Outward Bound Costa Rica: Girl Scout Destinations

This program was not as advertised. Awful living conditions with termites, cockroaches, no running water at all, lack of medical services. Released one turtle, watched matinees get fed, collected garbage. Did not work on playground. Did not do shipwreck dive. Did not go to Nicaragua. Did not go to Sloth Island. Group got food poisoning. Daughter fell when shoved by another person during hiking between protests and was not given medical treatment for open cuts on leg. Found green bugs crawling in it, eating her flesh, and came home with infected open sores on leg and face. Girl who was supposed to meet at airport was not there when she arrived. Had phone taken away and had no means to take photos. Very little pictures taken of her to remember or share her experience with others.

This trip has made me a better person. It makes you go out of your comfort zone in ways you didn’t know you could and now I know I can do more fun things like this in the future. You meet so many new people, you learn about so many new things and you try amazing stuff!

This was an amazing experience. I had a lot of fun. Our guides were really great, and I made so many wonderful new friends. I especially loved the waterfall rappelling and zip lining. I would go again in a heartbeat!

Despite the mismanagement of the program by staff, my daughter was still able to have a good trip. First, the packing list was full of mistakes causing us to buy things (like mosquito netting $50, etc) that she was told not to take when she left base. Packing list told us to send more things than were ever used: clothing and supplies. I'm told the packing list was for 3 different programs and thus many things not necessary for our program -- is it really too hard for you to have 1 accurate packing list for each program and to send us only the packing list for our program. Do you think we all have bottomless buckets of money to buy supplies that weren't needed? My daughter spent most of the trip hungry. When she asked for food, she was told by staff, "you're not going to die." Really -- rather than get her food, they told her she wouldn't die from not eating. This is totally inappropriate. They would not allow her to buy food, and did not provide snacks or full meals throughout the trip. She lost 4 pounds and now weighs only 88 lbs. She came back with diarrhea from dirty water (which everyone drank) and a knee injury called patellofemoral pain syndrome, which occurred on the second day of backpacking and grew worse throughout the trip. No one offered her any medical care other than advil when she complained of pain. Whitewater rafting: no one's helmets fit properly -- is there a reason you couldn't ensure that the girls had properly fitting helmets before embarking on a rafting trip. You're lucky there wasn't a head injury. These are only a few examples of the poor way the staff managed this program. The carelessness of the staff is truly shocking to me and totally unacceptable. I would not recommend this trip to anyone unless the staff gets trained on medical awareness, safety, the importance of eating, and common sense leadership.

I had the opportunity to explore the great outdoors in a totally foreign country with people I had never met. I made life long friends and had a wonderful in nature. Being with no one I knew in the past gave me the ability to truly reflect on my life and who I’ve become. After this 2 week course, I can say that I have changed for the better and I will never look at life the same again. Thank for this amazing experience!

My experience at Outward Bound Costa Rica was one of the best experiences of my life. When your submerged in the program you learn so much about yourself through your personal strength. You can conquer new fears, learn new languages, and try some of the best Costa Rican cuisine. If you love adventure, making some of the strongest connections and learning about new cultures this is defiantly the program for you.

I saved up for a few years selling GS cookies to go on this trip and chose Panama for the opportunity to practice my Spanish with native speakers, learn some new things and gain independence in traveling. The sea turtle conservation work I did was a bit sandy but it was really fulfilling and particularly fun due to the adorable baby turtles. It was really nice to meet a group of girls my age from all over the US, it was interesting to hear their stories from all the way across the country. The instructors were very accommodating and supportive. Meeting with kids in Bocas Del Toro was really eye-opening and I even picked up their accent a bit! I scuba dived for the first time and overall I had a remarkable time!!

