Program Reviews

This was one of the best experiences of my entire life. It helped with both my growth as a person, a leader, and as a friend. Growing up I always wanted to travel and see the world and even help in out in my own way. Global Leadership Adventures made all of these things possible. From the second I touched down in San José to the second I left I felt welcomed, included, and important for the first time in a long time. We did so much community service that could change a lot of the townspeople's lives for a long time. While I was there, my group helped out at a local tree nursery, we built a scale model of a baby humpback whale completely out of plastic water bottle and we even did a couple of beach cleanups in the local marine park. That's not all we did while in Costa Rica. We also went on a bunch of adventures. We went zip lining, surfing, hiking, and we even took a day trip to Corcovado national park on the Osa Peninsula. I would definitely recommend either this or any trip that GLA has to offer. The mentors were so helpful at every activity, they were definitely a big part of why my trip was so enjoyable. The food was amazing and our home base was so beautiful. Every aspect of my trip was incredible and I fully recommend trying a service trip abroad. I know for a fact I will be going on another one very soon.

My daughter went on this trip this past summer and she didn't have any desire to come. She made amazing friends that she still contacts today. They are amazing resources as she is planning on visiting some soon. More traveling for her! The pictures I saw we absolutely beautiful. Elephants highlighted each one! I must say that I'm glad she got to experience Thai culture as well. Seeing her cook a Thai dish excited me as I know she will be making dinner for a few days when she comes home. An amazing experience for her and I recommend for any student looking to pursue a passion.

My trip to Costa Rica was truly an amazing experience. I did the 14 day animal rescue program so I got to work with lot of the strays from Costa Rica at a local no kill shelter. As much as we help the dogs and their living conditions, we also had lots of fun! The staff and students made all of the service hours a blast. We also got to experience lots of other fun activities like zip lining, hot springs, , seeing the waterfalls, coffee tours, and touring San Jose. Those are just some of the awesome things we were able to do. You also get to learn a bunch of things about the Costa Rican community. The bonds you create with the students and staff are incredible and I can't wait to go back next summer! The staff are exceptional and it was very safe. This trip has made me look at everything in a different way and it truly made me a better person. I recommend Global Leadership Adventures for any teenager who wants to make a difference in the world, and wants to have lots of fun!

What an amazing experience I had in Thailand! Every day we woke up to the trumpeting of elephants outside our door. Prior to signing up, I must say that I was very nervous about traveling to another country. However, within 5 seconds of arriving at the airport, I had already seen 3 others with the same GLA shirt. Not once on this trip did I ever find myself alone, nervous, and scared. It was an amazing environment and I was so excited to meet new friends. My entire experience was absolutely amazing as I was able to interact with elephants first hand. We washed them in the river, rode them through the forest and rewarded them with yummy snacks like bananas, sugarcane, etc. Thai culture was also an important aspect of my trip. We traveled too and from different temples and met Thai children at a local school. It was a blast! Get ready to head to Thailand if you are looking for an amazing experience.

My daughter went to Thailand with Global Leadership Adventures and loved it! We were hesitant to let her travel alone, but she proved to be capable, and the support GLA provided was fantastic. We felt comfortable with her safety and wellbeing, and she came home with new stories and a new excitement about the world! Great experience for her, and we felt comfortable. Her service was something she was passionate about and will value for a long time.

I travelled to Bali this past summer, in 2017, with Global Leadership Adventures, and truly had the best time. I had been on their Galapagos program the summer before, so I was not super nervous about the transportation, but rather I was excited!! It was awesome to be able to chat with some of the kids before the program even started, during the close to 22 hours of flying we had to do. My group was rather large, at 39 students, but we all bonded quickly. My mentors were super cool, and it helped that they were relatively close in age to us, making it really easy to relate, and have fun with them. All of our immersive activities were so meaningful, and it was clear that people in Bali truly love their island. Some of my favorite memories from my trip include: spending a weekend at East Bali Immersion, going on 2 beginner scuba dives, spending 7 meaningful days with the schoolkids of SD2 Kaliasem, and our ridiculously fun evening activities. Although the humidity was thick, and the sun was strong, I still managed to spend most of my time outdoors, and soak up the Balinese lifestyle. I absolutely adored my time in Indonesia, and would do it all again if I had the chance. I have a newfound appreciation for my schooling privileges, and I am much more conscious about the lack of resources in other parts of the world after returning home. Forever wishing I could have just one more day in Bali with the most amazing people.

