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Sloth & Wildlife Rescue Sanctuary

4.8(72 reviews)
Experience
Volunteer
Destination
Costa Rica
Duration
2 to 10 weeks
Ages
18 to 85

71 others looking at this too. Next opening is Jul 2023, with limited spots.

Trip overview

Costa Rica – with almost 30% of the country being national park – is full of unique animals found nowhere else on Earth. And you could help nurse some of these injured forest animals back to health while you live and volunteer in Costa Rica for up to 10 weeks! 

Break out of your day-to-day routine and embark on an adventure that will make the world a better place and help you grow as a person. 

On this all-inclusive volunteer trip, not only do you get to live and volunteer with a trusted wildlife rehabilitation organisation in Costa Rica. When you go with Global, you get:

  • Volunteer project placement – Guarantee your spot at our screened and vetted project partner in Costa Rica. Start your volunteer journey without spending months searching for a reputable organisation on the other side of the world. 
  • Dedicated Trip Coordinator & Travel Concierge – Feel prepared, informed, confident and excited with our team of dedicated experts on your side, right from the start.
  • Comfortable accommodation – Relax in your shared dorm accommodation on-site, with free WiFi and a community vibe. 
  • Three meals a day – Prepared by the staff 3 times a day. Enjoy the nutritious and delicious Costa Rican cuisine prepared by the on-site cook. 
  • + way more!

Can you picture it? You spend your days doing various tasks around the sanctuary. Anything from repairing enclosures, feeding the animals, maintaining gardens, or taking photos of the animals for their socials. 

But the special part is getting to interact with these wild and wonderful animals up close. So close, in fact, that you’re bound to bond with a number of furry and feathered friends under your care. Think toucans, sloths, howler monkeys, and kinkajous to name a few. 

For most people, getting to see one of these animals is a bucket-list experience. Especially if they get to interact and help with the rehabilitation of these injured forest animals. 

Although most people don’t get the chance to experience something like this. Seeing a sloth pick its way through the canopy is one thing. But interacting with a sloth every day, and watching it make progress as it heals from its injuries, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

And when you go with Global, you get the full experience for a fraction of the hassle. Your volunteer placement and accommodation is sorted before you leave, so you know exactly what you’re getting into.

Inclusions

Volunteer project placement

We’ll score you a guaranteed volunteering placement so you can start making a difference to the world.

Dedicated Trip Coordinator

Handpicked from an experienced team who’ve been there, done that and ready to guide you through your entire journey and leave no question unanswered.

Pre-Departure Guide

Our in-depth pre-departure guide will have all the information you need about your trip & destination, at your fingertips.

Trip visa guidance

Get your visa approved as cheap and easy as possible with advice and assistance from your Trip Coordinator.

Personal Travel Concierge

You'll get a personal Travel Concierge to plan your flights, insurance or any add-ons to synchronise perfectly with your trip. Deal with a real human and get a personalised booking experience that ticks all your boxes.

Return airport transfer

You’ll be picked up from the airport and taken to your provided accommodation. Upon completion of your placement, you'll also be taken directly to the airport.

Comfortable accommodation

Relax in a shared-dorm, located on-site and complete with free WiFi and a relaxed community vibe.

Project supplies

You'll be fully equipped with all the supplies and materials you need to perform your volunteer duties.

Meals

Enjoy three typical Costa Rican meals per day during your project, prepared fresh for you by the project staff.

‘Welcome to Costa Rica’ orientation

Get familiar as you tour the centre, learn its history and hear the touching stories of how many of the animals arrived there.

Certificate of completion

In recognition of your hard work and dedication throughout the experience, and, it goes very well with your future resume. Employers will love this addition!

Ongoing local team support

Think of us as your family away from home. Whether you need advice or a shoulder to lean on, our team will provide you with unlimited support.

24/7 Global Emergency Line

Feel confident knowing we have a worldwide emergency team on standby, 24/7/365, so you can feel safe and secure throughout your whole trip no matter where you are in the world.

gWorld access

Stay organised with your personalised portal where you can keep all of your important documents and trip details in one spot and gain insider access to everything Global.
NEW

Social

Travel alone but never lonely with Social! An exclusive social network inside our gWorld app to talk, share & meet-up with other Global Travellers in your region, with a dedicated Community Manager.

