We’ll say it again: Our mission has always been to provide a better life for all of our employees. That’s why we started Amazing Vacations and our story is a good one – you can read it here. By choosing to travel with Amazing Vacations, you too choose to support this important mission and our guides.
Life as a Costa Rica Tour Guide
Let’s talk some facts: Currently there is no distinction between any sort of guide – a museum guide, a naturalist guide, and a river guide are all viewed the same under the government. We recognize that each of these positions requires their own set of skills and training but we also believe there are different levels of risk within these positions. The suggested wage for a Costa Rica tour guide put forth by the government is $20 a day. Perhaps we are biased but we think there is inherently more risk with being a river guide and they should be compensated accordingly. We would like to see river guides as their own classification under the government and their suggested base wage to reflect this. Just another little side project we’re working on in our spare time.
Let’s think about what your river guide does for you – outfits your boat(s), makes sure your gear is safe, loads your boats, constantly assesses the levels of the rivers, the skill and comfort level of the group, is constantly teaching, instructing paddling, sharing the history of the rivers, the country, animals, plants, cooking meals, sharing their culture, and they do it all in a second language with a smile on their face. And the government suggests they get paid $20 for a day. You pay $20 for a seafood dinner in Manuel Antonio. $20 in our mind is just not enough.
Also $20 a day is not enough to raise a family on. We love our guides, they are the best in Costa Rica and we don’t want them to have to choose between being a raft guide and raising a family. We want them to be able to do both. We don’t want to see them have to travel abroad in their off season to support their families, we want them to go home at night and hug their children. It’s important to us as a company to support our guides and their families so they can share their family values with you.
We as a company have decided since day one to pay the highest wages for guides in all of Costa Rica for a few reasons. Primarily so we get the best Costa Rica tour guide team available. Everyone wants to work for a company that pays the best, but if you don’t emulate the values and the safety that we adhere to, you’re not a good fit for us either. Our expectations for our Costa Rica tour guide team is to be ever vigilant when it comes to safety, to hold a professional guide certification, and to work at a level of professionalism that respects their career path.
Secondly, we want to provide a stable income for our employees. By choosing to play a liveable wage we can provide stability in the lives of our guides. They don’t have to leave their families and go abroad for part of the year and they can expect to be paid fairly for the professional care they give and their skill set they bring to Amazing Vacations.
When we say we have the best people, we truly mean it. They are top notch you can know that when you travel with Amazing Vacations, you are supporting a livable wage for our team and our high standards that we expect and know they will keep.
So yes, when you choose to travel with Amazing Vacations you’re getting the comfort of a US company and the amazing guides and employees in Costa Rica that are only a phone call, message, or a few feet away from you.
You are getting the no worries travel that will help you plan as much or as little of your trip you’d like and will take care of the details you didn’t think of and probably will never know about.
You are getting the ability to customize your trip and make it what you want with the flexibility to include what is important to you and exclude what you’re not interested in.
You are getting information and help and new friends all throughout the process.
But by choosing to travel with us you also choose to pay hardworking individuals a liveable wage that supports families and entire communities. That to us is what makes the experience incredible. Our team really makes a difference in your vacation. Click on the links below to read our reviews and find out why people think we (and of course, our local Costa Rica tour guides) really are ‘amazing!’
4 Responses
I have visited Costa Rica twice with Amazing Vacations and their employees are exceptional. They know the rivers, and combine adventure with safety and a great time. They are also really good cooks!