What led you to participate in the GapForce program in Belize?

Melissa: At the moment I am working as a Police Cadet In the Highlands of Scotland and as part of my cadetship I am required to complete the gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. This includes going on a residential trip for at least 5 days with a group of people you have never met.

So I decided that I’d be pretty ambitious as to my destination. I started doing research online for different gap year trips and I came across Gapforce. I had a look at quite a few of their trips but the Belize program really stood out to me.

What was the most memorable moment of the trip?

Melissa: When we left the jungle for the first time we were all pretty tired and craving food that wasn’t porridge or spam. While we were waiting for our bus our leader went to the local shop and bought us all a deliciously cold bottle of Coke. It was probably the best Coke I’ve ever had.

On my last night we were staying on an eco ranch in north Guatemala. The rest of the group were staying for an extra month. We spent the day reading, eating, horse riding, journal writing and just having a relaxing time after our project work in Belize. After having dinner a few of us went out to the play area and watched the stars. The deep and meaningful conversations started pretty quickly.

What did you find most challenging about the experience?

Melissa: The language barrier wasn’t really an issue in Belize because most folk speak pretty good English. However, when we went to Guatemala their main language was Spanish. My own knowledge of Spanish is limited to only 1 or 2 words which meant that the whole communication thing was a bit of a challenge.

While we were in one of the Guatemalan towns we decided that we were going to get street food because it’s much cheaper and tastier than restaurant meals. We went to a stand that served burritos, beef and chicken. None of us knew what beef was in Spanish so we ended up using strange hand gestures to order out food. For example, if we wanted a beef burrito we put 2 fingers on either side of our head and if we wanted chicken, well you can probable guess what we did for that.

Tell us about one person you met.

Melissa: Our training and project work took place in a National Park in Belize. The park ranger had worked there for several years. When he first started working there he was being paid but recently his pay has been taken away from him and his work is now voluntary so he relies on his farm to earn money. He was great at bringing fruit, tortillas and bread that his mum made him for us to share.

One day he was having nachos with Cheese Whiz for breakfast and gave us each some to go with our porridge, not something I’d normally have in the UK! He was great at getting us all singing; he particularly liked Moon River by Louis Armstrong. One morning I woke up to the ranger playing Bob Marley on his guitar, which I could get used to.

What insights/advice do you have for anyone considering a gap year?

Melissa: My biggest piece of advice is to make every moment an experience. For example, there was one day when we were doing project work in Belize and the rain started bucketing down and the thunder and lightning was right above our head. We could have all started moaning because we were getting wet and the thunder was too loud, instead we took some fun photos and splashed about it the rivers that were quickly forming at our feet.

Get involved in every opportunity that presents itself. Whether it’s eating live termites (they don’t actually taste that bad, kind of peppery) or swimming with sharks (not that I’ve ever done that).

What is your favorite travel memory?

It's hard to pick just one! Spending time with the Bribri tribe in Costa Rica and crossing the border into Panama on a multi-day trek was really special. Exploring the remote border country with my friends and our local guide was the definition of adventure! Spotting snakes, crossing rivers, finding campsites and sleeping in hammocks was epic. The excitement of forging a path through the dense jungle with my machete will always stay with me.

Oh, and snorkeling in the Bahamas was pretty good as well! Not to mention walking along the Great Wall of China...

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

I have developed a growing respect and appreciation of the benefits of group travel experiences. For those who are dying to travel and see the world, but have not been away from home before, travelling alone can be daunting to say the least. Planning the itinerary of a trip can at times be brilliant, as you look forward to your adventures, but can also be quite tricky, with the duration of your trip, knowing where to start, budgeting and packing in as much as possible being common headaches. That's why companies like Gapforce are so great!

Our adventure travel trips are led by experienced and qualified Gapforce Expedition Leaders who have worked in all four corners of the globe. The itineraries are planned and the accommodation is booked - all you need to do is get on the plane and let the adventure begin!

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

Travelling and getting out of your comfort zone is a fantastic way to experience new things and gain different a different perspective on life. I guarantee that all our participants will be different people once they've returned home after joining us on one of our many programs.

One of the participants on our flagship Expedition Leader Training program was so inspired by the medical and first aid training he received that, after finishing the program, he went off to university to train as a Paramedic. Joining a Gapforce trip will not only inspire you too see more of the world, it may also fast-track your career.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

As an adventure lover and someone who loves multi-day treks I'd have so say our programs in Nepal and South America. Trekking to Everest Base Camp is a once in a lifetime opportunity and should never be turned down! The Salkantay trek to the historic ruins of Machu Picchu should also be on any budding explorers bucket list, and we've not even mentioned the amazing Galápagos Islands or the lush and vibrant Amazon jungle. Both destinations have everything you could possible need when planning your dream adventure travel trip!

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

All the staff at Gapforce have either travelled with us on our range of programs or are graduates of our Expedition Leader Training course. We are a small and close-knit team with a clear focus on providing the best and most exciting adventure travel experiences. If you ask us a question about any of our trips we'll know the answer, because we've been there!

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

Everyone at Gapforce is committed to providing incredible and life-changing travel experiences. With continued dedication and hard work, we are exceptionally proud of our exciting range of programs and the great feedback we so often receive. Our industry leading expeditions and adventure travel trips have been running around the world since 1989 - we have no plans to stop any time soon!