Gapforce

Program Reviews

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Nadim
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing adventure with Gapforce to Australia

I decided to go with Gapforce since I have never been on a trip this far before and wanted to go on a organized program. After looking for companies online that accepted people my age, Gapforce took my fancy because of the program type and it’s itinerary, as well as the many great reviews I read online. The program was great. Got to see a lot of places I would have never been able to alone, and got to meet some really nice people I’m glad to call my friends too. Starting off in Sydney making our way up the east coast to Cairns was a once in a lifetime experience that I would Cherish forever. Each place was unique and had some really cool things to do in. Gaz our group leader was amazing and took really good care of us. He made sure the group blended well, we were safe,hydrated, protected from the sun, and came up with great things we could do. Without him our trip wouldn’t have been possible or enjoyable. Where else can I say that I went Skydiving, Sailing,4x4 driving on the beach,camping,hiking,snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, swam in a volcano with a crocodile (fresh water ones are safe), whale watching, and a lottt more... Would highly recommend

What would you improve about this program?
Long bus rides could have found a faster way to get to places
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Honor
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My experience

Honestly, my experience on the Australia trip would not have been the same without Gaz, our amazing group leader! He was always up for a laugh, kept us safe but was never overbearing and most importantly made every single experience enjoyable! I would recommend this trip for anyone that has never travelled before or is nervous about travelling by themselves. It is an amazing gateway into the world of solo travelling! Having Gaz as a group leader, with so much knowledge and so many stories about travelling really helped all the people that hadn’t travelled before! Him just sharing little tips really helped us with everyday things, such as budgeting. Having a leader really helps with not having as much stress during the trip! All the timings of things are taken care of, which I think is a good thing when travelling for the first time!

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
There is only one thing I would change about this trip and that is us staying at Gilligans in cairns! However, this is only because I’m not a huge party person! Otherwise cairns was amazing :)
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Lauren
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Europe Trip

I’ve always wanted to go Interrailing, and the Europe Tour with Gapforce has allowed me to experience multiple major cities without the stress of organising the trip myself, as well as to meet lovely people from all around the world. Our leaders, Andy and Will, were a great pair, and were both fun and professional. I always felt that they could be relied upon, and were on hand to help with any concerns or questions we had.
Our walking tours were very enjoyable, allowing us to see the main tourist attractions whilst also getting a feel for the city. We also had subsequent ‘free time’ which was very flexible, and ensured that we could personalise our itinerary a bit more. I have countless amazing memories, yet the spontaneous trip to see the lights of the Eiffel Tower will definitely be something that I remember for a long, long time!
Overall, I think that this trip is a fantastic travel opportunity, and I would highly recommend it.

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Sophia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best summer vacation !!!

I had such an amazing time on the Europe tour with Gapforce. I was looking forward to the trip for ages, and once it started it didn’t disappoint. I met such great people on the trip. Our group leaders were awesome. Will and Andy couldn’t have done a better job. They knew a lot about each city we traveled to, and lead great tours throughout the trip. I really enjoyed the itinerary- the leaders did a really nice job of letting us explore each city in small groups after a big group tour. Escape days throughout the trip were so fun, and it was nice to be able to make your own itinerary for the day! If you’re looking into a travel agency, I would 100% recommend Gapforce. The Gapforce team was so helpful when questions needed answers. The Europe tour with Will and Andy was by far the highlight of my summer!!

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Emma
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Loved this trip!

This trip was so fun! It was perfect for someone like me who really wanted to travel to Europe but wasn’t comfortable traveling by myself. I got to experience so many different cultures, see beautiful places, learn about so much history and meet so many amazing people that I will continue to keep In touch with. Our leaders Andy and Will were amazing and did a great job keeping everything running smoothly and making sure that everyone was always having a good time and felt comfortable and safe. They knew so much about each place we went to and did there best to make sure we got to do everything we wanted to do. If we had any suggestions or ideas on what to do for escape days, they would gladly help us research museums, tours, etc. I would 100% recommend this trip to anyone looking to travel around Europe!

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Annie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

South East Asia Explorer

The South East Asia trip is a perfect way of exploring Asia with a group of like-minded people. It's a great all round trip that allows you to explore the beautiful beaches of Koh Tao to the vibrant city in Bangkok. It gives you a great opportunity to make lifelong friends from around the world and helps you explore aspects of yourself you didn't know you had.

