Outward Bound Costa Rica

Outward Bound Costa will without a doubt be one of the most challenging things you will ever do but you will meet the most amazing people and achieve things that felt unachievable. My favourite thing about OBCR was the people I met, not only did I make some great friends in my group but also the local people we met along the way who made it so special. It could be laughing with Kenneth an instructor, listening to Santiago tell you about the man who fought off a Puma, Swimming with Jefferey the Kayaker, Holding Goat Man Ricks new baby goat, talking to the hosts at the home-stays or making burritos with Samuel the chef, there are always people with something to teach you or tell you. I went on the trek course and there is no denying that it is challenging, I would advise being in reasonable shape because it will make it easier but whatever your fitness level you will complete it. It's one of those things you wish you had a choice about in the moment but afterwards your glad you didn't because you know you would have backed out. As hard as the mornings of hiking were the afternoons in the tarp are some of my funniest memories. When I refer to the tarp I mean the two massive pieces of tarpaulin that form a group tent during the trek. Sleeping packed in like sardines is a great ice-breaker and I learnt more new card games than I thought existed. I think you should go on outward bound just to experience the feeling of joy you get when a comfort that you haven't had in a long time comes back. I have never had a shower as good as the one I took at the first homestay, the water was freezing and I had limited toiletries but it felt amazing. Even walking without the weight of a backpack is a joy on trek. I cannot explain to you the excitement and anticipation about getting our suitcases back when we got back to base which had our clean clothes in. The weirdest experience from trek was definitely the third day. It started off great, the views were spectacular, there was a lot less uphill than yesterday, it was all looking good. Then the rain came. I cannot put into words how wet we all were, jogging down paths that had turned to rivers, wading through mud, giving up on rain jackets (they made no difference by that point), hoping desperately to reach the promised campsite. When we'd eventually set up camp (the rain was still going) we call crawled into the tarp, stripped off our wet clothes and just sat there for about half an hour. No one new what to do, everything was soaked, but I remember just laughing hysterically with some others from the group just trying to process the absurdity of the situation. After that we could all confidently say, it doesn't get any worse. While this may sound like a negative thing outward bound will push you to breaking point, but after that you will feel like you can literally do anything and that is the best feeling in the world. (Don't worry we also had relaxing beach days and fun activities like zip-lining it's not all pain.) Highly recommend!

My Outward Bound experience in Costa Rica was a little different. I was originally signed up to go on a course with other adults or college students for a week. Unfortunately, not too many people had signed up or other things had occurred. Fortunately, I was still able to attend the course and was able to travel with two groups. I traveled first with Girl Scouts and another group that was around the same age (most were between 13-16 years of age). I didn't spend too much time in Costa Rica, but for the brief moments I did it was beautiful. I was able to do zip-lining through the forest and even went into the city. But the real highlight of my travel was going to Panama and working with locals on the sea turtle conservation efforts. Not only was it cool seeing baby sea turtles hatch, but I was glad we were helping to increase the survival rate of two endangered species of sea turtles. I think if anyone has a chance to travel to Costa Rica or even Panama they should definitely take it. As for the Outward Bound Program hands down one of the best programs that I have taken part in. Prior to Costa Rica I had travelled some years back to the one in Colorado which inspired me later to do this program. Needless to say I liked the program so much that I'm doing a gap year course this coming spring in Costa Rica. Traveling to Costa Rica and Panama is a must but if you really want to make it work your while I definitely would look into the Outward Bound Program. Wherever you end up finding yourselves at I hope you have an awesome time!

The second week was learning to scuba dive in panama. The home stay portion of the trip was wonderful, and the fellow participants were good companions. However, the scuba instruction was very poor, it was basically non-existent and hence dangerous. Among my group there were luckily a few participants that already knew how to scuba so they helped teach me and the other person that had never done it before. The actual instructor/guide was neglectful and did not show us or explain to us how to properly use equipment. This would not be a major issue if scuba diving were not a risky activity - it is very important that one understands what they are doing and why for their own and others safety. I strongly recommend this course be reviewed before sending inexperienced participants.

The first week of hiking in the rainforest in Costa Rica was really fun and I grew a lot. However, we never got to repel down an 80 foot waterfall as described. This was a little disappointing. Overall though I would highly recommend this experience. I met great people, learned a lot about myself, and feel invigorated and motivated after completing it.

