Travel For Teens: Community Service Travel Programs

This summer I went on the Belize Ultimate Scuba and Service, and it was a dream come true. Learning to scuba dive has been on my bucket list forever, and it was even better than I could’ve imagined. I got the chance to swim alongside sea turtles, nurse sharks, and schools of tropical fish. The volunteer work and research we participated in was incredibly interesting as well. REEFCI is such an amazing organization that offered us the opportunity to learn about invasive species hands-on and take part in saving the reefs. The island where we stayed was gorgeous. The other campers and I bonded over games of volleyballs, stargazing, and not to mention the absolutely amazing food. It somehow was incredibly serene and exciting all at the same time. My best memories range from getting to spear lionfish 60 feet underwater to laying around in hammocks and telling jokes to the rest of the group. The off island excursions were also incredible. From hiking through the jungle and spotting monkeys and tarantulas, to drifting down a lazy river, to sliding down natural water slides, there was not one boring moment. Even the car rides were full of song singing and authentic Mayan Chocolate eating. It was an amazing adventure from the moment we all got on the group flight together, to our tearful airport goodbyes. I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend my summer.

This was my second TFT trip and I am so glad to have went on it! It was a great combination of the service, traveling the country, and relaxing. The organization that the service was through was a honest group of people and I felt that the work we did was genuinely beneficial. I found that the trip leaders and campers created a welcoming and inclusive environment even though the campers were from varying backgrounds and with a variety of ages. I always felt safe and appreciated having time to explore certain areas with my friends on the trip. When things out of our control went astray (like weather and transportation), the energy of the group was good and the trip leaders sought to make the best of our situations! My parents and I also greatly appreciated getting sent the photos taken by the trip leaders!

My trip was a blissful experience, from the beautiful scenery to friendships that I built, I could never anticipated bonding so closely with the other travellers and leaders. We became like a little family together, we ate, laughed, learned, explored, and adventured together. From the water activities, to helping out the less fortunate, there were always opportunities to experience the finer things in life. Those memories I will hold close to my heart.

The benefits of the trip is not only. that you can service people in need, but it is also a create play to get volunteering experience that could benefit you in the future. Leaving the trip all I wanted to do was to think of opportunities to go back, or become a staff member to give teens that same amazing experience I got.

Traveling to Bali with Travel for Teens on the Bali Ultimate Service and Adventure trip has been one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I was excited to embrace long-haul international travel and finally explore somewhere that far from my home. Like a lot of people, I was nervous about how I was going to fit in within the group. That was fear was quickly squashed and I formed some very close friendships with everyone on the trip, from other travelers to the counselors to our amazing local guides. This trip was very diverse in many ways: both in the cultures of the regions we visited, the activities that we did, and the composition of our surrounding environment.This trip had a bit of everything, which I loved! We went from cityscapes to mountains to beaches. We had valuable service opportunities, working to restore coral reefs and practicing English with local children and more. We also had adventures like white water rafting, mountainside hikes, and scuba diving. It is really difficult to answer the question “what was your favorite part of the trip” because there really wasn’t one singular event; however, a part of the trip that I found really valuable was eating dinner with the prince. Talking with him provided insight into their culture and their views. He answered our questions about Bali and we answered his about America and Canada. 21 days flew by so fast and while our group is no longer in Bali, the friendships and memories remain.

This was my first year traveling through TFT, and I can definitely say I will travel with them again. Greece and Italy: Island Service gave me a truly well-rounded experience. I was able to help the local community in Corfu, visit historical sights in Italy, and still have time to immerse myself in the culture around me. TFT was extremely organized, and I felt as though the counselors were people who i could really open up to and ask for life advice from. I made some of my closest friends on this trip, and we still get together even now. The accommodations were perfect- small, family-run inns and hotels, allowing me to see the countries through a traveler's eyes, not just a tourist in a resort. The trip was exactly what I had hoped, and I got to do things I'd only dreamed about. For instance, one of the optional excursions was a scuba diving trip, which has been on my bucket list since I was 10 years old. I had a truly amazing experience traveling through TFT this summer, and I hope that more people will choose to go through this company.

This past summer I went on the Bali Ultimate Service and Adventure trip. At first, I was hesitant to sign up for this trip as it was 10,000 miles from my home and it was 21 days long. However, once I arrived, I knew that I had made the right decision. The counselors, other campers, and I immediately all clicked and we became so close that we called ourselves a family. On top of the close relationships that I formed, the trip and all of the activities that we did were amazing. TFT did a really good job of creating a schedule that was a perfect mix of fun, service, and immersion in the culture. When asked what day or activity on the trip was my favorite, I couldn’t choose. Everyday was filled with amazing activities. Apart from the fun and adventurous activities that we did such as white water rafting, we also participated in life-changing service. One service activity that we did was tutoring children at the local schools. It was amazing to see the impact that just a couple of English classes had on those kids, it was truly a life-changing experience that I will never forget. I was able to check off Bali from my bucket list, while getting service hours, and making some of the best friends that I have ever had!

This program was really great. I had a lot of fun on the trip and I loved making new friends also. The counselors are amazing. They truly care about the trips and the programs. One of my favorite parts was the volunteering. We volunteered on a little farm in the country side of Greece. They made us a completely homemade dinner and it was so amazing. Not only was the food good but putting work into what we got felt great and I hope in the future I will get more experiences like this. I have been involved with travel for teens for years and I definitely advise everyone to get involved. They always run a variety of great programs and i cannot wait to continue my involvement with the organization. I love what they’re doing and their philosophy.

I went on the Australia and New Zealand Service trip and it was life changing. I met some amazing people, which I became close with after about a day. I saw some of the most beautiful landscapes that I have ever seen. I visited the place where my favorite movie, The Lord of the Rings, was filmed and I was blown away with the beauty of it. I held a koala, fed and petted wallabies and went glamping in the outback. I interacted with the locals and most importantly, I ventured out of my comfort zone, which makes for a more interesting adventure. The counselors were amazing and helpful and despite the age difference, no one ran out of things to talk about. TFT allowed me to experience something amazing and at such a young age, I was able to travel to a whole different world.