COSTA RICA TURTLES. The All In One Travel Hack. Do You Know What to Pack?

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1 COSTA RICA TURTLES The All In One Travel Hack Do You Know What to Pack?

2 C O S T A R I C A T U R T L E S G U I D E T H E U L T I M A T E T R A V E L hey there! On behalf of everybody at Bamboo, I would like to offer you our sincerest thanks for choosing this incredible experience with us. We guarantee you an amazing time and we re all very much looking forward to having you with us. I imagine that right now you re very excited about your upcoming volunteering experience in Costa Rica. This little guide has been put together to explain a little more about your time with us on our Turtle project. Once in country you will be looked after by our partners, Maximo. Their team will be with you every step of the way to help with anything you need. *Please note this is not a group project, we can not guarantee that other people will be on this project, however, you will have a volunteer coordinator alongside you at all times. Peace, Love & Bamboo Mark (& the other pandas, Steve & Colin)

3 Background On Costa Rica Costa Rica is a rugged, rainforested Central American country, the capital, San Jose, is the gateway to both the Pacific and Caribbean Coasts. The city is located in the Central Valley and lies between three volcanoes. It's a very modern, cosmopolitan city, offering a great selection of nightlife, theatre and tourism options. Costa Rica has a population of around 4.9 million with San Jose as the largest most populated city. It is relatively easy to navigate your way around Costa Rica, and the public transport is considered the best in the whole of Central America. San Jose offers something for all visitors, from low budget traditional meals starting from USD $4 to expensive international cuisines. Costa Rica has progressive environmental policies. It is the only country to meet all five UNDP criteria's established to measure environmental sustainability. It was ranked 42nd in the world, and third in the Americas, in the 2016 Environmental Performance and was twice ranked the best performing country in the New Economics Foundation's. Background of Maximo Maximo Nivel is a family-owned organization founded in They own and operate four locally-based educational institutes in three of the world s most beautiful countries Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Peru. Maximo Nivel is a professional, ethical, and hard-working organization that is completely dedicated to providing a great experience to every student, volunteer, and client. In each country, Maximo Nivel has dedicated, multilingual staff available 24/7. Each has followed their own unique journey in their evolution from young learner into global citizen. Today, they all stand ready to share their international knowledge and experience, their passion for travel and learning, and to provide great personalized service to everybody who joins us.

4 highlights of your tour COSTA RICA Experience the beautiful country of Costa Rica. SIGHTSEEING Experience the city San Jose before the work starts on the white sandy beaches. LOCAL LIVING Experience a local homestay whilst on project. LOCAL CUISINE Sample home cooked food throughout your stay. GIVING BACK Help the coolest dudes of the ocean, TURTLES!

5 T H E I N F O R M A T I O N Y O U N E E D T O K N O W B E F O R E W E B E G I N C O S T A R I C A T U R T L E S ABOUT YOUR PROJECT Our partner in Costa Rica works with local biologists at reserves along both the Pacific and Caribbean coastlines who are focused on preserving endangered Olive Ridley, Leatherback Black and Green turtles. All projects are located on the gorgeous beaches of either the Pacific or Caribbean coastlines (depending on season), where swimming, surfing and local culture flourishes. You will be staying amongst and working with a very poor local population in a rural setting. For those volunteering on the Pacific Coast, you will work mainly with Olive Ridley and Leatherback turtles. On the Caribbean Coast, you will work mainly with the Leatherback turtles. Both species of turtles have been hunted extensively for their meat and leather, with numbers yet to recover from centuries of over-exploitation. The additional factors of habitat loss due to human settlement and increasing levels of pollution have led to a very limited number of key breeding sites so efforts to protect them are vital. Projects normally include sustainable egg harvesting programs, overseen by the Costa Rican government, that feed or provide income to the local communities, designed to prevent other forms of harvesting and poaching. Volunteers will provide support to biologists, biology interns and/or locals who are involved in managing the turtles nesting grounds. You will be taking part in a variety of projects including night beach patrols, tagging turtles, relocating nests into hatcheries, and turtle and egg counts. Without the help of our amazing volunteers and dedicated in-country teams, these turtles could eventually die out due to the lack of conservation and education in the country. By playing your part on this 'hands-on' project, you will be giving these beautiful creatures a fighting chance of survival and ensuring that the population thrives for generations to come.

