Summer Teen Travel in the USA with Bold Earth

I was a part of the Hawai’i trip in the summer of 2019. The leaders of the trip became my friends and I created life long bonds with the other campers. Everyone was so nice and I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect community! Coming in I was an introvert and was scared of not making any friends. After only one week it felt like you hade known these people for years and years. There wasn’t one day that I went to bed hungry do to the amazing cook crews. I would recommend this trip for anyone looking for a big adventure and some new friends.

My daughter Allison went on a summer trip with Bold Earth to Hawaii, and I can't say enough about the experience. When we signed her up, we thought it would be a fun teen tour (which it was). We were grateful to hear that she learned some useful skills (cooking), and that the counselors were kind and focused on teaching her leadership skills. She continues to stay in touch with all the kids from the trip, and she's planning to do an international trip with Bold Earth. Thanks to Bold Earth for taking such great care of her!

This was definitely my most diverse, fun, educational, and memorable summer. I went to camp knowing 2 people from school, but it didn't impact my bonding with the other 10 people and our two leaders. Since we traveled all over the West Coast during the Bold West trip, we got to do everything from rock-climbing to white-water rafting to surfing to exploring Vegas. When I first heard that we would cook all of our own meals, I was terrified that we'd all starve to death, because I didn't know how to cook. During the course of the trip, I learned how to improvise meals and how to cook with limited supplies. (I also really enjoyed food shopping, as I usually got driven around in a cart.) I made so many friends who I still keep in touch with. I'm even meeting up with a friend during the Costa Rica trip I'm doing this summer!! All in all, this was a great experience and I definitely recommend it to every teen out there.

My son Tyler died while on the Bold Earth Hawaii tour in the summer of 2012. He was swept out to sea after tour guides failed to follow high surf warnings and lead the group into an unsafe tide pool. These guides, who were responsible for leading the teens on a kayaking and hiking trip that day, were not trained in oceanic conditions - they had no cell phones, and no safety equipment on hand. After my son went missing, company leaders waited 5 hours to contact us and let us know what happened. When we arrived in Hawaii the following day, we discovered that the tour had continued, and no one from Bold Earth was there to meet us. Parents should use extreme caution when selecting a tour company for their children. Research backgrounds and experience of tour leaders and the company as a whole.

My son Mark went on Bold Earth's Bold West the summer of 2013, and it is safe to say this is one of the best experiences we as a parent, and he as a camper has ever had.
Mark got home and could not stop talking about all the places they went, and the amazing adventures they had. One week they were on a two day rafting trip in California, and they were surfing in Santa Cruz the next.
The trip leaders were so great, and Mark went on and on about how cool they were.
The entire time the leaders kept a blog so we could stay informed about what was happening on the trip, and it had pictures of all the activities. The staff in the office was so helpful and knowledgable I didn't have to stress about a thing.
Mark is planning on a trip in Australia for summer 2014.