STEP AWAY FAQ’S
1. How long is the flight to this country?
1A – Direct flight from Newark to San Jose takes approximately 5.5 hours.
Direct flight from Houston to San Jose takes approximately 3.5 to 4 hours. There will also be several internal flights during the trip of which none should take longer than 45 minutes.
2. Do we need to get visas for this program?
2A – Students from the United States and Canada will be issued a 90 day tourist visa on entry into Costa Rica & Nicaragua. Students from other countries should check with their consulate.
3. What immunizations do we need to get for this trip?
3A – See CDC or WHO websites.
4. What provinces or regions of the country does this program pass through?
4A – Students will travel through the following regions while in Costa Rica; San Jose, Alajuela, San Carlos, Limon, Puntarenas and Guanacaste. Once in Nicaragua they will travel through Granada, Managua, Boaco, Chontales and the South Pacific regions.
5. What kind of food will we be eating?
5A - The food is mainly typical Central American dishes (rice, beans and different kind of meat) but there will be a variety of restaurants along the way that will keep the food options widely open
6. Where will we be eating most of our meals?
6A – As this is a travel program for the most part the group will be eating in restaurants for the most part but in some cases meals will be served by local community kitchens and members of small communities.
7. Will we be drinking bottled water?
7A - During this trip students will not visit any areas where running water is not recommended. However, the option of drinking out of bottled water will be offered if wished for.
8. What will the accommodation on this trip be like?
8A – Once again this trip involves a lot of moving around therefore accommodation will change almost on a daily basis from very comfortable top scale hotels to very basic and rather rustic tribal homes. Hygiene is a top priority for us so this is something that students can always expect, however everyone needs to be ready to live in simple conditions.
9. How often will we be able to do laundry on this program and what will it cost?
9A – Laundry service will be offered on a once a week basis at a cost of $5-$10 (depending on the amount of clothes), however we are flexible when it comes to additional enquiries.
10. Can Rustic Pathways cater to specific diets on this program?
10A – Yes. Both these countries being a tropical paradise offers a great variety of fruits and vegetables that makes it easier for us to accommodate special diet needs.
11. What will the climate be like on this trip?
11A – The temperature of Central America remains around 70-100 degrees throughout the year and there are mainly two seasons in the region. The rainy season starts around the end of April and lasts until around the beginning of December and the rest of the year is called the dry season. Although these two seasons are distinguished this part of the world is covered by rainforest therefore rain can be expected on a daily basis throughout the entire year for several hours a day.
12. Will mosquitoes be a problem on this trip?
12A – Mosquitoes are present all around Central America and therefore bringing repellent is definitely something important to keep in mind when packing.
13. Are there any extremely physical or strenuous activities on this trip?
13A – There will not be any strenuous activities included unless desired by students and if so, there are rainforest hikes and kayak tours that students can chose to do.
14. Are there any language immersion possibilities on this trip?
14.A – There will be constant and direct contact with locals including the Rustic Pathways guides which enables students to have a fairly good immersion into the Spanish language on a day to day basis.
15. How often will I have access to email and phones?
15.A – There will be a good chance to be around public phones on a daily basis and access to E-mails on a weekly basis if needed but generally we try to be flexible to accommodate ourselves to our students need to a manageable extent.
16. What costs are not included on this trip?
16.A – Phone cards, internet use, any item that is purchased for personal use (soap, clothing, souvenirs, camera…etc.), activities that are desired by students throughout the trip but was not advertised and mentioned in the itinerary.
17. How much spending money should I bring?
17.A – This will depend on each individual and how much you want to be spending on presents and souvenirs. To cover basic personal expenses students should bring around $300 - $400 for the duration of this program. It is also possible to add allowance once students are in country at an additional administration cost.
18. What sort of electrical voltage adapters do I need to bring?
18.A - Electricity in Costa Rica is 120 Volts, alternating at 60 cycles per second. If you travel to either Costa Rica or Nicaragua with a device that does not accept 120 Volts at 60 Hertz, you will need a voltage converter. There are three main types of voltage converter. Resistor-network converters will usually be advertised as supporting something like 50-1600 Watts. They are light-weight and support high-wattage electrical appliances like hair dryers and irons. However, they can only be used for short periods of time and are not ideal for digital devices. Transformers will have a much lower maximum Watt rating, usually 50 or 100. Transformers can often be used continuously and provide better electricity for low wattage appliances like battery chargers, radios, laptop computers, cameras, mp3 players and camcorders. However, they are heavy because they contain large iron rods and lots of copper wire. Some companies sell combination converters that include both a resistor network and a transformer in the same package. This kind of converter will usually come with a switch that switches between the two modes. If you absolutely need both types of converter, then this is the type to buy.
19. Is there a language barrier, and will this be a problem for me?
19A – Both Costa Rica and Nicaragua are Spanish speaking countries so speaking the language will be of much use, however no language proficiency is required for having an awesome experience. There are a lot of people in these countries who speak good English and our guides will also be there to ease the language barrier if there appears to be one. |
If you want to step off the beaten path and get to know faces and places that aren’t on the typical tourist’s agenda, then this is the trip for you. Both Costa Rica and Nicaragua are popular travel destinations, but we’ll introduce you to people and take you to places few have the chance to experience. Join us and see a side of these two countries that is hidden well beyond what you’ll find in the average guidebook. 
From the beautiful green landscapes of Costa Rica you will make your way up to San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua for a few days of surf lessons and beach time. Take a boat to surreal Ometepe Island in the heart of Lake Nicaragua and enjoy the peace of this forgotten volcanic treasure. There will also be time to hike the Maderas Volcano, kayak to Monkey Island and enjoy a few brilliant sunsets over Concepcion Volcano.
From Granada you will cross half of Nicaragua on an adventurous ride to El Rama, a port town where you will catch a fishing boat to the Corn Islands. After a fantastic journey through dense rainforest, tribal villages, pirate canals and open sea you will finally come ashore on Big Corn Island to enjoy the last days of your adventure in this remote Caribbean paradise.