NEW

Global Academy

Gain access to an ever-growing range of skills & languages to learn before & whilst you travel.

NEW

Marketplace deals

Get exclusive access to deals and discounts through our online Marketplace. Save big on a huge range of products and services from our brand partners worldwide.

$250 off your next trip

The “Travel Bug” is a very real thing! Once you catch it, it really doesn’t go away! Book any other trip with us later and save $250. Why would you ever stop travelling?

Qualification

To qualify for this trip you must meet the following requirements:

  • Be between 18-85 years of age
  • Be a citizen of an eligible country
  • Have no criminal convictions in the past 5 years

Ask a question

Chat with us online now, or we can call you back for free, 24 hours Mon-Fri.

Trip details

Our Sloth & Wildlife Rescue Sanctuary Volunteer trip in Costa Rica is designed to get you volunteering overseas in a safe and fun environment and with a genuine and rewarding purpose. Our expert team and local partners take care of everything you need to start making a positive impact, from volunteer placement to accommodation and ongoing support throughout your entire journey.

Whether you’re doing gap year volunteering or taking a volunteering holiday from work, you’ll arrive in Costa Rica with the confidence that absolutely everything has been pre-arranged for you. You’ll be able to jump straight into your volunteer duties, relax into the laid-back Costa Rican lifestyle and start making new friends with all the logistical details sorted, from airport transfers and meals to accommodation.

Channel all your energy into immersing yourself in your volunteer placement, as well as taking time to get to know the local area. Explore Costa Rica’s rainforests, beaches and reefs,  taste the local cuisine and hike the local volcanoes instead of sweating the logistical stuff - that’s exactly why we’re here. Feel confident and proud you are contributing much-needed help to a meaningful cause and save yourself the time, money and even the risk of being stranded in a foreign country by having us on your side. Make your time count on this life-changing opportunity to volunteer in Costa Rica and arrive home knowing you've made a lasting and positive impact on Central America’s animal kingdom.

Requirements

Be aged 18+.

What extra costs will I have? 

Flights, travel insurance, vaccinations, criminal background check, souvenirs & spending money.

Trip itinerary

Before you leave

Your volunteer placement – including accommodation and 3 meals a day – is confirmed and organised before you leave home.

Day 1

When you arrive at San Jose Airport, a driver will be waiting for you. You’ll be taken straight to your placement accommodation in Turrucares, an hour’s drive from San Jose.  Your accommodation is in a shared dorm room on-site. Free WiFi is provided.  Take some time to relax, settle in, and meet your fellow volunteers.

Day 2

Today’s all about orientation. Take a tour of the centre and its history, and hear some of the touching stories about how these animals ended up in the sanctuary. You’ll be assigned a room and briefed on the rules and procedures you need to follow.

Ongoing

During your placement, you’ll have plenty of stimulating and meaningful duties to keep you busy throughout the day. You could end up doing a huge range of activities but they’re all focused on the wellbeing of the animals and the maintenance of the sanctuary.  You’ll have one day off a week so you can explore the area on your own terms. Visit the central market with your new friends, relax in the stunning botanical gardens, visit one of the many nearby waterfalls, or team up with your friends on your quest for adventure.  Once your placement is over, you can choose to stay on in Costa Rica to explore what else it and the surrounding areas have to offer.  Hop onto gWorld – our social app for Global Travellers – and link up with other travellers to explore Costa Rica together. You could even join a bucket-list Global Getaway with other Global Travellers. Head north to Nicaragua – just as beautiful as Costa Rica but much cheaper. Head South to Panama for more mist forests and interesting creatures. Or hop over to the Caribbean Sea for some real postcard-style paradise.  Whatever you choose to do, we can help make it easy.  We’ll be in touch with you throughout your stay. If you ever need advice or support our team is available to answer your questions. And our 24/7 emergency support line will help with urgent matters.  Don’t go alone. Go with Global.

Purpose & Your Impact

It’s a story as old as time – human development encroaches on natural areas – threatening the animals in the process. 

Even though almost 30% of Costa Rica is designated national park, there are plenty of animals that need your help. 

Take the lazy sloth, for example. These chilled-to-a-fault animals move so slowly that they grow moss on their backs. In fact, they move so slowly that an adventure to the ground to go to the bathroom is a life-or-death excursion taking hours! 

