If GVI's Volunteer with Children in Costa Rica project isn't already high on the travel wish list; then it should be! The voluntourism project, which includes volunteering on a local community project and lending assistance to schools, exploring the beauty of Central America and brushing up on Spanish skills, has made it into National Geographic Traveler's prestigious “50 Tours of a Lifetime”.

The Volunteer with Children in Costa Ricaprogramme joins 49 other global travel experiences, which have been selected by a panel of editors as the world's best guided tours.The 2-24 week voluntourism project immerses volunteers in rich Costa Rican culture, enables them to assist on valuable community projects and indulge in their sense of adventure.

GVI's chief executive, Steve Gwenin, is delighted that this project has been selected to feature in National Geographic Traveler's esteemed list and says this is testament to the team's hard work and passion to ensure all of GVI's projects are fun and rewarding for both the local communities and their volunteers. 

“We are extremely proud of our volunteer programmes at GVI and it is amazing to see this passion and commitment to voluntourism being recognised and shared in such a prestigious list,” said Steve.

“GVI endeavours to run projects that are valuable to the communities and environments we work within whilst also offering once-in-a-lifetime travel and cultural opportunities to our volunteers. We think this Costa Rican project is a fantastic example of what we do well and we're thrilled it's been considered for this list.”

The competitive selection process for the list saw the National Geographic Traveler editorial team selecting 2015's most authentic, most innovative, most immersive, best-guided and most sustainable tours.

“This year marks the 10th year of our editors selecting the world's best guided tours,” said Norie Quintos, acting editor in chief of National Geographic Traveler.

“In that time the types of immersive and experiential trips have only multiplied; tours are going farther and deeper than ever before. The trips and operators we selected are a model for the rest of the travel industry: They open the world to travellers and at the same time leave a positive impact on the destinations and its people.”

The “50 Tours of a Lifetime” list will feature in the May 2015 issue of National Geographic Traveler. To explore the full list online visit Tours of a Lifetime landing page.

For those interested in experiencing the Volunteer with Children in Costa Rica project for themselves, packages run from 2 to 24 weeks, starting at AUD$1,701*.

Volunteers taking part in this rewarding and immersive project travel to Costa Rica's stunning Pacific Coast to join the community in Quepos, a short bus ride from the famous Manuel Antonio National Park and beach. On arrival, they live and work with the local community, lending assistance to the schools, where there is a shortage of teachers, organising and introducing workshops, games and sport activities.  This, combined with the chance to explore everything Costa Rica has to offer, from surfing and diving, to mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding through the tropical landscape, makes this opportunity a tour of a lifetime!

*All projects include the following:

• Pre-departure support and discounted services
• 24-hour emergency phone
• Airport pick-up (unless otherwise stated)
• Arrival orientation
• Long term experienced staff
• Safe and basic accommodations (usually shared)
• All meals (unless otherwise stated in field manuals)
• Welcome meeting
• Location orientation
• All necessary project training by experienced staff
• All necessary project equipment and materials
• 24-hour in-country support

*Project costs do not include:

• Flights
• Medical and travel insurance
• Visa costs
• Personal kit
• Additional drinks and gratuities
• Extra local excursions
• International and domestic airport taxes

All volunteers must also apply for a 'National Police Check' or a Working with Children (WWC) to take part in GVI's 'volunteering with children' projects.

To find out more on volunteering abroad, check out www.gviaustralia.com.au and follow GVI's exciting news and developments on Facebook and Twitter.

About GVI: Global Vision International (GVI), a non-political, non-religious organisation, was formed in 1997 to provide support and services to international charities, NGOs and governmental agencies. Through its international network of over 150 personnel in 13 countries, GVI continues to support many of the most critical conservation and humanitarian projects around the globe. Through its alliance with aid-reliant organisations throughout the world, GVI provides opportunities for volunteers to fill a critical void in the fields of environmental research, conservation, education and community development. To date over 20,000 volunteers have joined projects resulting in the direct financial support of over AUD million. www.gviaustralia.com.au

About National Geographic Travel
National Geographic Travel is the travel arm of the National Geographic Society, one of the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations, founded in 1888. National Geographic Travel creates, discovers and showcases meaningful and engaging travel experiences through National Geographic Traveler magazine; National Geographic Expeditions; travel books; maps; apps; digital travel content; the Adventure website; and travel photography programs. National Geographic Traveler (eight issues per year) is the world's most widely read travel magazine and has 14 international editions. It is available by subscription, on newsstands in the United States and Canada, and digitally for tablets. National Geographic Expeditions, the travel program of the Society, offers a variety of unique travel experiences led by top experts to more than 60 destinations across all seven continents. Travel opportunities include family and student expeditions, active adventures, private jet trips and voyages on the six expedition ships in the National Geographic-Lindblad fleet, as well as photography workshops, expeditions and seminars. The National Geographic Travel digital group offers inspiring and authoritative digital travel and adventure.