Discover the natural beauty of Costa Rica on Eco-Quest, and then continue on to the Land of Milk & Honey for an amazing Israel experience. Spend a full six weeks of summer travel with BBYO Passport.

PART 1 / Israel Journey Plus

Israel Journey Plus is a four-week cross-country experience – from the Golan Heights in the north to the tropical Red Sea in the far south…and everything in between. Along the way, we will walk in the footsteps of Jewish history, experience the vibrancy of modern Israeli culture, and connect with Israel’s colorful society.

The program includes visits to all of Israel’s most important sites – ancient Jerusalem, contemporary Tel Aviv, the Galilee, the Negev Desert and the heights of Masada. We also make time to experience Israel’s off-the-beaten-path charm -- enjoying a bonfire on the beach, taking part in an active archeological dig, sampling unique Middle Eastern cuisine, and participating in the re-birth of Israel by planting a tree in a new forest.

Israel Journey Plus includes a unique week long adventure and service driven experience. Spend the first half of this bonus week at Gadna, the IDF's basic training-style program for high school teens from abroad. The second half of the week is a community-based service project experience. These campus-based experiences provide an excellent alternative to the traditional touring format. The experiences are designed to open a window on two unique aspects of Israeli society.

The Israel Journey Plus experience is more than just a tour. It is also about debating the meaning of contemporary Zionism, exploring our Jewish identity from an Israeli point of view, delving into the intricacies of Middle Eastern politics, and connecting to our Jewish soul through a series of meaningful community service and spiritual experiences. Join us on the Journey.

PART 2/ Eco-Quest Costa Rica

After your return to the US, join teens from around the world and head for the cloud forests of Costa Rica to explore a country rich in bio-diversity, culture and plenty of adventure.

Eco-Quest Costa Rica is a two-week teen travel experience that combines outdoor touring, a Costa Rican approach to sustainable living, and opportunities for peer-to-peer connections with local teens.

• Looking for adventure? Hike on an active volcano, zip-line over a rainforest, snorkel on a tropical beach, raft down a raging river, swim under a waterfall, relax in thermal hotsprings, and go on a night safari. Costa Rica is a stunningly beautiful country that is lush with colorful plants, rare animals, and endless opportunities for outdoors exploration.
  
• Living in harmony with nature. Although Costa Rica is a very small country, it contains more biodiversity than America or Europe! On Eco-Quest, we will learn about Costa Rica's unique approach to sustainable living. Spend the weekend on a "Costa Rican-style kibbutz", explore an organic coffee plantation, and eat deliciously fresh food at every stop along the way.
  
• Building cross-cultural connections. Costa Rica is a very friendly country. So friendly, it is one of the only countries in the world with no army at all. Spend an afternoon getting to know fellow teens from a local high school, celebrate Shabbat with the Jewish community of San Jose, and leave your mark through a series of service projects.
  

As a BBYO Passport experience, Eco-Quest is also an opportunity to explore your Jewish identity through the lens of life in Costa Rica. Delve into the meaning of being "eco-kosher", fulfill the Jewish value of Tikun Olam (fixing the planet), and celebrate two very memorable Shabbats.

• Explore Monteverde's cloud forests & swim under waterfalls
• Hike to an active volcano & take a dip in a thermal pool
• Search for jungle wildlife on a night time safari
• Learn salsa dancing & experience local Costa Rican culture
• Learn how to surf in the Pacific ocean & relax on the beach
• Stay at an ecologically sustainable farm
• Celebrate Shabbat together with San Jose's Jewish community
• Raft down the Pacuare River
• Explore the tunnels, rooftops & alleys of Jerusalem's Old City
• Float in the Dead Sea and climb Masada at sunrise
• Dig at an active archeological excavation
• Snorkel in the tropical Red Sea and raft down the Jordan River
• Learn first-hand about contemporary Israeli politics
• Experience the culture of ultra-cool Tel Aviv
• Spend a meaningful Shabbat in Jerusalem
• Trek the desert by camel and experience a Bedouin tent bonfire feast
• Take part in meaningful community service projects

WEEK #1 / Jerusalem & Mediterranean Coast
Land at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel and begin the ascent to Jerusalem where we will spend the first part of the week walking the Old City and exploring the history of our ancestors. From Jerusalem we head up the Mediterranean Coast to the Western Galilee where we spend our first Shabbat on the beach.

