Costa Rica bookings 'up 100%'

Tuesday, 9 August 2011 2:33 PM

Gap year favourite Costa Rica is seeing a surge in popularity, with one tour operator reporting bookings up 100% so far in 2011. That's according to Gap Adventures, who offer small group, guided tours for gappers in Costa Rica and beyond.

Visitors fall in love with Central American country, which boasts spectacular volcanoes, lush rainforests, unique wildlife and beautiful beaches.

There are seven new tours on offer for the coming year.

"There's a myriad of activities for travellers to indulge in, from surfing, white water rafting and canopy swinging, to relaxing in hot springs and strolling in butterfly gardens - there really is something  for everyone to enjoy in this spectacular country," said Michael Edwards, General Manager EMEA for Gap Adventures.

A tour departing August 22 is up for grabs for £789 per person.

The guided tour includes 16 days of wildlife spotting while cruising through canals, searching for the elusive quetzal bird, hiking through jungles, chilling on the gorgeous Pacific coast, searching for dolphins on a sunset sail and  whitewater rafting.

The price includes 13 nights' hotel accommodation, two nights in a basic lodge, local transport, a boat tour to Tortuguero, Rara Avis Rainforest Lodge excursion with naturalist guide, a guided sugar cane and coffee tour, a guided visit to Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve and a Chief Experience Officer (CEO) throughout.

Jaguar spotting in Brazil is a top experience

Gap year ideas: top 100 experiences by Wanderlust

In need of some inspiration for where to go for your gap year? Travel experts at Wanderlust magazine have compiled their Top 100 Travel Experiences, featuring meeting the mountain gorillas in Rwanda and snorkelling with manta rays in Bora Bora.

Arenal Volcano is not to be missed

Arenal Volcano is not to be missed when in Costa Rica

When you are planning a gap year travel experience, you want it to be a trip you will remember for the rest of your life - and by choosing Costa Rica it will be just that.

Costa Rica offers a tropical volunteering opportunity

Volunteer in Costa Rica and learn Spanish

Give your time and effort to a community project in Costa Rica and in return you can learn a new language on your gap year, with the new volunteering opportunity from GoEco, which can last for up to two months.

The Amazon is a great trekking destination

A guide to jungle trekking

Gap years are no longer the preserve of the 20-something; there are plenty of older travellers who are taking time off work to see the world. One thing most gap years have in common is adventure - and you can't get much more exciting than trekking in a jungle.

Outreach International

Gap Year Company profiles – Outreach International

So, you’ve decided you want to go on gap year, but you’re a bit confused. There are so many gap year companies out there who want to help your organise your perfect gap year, that you don’t know which one to choose. That’s where we come in to help. Each week at mapthegap.co.uk, we’ll be focusing on a different gap year or volunteer company and giving you the info to help make that all important decision just that little bit easier. This week we’ll be looking at Outreach International.

The great Central American backpacking trip

Feature: The great Central American backpacking trip

Sitting like a tiny little finger off of North America’s huge landmass, the sometimes forgotten region of Central America boasts probably some of the most stunning landscapes and cultural encounters in the world.

Help protect sea turtles with See the Wild

Animal expeditions with a conscience

Encounter your favourite wild animals in their natural habitat and help to protect them with See the Wild, which directly funds efforts to protect endangered species, such as tigers, sea turtles and penguins.

Where to learn and teach surfing abroad

Where to learn and teach surfing abroad

There are many places in the world where you can volunteer during your gap year, but picking where to go might be difficult. However, if you've always fancied hitting the waves, you might find the opportunity to learn and teach surfing too tempting to resist.

Travel Tales: "I walked through a wet forest whilst covered in leeches"

India is full of surprises, as backpacker Sarah discovered

Backpacker Sarah Ward chats leeches, monsoon weather, chilli for breakfast and clubbing in Mumbai - and everything else than happened on her Indian gap year adventure!

Interview with a local: An insider’s guide to London

London guide local interview destination

We chat to Cat Hughes, the mystery traveller behind TravelBite.co.uk's Secret London blog, to get the best travel tips direct from a local Londoner. Discover things you never knew about the UK capital...