Posts tagged: Educational Travel

Student Group Travel and Cultural Spanish Excursions

For educators, nothing is more meaningful in student group travel than seeing a student connect with a new culture through a cultural immersion program. Rich destinations such as San Antonio, Costa Rica or the Yucatan Peninsula provide opportunities for student groups to experience the wonders of these countries while learning about their language and the local customs.
San Antonio, Texas is one of the most beautiful and culturally rich cities in the United States, where student groups can explore the relationships between Mexico and the U.S. and become immersed in the local social, cultural, and linguistic adventures.
Imagine the fun and connections made as students participate in a dance lesson at the Instituto de Mexico, where they also have the opportunity to examine works by local artists. Later, they can experience the famous San Antonio River Walk with a cruise and Mexican dinner. The Paseo Del Rio, in the heart of the downtown, is the pride of the city. River cruisers travel the RiverWalk’s three miles past unique shops, restaurants, and nightclubs. A visit to San Antonio also includes a visit with University of Mexico students who are trying to perfect their English skills. More Spanish adventures are available with visits to attractions such as the Spanish Governor’s Palace in the Alamo, Natural Bridge Caverns, and the studio of an internationally renowned blind artist.
In addition, student visitors come away with a greater understanding of Texas history and folk culture, gain new appreciation for Texas architecture with visits to various missions (including the Alamo), and create their own Mexican artwork.
An immersion trip to Costa Rica provides student with an opportunity to practice their Spanish skills and interact with Costa Ricans. Students will gain confidence as they meet residents of communities and small towns who are eager to welcome and communicate with them in their native tongue.
Student groups can also become acquainted with the geographic diversity and beauty of Costa Rica with a visit to Arenal Volcano National Park, hot thermal springs, and the famous Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Visitors cross the Selvatura hanging bridges and take a canopy tour on the zip-line above the treetops where wildlife and natural habitats abound. The adventure also includes travel to Manuel Antonio National Park, with its unusual combination of white sand beach and evergreen forest. En route, visitors observe country life with a visit to a traditional Costa Rican farm. And imagine the surprise one experiences as they view one of the largest colonies of crocodiles in Costa Rica at the Tarcoles River.
In addition to interfacing with cultural Costa Rica, travel groups learn about the region’s wide variety of flora and fauna, visit with local artists, and enjoy popular activities such as rafting, horseback riding, and beach activities.
Student tours find new inspiration for learning with a culturally-rich trip to Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. They not only work on their Spanish conversation skills, but also explore the wild beauty of Mexico’s natural environment.
Visitors become acquainted with two marvelous Cenotes located in a small village. The Cenotes, or sinkholes, are where underground rivers have broken through the limestone crust of the earth. A ride on horse-drawn trucks brings students into the jungle to visit and swim in the beautiful, clear Cenotes.
Conversational Spanish is also a highlight of the program, when students meet with a local Spanish teacher and then enjoy a walking tour of Merida, the capital of the state of Yucatan. In the evening, the traditional dance of the Yucatan, the Jarana, is an exciting spectacle.
No visit to Yucatan is complete without a tour of the Mayan archaeological site of Uxmal, where the 115-foot-high Pyramid of the Magician and the impressive Governor’s House are wonders to behold.
Student tours also embrace the Spanish culture in Yucatan by learning handicrafts and culinary skills of the country, learning Latino dance steps with a Salsa dance specialist, and snorkeling in the freshwater lagoons of Xel-Ha.

travel adventures Travel Adventures is staffed by educators who understand the needs of teachers. Serving over one half million students since our inception, we provide hassle-free travel arrangements while empowering teachers to create change by expanding the classroom to the world.
Free Credit Reports 123

Tags: , , ,

categories Mexico | July 11, 2009 | comments Comments (0)

No Artificial Ingredients – Costa Rica

For a perfect blend of science, adventure, and hands-on learning, Costa Rica is an excellent destination for student group travelers. A republic in Central America, Costa Rica (literally “Rich Coast”) is bordered by Nicaragua, Panama, the Pacific Ocean, and the Caribbean Sea. The destination is divided into 20 natural parks, eight biological reserves, and a series of protected areas that will expand the regular science curriculum far beyond the walls of the classroom.
Outdoor activities include horseback riding, hiking, and guided bird-watching tours. While Costa Rica is has only about 0.1% of the world’s landmass, it contains 5% of the world’s biodiversity, with nearly a quarter of the country composed of protected forests and reserves.
The internationally-known Corcovado National Park is famous among ecologists for its biodiversity and is home to an abundance of wildlife. Students experience the park with horseback riding, expeditions to the Guayami Indigenous Reserve, and bird watching. Boat tours provide views of marine birds and dolphins. Corcovado is the last remaining large tract of lowland rain forest o the Pacific coast of Central America. Howler and spider monkeys, tapirs, anteaters, crocodiles, bull sharks, and exotic birds are just a few of the park’s inhabitants, along with a huge variety of tropical plant life.
Home to 320 species of birds, Tortuguero National Park is mostly recognized for its annual nesting of endangered green turtles and is considered the most important nesting site for this species. The park is also home to spider, howler, and white-throated Capuchin monkeys, the three-toed sloth, and the endangered manatee. The best way to see most of the park is from a boat. Evening guided tours enable students to visit the beachfront and see the Green Sea turtles nesting under the moon. During the tours, students can watch as the turtles struggle up the beach, dig their nests, and lay their eggs.
A walk through a Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve reveals a lush green garden of mosses, ferns, and flowers growing thickly on every tree. Clouds drift and settle among the slopes, providing moisture for the amazing plant growth. Wildlife includes the jaguar, three-wattled bellbird, and the famous and elusive Resplendent Quetzal. Of the 1,400 types of Costa Rica Orchids, 500 of them are found at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.
Students may enjoy a canopy tour of a cloud forest’s protected area, or explore the area by suspension bridges. Aerial tram tours travel through the treetops, where an incredible diversity of plants and animals can be seen. For a more rustic mode of travel, students may strap on mountain climbing harnesses and pull themselves along suspended cables to a series of wooden platforms built in the trees.
Highlights at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve include butterfly gardens, reptile and amphibian exhibitions, hummingbird gardens, and a visit to an orchid garden. Night tours feature beautiful sunsets and a naturalist guide who explains the many unique elements of the forest and its inhabitants.
In addition to rain forests, Costa Rica is a land of volcanoes, waterfalls, and rivers. One of the most popular ways to explore its waterways is snorkeling. Here, students get in touch with the colorful underwater world where eels, lobsters, schools of fish, and the spectacular whale shark make their home. This is also a great time to try out the new sport of “Canyoning,” the exciting adventure of repelling down waterfalls. If that’s too adventurous, students can take a relaxing dip in volcano-heated waters after a hike on the active Arenal Volcano.
The capital city of San Jose is an open gateway to the country’s many interesting destinations. Costa Rica’s National Museum, located in the ancient Bellavista Fort, is the guardian of the country’s precious treasures and cultural heritage. The Jade Museum presents a number of important archaeological pieces, in addition to jade pieces and pottery. Presenting the rich culture of Costa Rica, Central Market is the city’s colorful marketplace. Within the cozy warren of alleyways, students discover flowers, baskets, spices, fresh goods, and souvenirs. At the nearby Pre-Columbian Gold Museum, visitors view more than 2,000 glittering pre-Colombian gold artifacts.

Tags: , , , , ,

categories Costa Rica | June 8, 2009 | comments Comments (0)