Needless to say, a quick getaway for a sloth simply ain’t happening. Which means there are plenty of sloths that need to be rehabilitated in a safe space. 

You’ll spend your days fulfilling your volunteer duties around the sanctuary. This may include:

  • Socialising with the animals
  • Rehabilitating & caring for injured animals
  • Preparing food & feeding animals
  • Cage enrichment - making & adding toys, making activities for animals to do
  • Cage cleaning, building & rehabilitation
  • Planting & maintaining gardens
  • Preparing & participating in environmental education sessions

Along with sloths you can expect all the wild and wonderful animals that call Costa Rica home. You’ll be helping them recover so that the next generation of people will get to experience the magic of healthy Costa Rican wildlife.

Why Global Work & Travel

We take care of pretty much everything so you don’t have to. You’ll arrive in Costa Rica totally prepared with a plan of action and trusted people helping you along the way. 

Our volunteer trips are designed to help you make a real change in critical causes around the world. All while experiencing off-the-beaten-path locations with passionate locals. Our goal is to save you time, money, and stress while eliminating the risk of returning home early. Here’s how we do it: 

We’re on your side from the moment you get started. 

You’ll be assigned a dedicated Trip Coordinator. They’ll guide you through the next steps and answer all your questions. They’ll also help you with the pesky visa. No guesswork – only the right paperwork, approved the first time, in your hands before you leave. 

Your Personal Travel Concierge will help with flights, insurance, and any add-ons you’d like for your trip. These are real humans too – no robots here. 

We maintain relationships with a huge network of screened and vetted partner organisations all over the world. We know they’re trustworthy and that you’re in good hands because of all the successful trips Global Travellers keep having with our partners. 

Our team is well travelled so you can rely on our experience. We’re with you every step of the way. 

Join 75,000+ travellers – giving us 10,000+ 4 & 5 star reviews – by choosing Global to make your travel dreams come true. 

Most travellers book their trip 6-12 months in advance. Dates are flexible, but spaces are limited. So if you’re serious about volunteering in Costa Rica, don’t delay. 

With our Book Now, Decide Later feature, you can get started with a small deposit today, and take a full year to choose your dates. 

We’ll take over from there, helping you with visas, flights, accommodation, and setting you up with our partner in Costa Rica. 

This is the trip for you if you’re after the ultimate volunteering experience in Costa Rica, complete with everything you need and 24/7 support.

Click the red button to check dates & prices.

Reviews

Shannae W
Service was amazing, provided me with all the information I needed to get my journey started
Miranda B
Very good, staff is very personable and doing what’s best for you
Kassandra J
Absolutely amazing!!
Lauren B
The service I received was excellent.
Jenny T
It's my first time volunteering with Global Work and Travel and so far they have been very helpful with the process and providing all the information I need. I wouldn't be able to take this opportunity without the great help of the global work and travel team. I'm very excited for my trip to South Africa.

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Frequently asked questions

Why go with Global Work & Travel?

As the world’s leading gap-year and “work & travel” company, we offer you the ability to not only choose from a number of awesome experiences all over the world but, we'll be your support system from the very first moment you become a Global Traveller! We provide a premium service that allows you to pick the destination of your dreams, get our visa & pre-departure assistance, book great flights and organise the perfect travel insurance or tours for when you arrive. Plus, we’ll back it all up with some cool and exclusive tech features that are with you the entire time.

As a Global Traveller, you’ll get exclusive access to gWorld, our personalised app where you can keep all of your important documents and trip details in one spot and gain insider access to everything Global. This is where you will find exclusive Marketplace deals for discounts with our brand partners, a unique social network to connect you with other Global Travellers when you’re overseas, access to our Academy with an ever-growing range of skills & languages to learn as you travel, invites to bucket-list side trips with other travellers, local meet-ups and so much more. Think all of your favourite apps merged into one, but like, better?

And it doesn't even stop there. We continue to be there from the moment you land with a dedicated 24/7 emergency team, over 100 staff and ongoing support ensuring that you have the tools you need to feel like a local. That’s why 65,000+ Global Travellers from all over the world have chosen to turn their travel dream into reality with us and we can proudly brag that we’ve got the most & best reviews in the biz!

Why should I book now?

