Health and vaccinations?
Before embarking on a trip, a student should contact a family physician for the most up-to-date health information. A family physician or travel clinic will be able to administer any country specific required vaccinations.

Are scholarships available?
Scholarships are available to students who demonstrate a financial need. Please contact our office for scholarship details.

What is included in the tuition?
Our programs are all-inclusive. There are absolutely no hidden costs. Tuition costs include airfare, airport taxes, transportation costs within Thailand and Costa Rica, all meals, beverages and snacks, internet use, accommodations and activity costs.

Do travelers need spending money?
It is suggested that travelers bring a small amount of spending money for gifts, souvenirs etc. The Triskallian Tours guide can assist with any necessary currency exchange.

Medical and Insurance Coverage?
We do not provide medical insurance coverage with our trip tuition. It is manditory though that all Triskallian Tours travelers obtain medical insurance coverage on their own. If you need assistance please do not hesitate to contact us.

What happens if a student is caught using alcohol or drugs?
A student caught using alcohol or drugs is sent home immediately with all incurred expenses billed to the student.

What is the meaning behind the Triskallian Symbol?
The Triskallian symbol is an ancient character which appears within the context of different cultures around the globe, many of whom we have encountered during our travels. In ancient Celtic lore, the three spheres of the Triskallian logo represent land, sea and sky, with each aspect ever flowing outward and always returning to the point from which it started. The Hopi Indians of the Southwestern United States utilized this symbol to signify the concept of several returns or homecomings.

The idea that everything in life flows outward, but then returns to its origins, resonated deeply with us as travelers. Traveling, is in a sense flowing outward, and then returning, but returning with the lessons that one has learned.

Thailand

What if members of the same group want to travel to different destinations or partake in different activities?
Each student will undoubtedly have different goals, activities, and locations they want to experience when traveling throughout Thailand. One of the most important lessons that our programs instill in our student travelers is the ability to compromise with their fellow travelers. The ability to take different opinions and desires and form them into a created itinerary that leads to amazing experiences for every member of the group fosters teamwork and cooperation within our travelers.

What is the role of the Triskallian Tours Guide?
From the moment that our travelers arrive at the airport, our highly experienced and knowledgeable guides never leave their sides. Each restaurant that our travelers choose to eat in, each activity they choose to participate in, our guides are with them at every step lending advice, support, traveling experience and friendship.

Ultimately the guide’s primary responsibility is the safety of the group. On a deeper level, our guides traveling experience and knowledge of the culture and traditions of Thailand allow them to share their passion for the experiences that Thailand provides. The intimate interpretations of Thailand’s customs and activities that our guides present to our travelers allows our student travelers to experience Thailand on a much deeper and more personal level.

What are some of the decisions that students make throughout the course of their trip?

Triskallian Tours is designed to place maximum decision making in the hands of our student travelers. To this end, students make decisions concerning which destination the group will travel to, what method of transportation they will take to these destinations, which activities to participate, where to sleep, where to eat, and many other traveling decisions. The ability to make these decisions is what leads to confidence and personal growth within our student travelers.

It should be noted that all decisions are made by the group deciding together, yet for reasons of safety the final say concerning these decisions always rests in the hands of our guides.

How does the Cooperative Adventure Thailand Program help students better prepare for college?
For the majority of students, the most difficult aspect when encountering the transition from high school to college is the adjustment dealing with the amount of free time that college life provides. In high school nearly every minute of the student’s day is structured between classes, meals and extracurricular activities. Upon arriving in college, students quickly realize that there is no one telling them when to study or attend class. The inability of some students to deal with this adjustment leads to their college experience being more difficult than need be.

By placing the itinerary and other decisions in the hands of our student travelers, Triskallian Tours helps students learn to be accountable for their own time. Students learn within the first days of their trip that they are responsible for making decisions that will lead to amazing experiences. Because of this, students learn how to budget their time and plan so that they will be able to maximize their experience in Thailand. These same lessons carry over to the student’s ability to maximize their college experience.

Does my child need to know how to swim?
Yes. Several of the activities that our travelers choose to participate in (such as snorkeling, sea kayaking or white water rafting) require that our travelers know how to swim.

Is Thailand safe after the coup?
On September 19, 2006 the Thai Prime Minister was overthrown in a bloodless coup d’etat. This non-violent transfer of power will make Thailand a safer, more enjoyable travel destination. The old Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawat, was widely regarded as a corrupt, dishonest official. The new Prime Minister and government continues to work with the Thai population to solve problems in the country in a manner that Mr. Shinawat never had. Despite these positive results, we continue to closely monitor all political and social changes within Thailand.

Can the students choose to go anywhere and do anything?
For reasons of safety we have selected 9 destinations within Thailand that our travelers can decide to visit. Within these destinations certain activities deemed unsafe by our staff are off limits. While many traveling choices are made by our student travelers, the final say always rests in the hands of our experienced guides.

How is health care in Thailand?
Health Care in Thailand is widely re-known for being the most advanced in all of Southeast-Asia. Many Americans and Europeans have begun traveling to Thailand for surgical procedures.

Costa Rica

Is Surfing dangerous?
Not in Samara. The waves of Samara are known as some of the most gentle in all of Costa Rica; perfect for beginning surfers. Our guides are experienced lifeguards and lifelong surfers. This combination of gentle waves, experienced guides and safety policies ensures the safest environment possible in the water.

What are the community service projects?
Our extensive contacts within the town of Samara provide us with a desire and a matched ability to partake in a wide range of projects that assist this community. Soccer clinics, teaching English at local schools, environmental protection projects, assisting in after school art and health awareness programs, and town beautification projects are just a sample of the projects available to our travelers.

Is Costa Rica safe?
Costa Rica is widely regarded as the safest and most stable country in all of Central America. The crime rates in Costa Rica are astonishingly low, even more so in the small town of Samara. Knowing Costa Rica as we do and being aware of potential risks and hazards ensures the safest experience possible for our travelers.

Why is the trip based out of Samara?
Samara is the perfect town in which to spend our days. Picturesque with gentle rolling surf, this town is at once idyllic, safe and welcoming. However beautiful, Samara is still greatly in need of volunteer service and assistance from people willing to lend a hand. All volunteer projects are intended to improve the town and lives of the people we have come to know and love.

Do I need to know how to swim?
Yes. The amount of time that our travelers spend in the water makes it necessary that all travelers possess swimming skills before embarking on the trip.

What are the weekend activities?
Our weekend activities are meant to introduce our travelers to different locations and activities within Costa Rica. Hiking around the famous Arenal Volcano, jungle trekking and white water rafting through cloud rainforests are some of the favorite of our weekend activities.

How are the days divided up?
The days that our travelers spend in Samara are mainly divided between volunteer service. After breakfast our group might head to the local school to teach the students arts and crafts in the morning. After returning from lunch the students will take surfing lessons for several hours. Relaxation time to read and reflect in journals as well as soccer games on the beach are also parts of our days. It is important to note that because of changing tides and alternating volunteer projects it is impossible to make a set schedule many months in advance of our trips. Our participating travelers will receive a detailed itninerary when they receive their trip preparation packet weeks before their departure date.

What about meals?

Food in Costa Rica is delicious. Our close personal friendship with Coco, the owner of Casa de Coco, enables our travelers to experience some of the best food in all of Samara. Coco’s fruit shake combinations become a favorite of our travelers. Vegetarian travelers are easily accommodated.