Singapore, 25 April 2014 – Storytelling has the powerful ability to save the planet, and this Earth Month, original youth travel brand Contiki (contiki.com) invited 12 incredible social influencers, photographers and filmmakers from around the world to join them on an epic journey of conservation and adventure in bio-diverse Costa Rica. Working with The Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) as part of the Contiki Cares ocean conservation program, the group of Storytellers also had the rare opportunity to travel alongside the earth's ultimate storyteller – Contiki's sustainability partner Celine Cousteau, a documentary filmmaker, environmental activist and granddaughter of Jacques Cousteau.

As the oldest sea turtle organization in the world, the Sea Turtle Conservancy has been instrumental in saving sea turtles from extinction through their extensive research in Central America and the Caribbean. Contiki's Storytellers took to Tortuguero Beach for two nights to assist in the tracking process of the turtles and were lucky enough to witness the incredible nesting process of two leatherback turtles.

Mikael Daez, a regional television star in his native Philippines, was the Asia representative on this once in a lifetime opportunity.  'The trip was great! We spent our first few days in the turtle conservancy centre, and the staff gave a detailed explanation about their programs which was definitely an eye opener. The icing on the cake though was the first hand experience of seeing turtles lay their eggs which was a highlight of the trip. As for Celine, she was great to be around. There really are people who have such a positive energy about them, and Celine is one of those individuals. She has been my source of inspiration after having shared much during our conversations. But above all, the week in Costa Rica has been insanely exciting and I'm definitely looking to pay it forward. I'm feeling so proud to say that I'm one of the Contiki Storytellers.' said Mikael.

For the remainder of Earth Month and up until May 30th, Contiki is now giving young travellers the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the Storytellers with a chance to win a spot on their Costa Rica Unplugged trip. One lucky winner will be able to weave their own story of conservation and adventure as they hike through the cloud forest in Monte Verde to spot monkeys and toucans, zipline above the treetops in Sarapiqui and refresh themselves with a picturesque swim at the secluded La Fortuna waterfall. Head to contiki.com/storytellers for details on how to enter to win.

For more information on Contiki Care's sustainability efforts and exciting new projects, please visit contiki.com/contikicares.

—END—

About Contiki Holidays

Contiki is the world leader in youth travel experiences, a brand that is all about discovery, epic moments and making every second count. Our journeys unlock the local way of life in each and every destination we visit, and with over 300 trips in more than 50 countries, we see every day as the start of a new adventure.

Contiki is a part of a joint initiative with The TreadRight Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation established by The Travel Corporation to encourage sustainable tourism within our own family of brands and in the places we visit. To date, TreadRight has donated more than US$2 million to sustainable tourism projects around the world. To find out more about our work with TreadRight visit: www.treadright.org

MEDIA CONTACT
Choy Teh
PR Specialist
Contiki Holidays
+65 69225974
choy.teh@travcorp.com.sg