Cuba & Costa Rica Traveling Classroom - 8 weeks

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Location

Multiple Locations +2

Cuba
- Havana
Costa Rica

Length

4 - 26 weeks

Program Tags

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Program Details

Activities

Animal Viewing Dancing Yoga

Timeframe

Year Round

Housing

Guesthouse Hostel

Primary Language

Spanish

Age Min.

Age Max

Pricing

Starting Price

$3,680 USD

Price Details

A total of 56 nights accommodation, breakfast & lunch (brunch at weekends), 80 intensive Spanish lessons, 4 professional surf lessons OR 8 Yoga classes, hiking, volunteering, 4 nights at a Turtle Sanctuary, Road Trip to Monteverde plus 3 nights accommodation at Hostal St. Elena, 8 professional dance classes, 12 guided culture walks, two weekend beach excursions and a 3 day excursion to Vinalles Valley.

What's Included

Some Accommodation Some Activities Some Meals

Last Updated: Dec 16, 2019

About Program

We love adventure travel, immersing in other cultures, spending time to understand how things work, enjoying nature and discovering our own potential along the way… and we think our clients love this too.

Why not consider combining our programs in Cuba with Costa Rica to create a CubaRican adventure? Start your traveling adventure in Cuba, one of the most vibrant and exciting travel destinations in the world. After enjoying 4 or 6 weeks of culture, dance and volunteering in Cuba come to Costa Rica for a perfect contrast; a natural paradise featuring cleansing surf and jungle.

Our programs are designed to give you an immersion into the local culture - to really let you see and understand what makes Cuba tick, and an opportunity to enjoy the cleansing 'pura vida' of Santa Teresa on the Nicoya Peninsula at our Jungle Surf Camp on the Pacific Coast.

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Video and Photos

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Program Highlights

Spanish Lessons - Monday to Friday’s intensive Spanish lessons take place shortly after breakfast. Your teacher is licensed and on day one you receive a short test to establish your level and objectives.
Surf or Yoga - Each week on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday you have a choice of doing a surfing OR yoga lessons
Turtle Conservations - You’ll be protecting the eggs and hatchlings of Olive Ridley, Black Turtle, Hawksbill and Leatherback species who visit nesting beaches at night to nest.
Dance Classes - There are 2 dance classes per week in Cuba, usually Tuesday and Thursday from 14:00-15:00
Volunteer and give something back to the community

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Questions & Answers

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

What is your favorite travel memory?

I think I would have to say one of my favorite travel memories is the first time I went out salsa dancing in Havana, Cuba. I don't remember ever feeling so alive, and surrounded by such vibrant energy: the live music, the joy and passion on the dance floor, the way the Cubans invite you into it all...it's incredible.

Another favorite is watching the sunrise in Morocco after a night of camping under the stars in the Sahara Desert. Some of the local children came and woke us up to take us to the tallest dune. Between communicating with those precious kids purely through laughter and miming motions, and the view of the sunrise itself, it was a magical morning.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

Wow, what a question. I wouldn't say that I've changed so much as that I've grown. And that, I've done a lot of!

I have grown into a better communicator, working with people from so many different cultures, backgrounds, and communication styles. I am also more flexible (living in Latin America does that to you), more adventurous, more ready for anything.

Even though I already had a background in Cultural Anthropology, I have also grown immensely in my knowledge of countries and cultures all around the world; I meet amazing people who come to participate in our programs, and we get to learn from each other every day.

I believe living in a different culture in general makes one more confident; you must be sure of yourself in order to leave your comfort zone in such a giant leap. I suppose, to sum it up - I feel as though I've grown more into the me that I was always meant to be.

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What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

The words "life changing" just keep coming to my mind. I have seen hundreds of clients come through our programs and they always seem to leave saying "there's just something about this place."

Our programs are designed to provide brand new experiences, broaden cultural understandings, and promote growth in many different ways.

People tend to leave with renewed perspectives on life, and those can play out in so many ways from their personal life to career choices, developing new passions, and more.

But no matter the result, I am always so honored to hear that our company can provide the space for that renewed perspective to cultivate.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

Definitely our Cuba Rica program! It combines the best of both worlds: a month in the idyllic city of Havana, Cuba with a second month at our Costa Rica Jakera jungle camp.

Having worked with both programs, I've seen first hand how amazing each is in its own distinct ways. I really couldn't choose between the two, so I'd highly recommend the combo program - win win!

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

The people. The value we place on our clients - not as numbers or promotional potential, but as people - is what first drew me to this company when I was a client myself.

The "extra mile" is simply a given for us: throwing birthday parties, taking care of sick clients like they were our own family, planning extra classes/events/excursions for clients outside of the program, inviting them into our family here, getting to know their hearts, their goals, what they're searching for.

I have been especially proud of my team on so many occasions. But two jump immediately to mind: one was when we had a client with such severe allergies to so many things she was unsure she'd be able to safely travel, and we accommodated to her every need. She stayed for 6 weeks, and her gratitude towards us for making it possible made us all humbled, and proud to do what we do.

The other is when a tragedy struck, and one of our client's lost a family member back home while on the program. The way our staff pulled together to grieve for, and with, him assured me yet again this is the company I want to work for.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

Honestly, I would have to echo my previous response: valuing people is, in my opinion, the number one factor in a successful company. It starts with valuing your staff and it trickles down to clients your staff serves.

There is nothing more valuable in this world than our fellow human beings, and every individual who comes through our programs is treated with this authentic truth in mind.

About JAKERA Adventure

Jakera has been running student programs and delivering travel solutions to clients in Central & South America since the mid-1990s. We like to give our clients authentic experiences that bring you into contact with people and environments in your host country. We believe in the value of full cultural immersion, beginning with language tuition but...

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