Quest Overseas
Programs and Reviews
Quest Overseas is founded by Michael Amphlet. Driven by a desire to leave the city and create a more rewarding lifestyle both for himself and others, he contacted just 20 different schools and convinced 8 students to join him on Quest's maiden voyage. And so it began, on the 15th February 1996, the first ever Quest Overseas team flew out to Lima for a 10 week adventure - six weeks working on a children's project followed by a four week expedition trekking, bussing and boating through Peru. The trip had a lot in common with the expeditions of the great explorers; everyone (leaders included) was stepping out onto unknown terrain, but all were willing to face whatever came their way, to learn, work and explore.
Programs Abroad
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Reviews
100%Overall
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I traveled with Quest Overseas to Villa Maria in 2011, it was an amazing experience, one which I will never forget.
Quest are a fantastic company to travel with, they are sustainable and have a great relationship with the communities they work with. The volunteering is full on, this way you can make a lot of difference in the short time you are in VM.
The last 6 weeks of travel are fantastic, with an activity for everyone, a combination of tourist highlights and some hidden gems off the beaten traveler track.
This is a trip of a lifetime, not to be missed!
Critical Feedback:
More time volunteering, leaving Villa Maria was very hard! We all felt so at home there.
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"HABARI!!!"
Quest overseas was by far the most amazing experience of my life. Within only three months we visited a huge amount of country and did some incredibly amazing things. The people i met on the trip were absolutely brilliant and our leaders were both highly motivated, resourceful, friendly and exciting to be around. The reason i choose Quest overseas for my gap year was its project, we spent 6 weeks working on a building project in Tanzania on the slopes of kilimanjaro, this was incredibly rewarding as it was a well researched project that was actually something the local community wanted and were committed to the development of. While working it felt like we worked with the community as integrated members rather than being a group of outsiders stuffed on a site for a brief period of time.
The expedition part of the trip was absolutely amazing!! it literally felt like we did something incredible everyday, bunjee jumping, walking safaris, trekking, scuba diving, camping in the Botswana delta, tubing, bridge swinging etc. Although Quest is expensive i would definitely say it was worth the money, the reason its so expensive is that everything is included apart from flights, i barley spent any money while i was actually on the trip and a huge part of the cost is a massive donation to the project, without this donation the project is not possible as it pays for materials and wages etc.
I would not hesitate in recommending this trip to anyone who wants to travel widely, volunteer or just escape for a few months!
Critical Feedback:
nothing
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We organised and ran games and holiday activities for the deprived children of Villa Maria, a large slum on the outskirts of Lima, Peru. We visited two communities a day, playing games and activities ranging from football and volleyball to jenga, colouring and painting. Each day ended with an hour in the local pool being used as human climbing frames by dozens of excited kids. Every Saturday we organised a feria (fair), which involve dressing up in costumes and running a range of games where children could win sweets as prizes. Sundays saw the group put on costumes and face paints and perform group dances at the Sunday show. During our last week we swapped toys and costumes for safety gear and power tools constructing a new classroom at the Quest school.
We lived in rooms above the Quest School. Living conditions were fairly basic and we were responsible for buying and cooking all our meals and keeping our accommodation clean and tidy.
It was a great experience. I would definitely go back and recommend Quest Overseas gap year trips to anyone looking for a gap year trip that involves volunteering and lots of fun. The Quest Staff and local staff were great creating the right balance between providing advice,support and direction and allowing us freedom and independence. The local staff and communities were very welcoming and by the end it felt like we were part of a huge extended family.
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"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world - be part of this change."
I had the most incredible time overseas with Quest. I really wanted to be part of a sustainable project and the work I did in Africa is testament to that.
I went to South America with Quest Overseas in 2012. Taking a gap year was one of the best decision I ever made and that's because I chose to go with Quest Overseas. First of all it was the perfect combination of of language study, volunteering, and outdoor adventure. It's difficult to find a program that has it all, but Quest really does. I loved everything I did and I was really able to push myself. If I had gone traveling by myself I would never have enrolled in a Spanish class or gotten the courage to try rock climbing and surfing. I had incredible experiences and truly was a different person upon my return. I was able to work on my Spanish, do some really rewarding volunteer work, including getting up close and personal with a puma who I walked and fed, and pushed myself, trying new things for the entire 6 weeks of expedition. I made life long friendships with the people I traveled with, and because they come from all over, going to visit them is just another chance for me to get on a plane and go somewhere. Quest Overseas changed my perspective on everything, and changed me as a person. I can't wait to get back to South America, and now I have the confidence I needed to travel alone. I would absolutely recommend this trip to anyone!!
Critical Feedback:
Honestly nothing. There were definitely mishaps along the way be it struggling to find a place to sleep for the night in a small town or our bus breaking down multiple times. But those mishaps only added to the experience and realistically showed me what traveling is really like. All those little bumps on the road just made me more prepared for when I go traveling on my own.