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Unfortunately, this trip is in the past! Check out our May and August 2013 Jewish trips to Costa Rica and our August Alaska trip! |
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Sign up now for an amazing adventure this winter! |
Finca Rio Perla waterfall. Photo by Matt Miller
The 8-night Costa Rica Caribbean Experience for young Jewish professionals ages 22-30 next January offers a diverse adventure that combines the Caribbean Highlands of Costa Rica – with its breathtaking tropical beaches. It begins by sampling some of the color that San Jose, the nation’s vibrant capital has to offer (with an optional Shabbat visit to the Jewish community); goes on to the famous Arenal volcano and it’s just as famous hot-springs; continues with a whitewater rafting run down to the Caribbean Lowlands, with their tropical beaches, unique flora and fauna, active nightlife, and indigenous culture; and it ends in the highlands, with their lush mountainous rainforest, waterfalls, freshwater pools and serenity - spending Shabbat while based at a cool Jewish owned eco-farm on the slopes of Volcan Turrialba.
This complete tour package provides a diverse and exciting adventure-experience brimming with activities (including chill time), all in a short but long week, and all in the beautiful and peaceful paradise called Costa Rica. It offers a mosaic for all your senses, focusing on the contrast between the highlands and the lowlands-coast. So come and spend an amazing week in the Costa Rican Caribbean!
We take the environment seriously, and plan our trips in accordance with the guidelines of eco-tourism: minimizing environmental damage through low impact travel, supporting local environmental projects and indigenous communities, and learning about the culture and natural environment of the places visited.
EVERYTHING listed below is included in our trip. These adventures are paid for already – including a swim in the pool above – just imagine that! You may, but you do not need to spend another dollar on an adventure – it’s all priced into our packaged tour.
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Trip Itinerary
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Friday, January 18
Early arrival Shabbat Option: arrive a day early today and visit San Jose and spend Shabbat with the local Jewish Community.
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 The Shaarei Zion synagogue in San Jose |
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Saturday, January 19
Welcome to Costa Rica!
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The National Theater in downtown San Jose
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Sunday, January 20
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Baldi Hot Springs, Arenal
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Monday, January 21
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Arenal Volcano
 Tour participants on the Jungle Canopy Tour |
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Tuesday, January 22
Today we will be heading south to the coast, and on the way go on a rafting adventure on the nearby Pacuare River, known as one of the top five rafting rivers in the world for its scenery and rapids (Class III-IV). Late afternoon: we will arrive at Puerto Viejo on the southern Caribbean coast - one of the most happening places in Costa Rica - a place the international crowd blend with the local Latino, Afro-Caribbean and Bribri indigenous cultures, with its pristine coastline acting as a backdrop! After dinner, enjoy live Reggae music with moijtos, daiquiris or fresh Pina Colada! |
 Rafting adventure on the Pacuare River |
Monday, January 23
 Punta Uva beach
Morning: we will be participating in a service project with one of the indigenous communities living in the area: this could be helping to build a local school, working in a vegetable garden or tree nursery, or working with the folks from the Ara Project, the Great Green Macaw reintroduction team with the school kids. We are working with the Talamancan Association of Ecotourism and Conservation (ATEC) on the service project, and will have specifics as we get closer to the date of travel. During our time volunteering, we will learn about the Indigenous BriBri Tribal Area and the history of the native people of Costa Rica, the medicinal plants they use. We will end the day learning about the history and production of chocolate in the area– including tasting!
Afternoon: Free time on the amazing Caribbean beach. Options include:
Late afternoon: Time permitting, we will enjoy a sunset swim along the magnificent Punta Uva beach, thought by many as the most beautiful beach in Costa Rica! Later, we will participate in a Caribbean cooking lesson: using seafood, fish, fruits and veggies typical to Coastal Talamanca, you’ll learn to cook in the traditional Caribbean way from some of the local matriarchs - and enjoy a great meal afterwords. Night : explore the town– all while taking in the special and laid back ambiance of Puerto Viejo. We may hit one of the bars, clubs, or live music venues that dot the town… |
 Traditional chocolate making at the BriBri reservation 
Caribbean cooking lesson with Junior Palmar
Surfing lesson near Puerto Viejo
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Thursday, January 24
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Hiking the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge
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Tour participant with young
howler monkey at the Jungle Rescue Center
 Horseback riding on Finca Rio Perla 
Havdallah on the farm
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Saturday, January 26
Good morning Finca Rio Perla! Today is our chill say – and depending on what you are up to, you can chill during the day, explore the area and/or partake in some farm activities:
Sunday, January 27 Time to say goodbye! We will leave Finca Rio Perla by 7:30 am, in time to make our flights back home. ***Please note that the time and location of an activity might change due to unexpected circumstances, such as inclement weather and hazardous road conditions. |
 Finca Rio Perla Activities 
Hot pepper in the farms organic garden
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Dates
The Caribbean Experience trip will take place from Saturday, January 19 to Sunday, January 27, 2013 (8 nights in total; 9 nights for those wishing to arrive on Friday). We will be meeting at and leaving the San Jose (the capital) international airport (SJO).
We ask that you plan to be on a flight that will land in San Jose by 4 pm on January 19. If you decide to arrive a day earlier, please arrive by 3 pm on Friday so we can prepare for Shabbat. Your flight home should be no earlier than noon on Sunday, January 27.
If you observe the Sabbath you have an option of arriving on Friday and spending the weekend in San Jose, attending services in the Jewish community – or arriving Sunday and joining the group in Puerto Viejo.
