Cantón de Talamanca (Costa Rica)

I'd always wanted to spend a few days living with an indigenous tribe. And when the time came, it happened in Costa Rica. It was in the Yorkin Indigenous Rerserve, a project run by women in the canton of Talamanca, that I finally had the chance to live this dream.

It took several hours to reach the reserve, which is on the Costa Rican/Panamanian divide. It starts by bus and then by dugout canoe, which gives you an amazing view of the journey and has a mesmerizing ambience. We felt cut off from the rest of the world and completely in tune with the nature around us. When we arrived, the tribe's women gave us a warm welcome and showed us to our 'rooms' - simple, bamboo huts and, of course, no electricity! That was just the beginning of our adventure... I really enjoyed the weekend that I spent with them; the environment in which they live and the opportunity to take part in their daily lives. They're lovely people who like sharing with others.

During this unforgettable weekend, as well as making new friends, I used a bow and arrow, wove a thatched roof, showered in the dark and hiked through the jungle, day and night. I got soaked, covered in mud and l learned a lot about medicinal plants, their indigenous history and their fight to preserve their community. What's more I got to eat REAL chocolate! Raw cacao, which is really good for you, tastes nothing like what we're used to eating.

This was a genuine 'human' experience that everyone should try once in their life, so why not do so here in Costa Rica?