Program Reviews

After much deliberation I chose to taken part of my gap year with quest overseas. I did a lot of research and what clinched it was two things. The first was the fact it is part of fair trade volunteering the other was because it was recommendation by my schools careers advisor.

Of all the options with quest I chose their villa maria project. It gave me the opportunity to learn a bit of Spanish in Ecuador in addition to coming to terms with a very different cultures. That country really moves to salsa and football.

I then spent a month with my team volunteering my time in a shanty town we arranged lots of activities for street kidstores and assisted I the construction of basic but necessary accommodation for single parent families. It was very tough both physically and mentally but without a shadow of a doubt my favourite part.

We then went on a mental 6 week expedition. Nailed a few must sees like the Inka trail and salt pans but what I really enjoyed was the experiences we had a way from the gringo trail like the north side of titi kaka or Ice climbing in Bolivia.

It was amazing from start to finish. We started together at Heathrow as a team. We traveled together for three months with our leaders. We saw things you would not believe, met some increadible inspiring people and came home with some of the best mates.

The Villa Maria programme has three distinct sections to the trip, Spanish lessons in Quito, volunteering in Peru and exploring South America. When starting the trip I was quite shy I wont lie, but I promised myself that I would throw myself into it from the outset.

As a team we completely clicked, we had a large group of 9, boys and girls. We were accepting university places while we were away, as well as sorting accommodation but we supported each other throughout the whole trip and still occasionally chat now 2 years later on! I made some of the closest friendships while travelling and we crossed sadness, stress, and the greatest joy I could have ever experienced! I miss them everyday!

Some of the situations I found myself in while travelling I didn’t expect I ever would in my life. From climbing one of the highest mountains in Bolivia, to swimming with wild dolphins, creating JESS across the salt flats posed a problems when it came to the S, and weirdly pushing a bus out of mud.

You celebrate the littlest thing and learn a lot about yourself, your own values and life at home. Who knew a clean pair of socks could bring so much joy! I cannot express to you through words the amazing things I saw and learnt. The experience has made me a more mature person, my time management and organization is now impeccable!

If someone were to offer me the experience again tomorrow I would not honestly think twice about it. The chance to gain a wider understanding of the world and the people within is a chance that you cannot miss!

Quest overseas is a company that takes you to the most amazing, deprived and special places on earth; it gives you a chance to help and experience their way of living and what it is like away from home.

You are taken to some of the most shocking and poor countries in the world where you can see that they value your help; wether you are helping people, animals or both. You gain so much: too much to write and the program will change your view and realisation of what life is like for the better.

It is the most amazing and hardest thing I have ever done.

I did the Bolivia summer trip and the mini expedition in Bolivia and Peru, and it was an absolutely incredible experience - so well organised and our trip leader Matty was awesome!

We spent three weeks building an enclosure in an animal refuge called Ambue Ari in Bolivia, then another three weeks feeding, walking and bonding with a variety of animals, including pumas, jaguars, tapirs, monkeys and birds. I had the most amazing time here - there's a real sense of community and you forget about luxuries quickly and adapt to a simple lifestyle. It's in a totally gorgeous part of the jungle, and waking up every day to birds singing and howler monkeys roaring is really something you can't experience anywhere else.

The next part of our trip was the expedition - we cycled down Death Road, visited an island on Lake Titicaca, went white water rafting amongst other activities and finally ended our trip with a 4 day trek across the Salkantay trail to Machu Picchu - probably the hardest thing I've ever done but easily the most rewarding.

Seeing Bolivia and Peru is something i've always wanted to do and I'm so glad I did it with Quest. I was a bit wary at first as it seems expensive but it's really not compared to other gap year companies, and also you're told exactly where your money is going. I also think Quest are an especially ethical company - including a donation to the park in the mandatory payment and making sure that the work being done is actually helping, and also having a 'training' day beforehand where we learned about the culture of the countries we were going to as well as political debates that affect the populations.

I felt safe and comfortable (even out of my comfort zone) every step of the way - our trip leader really knew what he was doing and made sure we had the best time (even on 24 hour bus journeys). I also think the rest of the Quest team are amazing - the whole time before the trip they were only an email away and made sure every question was answered to put my mind at ease.

I'd 100% recommend this company, any trip you do with them will be a life-changing experience and I'm sure will ignite your love for travel and volunteering!

The Quest Overseas Villa Maria Project changed my life. It made me open my eyes to new experiences; a completely different culture and has given me friends for life. I honestly could not recommend it more highly to anyone! I had the best six weeks of my life!"

The Peruvian community opened their doors and their hearts to us as a group of people. We had so much fun doing dancing shows, kids fairs, building houses for the people who live there and immersing ourselves in their way of life. They were such wonderful people and Peru will always have a place in my heart as a result of this experience.