If you want to arrive a day or two earlier, or choose to leave later, please let us know how we can help you experience more of this magnificent country. We can arrange for a pick-up or drop-off in another part of San Jose at the beginning or end of the trip. Day trips from San Jose include the nearby volcanoes of Poas and Irazu. If you are interested in this option, please let us know!
Accommodations
- In San Jose, you will stay in a comfortable hotel which is walking distance from the Synagogue and a short ride from downtown, such as the La Sabana.
- On the Finca Rio Perla farm, guests will stay in rustic but comfortable rooms, with shared bathrooms and toilets.
- In Arenal, we will be staying Monte Real hotel, boasting magnificent views of the volcano and a tropical backyard with resident sloths.
- On the southern Caribbean coast we will be staying in a comfortable mid-level hotel, such as the elegant Namuwoki, or the Shawandha. We will be pairing up to share the rooms, though you might choose to be in a single room for an extra fee.
Guides
For your Caribbean Experience we will provide you with an experienced guide that will escort you for the length of your trip. In various activities, we use the best local specialty guides with years of expertise in introducing tourists to the natural beauty of Costa Rica. We work mostly with local guides as well as with tourism non-profit organizations such as ATEC, which make sure that the local indigenous communities benefit from tourism revenues while protecting the environment and the traditional way of life.
Transportation
We provide all transfers during the week using an air conditioned van or minibus, driven by a bilingual driver / guide.
Packing list
Before departing, you will receive a comprehensive list of suggested things to bring on the Caribbean Experience.
Cost of trip
The early bird cost per person is $1720 for those registering and making a deposit by October 19, 2012. To get this early bird discount, you must use the code MORPHO while registering or making your full payment.
After October 19 the price of the trip will be $1870.
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Great! How do I sign up?
To reserve your spot on the trip, click on the link to the right to make your secure deposit of $200 via the Google Wallet system. After securing your spot, please fill out our tour registration form. Our trips have a maximum of 18 participants, and a minimum of 8. Once we reach the minimum needed and call the trip, the $200 deposit becomes non-refundable - we need to enforce this policy in order to cover loss from last-minute cancellations. If you cancel your attendance after December 12, 2012, we will reimburse you the sum you paid, with $200 kept as cancellation fee. For general questions about the trip, please write us at: [email protected] Please feel free to forward this info to any friends of yours that might be interested in joining us for this week - ask us about our special registration price for groups of two or more that register together! If you have a discount code, you will be asked to provide it before submitting a payment via Google Checkout. |
Deposit for January 2013 trip
Reserves your spot for the amazing December 2012 trip. To participate you must cover the full balance by December 12, 2012.
$
200.00
Remaining balance for January 2013 trip
Pay your remaining balance if you have already made the $200 deposit.
$
1,670.00
Full payment for January 2013 trip
Deposit and remaining balance for Aug. 2012 trip, including all accommodations, 17 meals, and tons of activities.
$
1,870.00
Friday early arrival
An extra fee of $80 is required for arriving a day earlier to San Jose, including night at a hotel and visit to Jewish Community.
$
80.00
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The cost of the trip includes:
- Transportation and transfers to and from all locations in Costa Rica by a bilingual guide/driver.
- Full accompaniment by a Costa Rica Caribbean Experience staff person.
- 8 nights of accommodations in the capital San Jose, on the Finca Rio Perla farm, Hotel Monte Real in Arenal, and in a Puerto Viejo hotel. Price is for double occupancy accommodations. Single occupancy rooms are available, based on availability, for an additional fee.
- All activities and all meals during our 2 nights at the Finca Rio-Perla eco-farm.
- Meals included in trip: 8 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 6 dinners!
- Jungle Canopy Tour/ Zipline Adventure in Arenal
- Entrance to the Baldi hot-springs in Arenal, including a buffet dinner
- Stand Up Paddle (SUP) Lessons & Lake Arenal SUP Paddle Boarding Tour!
- One day of amazing whitewater rafting on the Pacuare River (including breakfast/lunch)
- Gandoca –Manzanillo Wildlife Hike
- Caribbean cooking class
- Visit to the Jaguar Rescue
- BriBri Cacao Tour (history of local indigenous people and organic chocolate making)
- Welcome night dinner in San Jose
- Dinner at Pita Bonita in Puerto Viejo
Please note that if you do not wish to partake in the rafting, canopy tour, and zipline, you may opt out and we will reduce the cost of your trip accordingly.
The cost does not include:
- Airfare
- Costa Rica departure tax of $28
- Traveler insurance (we will be able to arrange this for you if needed)
- Some meals on the Caribbean coast, in San Jose and Arenal
- Alcoholic beverages
- Tips and gratuities
Our tours are organized by the Costa Rica Caribbean Experience, a destination of Greener Travel Company, LLC. The company was founded by Ami Greener, an experienced and enthusiastic environmentalist that has been captivated by the unique beauty of Costa Rica. By forming personal relationships with local providers in Costa Rica (hotel owners, activity outfitters and the staff of Finca Rio-Perla, the amazing farm that we visit), we are able to offer a tailored experience to both individuals and couples traveling alone and looking to explore the area, as well as group tours which a member of our staff or local Costa Rican associates will guide.
Though the dates for this trip are set, if you want to join and cannot take the whole week off from work, we could accommodate you for part of the trip, and price it differently as well.
If you cannot make it on these dates, but would like to plan a visit alone, with a small group of friends or a romantic getaway with a significant other - we can help you plan that trip as well with some of these amazing adventures – we regularly send couples, families and small groups of friends on a tailored Caribbean Experience!
For further information and questions, please contact us at:
The Costa Rica Caribbean Experience
[email protected]
US: +1-202-599-0655
