Social Media Outside the Cubicle

When I first got involved in Social Media I asked myself how much time I would really have to dedicate to this idea of being social on the web. My day to day job involves rafting down rivers in the rainforest, hiking through the jungle, and rappeling waterfalls. I do this as a job of taking family vacation groups and student groups through Costa Rica.

I told myself that I probably would not have that much time to sit in the office and tweet, post, and stay connected. Well I was wrong. After some research and an amzing 3G service of cellphones in Costa Rica I was able to put together a Social Media Jungle kit. With a little Gateway netbook and a blackberry I can get connected hanging off the side of a waterfall if needed.

When you are taking 20 kids rafting down class IV rapids you can imagine the emails I get from parents back home wanting to know how their kids are. This is how Social Media has turned our travel company into some of the most personalized service possible. I really dont care right now if I get a bunch of more sales from Social Media. What I am getting is satisfied customers. We keep a blog for each student group so the parents can follow day to day activities with pictures of their kids posted minutes after each activity. The parents all follow and post back in minutes. It gets everyone involved in blogging and is from what the parents have told me an amazing service as a part of our company.

A Social Media kit that takes you to places that have a bit different conditions than your average cubicle should include:

1.) A Pelican Case - These are the cases that are waterproof and pretty much everything else proof if needed.

2.) Kodak waterproof cam. I was going to go with the flip but this was cheaper and took alright pictures also. Short videos for the blog are huge when parents can see their kids.

3.) Digital Camera - get those pictures going and make them easy to upload on the web because time is precious when you are on the road.

4.) Blackberry or anything with a 3G service. For me in Costa Rica I hook my phone up to my netbook and Im posting blogs for parents to see atleast 3 times a day in some of the most remote places of the rainforest.

5.) Carabiners - this is a type of hook used in adventure sports that you will want to hook your pelican up to. These are extremely durable and you will never lose anything hooked up to this.

6.) Headphones - if you are like me and have time on your hands (we often have long drives to get from A to B) then download some Social Media books on Audible.com and stay updated on tips and ideas for soical media.

So for now I am happy with the idea that it is not so much what social media can do for my future sales but how it can improve on sales I've already made and help my company offer some of the best travel service around. What do you guys think about this can you come up with any ideas of how we could keep parents and family members involved in their childs trip through Social Media?

5 Jaguar Facts

If you decide on Costa Rica for a family vacation or a student travel trip it is because you are probably looking for some adventure and wildlife. One of the most sought after animals of the rainforest is the Jaguar. If you happen to see one of these on your vacation to Costa Rica you will join a very small group of eco-tourist who were lucky enough to see the beautiful animal who might not have much more time left on this planet. Take a look at some interesting facts about the Jaguar.

1.) Is a very good swimmer.

2.) The Jaguar is Endangered due to loss of natural habitat.

3.) 3rd largest cat on the plante behind the lion and tiger.

4.) Eats small mammals. (We are small mammals!!!!!!)

5.) They hunt at night. (This is one reason why tourist rarely see them)

Related articles by Zemanta

• Lost Land of the Jaguar on the BBC (audleytravel.com)
• Sustainable Dreaming (and Eating) in the Jungles of Costa Rica (treehugger.com)
• Jaguar vs.. Anaconda (scienceray.com)

5 Amazing Costa Rican Rainforest Facts

Next time you are thinking of a family vacation maybe you might want to visit one of the most astonishing places on the planet that your grandkids might not have the opportunity to see. Take a look at these facts and tell me if it would be worth take an eco-friendly vacation to help fight the cause of protecting these beautiful areas:

1.) 25% of western medicines are derived from rainforest plants and less than 1% have been tested for medicinal use.

2.) 3,000 fruits can be found in the rainforest and of these 3,000 the western world only uses 200. The native Indians to most rainforest use up to 2,000 different fruits.

3.) More than 1/2 of the worlds 10 million plants, animals, & insects live in the tropical rainforest.

4.) 6% of the Earth's surface is rainforest and experts say in 40 years it could be down to 0%.

5.) 1 1/2 acres of rainforest is lost every SECOND!!!!


Sources: http://www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm

Costa Rica Family Adventure Specialist
Costa Rican Resource
http://www.crrtravel.com/
info@crrtravel.com

Arenal Volcano Vacation Costa Rica

When visiting Costa Rica on a family vacation or student travel trip going to the Arenal Volcano is a must. This is an area where there is so much to do from ziplining, rafting, rappeling, nature hikes, and much more all within a very short bus ride.

This past week we had a group that scheduled their stay for four nights at the Arenal area and they did day trips from the hotel each day. This means they did not end up traveling very long and far on the bus which is often a sacrifice one has to make to see the different wonders of Costa Rica. The one day they did travel far was the Pacuare River. There are other rivers to raft in the Arenal area but the Pacuare is one of the best on the planet so if you dont mind one day of around 8 hours in the bus it is still worth the adventure.

Weather at the Arenal Volcano

The other days were filled with ziplining, rappeling, and chances to see nature with one of our expert naturalist guides. I will say this group had excellent weather at the Arenal Volcano which made staying four days easy. The risk you take on a family vacation or student travel trip is that the Arenal Volcano can actually be cloudy for four straight days. If you happen to being staying in the area for four days and you never see the volcano you will probably be asking yourself why the better half of your Costa Rica vacation was spent looking at a volcano covered by a cloud. But if you happen to visit the area for four days and get atleast 2 out of the 4 days clear and you mix that with a little adventure then you will be happy with the choice of four days at the Arenal Volcano.

So when planning your next Costa Rica vacation if you want to take the chance staying at the Arenal volcano for a few extra days just might be worth the chance.

Costa Rican Resource:
http://www.crrtravel.com/
info@crrtravel.com

Whitewater Rafting Costa Rica

There are many different adventures in Costa Rica. On a family vacation if the kids are not too young then whitewater rafting should be on the list. Costa Rica has many rivers to choose from but if you are up to the challenge then the Pacuare River is without a doubt the river you need to be on. If you come during the dry season there is a chance that the river will have crystal clear water. This is good for taking pictures but if you want more adventure then you want the water to be a cloudy orange color. This is from the rain filling up the river and bringing sediments into the flow.

If you look at the picture you can see the water level is perfect. What we call in the rafting industry as the perfect day on the river is when you get the high water level on a sunny day. Because usually when the water level is high it is cloudy and rainy out.

So if you show up to your rafting adventure and you think that the river is dirty just remember its really not dirty and that you better hang on!!!