2020 Evergreen Country Day Costa Rica Program
| Travel Dates: |
March 22, 2020 -
March 28, 2020
Dates are tentative until airfare is secured
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| Group Organizer(s): |
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| WTT Contact: |
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| Program Tuition: |
$2,090 USD
- or -
$1,990 USD with discount if paid in full
Airfare not included in program tuition
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| Estimated Airfare: | $650 |
| Deadline(s): | Interested travelers should enroll by October 11th |
Tuition Calculator
There are two options for payment, including an interest-free installment plan. Follow whichever works best for your family. If we are within 90 days of travel, only the pay in full option is possible.
Program Tuition: $2,090
Pay in Full
Pay in full at the time of enrollment and receive a $100 discount off your program tuition! Payment with the discount would be:
$1,990.00
due today
Payment Plan
Pay a $500 deposit at the time of enrollment and establish an interest-free monthly payment plan. If you enroll today, your estimated* monthly payments would be:
$33.83
per month
All prices in United States Dollars.
Costa Rica Service Adventure
From white sand beaches to misty cloud forests, towering volcanoes to beautiful rivers that carve through tropical canyons, and hospitable, friendly communities, Costa Rica has it all! Our service adventures give travelers the opportunity to delve deep into small, rural communities set in stunningly beautiful corners of the country. In addition to white water rafting, relaxing on white sand beaches and swimming at the base of a towering waterfall, students will gain confidence in their Spanish, contribute to a meaningful service project and grow into more confident travelers. Adventure awaits!
Cultural Journeys
Cultural Journeys allow travelers to gain insights into the heritage, history and modern realities of their destination by offering a broad diversity of experience. We rely on the expertise of our local staff to plan itineraries which not only explore the prominent sites but also make time for the lesser-known local gems and are intentional about regular interaction with local people.
Program Highlights
Check out some of the featured experiences of your program!
Contribute to sustainability efforts on a conservation project
Trek to a beautiful waterfall deep in the jungle
Stay on a farm deep in the rainforest
Learn to surf with some of Costa Rica's best instructors
Hike through the tropical rainforest and learn about local ecosystems
Discover the gorgeous beaches and world-class national parks on the Pacific coast
The Itinerary
We do everything possible to run safe, engaging, and immersive programs for our travelers and given the unpredictable nature of international travel we must remain flexible in our planning. Changes to a schedule are uncommon but, we reserve the right to adjust programming in the best interest of the group.
| Day | Location | Description | Lodging |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 22 | USA - San Jose | Today the group will travel from the USA to Costa Rica, and flights usually arrive in the evening. After arrival, the group will settle into their hotel for the evening and have an orientation meeting to discuss the upcoming trip in detail. | Casa Cielo Grande |
| March 23 | San Jose - Pura Suerte | After breakfast we will depart for Pura Suerte, an ecological farm in the heart of the rain forest, about four hours' drive south of the capital city. Upon arrival we will tour this organic farm for an introduction to the bountiful flora and fauna in the area, visit a nearby coffee plantation and enjoy a delicious dinner made from ingredients sourced directly from the forest and nearby farms. Throughout the program, we'll have the opportunity to interact with community members in Spanish, participate in cultural exchanges, and explore Costa Rican culture. | Pura Suerte Jungalows |
| March 24 | Pura Suerte - Osa | After breakfast we'll hike down to Nauyaca waterfall, one of the largest and most beautiful in the entire country. Spend the morning swimming and relaxing by the riverside. We will take lunch at the waterfall and then hike back to Pura Suerte, where we will pack up and drive south down the coast to the Turtle Reserve Field Station. Here we will settle in and meet the researchers with whom we'll be spending the next few days. | Reserva Playa Tortuga Field Station |
| March 25 | Osa | After breakfast we'll take a hike through the surrounding tropical rainforest in the morning to get our bearings on the local ecosystems in the Osa. We'll then receive an orientation for the research we'll be conducting -- surveys of mammals such as monkeys, river otters, and kinkajous, and sloths. We'll take a break for lunch and continue to conduct these surveys in the afternoon, in addition to receiving a lecture on local and national wildlife conservation efforts . The next few days will consist of us working with researches on a variety of research projects. See below sections for more information on the kinds of research projects we'll be working on over the next few days. | Reserva Playa Tortuga Field Station |