This trip was also coupled with a two week action-packed adventure which consisted of mountain biking down death road; white water rafting; canoeing across a lake; trekking up Maccu Piccu and challenging yourself. It has helped me build my confidence and I would trade anything to do it all over again! Thank you for listening!

I joined the Quest Bolivia project this summer after a year at university. The project is for six weeks and you also have an option of travelling to places in Bolivia and Peru afterwards. I am glad about this decision I made because I did things I have never done before and had experience which I won’t get from travelling, since I will still be consuming when I travel, whereas volunteering is about creating good. I was surprised by how many things I can do at the end of the project, such as carrying lots of sand through a swamp, digging a one-meter-deep hole in three hours and walking an ocelot in the jungle on my own. This summer we stayed at an animal sanctuary called Parque Ambue Ari. For two weeks and a half we helped with the construction of a cage for a puma and I cared for three baby howler monkeys and an ocelot for the last three weeks. Before the journey I always consider myself as a travel addict but I changed my mind after I met many volunteers who were experienced travellers at the park, and you also have a chance to work with Bolivian people and pick up some Spanish. I never have a pet in my life and before I came to the park I was even a bit afraid of animals and I appreciated that I have a chance to understand animals and become close to them. It was interesting to experience a completely different lifestyle at the park without the internet and we didn’t have a problem with that at all because of the friendship we developed at the park and our busy daily routines. All of us were sad about leaving and the jungle has frequently been the theme of my dreams after I came back. Joining Quest could be the best decision you will ever make. It’s going to be hard work but you’ll definitely get a strong sense of fulfilment!

After graduating high school I took a gap year with Quest; I wasn't completing sure why, but I knew I needed to do something different. For years I kept telling myself I loved learning, but truthfully I felt like a robot on an academic treadmill. I yearned for the type of learning that embraced creativity, pushed me outside of my comfort zone, and forced me to engage fully. I gained a new level of self awareness on my gap year that allowed me to become a global citizen. Many of my experiences were challenging but they made me feel grounded, present, and alive. We need an education reform that allows the next generation to breathe and realize their great potential. The type of education I got on my gap year, traveling and living with people from around the world, working next to inspired people, illuminated the kind of environment I want to create, and created a space that evoked my authentic self. Don't be fooled, It was not just a luxury vacation- I battled giant jungle mosquitos and rainstorms, ran from possibly rabid stray dogs, ate only rice and eggs for weeks (as a vegetarian in a meat eating continent), and struggled with South American time (ie: sitting on a bus for thirty hours, without any more books, waiting for a mudslide to be cleared). The fact is I cant even begin to talk about my time with Quest because there are just too many moments that will stick with me forever. I became best friends with my Quest family and although we live on different continents, we have managed to do the long distance thing- still talking and seeing each other when possible- because these are the people you never want to live without. When the academic persona is stripped away where would I be? What makes me come alive? I asked and answered those questions on my gap year. When I started university, I knew who I was and what I wanted to accomplish. I took classes that I found interesting and focused on building meaningful relationships.

The the trip to Peru&Bolivia with Quest was absolutely fantastic. Very well organised and full of amazing experiences!

Volunteering in Villa Maria- something I will never forget. It was extremely heart-warming and made me realise how fortunate I am. This experience was certainly made unforgettable due to the friendliness of all the staff involved. In Particular our guide/Project leader, Matty Sowinski-Brown.

Working with the other volunteers, was great.(we all had completely different backgrounds) We all got on really well and are still in touch on a regular basis!

Witnessing both the Touristic side of Peru and the harsh reality of the living conditions of the less fortunate Peruvians was really mind-blowing.

The mini-expedition was great fun! Being an aspiring wildlife & landscape photographer, the Inca trail was definitely a highlight. The views are simply breathtaking.

Overall the trip has left me with some wonderful memories that I will never forget and therefore I recommend Quest Overseas to absolutely anyone!

I hope to travel&volunteer with Quest again in the future.

This programme gave me with everything I needed so I could go and travel throughout Argentina and Chile. I really didn't want to go on a 'school trip' and thought that Quest looked like the real deal in terms of getting the most out of the experience!

The Peruvian project staff are INCREDIBLE. I don't think I have ever laughed so much! They welcome you into their family and you never look back.

I organised an open air cinema night for a community really struggling due to lack of electricity and access to water. The children were absolutely transfixed! This is the kind of social volunteering that can, in my opinion, really make a difference!

I did the Villa Maria mini project and exped this year from Jan to March. It was an absolutely incredible experience. Quest was everything I could have hoped for. The project was really worthwhile. We were working with a local organisation. We had a lot of fun while working hard. I felt as if I gained a lot out of it. The accommodation in Villa Maria understandably wasn't five star, but it was perfectly fine. The group got along really well, probably owing to the fact that quest doesn't just accept anyone. The three week exped was unforgettable. We managed to do so much and it was all really fun, a lot of it was challenging but it still felt really safe. I definitely felt as if I got value for money.