I did a summer course at OBCR (tropical trek) and it was a culturally enriching experience. I was able to practice my Spanish speaking skills with my instructors and have a blast with my coursemates. The hikes were physically grueling and I would advise being physically able to handle uphills and downhills with a heavy pack. The course itinerary was great and had a healthy mix of cool activities with educational ones. I recommend!!

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!

On the Outdoor Leadership Semester, I learned so much about myself, overcame my fear of water (and others), and gained practical experience with group dynamics/leadership. As I am integrating this experience, I am noticing that I feel more confident, motivation to pursue outdoor education, and a calling to follow my heart into adventures in my hometown (rock climbing, surfing). Thank you to all of the instructors who assisted me in my 65 day transformation.

Traveling to Costa Rica was the first time I had been abroad since the pandemic began. The combination of physically challenging days punctuated by the thrills of activities, the joy of acquiring new knowledge and the entertainment of building a close knit community of people along the way was the perfect set of experiences to get me into interacting with the wider world and new people.

Great personal growth experience. Loved the staff and the group of kids. created lasting bonds. would love to come back again or even lead a trip in the future. came out more self aware and ready to take on school

A mother writing here....our daughter called and asked to stay for the one-week surf extension, following the two-week scuba course. This is her second time returning, and would be third if we didn't experience the pandemic. I can't say enough for the amazing communication offered by the enrollment manager, Brynna. I felt at-ease knowing our daughter was in great care, and I couldn't wait for the email and photo updates each week! Outstanding. I hope she goes back again next year.

It was a wonderful experience! I enjoyed the people and activities -especially scuba diving. I am happy that I received my Advanced scuba certification. Seeing the sloths and manatees was amazing; I wish we could have seen the sea turtles.

Learning new things about the culture of Costa Rica, myself, the importance of nature, and wildlife. I learned about the typical breakfast in Costa Rica, for example, Pico de gallo, plantains, etc. were just a few examples of the great foods to experience. I learned a lot of new things about myself, and ways that I can improve to better impact the people around me. I’m so glad I got to experience this. Karina and Henry are amazing!

I absolutely loved this course! I have never bonded with people as fast or closely as I did with other people the way I did with the amazing people I got to meet on this trip! I had challenges and experiences I never could have imagined and I am so grateful for every single part of this trip. The amount of reflection we did as a group made us really trust each other and find out a lot of people struggled with the same things in life so we were able to bond over that and grow together. I realized the person I truly want to be for myself and for others, I came home 10X more confident than I have ever been and knowing what true happiness is. It's feeling like your legs are going to fall off as you're walking up your tenth hill and it is pouring rain on you and all your things but you are so grateful to be there with the people you have, you are grateful for the strength you feel after pushing up those hills and you are even grateful for the rain as you all dance and laugh together while you're soaking wet! It's meeting host families and sharing laughs even through a language barrier, it's realizing we are all people living on earth, and there is so much beauty in the people and the environment around us that even the worst times make you smile because you feel so blessed to be where you are with the people you have.

I had the best experience of my life so far ! Everything was Amazing ! I have made friends that I continue to stay in touch with ! My scuba experience started off rocky but I’m glad I stuck with it. This experience helped me realize how important it is to explore new things because there’s so much to learn. I now appreciate the simple things like a hot shower !

I learned a lot during my time at Outward Bound. The living conditions were challenging , but having a group of people that you live and bond with for 2 weeks helps you get through the challenges. The instructors on my 2 programs were great and know how to interact with teenagers - they really made a big difference for me.

My Outward Bound Costa Rica trip was such a blast! The other girls in my group were the kindest and most amazing people I have ever met, and I know that we have formed bounds that will last well beyond our trip has ended! I feel like I have known the girls in my group since kindergarten even though we were complete strangers before meeting at the Outward Bound base in Costa Rica. I loved this trip because it pushed me to take risks and become a more adventurous leader and traveler. I got to go cave jumping in pitch darkness (it was so exhilarating), scuba diving in the coral reefs and in a real shipwreck, release sea turtles into the ocean as part of a sea turtle conservation project, and learned how to wake board and knee board. Everywhere I looked was natural beauty and wonders, and this trip made me feel closer both to the other girls, but to my myself and the environment. I would recommend this trip to anyone who is willing to get dirty, take risks, and grow! I am so thankful for my experience and would totally go again if I had the chance! :)