I travelled to Ecuador and the Galapagos in 2016 with Global Leadership Adventures, and truly had the most memorable time. I was incredibly nervous to embark on the journey to South America without my family, but ultimately it was the best decision. My group of 20 students immediately clicked, and we became like family within days. The mentors were so knowledgeable, and always willing to help us out in any way we needed. Our in-country experts (tour guides, naturalists etc.) were such genuine people, always eager to answer our many questions and teach us more about their beloved country. Some of my favorite memories from my trip include: summiting the Sierra Negra volcano on a 14 mile hike (8 long, hours), snorkeling right next to baby (and adult) sea lions, cooking authentic Ecuadorian foods and spending long nights sharing stories and playing games in the hammocks at our homebase. I also really enjoyed the fact that I was able to practice my Spanish skills, everyday! I absolutely adore Spanish class in school now, because it always reminds me of the amazing experiences I had while traveling with GLA! I loved my trip so much that I travelled with GLA again to Bali this past summer, on their Land of Discovery program! Don't have enough great things to say about their organization.

This summer, I went to Tanzania with the program Global Leadership Adventures. I had never been out of the country before, and I was definitely very nervous. After the many hours of travelling to get there, about 20 other students and I arrived at the Kilimanjaro International Airport. Right away, the staff was welcoming and they were so excited to see us. Throughout my time there, my experience was so unique because everyday it felt like I learned something about myself. I felt so grateful and I was so happy every minute I was in Tanzania. Seeing the little children's faces light up when we walked into the classroom to teach them, and seeing how excited they would get when we taught them new words, was the most beautiful sight and feeling. I learned how much I really loved what I was doing, and what path I wanted to head down in my future. For the participants that are going to travel with Global Leadership Adventures, they should know that it is okay to be nervous, but that the staff that work for the organization are going to make you feel at home. There was not a day the whole time I was there I felt uncomfortable in the presence of any staff member. They made me feel like I was apart of this huge second family. The trip impacted my life in so many positive ways. When I came home, I had an overwhelming sense of thankfulness and happiness. The people in Tanzania taught my what happiness is, and it is not having a bunch of things and you should never be upset when you don't get what you want. They taught me that happiness is surrounding yourself with people that are positive, loving, and grateful. It also impacted my life so much because it made me realize the type of profession I want to be in my future. Next year, wherever I decide to go to college, I will be majoring in international studies so I can continue to learn about different cultures and travel the world. My main tip would be push yourself. Push yourself out of your comfort zone, because if I had not pushed myself out of mine, my life would not have been forever changed.

My 17 year old daughter asked me about going with GLobal Leadership Adventures to Tanzania about a year before the trip. Immediately I said no. I quite frankly did not trust anyone to take her across the world without me. She is very stubborn, however and I ended up looking into the program. It had lots of things that I liked and I knew she would love, but was still immensely terrified of her leaving without me for 2-weeks. The moment that I began to actually think about letting her go was after a phone call with a GLA representative. Talking to a real person eased my tension and she focused my attention on the safety of the program. While those 2-weeks were gut wrenching for me, my daughter had the time of her life and came back an even better person than she was before. I never thought that I would say this, but I recommend GLA 100% and feel that my daughter was very well cared for. While I would rather she was always home in my protection, that is unrealistic and I know that she benefited a lot from the experience.

I went to Thailand this last summer with Global Leadership Adventures, and I'm in love. Not just with Thailand, but with the program! GLA has amazing staff, and they're so supportive and caring throughout your trip and after. I always felt safe and secure, which I'm sure was not easy in the areas we sometimes went, but I never questioned it for a second. I had an amazing time, and I think that any opportunity I get to swim with elephants is an automatic favorite memory.