ARCC Gap: Southeast Asia - Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand

I would recommend this program for students who are eager to learn. The program is more educational, with some experiential learning integrated in. It is also very much on the expensive side, and the breakdown of our budget given to us was shocking, compared to the amount we payed. There is no sense of freedom or responsibility, which is not well communicated from the start. The experiences however are quite unique due to the programs in-country partnerships. There wasn’t a lot of transparency during my interview process, which left me feeling a little blindsided and unprepared for parts of the program. Logistically, the rules and procedures make sense for middle school or high schoolers - not college age students on a gap year. The instructors also definitely impact the quality of the program. For example, having an instructor who is more focused on their priorities rather than the wants/needs of the group. Another aspect that is particularly challenging is not being able to have your phone for the first month, due to “group bonding” purposes. After about week 7, the group dynamic really separates because people are tired of talking to the same group of 10 people for 2 months. If you’re looking for an opportunity to travel and experience the world, I would definitely recommend researching and doing it on your own. If you’re looking for an educational program with rules restrictions, then this program is for you.

This travel gap program is a lot different than the previous stationary one I did before this. This had a smaller group of participants (9 of us). Even with a smaller group I feel like I didn’t make as close connection with most of the group. Partly because of people’s personalities, but mostly because we didn’t have as much time getting to know everyone as my last program. I loved experiencing different parts of the three countries we visited. I felt like the majority of our experiences and place we went were pretty touristy. The ones that weren’t, like the home stays and awesome partners we met were my favorite parts. I thought the two instructors were very helpful. They feel more equal to us and we joke around a lot with them. Not every moment was a great time, with that I grew and learned a lot about history, culture, and relationships.

This program provided a lot of fun aspects, but as with any programs there were some downsides. If you’re not used to rustic settings and not open to trying that then this is not for you. Some things to expect are; squatting potties, bucket showers, dust, lots of mosquitoes, no AC at times, no Wifi or service at times, days that require modest clothes even if it’s super hot. I felt that this program was fun, but at times it was tough. The no phones for the first month was rough and felt very isolating, the rules in place are strictly enforced- if you’re assuming that the instructors might let stuff go, they won’t. I expected to have more freedom than I was given which was frustrating at times. I also felt like I was stuck with the group- you don’t really get to meet other people and make friends your age outside of the group. But I also had a lot of fun. I got to experience so many things that wouldn’t be possible outside of this program, for example all of the service projects that we do- which can be tough in the moment but overall is fun. I met people I wouldn’t have crossed paths with outside this program that will be life long friends, I got to learn a lot about traveling and figured out what a lot of my stretch zones were, there are really fun activities each day. It’s overall very structured but it’s still fun. I would recommend this program but go into it knowing that there will be things you like less than others, at times it can be really tough, you will get homesick at some point, it will be very hot at times, and you will experience things that may be outside of your normal comfort zone. If you go into the program prepared for this, you will feel a lot better when these types of challenges come up. Overall make the most of each day- this sounds cheesy but the trip goes by so fast! Also seeing and learning about elephants is so amazing and made every tough moment on this trip worth it.

Overall, my experience with ARCC was valuable and I will carry the skills I learned for the rest of my life. My group consisted of 9 students (4 boys, 5 girls) and 2 leaders. Other than the people in this group, there will be no opportunity to meet other people your age. Everything we did was with the group and very structured. If you like structure, this program is for you. If you’re looking for more freedom, I would consider other options.

The rules in place are very firm and you cannot get away with anything that remotely violates them. (No drinking, smoking, partying, ect)

Another thing to consider is that we moved around A LOT, which I loved. If living out of a backpack and moving every few nights doesn’t interest you, don’t do this program. We mostly stayed in hotels and hostels (some were nice, some were not), but we also did a homestay in each country. The homestay in Cambodia was very rural (No AC, no running water, no WiFi, and my bed was a mat on the floor).

A lot of the things we did through this program were definitely once in a lifetime and I would have never done them without ARCC. However the 10 weeks was long and there were times I felt isolated and really really wished I had freedom to do the things I wanted to.

I'am glad that I join this program I met amazing people and made a life long friendship, we travel and learn together for the whole 10 weeks of the program, we also have amazing partners in each of the country (Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand) experiencing homestay, trying new food, hiking, plan our own travel, navigate, saw elephants, overnight train and scuba dive! We also have amazing instructors ready to help. I felt like now I have more knowledge on preparing my own travel and most importantly I am ready to navigate college.

This program is an incredible introduction to Southeast Asia. It moves around a bunch and days are packed with much to experience. Free time is a little rough but I wouldn’t trade more free time for the experiences. Vietnam has a lot of major cities and areas to explore while also offering my favorite homestay in a rural village. Cambodia is definitely more rural and days are spend doing more active activities like temple visits and the water filter project. Thailand is a bit of both - city exploration and scuba. Overall, I greatly enjoyed the once in a lifetime experiences, and the struggles will no doubt be helpful later in life.

I am on the ARCC Southeast Asia program and it has been wonderful so far. This program is unique to others because there are many experiences on this trip that are only possible while being with our ARCC partners. From homestays to wild elephant sightings, there is truly something for everybody to enjoy on this trip. This trip however is very busy. We have very few “chill” days and it can be quite exhausting. Overall I would recommend this program if you’re looking to looking to see/do a lot within your time abroad.

My experience with ARCC was really good. I am interested in solo traveling but wasn’t confident that I could until this trip. I feel that it gave me the skills to navigate places that are very different from mine. There was a good balance of fun group activities, historical/cultural sites, and cultural immersion. For example we would spend the majority of the day exploring Angkor Wat, learning about Cambodian history and afterwards we would swim in the hotel pool together. I would recommend this program to anyone who wants to explore a country but doesn’t know where to start. I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who just wants a “gap year” because I found it was so much more than that.