Covid-19 threw us a curve ball and pretty much halted all travel. This means that we have a backlog of travellers, just like you, who are desperate to get out and explore the world! Global Work & Travel works on a first-in-best-dressed basis. Booking earlier ensures that you don’t miss out on the best intake, season, placements and more! We recommend our travellers take 6-12 months to plan their trip for a reason - to make sure you’ve got everything organised perfectly, stress-free.

As a Global Traveller you’ll get exclusive access to gWorld, our personalised app where you can keep all of your important documents and trip details in one spot and gain insider access to everything Global. This is where you will find exclusive Marketplace Deals, a unique social network to connect you with other like-minded Global Travellers, access to our Academy with an ever-growing range of skills & languages, and so much more. Think all of your favourite apps merged into one, but like, better?

Why not give yourself something to look forward to by booking that trip!

Can I travel with a friend?

Yes you can! Simply tell your Trip Coordinator after booking that your friend is also going and they can link your profiles. For most of our trips we should be able to have you and your friends placed together or nearby. Meaning that you can live, work, play & travel together!

But wait there's more! Not only can you travel the world with your besties at your side, you can also earn some extra cash towards your own trip just by referring your friends to Global Work & Travel. You can learn more about the great referral rewards program inside your gWorld account once you join.

And for those who decide to go-it-solo, we’ve made it easier to meet other Global Travellers in the same region as you. Just like any other social platform, you’ll be able to interact, share, chat and meet with some really cool people who are doing trips just like you!

What happens if COVID affects my trip?

If you have to make any changes to your departure date, you’re protected with our Lifetime Deposit Guarantee and our Ultimate Corona Booking Flexibility. With this, we will change your trip dates for free. If this doesn’t fit around you and you can’t go on your trip anymore, we will give you a 100% refund in the form of a Trip Credit with us (See terms). If you’re unable to use it, you can also transfer that credit to someone else for them to put towards any trip too.

If you’re affected by Covid-19 while you’re overseas, you will have all the support you need from our team or partners in-country as well as have access to our 24/7 Global Emergency Line. We recommend travellers purchase Global Travel Cover travel insurance that provides Covid-19 medical protection too.

Do I need to be vaccinated to book?

As border restrictions for countries begin to ease, being fully vaccinated will maximise the number of locations you can visit. So while you are not legally required to be vaccinated, and it’s also not a requirement to travel with us, it will limit some of the countries that you can visit and may make it harder to travel through over the next 12-18 months. We highly recommend our travellers look at the current travel restrictions of their destination, speak with a medical professional or get in touch with our team for travel advice.

What happens if I want to cancel my trip?

Our Ultimate Corona Booking Flexibility means you can change your trip’s start date up to 84* days before departure without incurring any charges when you rebook it for any time (or even any other trip) in the next 2 years from your original start date.

In the event that you want to cancel your booking altogether, if you give us over 84* days notice you can do so with only a 50% cancellation fee. Your refund of the balance will come in the form of a Store Credit which you can put towards booking absolutely anything travel related with your Travel Concierge within the next 2 years!

*Some select trips excluded, including Teach (Spain, Italy & Czech Republic) and USA (Summer Camp, Working Holiday and Hotel Professional), and others as listed in Booking Conditions.

How it works

Make your decision

Choose your trip style and destination, and confirm your spot with a deposit. Then, open your gWorld account and celebrate, the hardest part is over and the fun is about to begin.

We become friends

You’ll be matched with a personal Trip Coordinator who knows all the ins & outs. They’ll guide you through everything we need to do together, so you can leave your worries behind.

Time to go

We’ll get your tickets in-hand and your transfers ready. Then, our in-country team or partner will have everything prepared for your arrival. It’s now time for the real adventure to start.

24/7 support

Never stress, knowing we’re there with you when you need us with ongoing & unlimited local team support and check-ins. And just in case, we’ve got an emergency team on stand-by, 24/7.

Still have questions?

Why go Global

Flexible trips

The unexpected can happen sometimes. Can't travel right now? Swap your trip, gift it or save it for later with our Lifetime Deposit Guarantee.

Worldwide support

Know that someone is always ready to assist throughout the journey & they’re only a call, tweet, comment, text or double tap away, 24/7.

We're the experts

With over 10 years in the industry and a team of over 100 passionate pros, you can bet we know our stuff better than anyone else.

Partner network

We have over 1,200 partners around the globe, so we have access to plenty of exclusive opportunities to make your trip the best it can be.

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