Costa Rica and Nicaragua 4 week community.

Product Details

Raleigh International is a charity that provides adventure and challenge expeditions for people from all backgrounds, nationalities and ages, especially young people.

The community phase of our expedition in Costa Rica or Nicaragua offers a rich experience in the remote rural communities of either of the two very different countries. Each have similarly poor access to basic educational and health facilities. You will have the opportunity to live with and work alongside villagers, developing facilities and improving living standards in communities largely cut off from the outside world. You will make a meaningful contribution and really get under the skin of the Central American people and culture. Full training as part of an in-country induction is provided on arrival.

Whether part of your summer vacation, career break or gap year, Raleigh’s four week programme is a worthwhile and unforgettable experience.

A taste of what’s ahead on the four week expedition
Community: Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western hemisphere and natural disasters have contributed to a severe lack of community infrastructure. Raleigh is helping improve living standards in some of its remotest communities by constructing fresh water systems and local school facilities. You will be living with villagers in the beautiful subsistence farming communities of the Miraflor reserve, learning Spanish and enjoying a unique cross cultural experience. In Costa Rica you will be working in partnership with indigenous communities to improve the health and educational services in the Indigenous Reserves.

A few words from an ex-venturer
Anna Gribble talks about her time on expedition in Costa Rica: "The experiences that Raleigh’s Overseas Programme offered were unique and made complete by my fellow participants’ different backgrounds. The expedition gave me a purpose that I have never felt in normal life. I have come away from a truly memorable experience with much improved confidence, leadership skills and sense of team-work".

More time to spare?
If you have longer than four weeks, why not participate in Raleigh’s full 10 week programme and experience the full rewards of our unique three phase programme of community, environment and adventure projects. Seven week programmes are also available, so you can join any two phases of the full programme. As well as Costa Rica and Nicaragua, Raleigh runs five and 10 week programmes in Malaysia and India. Please see separate listings.

And here’s a taste of our adventure and environment phases in Costa Rica and Nicaragua if you choose to do a seven or 10 week expedition:

Adventure: Rise to the challenge of extended treks through lowland tropical forests to mountain peaks and beaches. An amazing experience that will challenge your preconceptions and teamwork and forge lifelong friendships. Join volunteers seeking to slay the beast of the 270km Dragon trek across the Cerro Dragon range and 2,500 peak to the coast, gaining a vast knowledge of Costa Rican culture and way of life as villages welcome you to stay at the end of a day’s walking. Alternatively, relish the satisfaction of having completed the 17 day cross continent Coast to Coast trek, from Pacific to Caribbean via rainforest, rivers and mountains. The Kamuk Trek scales one of the region’s highest mountains before crossing into the lush ecosystem of the Corcovado National Park which teems with native wildlife. Whatever your route, Raleigh’s adventure phase will leave you with lifetime memories of remarkable landscapes, strengthened resolve, tolerance and independence and an appreciation for the challenges that the country faces.

Environment: With an amazing bio diversity and over 27% of the country designated a protected territory, Costa Rica offers projects which are designed to preserve the local habitat and make it more accessible. You could help build trails and bridges across the country’s National Parks network, help transform the former penal island of San Lucas, a stunning tropical expanse, into a wildlife refuge, or build a ranger station in the jungle terrain of Piedras Bancas. On the Caribbean coast you could help to preserve the migration place of the endangered leather backed turtle. After a rewarding day’s work, retiring to hand-made bashers completes the memorable experience.

Why choose Raleigh International?

• Worthwhile and sustainable projects : Our permanent field base in country enables us to build long-term partnerships with the government, NGOs and local communities and thus deliver projects that meet a genuine need and are sustainable.
• Access to remote areas: Thanks to our partnerships we often work in national parks and areas which other tourists don’t have access to.
• Safety in everything we do: We have 23 years experience in running expeditions and have represented the industry in developing safety standards.
• A cross-cultural experience: Venturers on expedition are at different life stages and come from a range of backgrounds and nationalities, including the host country, so you’ll experience a unique exchange of cultures and develop social and global awareness.
• Valuable life skills to help you stand out from the crowd: test your leadership, teamwork, adaptability, planning and problem solving skills and increase your self confidence.

Expedition costs

• Raleigh International is a registered charity, solely dependent on fundraising activities to cover the cost of its overseas programmes and field bases
• We ask venturers to make the contributions detailed above and fund their own international flight, vaccinations and personal kit
• Raleigh provides medical and travel insurance, pre departure support and training, all food and accommodation, specialist equipment and in country transport
• We offer support and advice on fundraising every step of the way. Visit our website for fundraising ideas and remember you can claim Gift Aid on any donation made.