6 What's included COSTA RICA TURTLES 1. Transfers from San Jose to the turtle project. 2. All Accommodation throughout your trip. 4. Airport pickup in San Jose 5. All volunteering project materials and guidance. 6. Local Costa Rican breakfast and dinner at the homestay in San Jose hour emergency contacts. 8. Breakfast, lunch and dinner whilst at your project location.

7 T H E I N F O R M A T I O N Y O U N E E D T O K N O W B E F O R E W E B E G I N THE NITTY GRITTY ENTRY REQUIREMENTS COSTA RICA All visitors must hold a passport valid for 6 months after your date of entry. You must also be able to show proof of a return or onward ticket. Not all people who wish to travel to Costa Rica need a tourist visa; this will depend on your nationality, the purpose of visit, country of residence and duration of stay. Visa requirements are based on international agreements or treaties. However, the visa does not guarantee entry to Costa Rica. We recommend that you check the following website to check if you require a visa or not. TRAVEL INSURANCE It is essential that you arrange travel insurance that provides suitable cover for the duration of your trip before you travel. FAST FACTS VISA and passport requirments are YOUR responsibility Please note that entry into Costa Rica is at the discretion of the Immigration officer at the Passport Counter. Bamboo offers a comprehensive policy through our partners, AHI. Please contact us for more information.

8 INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR STAY ACCOMMODATION San José! Volunteers will be accommodated in a local homestay house. All families selected for this are pre-approved and have been hosting volunteers for many years. Accommodation includes breakfast and dinner, a shared room (twin, triple or quad share) and shared bathroom facilities. Volunteers will be given a key to the house and are free to come and go as they please but must respect the routine and rules of the house they are staying in. Depending on which location you are situated at, you will either be accommodated with a local family (as above) or on reserve accommodation in mixed-sex dormitories. During the week, you will be required to remain on the reserve at all times and may be required to make a USD $80 deposit for the reserve keys. Housing rules have a strict no alcohol or drugs on the premises at any time. MEALS Local Costa Rican food is provided for breakfast and dinner at the home stay in San Jose. Lunch in San Jose is not included and volunteers should budget around USD $5-$8/day for this. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided whilst at your project location.

9 MONEY The Colón (named after Christopher Columbus, known as Cristóbal Colón in Spanish) is the currency of Costa Rica. The plural is colones. When it comes to advice on how much money to bring, it s entirely up to you. All our BamFam members are very different. Where some go all out, others are on a budget. You can find both high end and budget restaurants, bars and shops. ATMs, or cash machines, are prevalent throughout Costa Rica with the exception of when you are volunteering. We recommend that you bring some currency with you, which you can change before touch down in Costa Rica, or if you prefer at the airport once you arrive. Please remember that ATM machines will charge you for withdrawals, and you should bare this in mind when budgeting. If withdrawing money in country you will be issued the local currency called colón. Typical exchange rates are: $ In the touristy areas of Costa Rica you can spend USD along with colones. We don t recommend bringing traveller's cheques with you. The reason is that banks across Costa Rica have odd hours of operating, and it may cause unnecessary hassle finding a bank open when you wish to make a transaction. Major credit cards are widely accepted in Costa Rica. Larger hotels and restaurants may accept credit cards, but in general, cash is king. FAST FACTS: MONEY Basic costs of things: Local Meal Casado (rice, beans plantain) $6.00 Meal at a mid-standard restaurant $15.00-$20.00 Bottle of beer $3.00 Bottle of water $1.00 Remember to tell your bank that you are leaving the country to avoid the possibility of your card being suspended.

