driven south again to the more turbulent end of Rio Pacuare, where you will white water raft all 38 rapids before driving on for the night in Puerto Viejo.  This sleepy little seaside town is popular with surfers and young lovers of sun sea and sand.  Day 4 can be spent doing absolutely nothing ... or sunbathing on the sandy beaches ... or surfing ... or strolling around the town ... or ... you decide!  The morning of Day 5 will be the start of your independent travel. 

INDEPENDENT TRAVEL

This really is your chance to go out there and explore Costa Rica with some friends. The Paciific and the Caribbean provide some pretty amazing beaches.  Of course, there are animals, birds, volcanoes, rain forests and Panama, too...all easily accessible.  You simply have to make a plan.

FLY HOME

The scheme will end after your independent travel and we will put you up back in San Jose for a final night before your flight home....or onward travels!   

 

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