Program Reviews

This summer I interned with Himalayan Circuit, a travel company located in Nepal. This experience was unlike any other previous ones that I have held. I am an avid volunteer in my community, whether it be helping children or packaging foods. This role had me strategizing with two key players: Shiva and Anish. These two individuals led me to my success by assigning me work and checking in with me. I am grateful for this experience due to the fact that I was able to build connections with people and gain a better understanding of Nepal.

Within this internship, I focused on the social media for the Instagram and Facebook pages. Other elements include correcting the English language for the travel and trekking descriptions. Some other projects included working on cover stories for raising awareness and why choosing Nepal after COVID-19. All of these projects utilized my grammatical and syntax skills. These skills allowed me to become a better writer and focus on a different type of writing.

This summer I interned with Accessible Nepal, a company focused on bringing people with reduced mobility closer to the beauties of Nepal. As someone who loves volunteering in my own community, it was an amazing experience to step into an unfamiliar place and learn about their lifestyles and customs while completing this internship. This past month, I worked with both Anish and Shiva. They both helped me successfully complete my assignments by checking in with me twice a week and giving me feedback on the work I had completed. With their guidance, I was able to build connections and immerse myself in the Nepali culture.
Within this internship, I worked on the social media posts and stories for the Accessible Nepal Instagram page. By doing this, I learned more about marketing and how to address different audiences via social media. I also have created lesson plans for the ages 7-16 on topics such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle and having good behavior. Through these tasks, I learned how to adapt to an online working environment and work collaboratively with the challenges of time zone differences.
Overall, I enjoyed my experience with the Accessible Nepal team thoroughly and hope to have the opportunity to visit Nepal soon.

Yes, you're right, I have a lot of stories from Nepal, and I think I have shared all of them, so it's hard to choose.

Overall, I especially remark my superlovely rice killers family, my new friends in Pokhara and Chitwan, my visits to the GapNepal office in Kathmandu, the incredible views of Himalayas and Everest, the dirtyness of Kathmandu, the beauty of Pashupatinah, the festival in Bakthapur.

And of course, the local people there: teachers, friends, tourist guides and the amazing children of Nabin English School.

A life experience!

I have learned so much in those few weeks that I don't even know where to start! The kindness of local people, the culture, the food and all the daily travels and weekly adventure.
Wow! I have spent time in local villages. Climbed steep mountain, watched the most amazing views ever...
I have gained so many life skills while on a program. If you want to learn how to become independent and have lots of fun this is it!

You have to come and experience for yourself!

My trip to Nepal was amazing thanks to this program, Anish was extremely helpful, knowledgable and I felt safe at all times. The group was fun, like minded and I made some long life friends.
Nepal is definitely a trip I will never forget. Loved every single moment. The traditions, food and culture are also a wonderful experience.
The accomodation was also lovely and clean.

Thank you Gap year Nepal!!!!!

it was an amazing experience! the travel, families and kids in the school. Came back home a change person. From the center of Kathmandu to Everest base camp, chitwan. The culture, food, people is just awesome, ive been back twice and would love to visit it again. The first trip i did solo, highly recommend it, but not easy if your not an experience traveler. Sit down and talk to people get to know their stories and you'll be surprise how many will surprise you.

I spent a majority of my summer in 2015 in Kathmandu, Nepal. It was an extremely enriching experience for me that allowed me to grow and learn in so many different ways. I was forced out of my comfort zone on so many occasions that I can't even count them. I not only learned to appreciate a different culture, but come to feel like I was a part of the culture. I learned so much about Nepal, people, and myself during my two months abroad. I was especially lucky, because I got to experience the extreme resilience of the Nepalese firsthand, since I arrived in Nepal two weeks after the second major earthquake hit.
Ultimately, I wouldn't trade my experience for anything, and would completely recommend GAPNepal, and Nepal in general to anyone looking for an extremely life-changing experience. I am forever thankful for the friends I met in Nepal, that became my family as I spent the two months away from my own family. I am even more thankful for the person I was able to prosper into after such an unique experience.

When you are trekking to EBC, your guide always says when you ask about the days route 'a little up, a little down ' the day we trekked from Dingboche to LoBoche over Tukhla Pass the comment was 'pretty flat, tough at the end' and he was so right! Such a terrific journey. You meet amazing folk along the track, each sharing their aspect of the track with you. By the time you reach Base Camp you're pretty much family!

I decided to do some volunteer work when the earthquake struck Nepal in April 2015.

I wanted to join a group but had no idea who to join up with when I arrived. I met up with this organization with another friend and they were so organized and nice. I agree with their value system and also their goals of helping communities and involving them in the operations.

They did amazing work during the earthquake period and worked super hard. I am sure that they are still continuing with their projects and I would highly recommend them if you are interested in partaking in their program.

I arrived in Nepal with not much of a plan at the beginning of April in 2015, so just before the major earthquake.
I ended working with a group of children in a village not far from Kathmandu and stayed there a while longer, after the earthquake to help until the schools reopened.

At this point I joined this project. And I couldn't have been more grateful for this encounter in many ways. First of all the open and loving arms that received us all. There was no doubt in my mind about whether I should stay or move on. I felt entirely safe and taken care off. The community of volunteers was incredible. People, young and old, who were willing to leave all comforts behind and move out to remote villages for extensive rebuilding projects. And the wonderful thing about these projects was the way we, the volunteers, and the communities managed to get together over the job at hand. It really was an entirely joint effort.

I remember the first night I went out to the new project at the time in Nuwakot. It was great to see how everyone got together, the kids included, because this was their school we would be rebuilding. We all had dinner together and then sat outside under the exceptional village tree until late at night watching thunderstorms gather and unload themselves over the hills beyond the river.

The way they looked after us was just incredible. As much as it was sometimes really difficult in the hot and humid climate, in a very remote area, there was never anything that couldn't be found if needed. Because Gap Year Nepal is so incredibly well connected to those local communities, it felt like this was extended to us at all times.

And back "home" in Kathmandu we had a great, comforting hub to return to, in very close proximity to the international tourist area Thamel. Here we would meet not only with "our" volunteers and throw brilliant parties on the roof top. But also get together with other organisations doing similar work, to make sure that sustainable networks and plans were being made.

All in all, this experience has changed my life. And I can't wait to return to Nepal, see everyone again and start the next journey.