10 TRAVEL VACCINATIONS For up to date information about the best travel vaccinations to have before arriving in Costa Rica we urge you to contact your own GP, a travel health clinic or to check the World Health Organisations website. Bamboo are not medical professionals and therefore can t offer you medical advice. FLIGHTS Thanks to the world wide web we all now have access to great flight deals through websites such as Skyscanner, Google Flights and more. If you d rather use the services of a booking agent, the likes of STA Travel, Trailfinders and Flight Centre are all available online. ARRIVAL To be eligible for the airport pick-up, please arrange your flight to arrive into San Jose's international airport (named Juan Santamaria with airport code SJO), on your chosen arrival date. DEPARTURE Once you arrival in country please let one of our team know your departure information. They will be able to help arrange transport back to the airport when necessary. IMPORTANT NOTICE Once you have booked and confirmed your flight to Costa Rica, please make sure that you have shared your flight arrival time and flight number with our team. Without those details, we will be unable to guarantee your collection on arrival. FAST FACTS: TRAVEL Did you know that? As you call your lover or spouse my better half, Costa Ricans call theirs the other half of the orange Did you know that? On any given flight the bathroom door isn t really locked when you re inside. Lavatory doors can be locked and unlocked from the outside for a multitude of reason. It allows flight attendants quick access to locked lavatories in case of emergencies. In other instances, it allows the cabin crew to restrict access to bathrooms during takeoff and landing.

11 ARRIVAL INFO PLEASE PRINT San Jose International Airport can be a busy airport and also a confusing place. Once you have passed through Immigration (Passport Control) you ll need to turn left and collect your luggage from one of the carousels. After this, make your way to the exit, passing through the green Nothing to Declare channel. Once through you will enter the busy main arrivals area. You will pass through a sea of taxi drivers but go straight through them until you find our partners' team holding a sign with your name on it. They should be easily recognizable. Once you ve spotted our team, head over and introduce yourself. You ll then receive further instructions. Please bear in mind that we may be waiting for others to arrive, so your transfer to the hotel may not be immediate. If you have supplied us with a mobile phone number, make sure your phone is turned on as we may be trying to contact you if we cannot find you. Once we have you we ll transfer you to the starting point for your tour. On arrival, we ll help you to check in and give you more details of what s happening.

12 The 'must brings' HAVE YOU PACKED THE FOLLOWING? 1. Backpack or suitcase w/wheels 2.Towel 3. Light, loose-fitting clothes 4. Long trousers & t-shirts 5. Flip flops or sandals 6. Trainers or Sneakers 7. Day pack/bag 8. Insect spray 9. Hat & Sunscreen 10. Reusable Water Bottle 11. Multi-use plug adapter 12. Headlight or torch

13 The 'can brings' WHILST EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT, WE VE COMPILED A MORE DETAILED LIST FROM FEEDBACK OF SOME OF OUR PAST TRAVELLERS WHICH YOU MAY FIND USEFUL AND ALSO WANT TO CONSIDER BRINGING: 1. Medical Kit 2. Toiletries 3. General - Small umbrella or water jacket - Pillow and blow up mattress (for added comfort) - Earplugs Electrolytes / Rehydration Packets Antihistamine cream / tablets Antibiotic cream Imodium Nail brush / Clippers Wet wipes Tissues / Toilet roll Travel hairdryer - Home luxuries (can't live without) - Duplicate copies for passport, bank card, medical insurance

14 TERMS & CONDITIONS Please read these Terms and Conditions carefully as they form the basis of your contract with WeAreBamboo. This agreement is made at the time of booking and becomes legally binding upon payment of your deposit. By booking a program with WeAreBamboo, you signify you have read and accepted these Terms and Conditions All programs advertised on our website and/or on Facebook are offered and/or operated by WeAreBamboo Ltd. (trading as Bamboo and referred to as Bamboo or we hereinafter) with company number whose registered office is:. WE ARE BAMBOO LEVEL 2 61 SEAVIEW ROAD LOWER HUTT, NEW ZEALAND 5010 All travel arrangements are sold subject to the following conditions. Bamboo reserves the right to update the Terms and Conditions at any time. Please view our full terms and conditions here: Please note that the information in this pack is subject to change at any time without notice.