Amazing volunteer day with animals! - This is a MUST DO in Costa Rica and a highlight of our trip (and lives!). We had the best day volunteering. We spent the morning with the amazing Francesca who gave us all the introduced us to and provided information about the animals at the centre and the stories behind why they are there. Then, we had lunch before we headed over to meet up with another staff member named Kaylor. He showed us how to prepare the food for the animals and then we made the meals and fed all their residents. The passion all the volunteers have for their centre’s mission is unmatched and it was so worth taking the time to discover and support. If you’re an animal lover and want to give back, this is the place for you!! You will not regret it!!

Lovely rescue center with lovely workers - Very nice volunteers working there, you learn a lot and see many different kinds of animals!! Lovely project. Thank you very much :)

Amazing day at KSTR - I arrived at KSTR on a beautiful morning the property is absolutely gorgeous. I was greeted by Kaylor he was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the campus, it was so interesting to hear about the passion they have for the rainforest. The Sanctuary where the rescued wildlife is amazing so many cute animals and Kaylor went into detail about all of their stories and facts about each one. My favorite was Voldy, a little capachin monkey who suffered an electrocution and is missing a leg. The animals are well taken care of you can tell and everyone I met was so friendly. I got to help in the animal kitchen and meet other volunteers that are living on the campus, they were so kind and informative. Would really recommend visiting this place and supporting what they do here.

Would love to go back…. - This is a great and very worthwhile charity run sanctuary.. the staff are so well trained and knowledgeable about all the animals they rescue. I stayed for a couple of weeks and the other volunteers were great fun and dedicated. We also got the chance to explore outside the sanctuary,, seeing whales and watching turtles being released into the wild - loved my time there - definitely recommend either a tour, a full day volunteering or staying for a week it so..

fantastic experience for children - Such a wonderful experience, especially for children. My 7 year old son loved helping feed and provide medicine for the animals and he learned so much from the tour. Some small logistical notes to anyone booking: the website and confirmation email needs to be updated re: transportation. You have to figure out your own transportation. If you are in Manuel Antonio, expect to pay about $30-50 each way. If you try to book on Uber, they will likely cancel because the app doesn't take into account that the road to KSTR is unpaved, so whatever Uber quotes as the price is far too low for the drive (especially when you consider the driver only gets half the price). We booked on Uber and the driver messaged asking for $30 cash instead of the $20 Uber quoted. We ended up paying him $40 because even $30 seemed too low. Anyway, the trip was worth it!

Highly Recommend!! - Volunteering for a full day at Kids Saving the Rainforest was truly one of the most rewarding experiences of our entire trip to Quepos and Manuel Antonio. From the moment we arrived, the staff made us feel welcomed and part of something meaningful. Our guide, Kaitlyn, was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate, she brought every animal’s story to life and made the experience even more memorable. The day included a guided tour of the sanctuary where we saw sloths, monkeys, parrots, Coati, and more. all rescued and being cared for with such love. In the afternoon, we helped prepare food, enrichment activities, and supported the team with other care tasks. While we didn’t have direct contact with the animals (for good reason), just being part of their daily care felt impactful. This is an experience I’d recommend to anyone visiting the area. It’s not just fun, it’s a chance to give back, learn, and support a cause that truly matters.

Wonderful Experience Volunteering at KSTR! - I thoroughly enjoyed my volunteer day at Kids Saving the Rainforest. This animal sanctuary is wonderful! The staff are kind and take really good care of the animals. I learned so much about the animals who live there including sloths, capuchin and spider monkeys, peccaries, parrots and macaws and many others! I received a tour of the sanctuary and then got to work with a staff member to help prepare food and feed the animals. They offered a wonderful lunch where I got to meet other volunteers. It was a memorable day. I highly recommend visiting and volunteering at this sanctuary.

A once in a lifetime experience. - This was hands down the best experience we had as a family in Costa Rica. Our guide Katelyn was exceptional and made our whole experience memorable. Volunteering made it clear how much time effort and care goes into ensuring the well being of these incredible animals. Our boys 9 and 7 got to fully participate and were positive it has made a lasting memory for them. Definitely a must try.

Unorganized and not much gained vs regular tour - I did the volunteer for a day experience, and I hate to say it as I am a huge animal lover and have volunteered in many conservation centers while traveling internationally, but I must say that this was beyond a disappointing experience, and provided one with barely any additional knowledge or time spent closer up with the animals than the regular tour. I thought sweating to death raking leaves for an hour would be worth it because eventually at some point I would be able to be up close watching some enrichment with the animals and be able to learn more about the them, but nope that wasn’t the case. Preparing the food for the animals was such a complete disaster that I left early. It took an hour and 40 min to make the food. I gave up after 50 min and sat waiting for a taxi. Ethan came up front to let me know when it was completed, the only one there that truly cares about visitors experience. There was no organization in the food preparation, total confusion having us each weighing food to then find out oh it has to be cooked, well weighed after cooking or before? And the only one trying to help us was one volunteer Ethan for 9 people. Ethan is super sweet. He is the only one who truly cared how things were going but he recently arrived himself and hasn’t learned all yet which is normal, but where then was some experienced worker that spoke English? Ethan was kind enough to make sure I got to see a sloth face when he learned I really hoped to see one. If it wasn’t for him the whole day would’ve been a waste. The tour for the volunteer for a day program is pushed together with regular visitors. It’s crowded and noisy and you can’t always see or hear what is being talked about. And the thought that later I’d learn and see more was squashed fast. And I hope that no animals got sick from the lack of organized preparation of their food. Really not how a volunteer program should be set up. There were also two people for a two week program doing things with us because they were confused where to be and without info for them they stayed with us. I never mind how much it costs me to volunteer, but this was a huge waste of time and money. I was able to provide more insight on the animals at times that I learned on other professional guided tours during my time elsewhere in Costa Rica. I don’t recommend this volunteer for the day tour at all. You are better off just walking around Manuel Antonio chaos with a guide or doing their regular tour. Preparing food for the animals here was even more chaotic than the line to get into Manuel Antonio Park. One nice worker listened to my information I just provided, but in the 45 min I sat waiting for my taxi no one cared to inquire or follow up with me. Some of the regular workers here walk around with an attitude and an air of superiority vs being friendly and making sure the visitors are enjoying themselves or ask them if they have any questions. While the organization does do a lot to help animal conservation here, the way the volunteer for a day aspect is beyond disappointing for those wanting a unique experience. I’ve prepared food for many elephants at ethical sanctuaries in Thailand volunteer for the day programs for the same price or less and had hours of organized instruction and education, even received a special t-shirt to wear to keep. I struggled with whether or not to write this as I don’t want to deter funding for the organization, but this was my second to last day of vacation and money and time were really wasted. You need more people like Ethan and you need a thought out itinerary that fits the number of people you allow to sign up for the program and you shouldn’t list activities listed on the information that are not offered, no training and enrichment I was told was in the day only leaving the food for the animals after being made, and I don’t want others to be disappointed.

Flaked on us - We booked this visit in advance. We were excited to experience this as we like to do these types of activities wherever we travel. The description stated that the price included pickup. Upon booking I indicated our pickup location. Up to the day, the only confirmation I received about this activity was through TripAdvisor automated messages. I even messaged them via TripAdvisor the day before to confirm and they didn’t respond. The morning of we waited 45 minutes. We called the number provided several times, which apparently is the number to the Blue Banyan Inn and all we got was a voicemail. I messaged them on the messaging center through TripAdvisor and haven’t received a response. We are very disappointed and upset with having to change our day and disappoint ourselves and our children. We have requested a refund.