It's a unique experience that would be hard to replicate if you travel by yourself. The volunteering programs are very good and I especially loved the house building in Cambodia. The highlight of this experience was the house building ceremony as we felt very honored to take part in. The hostels have also been a great way to meet new people and make great friends along the way. The hostels are very sociable and always clean and comfortable.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I would pack lighter as there are so many opportunities to buy clothes and toiletries out here.
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Sarah
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Southeast Asia

The Southeast Asia trip with Gapforce was the best 2 months of my life. I’ve done things I never thought I would, such as swim with Reef sharks, building a house for a family and looking after an elephant for a week. I couldn’t recommend this trip enough. Although it’s an organized trip, you still have a lot of independence and the free days allow you to explore other areas of each place. I wouldn’t have known where to go in each country but with the trip, you go to all the main places and do the best activities on offer.

I loved meeting new people at the hostels, which were always really clean and nice as well as very sociable. I’ve made friends for life and now when I next go traveling I’ve got a group of people to go with. It was an amazing experience and worth the money.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
The most surprising thing I saw was seeing a Reef shark off the island of Koh Toa. We weren’t sure if we would see any and it was our last day snorkeling but suddenly we saw three sharks and a huge turtle. It was amazing.
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naomi
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Awesome gap year experience!

I loved my time with Gapforce in Nepal and India! I felt safe from the very beginning in Kathmandu. I arrived early, and my leaders made sure that I felt safe in a new city and were on top of communication. From that point on, it was very easy meeting the rest of the group and mingling. I would have like to have had a few icebreakers to help remember names, as we were sort of left to our own devices the first few hours, but otherwise it was fine.

In addition, I would have appreciated better and quicker communication from Gapforce prior to the trip. I had a lot of questions before departing, and waited three weeks before hearing anything back. My final comment would be more transparency with the budget and allowing participants to know exactly where their money is going.

In Mumbai especially, our group would have preferred a longer travel day to stay in a hostel in south Mumbai rather than where we ended up staying. For Nepal, doing the volunteering at the monastery would have been much more beneficial for us and the students if they had actually been studying at the time. We were left to play soccer and fill our time without really doing anything. However, despite these comments, the trip overall was incredible! Callum and Alfie were amazing leaders who made sure we always felt safe. Yay Gapforce!

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
I ate chaat on our Mumbai food tour, and now I know for sure that I do not like chaat. It was a puffed rice ball filled with potatoes, and then spicy water is poured in right before eating it all on one bite. Glad I tried it, but not for me. I'll stick to curry!
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Dhara
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Nepal & India Review

this trip was one of the best experiences in my life! I was really scared before leaving but as soon as I got to Kathmandu and I was with the whole group I calmed down. Everyone was so open and friendly and we became really close really fast, especially during the trek since we saw each others' best and worst moments. Our expedition leaders, Callum and Alfie, were incredible. They were professional but were still able to enjoy and have fun with rest of us. When things went wrong, they were always prepared and knew what to do.

I enjoyed every single part of the trip so much. The first two weeks in Nepal were fun and we got to do things many people had never done before like Rafting and paragliding. The second part of Nepal was the trek. That was extremely challenging for me and there were more than a few times that I wanted to give up but in the end we all got to Base Camp. Looking back, the trek was probably my favorite part of the trip. India went by so fast, because we would go from one place to another so fast. We had a good mixture of sighting and free time to do whatever we wanted or just chill out and get away from the heat.
Overall I had an amazing time and I would highly recommend this trip for everyone willing to go out of their comfort zones and open up to new and incredible opportunities.

What would you improve about this program?
There are a few things I would improve future trips. first of all, I think the pre departure information is lacking a bit, I wished there had been more informations, emails or even phone calls from the Gapforce office. During the trip, some of the accommodations we stayed at were quite far away from the main parts of the city so it was had to take long walks or tuk tuk rides everyday just to get there. During the India part of the trip, there was no other company hired to help build the itinerary so the days were a bit chaotic and there were a few activities we didn't Get a chance to do because of bad planning or maybe just a lack of guidance in what to do in every city and how to do it.
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Jim
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Very well organised & value for money

Few other trips will enable you to experience such a breadth and array of cultures, sights and experiences as this one, allowing me to safely recommend this trip to anyone interested in visiting these two amazing countries; as you'll truly experience these places for greater value and detail than if you were travelling alone. Outstanding and professional expedition leaders, as well an extremely thorough and packed itinerary mean there is constantly activities, sights and experiences to be had, both adventurous and cultural. Whilst, true, this trip isn't for the faint hearted, and some degree of fitness and robustness is required, don't be put off. The group, guides and leaders all mean there is always support and always help should you need it, allowing you to form some great friendships along the way.

What would you improve about this program?
To be expected given the price, the food and accommodation at certain times isn't outstanding, however mostly on the whole very good. The budget system remained unclear and confusing at times, with inflexibility making it almost inevitable that at times to have a decent meal meant spending additional money. Also certain important sites in cities weren't included in the itinerary, meaning arrangement for travel and entrance fees had to be done independently. This however did give people greater choice, but left some major sites not fully explored or missed out.