WEEK #2 / Galilee, Golan Heights & Tel Aviv
Travel eastwards through the Galilee as we learn about the mystics of ancient Safed (Tsfat), take in the beauty of the Golan Heights, learn about kibbutz life, and explore the greenest and most water-filled region of Israel. We close out week two with a visit to Tel Aviv, Israel's cultural capital and one of the world's most trendy cities.

WEEK #3 / Gadna & Community Service
Taste the uniquely Israeli experience of basic training through the Gadna program, organized by the Israeli Defense Forces and located on a specialized army educational base. Learn new skills and challenge yourself mentally and physically during this character-building course. Then: give back some time and effort to those who need the most help within Israeli society. Activities may include preparation and delivery of meals for the hungry, building wheelchairs and crutches for disabled and elderly Israelis, working with disadvantaged children or helping the Jewish National Fund maintain Israel's natural environment.

WEEK #4 / Eilat, Negev Desert & Jerusalem
Head due south to Eilat, Israel's southernmost tip where we snorkel in the tropical Red Sea and learn about Israel's unique desert ecology. Continue on for a sunrise hike to Masada followed by an unforgettable float in the Dead Sea. The trip concludes by returning to where we started in Jerusalem with a somber visit to Yad Vashem followed by a moving Shabbat experience at the Western Wall.

WEEK #5 / Cloud Forests & Volcanoes!
Land in San Jose and get acclimated to Costa Rican society by visiting with a local high school. We then head up to the highlands of the Monteverde cloud forests where we will search for exotic animals and fly high above the canopy forests on a world-renowned zip-line course. From Monteverde we set off for Arenal, a volcano so active that bright red flowing lave is visible most nights. This region of Costa Rica is especially beautiful, and we will explore it on horseback, on foot, and in the water. Our first week caps off with a visit to Ranch Margot, a small Costa Rican agricultural community that can best be described as a "Costa Rican kibbutz". Here we will celebrate a unique Shabbat with yoga, community-building, and well deserved relaxation time.

WEEK #6 / Pacific Coast, River Rafting & San Jose
Our second week in Costa Rica begins descending from the mountains and heading to the Pacific coast where we snorkel, ocean kayak, and enjoy a beautiful sunset over the open ocean. From the Pacific we head back up into the highlands for a white-water rafting adventure on the raging Pacuare River and a tour of a local organic coffee plantation. The Eco-Quest experience wraps up where it started in San Jose, Costa Rica's capital. Here we will take part in a service project and spend Shabbat with the local Jewish community and learn about their history and special place in Costa Rican society.

Program Package

• Airport pick-up & drop-off in San Jose, Costa Rica. Participants are responsible for arranging own transportation to/from Costa Rica. An optional chaperoned group flight from New York or Miami is available.
• Round-trip flights to Israel from NYC, with an overnight stay in NYC between programs
• Accommodations (hotels, kibbutz lodging, country lodging, Gadna campus dormitories and Bedouin tent!)
• All meals (kosher or vegetarian/allowance)
• Activities & entrance fees
• Deluxe motorcoach
• Dynamic staff team
• Security escort & monitoring (Israel)
• Medical insurance (excludes pre-existing conditions)

Trip Links

• Program Itinerary
• Pre-Trip Prep Costa Rica 2011
• Pre-Trip Prep Israel 2011
• Why Israel, Why Now?
• Safety & Security
• Register Now for Eco-Quest Costa Rica + Israel Journey Plus

As a connected experience, this program combines the following two travel experiences:
Israel Journey Plus #1 + Eco-Quest Costa Rica #3.

The program tuition for Eco-Quest Costa Rica + Israel Journey does not include flights to Costa Rica. For travel to Costa Rica, participants can choose to either book a ticket on a staff supervised flight or make their own arrangements on the airline of their choice:

OPTION #1 / Purchase Your Own Ticket on a Supervised Flight
An optional supervised flight is available from New York and Miami. Participants are responsible for booking seats on the supervised flights on their own from their home city 

OPTION #2 / Meet in Costa Rica
Alternatively, for those participants who wish to make their own flight arrangements to San Jose, Costa Rica on a separate airline, they will be met personally upon arrival and escorted back to the airport for their return flight at no additional cost.

For more details, please review the 2012 Pre-Trip Flight Info:

Eco-Quest Costa Rica 3

As a connected experience, participating in this program actually means combining two separate experiences. Participants opting for the connected experience should book their own ticket to Costa Rica (a supervised option is available). Upon return to NYC after Israel Journey Plus, there will be a staff supervised overnight in NY. They will then return to the airport the next day to catch flights to Costa Rica. The overnight in NYC gives teens a break between travel experiences.