By Pakar PBN 
Halfway through our Trafalgar Costa Rica Nature Adventure tour, my 10 year old daughter woke up, looked at me and said, “I think this is the longest I’ve ever gone without going out with other children. She seemed curious rather than upset at the idea that she was the only child in this traveling community of adults ranging from their late 20s to their late 70s.
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As the only child on our Costa Rica tour, my daughter Vivi had easily found her place among the adults in our group, so much so that I hadn’t considered how strange it must be for a child who even in the middle of a pandemic, once had always been surrounded by siblings and cousins, only to suddenly find herself in the adult world 24/7. When I asked her about it, she thought for a minute and then said, “I think it’s pretty cool.” It’s a little weird that there aren’t any other kids around, but everyone is really nice and we do so many cool things.
I originally had no intention of taking a 10 year old on an adults-only trip to Costa Rica. We had been planning a big adventure for years, just the two of us, and knew that Costa Rica, with its amazing wildlife, would be the perfect fit. We had signed up for the Trafalgar, Monkeys, Jungles and Volcanoes family tour, but when the tour date was canceled we changed course and signed up for the company’s adult-oriented tour. She was so excited about seeing sloths that she didn’t hesitate before saying yes to this project, even if it meant she might be the only child on the tour.
And she was. At dinner the first night, as everyone was introducing themselves, I noticed people looking at her curiously as she waited her turn to speak. After dinner, people started coming over to say hello, first to her, then to me.
From the second day, I could see that there was a special magic in this tour dynamic. Not only was it a great group including honeymooners, State Department retirees, and two twenty-something cousins who had won the trip on the Wheel of Fortune, but Vivi’s presence made naturally surfaced to the grandparents and would-be grandparents in the group (there were many), who would easily incorporate Vivi into conversations and who I could see keeping a gently protective eye over her as we all ventured through the Costa Rica, getting on and off small boats, zip lining, hiking and swimming.
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For me, I quickly felt like I was traveling with a big extended family. On the second day, while most people were still learning their names, everyone already knew Vivi’s, and she theirs. The evenings were stuffy and many people from the group started meeting at the hotel pool after dinner, and she always received invitations to join (I followed her too). After Vivi briefly broke down from an incredibly good sport during two hours of ziplining in the pouring rain in the Monteverde cloud forest, our traveling companion Marg sang a funny call-and-response song while we were walking – it was exactly what Vivi needed. then and as a solo parent, it was wonderful for me too to feel like I had support if I needed it (which I did, at that time).
Considering taking your child on an adults-only tour? Here’s what to think about:
Make sure it’s the right tour
It’s always a good idea to make sure your child is actually interested in the destination you’re heading to, but it’s especially important when you’re planning a non-family-specific trip.
The Costa Rica tour was a real success for us because my daughter is obsessed with wildlife and loves taking nature photos. The same was true for most of the tour group, which gave us all a common language about nature and made it easy for us to participate whether we were 10 or 70.
Know your child
Being the only child on an adults-only tour won’t work for every child. Being on tour with mostly adults means there’s less time running around and playing, more time sitting and listening, and sometimes activities geared much more toward adults than kids.
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But for older children who like to be around adults and for those with a longer attention span, this can be a great solution. “Everyone is so nice to me and makes me feel included,” Vivi noted as she fell asleep one night.
If you can, find a guide with experience supporting families.
Our guide, Victor, guided not only the Trafalgar Nature Adventure in Costa Rica, but also the company’s Monkeys, Jungles and Volcanoes family tour. From day one, I could see how he engaged Vivi while doing an exemplary job tailoring the tour for adults – a sure sign of a guide who knows how to lead a family tour.
It is not always possible to know the guide in advance, but during the booking process you can often request information about the guides from the travel agency. Guides who work with families tend to have a little extra magic that’s worth seeking out if you’re traveling. with children.
Bring the tools you need to help your child succeed
As a child, my daughter’s needs were a little different than the adults we were traveling with, so to make our trip easier, we worked together ahead of time to make sure we brought the things that would help her get through the most delicate moments for her.
This meant we arrived with two quart bags filled with almonds, trail mix bars, dried fruit, and other easy snacks that she could eat at any time (she tends to lean).
A camera was another tool that helped my 10-year-old stay engaged longer. Especially on long boat rides and hikes with wildlife, having a camera in hand meant she was doing something other than just sitting or walking. She framed scenes in her mind, zooming in on wildlife and composing shots.
My best move of the entire trip was downloading an audiobook that we listened to together during the longer travel days. It gave us something to look forward to and made the time pass faster, since we were both hooked on the story (it was the second book in The Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner).
Because it was hot in Costa Rica, we also made sure her swimsuit was always ready to go, because there’s nothing better than a dip in a cool pool before dinner to recharge your batteries after a long day.
Remember they are young
There were times—like an hour after a discussion about the history of the Monteverde Cloud Forest or two hours after a long bus ride—when I could see Vivi getting a little nervous. When I asked her about it later, she said, “Sometimes I space out a little, but overall it was interesting,” which told me the problem wasn’t so much activity than the fact that she did not have an adult attention span. because she was a child.
Remembering that she was a child and not a little adult, and also wanting to be respectful to the adults in the group who continued to be captivated by the discussion of the story, I looked for common ground. Sometimes that meant slipping Vivi a napkin and pen so she could scribble on those long bus rides, letting her play a video game longer, or handing her the camera and letting her wander around to take pictures. photos. And of course, making sure she spends time at the pool every day to work out and cool off.
Even if it wasn’t a tour aimed at children, we would both do it again in a heartbeat. Since this was a guided trip, we had the chance to learn together knowing that the details were taken care of and we could focus on the experience of being together and seeing this special place for the first time.