My trip with Outward Bound Costa Rica was one of the best experiences of my life so far, and it's amazing that these opportunities to travel exist for someone only 14 years old. The staff were all wonderful and helped me and the other girls adjust very well. I stayed at a beautiful island in Panama and learned how to scuba dive with a very knowledgeable teacher who always made me feel safe, even sixty feet below the surface! I got to see starfish, sea urchins, jellyfish, and all kinds of beautiful coral and wildlife. We even did a night dive and the bioluminescence under the water was beautiful. We also went to the beach nearby, and I love swimming, especially in the ocean, so seeing the beautiful blue waters and white sand was a dream come true. We did lots of rewarding service work, like reading and playing with kids at the school nearby, and picking up trash around the island. Even though I don't speak a lot of Spanish, I was able to communicate with the kids and I had a lot of fun. Then we stayed at another island in Costa Rica where we worked with conservation of sea turtles and manatees. One of my favorite parts of the trip was releasing the baby sea turtles and watching them push their way into the ocean. They were all so tiny and cute! We also got to see some adorable manatees feeding on plantain leaves. I was amazed by the amount of wildlife that was around me that I never got to see back home. We finished at Outward Bound's Rainforest Basecamp in Costa Rica. I had never see plants with leaves that were so big and green in my life! The mist that settled just atop the valley was especially beautiful. We got to work with baby goats on a farm nearby. The food throughout the whole trip was delicious, and I learned how to make many traditional Costa Rican foods that I was excited to share with my family once I got home. At the end of the trip, I didn't want to go home, even though I missed my family. I didn't even want to look at my phone again because I didn't want to ruin the magic of the beautiful ecosystems that I had been immersed in for the past two weeks. I also didn't want to leave all of my new friends. I didn't know anyone before I went, and I had only spent a short amount of time with them, but they were all amazing people and we became very close over the duration of our adventure together. Our instructors did a lot of activities with us that forced us to really get to know each other, and explore who we were becoming as young adults. Overall, I feel like I learned so many valuable lessons about other cultures and people, but I also learned a lot about myself. I learned that I am brave enough to hike through a bat cave with water that sometimes was too deep to stand in. I learned that I can make friends and be myself around people, even if I don't know them well. I learned that I am independent and can go on adventures without my family. I am so thankful to Outward Bound Costa Rica for giving me the opportunity to make friends from all over the world and experience things that I will remember forever.

I’d always wanted to visit Costa Rica, and the program looked thrilling and adventurous. I was right. I learned that I can try new things and will not only survive, but grow from each experience. The friends I made were so meaningful, and watching them grow throughout the course was amazing. We really became a family and it was incredible to see them learn about themselves.

The connections I made were amazing. One night all of us talked for a while, and that really brought us closer. I feel like I’ve known these girls forever. Everything about this trip was perfect — I felt like I was super prepared for course, and I learned how independent I can be.

I chose this course because I’m exploring a career in Marine Biology and because I’ve always wanted to get scuba certified. Because of my interests, releasing the sea turtles was so meaningful. I learned a lot through my experience, and I had a chance to reflect on how I want to live my daily life going forward.

The most meaningful thing was getting my scuba certification, because I’m going to be able to use that for the rest of my life. I learned a lot about myself, like that I can do a lot more than I thought I could — especially scuba and ziplining. Everything about this course was good.

Helping the environment, surfing, and making friendships that will last forever will be my best memories from Costa Rica. I’m also leaving knowing that I’m able to be put in uncomfortable positions and grow from them.

I chose OBCR because I had so many friends who enjoyed their trips and recommended it to me. The most meaningful part was being able to see new cultures in a fun and hands-on way and being able to meet new people. I also learned more about how I work and talk with others.

All the connections I made we so meaningful because no matter what we were doing, we were working together. Honestly I wouldn’t change anything. It was a really great experience. I learned a lot about myself. I can’t put it into words.

I felt like I was really making a difference, standing on the beach and watching the baby turtles crawl to the sea. I felt like our spirits clicked. I wouldn’t change anything. Due to political complications in Costa Rica, our plans changed often. I never felt like I was missing out — we were just adapting. I felt well prepared for this trip, and I learned the importance of self-love, respect, and understanding.

OBCR offers activities that no other program offers. It was so meaningful to interact with the kids in Talamanca and see a new perspective of an indigenous community. I learned that I can make a sustainable impact in the world while having a lot of fun.

We were exposed to different cultures, communities, and activities and it helped us appreciate what we have. I wouldn’t change anything — the trip was amazing. I learned I could lead in different ways and it showed me what a team looks like and how it should function.

My favorite part of this course was the ending. It is bittersweet to know that it has come to an end, but now is the time that I look back on how much I have changed and also bonded with my troop/guides. This course changed me. in our generation, it is very common that we don't look around and explore. This course gave me the opportunity to experience challenges, accomplishments and pure joy in life.

I'd been planning for this trip for many years and everything in Costa Rica was even better and more exciting than I imagined. I always felt safe, but I was out of my comfort zone almost always. Even when it was hard, we had fun and got to see so many different parts of the country, We learned so much, saw so many new things, pushed ourselves, and got so much closer.