Program Reviews

This program was so fantastic!! It’s hard to summarize and pick my favorite moments. I absolutely loved the jungle trek in Sumatra. The terrain was rugged but Jay and Eric and Febroni (our local guides) seemed to magically appear whenever we needed a hand. I felt like I lost a few pounds through sweat so I was thankful for the afternoon swim in the river next to camp after the trek. We saw SO MANY orangutans (more than our guides had ever seen before), and it was so incredible to see them in real life. I was using the squat toilet one time at camp and look up to see a mama and baby orangutan watching me. Also I got pooped on by one…

Our home stays were so nice, and I gained a lot of knowledge about communicating with people who don’t speak English. It was difficult at some points, like when we were served two full cups of coffee after dinner and didn’t know how to refuse (delicious but the caffeine was a lot for post-dinner), but the generosity of the locals came through in everything they did.

I’d never swam in the ocean before this trip and wouldn’t consider myself a strong swimmer, but all the water-based activities were super great and within my skill level. I saw an octopus snorkeling and the scuba diving was INCREDIBLE. I even caught a few waves surfing!

One of my favorite moments was our first night on one of the treks we did. The whole group was staying in one big tent and it was storming so hard. There was no electricity so the only thing lighting the room was the frequent cracks of lightning. It was pouring rain and so windy and the floor flooded. It was such a bonding moment and when we finally got to sleep anytime I’d roll over I’d be face to face with my travel mates.

My glasses were stolen off my face and broken by a monkey so if you can’t see without your glasses bring an extra pair. Please, please wear sunscreen - the UV actually broke the scale on the weather app once and I got burned bad a couple times even from just 20 minutes or so. Pack light - you’ll be moving every couple days.

From drinking kava in Fiji (slightly better than mud water haha) to helping clean white tigers’ cages, to crying in an ice bath, this trip opened my eyes to so many new things. I would highly recommend this trip, thought it’s not for those who aren’t very outdoorsy. The hiking can be hard and everything you bring will get wet at some point, and can stay damp for a long time. The people you’ll meet and the sights and animals you’ll get to see so outweigh any negatives for those considering this program. My program instructors were so amazing and struck the perfect match between friend and mentor - I couldn’t have asked for better leaders.

I went into this program with absolutely zero knowledge of the places I would go, or the people I would meet on this trip. Over 2 months time (it goes by quick) I gained so much in social skills, confidence, my knowledge of traditions & culture, and my ability to feel comfortable in uncomfortable situations. Not to mention all the things you would not be able to do without ARCC like hiking to a colossal secret waterfall in the jungle, staying at 200y/o+ Batak houses and working at a zoo. Also shout out to my instructors (Ari&Ingrid) they really make the trip.

This trip was the adventure of a lifetime! I enjoyed eating new foods like the heart of some animal, sea grapes, and more! And, I explored being more bold by jumping off sand dunes, and boats, and rocks! Not having my phone allowed me to truly be in the moment, and now I have a better relationship with it and I'm not on it as much too. The scenery is something I'll cherish in my memory forever, especially the sandbar which was such an ethereal, magical experience!! I felt like I grew so much as a person, and grew more confident, and more reflective.

My time on ARCC was life changing for so many reasons. Whether it was seeing dolphins jumping by the side of our ferry in Fiji, or being serenaded at 4am by our homestay family in Sumatra, every part of this program was memorable and magical. Prior to leaving home, I was nervous about the semester ahead. Looking back, I can confidently say that doing the ARCC Pacific Islands Semester was the best decision I’ve made in my life this far. Homestays, cooking classes, and visiting temples were just a few of the ways we were immersed in local cultures throughout the semester. Anything I had never tried or was nervous about, became something I was so happy to have experienced. HIGHLY recommend.

I had an amazing experience on the Pacific Islands trip. I got to do so many new things like try heart, cliff jumping, surfing, scuba, farming and many other things. My favorite part was meeting new people. The local guide in Sumatra, Febroni is one of the funniest people I have met and such and amazing and kind person. I felt so cared for on the trip from the guides. On the hikes, if I ever felt myself slipping, I would just look up, and there was a hand to help. The people on the trip made it, and I will never forget how caring and kind everyone was.

Jumping off a boat on Lake Toba in front of a massive waterfall was such an unforgettable experience! I perfected my cooking skills by making (at least!) 50 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches during our Student Planned Module! We ended up one day doing ice baths in Bali and I was in for so long that the guy in charge made me get out (it was only 12 minutes).

Being without my phone for the first four weeks was rejuvenating and helped our group bond at a deeper level without the distractions of connections back home.

ARCC gap was super incredible, I made some really great friends and everyday was a new adventure. I loved our time in Sumatra because of the home stays, trekking in the jungle, and our partners were such cool and fun people. Scuba diving in Bali was wonderful and truly and life changing experience. I was worried if I would connect with the people, but being off our phones for a month allowed us to connect on a deeper level, and I really made some great friends. I would definitely recommend doing ARCC, you grow so much as a person, if your considering it like I was just do it trust.

The ARCC program was an amazing experience. It is the perfect combination of relaxing and being busy. The first month of the program was no phone or any internet in Sumatra. It was super sweaty and rural but an absolute blast. Pretty rugged but a once in a lifetime a life time opportunity. We tracked orangoutangs and monkeys. My favorite part was the connections made with my peers and all the inside jokes we have together including relaxing on top of a massive boat whole speeding through the ocean. or putting a condom on a foot to protect from infection. Highly recommended this trip.

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.