Audley clients receive message of thanks from Nicaragua

Message of thanks from the children

A husband and wife who recently returned from a tailor made trip to Nicaragua have received a special message of thanks from a group of local school children whom they visited during their travels.

John and Gill Farrington, who travelled with Audley to the Central American country earlier this year, made a donation following their visit to the school in Granada. This money was used to help build a much-needed toilet block for the children and to improve the on-site sanitation facilities.

This is the latest in a series of donations that the couple have made to projects in developing countries. During recent correspondence, they told me that they are always amazed by the improvements they see and the warm thanks they receive from the local people, and that it’s just a small way of saying ‘thank you’ for all the many kindnesses they have received whilst holidaying abroad.

During their recent trip with Audley, Mr and Mrs Farrington also got involved with a British team of volunteers from Hereford, who are helping farmers in the Nicaraguan highlands to grow new vegetables alongside their staple crop of coffee beans. This project aims to improve people’s diet and bring more income into the farms and the surrounding community.

To find out more about Nicaragua or to create your own tailor made trip to Central America with Audley, call one of our specialists on 01993 838 680 or visit our website at www.audleytravel.com/central-america.

Audley Seminar: Discovering Costa Rica

Red-eyed tree frog, Monteverde Cloudforest

This morning I went along to another of our weekly client seminars, which this week was on ‘Discovering Costa Rica’. Although we are currently very busy in the e-Commerce department working on a new version of the website, I am really interested in Costa Rica having recently built a feature on Wildlife of Costa Rica, so went along to find out more!

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An Audley Traveller meets the girl she sponsors in Guatemala

Meeting sponsored child

After eight years, and many exchanges of letters and drawings, there came an opportunity to meet. And for one Audley traveller it was an opportunity too good to miss; an opportunity that crossed cultures and brought people together. An opportunity that now will always be recalled as a ‘cherished day’.

Mrs Sheena Walker-Roberts has been sponsoring a girl in Guatemala through international children’s charity Plan since 2001.  Guatemala is a beautiful country with a vibrant ethnic Mayan culture.  However, it is still recovering from the throes of a long civil war and discrimination against the indigenous population is rife.  Plan has been working to tackle the inequality and poverty faced by Guatemala’s poor since 1979, and when Sheena decided to holiday there with Audley she seized the opportunity to find out just what that work entailed. What followed is a remarkable and emotional journey into a rural and isolated community and an extraordinary coming together of cultures and people. Continue reading »

Audley supports Costa Rica community project

Audley have just started a scheme in Costa Rica to support an indigenous community called “Boruca” located in the county of Buenos Aires in the Puntarenas Province. Around 50 women from the community make hand-woven items such as bags which we buy from them. The money goes directly back into the community and pays for the production and transportation of the items from their village to Buenos Aires city and onwards by bus. The women share the remainder of the money between them.

Upon arrival in Costa Rica Audley clients will receive one of the handmade items from the community along with a bit of background information about them.