Costa Rica Travel Designed for Teens Helps to Bridge Cultural Gaps.

Traveling or studying abroad is a life-changing experience for many children and young adults, opening their eyes to the beauty and wonder of other cultures. Different food, different music, different customs surround them, but their incredible, new experiences are always highlighted by the similarities that they share with their hosts. New tour companies, which design tour packages for pre-teens and teenagers, are dedicated to promoting cultural exchange and sharing this amazing experience with anyone interested.

Thomson Family Adventures (www.familyadventures.com), a Boston-based tour company, arranges several trips to Costa Rica, inviting kids and teens to visit cloud forests, practice surfing in Costa Rica’s Pacific waves, and watch lava roll down Arenal Volcano’s steep sides. In addition, the tour company arranges school visits, which allow American children to make connections with their Costa Rican counterparts, forming bonds and pen pal relationships that will last a lifetime. Just a short interaction will help your child realize that there are similarities between all people, no matter where they live.

Between traveling around to Costa Rica beaches and other popular locations and making friends with Costa Rican children, these family adventures offer excitement, fun, and safety for all. Language barriers seem to not exist, and teens are granted a unique look into the lives of their Costa Rican friends, checking out their schools, playing soccer together, and learning what makes everyone laugh. Despite their differences, everyone learns from each other, which is possibly the trip’s greatest advantage.

For a more in-depth cultural experience, teens often study abroad in Costa Rica, visiting during their summer break. Language schools, like the Instituto de Cultura y Lengua Costarricense (http://www.iclc.ws/), focus on Spanish language acquisition and Costa Rican culture, with a teenage twist. A school’s teen program pairs teenagers with more hands-on host families, who will offer a bit of guidance and rules to their temporary children. In addition, teenagers are welcomed into several planned events, like cooking Costa Rica food and Latin dance classes, which help them fill their afternoons with fun activities and cultural emmersion.

During the day, teen program students are like any other language program, attending morning classes from 8-12, and doing their homework at night. Living with a host family is a unique and wonderful experience for most, as they learn how Costa Ricans live, work, and play. On the weekends, parents can arrange for their traveling teens to head off to the turtle-strewn Tortuguero beaches, tan on the lazy Tortuga Island, or swing through the trees on Monteverde’s famous canopy tour. Indeed, teen programs incorporate the best of both worlds, satisfying parental concerns and teen needs, while bringing on the Costa Rican fun.

If your teen is adventurous, or just in need of some excitement, consider a Costa Rican getaway. There’s a flavor for every family, from parents who travel with their pre-teen to teenagers that study and travel on their own. Unforgettable experiences and life-changing days await, helping your child to learn more about the world that surrounds him.

This post's rating:

Related Stories

Filed under: Travel on August 18th, 2008