| March 26 | Osa | We'll walk along the beach in the morning and c onduct a clean-up of marine debris to ensure a clean nesting habitat for sea turtles. In the afternoon, we'll pay a visit to the local community , where Reserva La Tortuga conducts yearlong environmental education campaigns with local schools. We may organize a nature walk with local students, build structures from reclaimed plastic , or have an afternoon on the beach with local students. In the evening we'll have some free time in the local town of Ojachal, and learn some useful Spanish phrases. | Reserva Playa Tortuga Field Station |
| March 27 | Osa - Manuel Antonio | We will have an early breakfast then say goodbye to our friends at Reserva Playa Tortuga, before heading northwest to Manuel Antonio on the central Pacific coast. We will spend the morning having private surf lessons from some of Costa Rica's best surfers . Never surfed before? No problem! The waves at Manuel Antonio are perfect for beginners and almost everyone is able to stand up. After lunch and some shopping, we'll make the drive back to San Jose for a farewell dinner ahead of our international departure the following morning. | Casa Cielo Grande |
| March 28 | San Jose - USA | Fly home! | Your own bed, eventually! |
Accommodations
In order to provide a safe and memorable experience, we follow strict guidelines when choosing program accommodations. Walking Tree partners with hotels and guest houses which are centrally located, clean and safe. We vet and inspect the accommodations to ensure they uphold the ethos of our programs, are great values for our travelers and nice places to rest after enriching days of travel.
Villas Aracari
Villas Aracari is a beautiful property ideally located just twenty minutes from the airport. Close to the city center yet perched high in the mountains, the views of the Central Valley are breathtaking and the new pool is a delightful respite after a hot day. Spotless rooms and friendly staff will make you feel at home the moment you drop your bags.
Finca Pura Suerte
A grouping of bamboo cabins and impressive communal spaces, this farm is nestled deep in low-land rain forest with views of the Pacific coastline. The accommodations are comfortable, the food fantastic, and the surreal setting provides an ideal introduction to the country’s impressive flora and fauna.
Reserva Playa Tortuga
Reserva Playa Tortuga is a non-profit biological research and education center committed to developing and implementing community-based real world projects and conservation management solutions. The Reserva can accommodate groups in rooms that are spacious with quality mattresses and fans. Each room has Wi-Fi access, storage, drawers and screens in the windows to keep the bugs away. Students will be grouped in their rooms according to gender and availability.
Safety and Support
EASY FUNDRAISING & PAYMENT
24/7 GLOBAL EMERGENCY LINE
HIGHLY VETTED PARTNERS
EXPERT LEADERSHIP
PRIVATE GROUP GUARANTEE
COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM SUPPORT
DEDICATION TO CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT
ALL-INCLUSIVE PRICING
Our daughter is planning a high school junior year as an exchange student abroad, and your program was partly a ‘test the waters” of her being abroad. It was a tremendous success, thank you!
Barney
Parent of Della, traveler on 2017 program to Thailand
Your Adventure Includes
Estimated Airfare
In order to give our travelers the best possible price, we break out airfare from the Program Tuition. We will still handle all booking and ticketing via our flight partner who has access to special fares not available to the general public. Once confirmed, you will be invoiced for the flight roughly 75 days prior to travel.
Program Tuition Excludes: Travel insurance, baggage fees, passport/visa fees, laundry, souvenirs, and activities not listed on itinerary.
Need to Raise Money? We Have You Covered.
Walking Tree Travel is proud to team up with Equal Exchange, a worker-owned cooperative that distributes organic coffee, tea, sugar, bananas, avocados, cocoa, chocolate bars, and more. There is no limit to the amount you can earn, so the sooner you can start, the better!
Learn more here.
Resource Center
Why should high school students travel abroad? What happens if a participant gets sick? How quickly do we need to enroll? We’re sure you have plenty of questions and we’ve got you covered! Visit our Resource Center to discover the answers to your most pressing questions and contact us anytime with additional questions.