Bushika Adventures
Community SubscriberWe offer student travel to the Indigenous community of Boruca, Costa Rica for Bay Area Middle School students. We believe that the most rewarding travel experiences are when students become part of the community. Our mission is to foster friendships between students and peoples of different cultures. Our two week program weaves community service, cultural exchange, language learning, personal growth and physical challenge in order to provide an opportunity for students to engage with a different culture in meaningful ways. Please visit our website to learn more.
My 12 year old son went to Costa Rica with Bushika last summer (2019). We were nervous because he had never travelled without his parents. We put our trust in Pica and her team's experience and the testimonials of previous travellers. Boy are we glad we did! This culturally rich adventure turned out to be an opportunity nobody should miss out on if they have any chance to take part!! First of all, the trip was very well organized. We felt good getting about the pre-trip preparations and then the very good updates as the trip unfolded. Secondly, the days were full of activities and experiences that nobody but someone with Pica's local connections could ever pull off. The entire trip was documented in a way that helped us share in all the exciting, authentic, sublime experiences that our son was lucky enough to be engaged in. The final thing I'll say about this trip is that our participant truly came back from his adventure with an increased confidence in himself. He increased his confidence in his Spanish speaking. He increased his confidence in personal interactions. For months afterwards, and still to this day, his face lights up when he tells stories of his experiences on this trip to Costa Rica. He has a certain confident swagger when he tells those stories. He will definitely be joining again next Summer!
What was most important to me was:
1. Trust in Bushika Adventures to handle anything that would come up...experienced and proven.
2. Confidence in the organization of the trip...including safety.
Once I had that confidence, I was able to sign my son up. One of the best decisions his parents have made on his behalf in his short life :)
It was amazing. The leaders were competent, experienced, and able to manage all the issues that came up including but not limited to food preferences, allergies, social complexities, and travel hiccups beyond their control. The program was immersive in a very authentic way; our teens were partnered with local kids to speak Spanish; learn about culture, rituals and traditions; build structures; travel to swimming holes and beaches; and play tons of survivor-type games. What the teens learned was that no matter how different our lives might be in different parts of the world, there are things that we have in common. We are so glad to have been able to give our daughter this opportunity.
Five-stars in every way possible. Our daughter participated in Bushika Adventures' two-week trip to Boruca as a newly graduated 8th grader/rising high school freshman in summer 2019, and not only had a highly enjoyable and highly educational experience, but returned home a more confident, more competent and more caring young woman. Bushika Adventures provides young people with the life-changing opportunity for world travel without parents, but with strong support and a warm, welcoming community with which to connect while exploring the possibilities that lie beyond our comfortable East Bay bubble. Our daughter is eager to return someday to Boruca and to discover what treasures the rest of the world holds in store as well. Interested parents: this is more than an exciting experience for young people; this is brilliance at a bargain price.
Parent Reviews
Parents, please Sign in to post a review on this page.