Program Reviews

This trip was an experience like none other. I didn't know exactly what I was getting myself into when I signed up, I simply had an itch to travel to India! While I was expecting more volunteering throughout the program, I still had a great time and met wonderful people. If you're looking for more of a volunteering based trip, then this one probably isn't for you. But if you want to go an ultimate bucket list trip and help a few people along the way, then you've found the right program! The trip was challenging at times because our group was together 24/7 for two months and it's hard to please everyone at all times. Some parts were more enjoyable than others as well. Of course Base Camp was great, but it got to be mentally exhausting, as to be expected. While in India, we traveled to many many places, a little too quickly at times it felt. But because we did so many different things while in India, there was definitely something for everyone to enjoy at any given time. I personally preferred the second half of the India trip, but that also happened to be the time when we all fell a bit ill with food posioning or the famous Dehli Belly... Overall I had a great time, and while I didn't enjoy 100% of it 100% of the time, I definitely benefitted from the trip as a whole and made great friends along the way!

Just spent the last 8 weeks on the Gapforce South America expedition. Before arriving, I wasn’t so sure what to expect as the details on the website were quite vague.
Upon arrival, I was picked up at the Cusco airport by one of our leaders and brought back to our hostel. Once all 14 of us in the group had arrived, we went for a stroll around Cusco and clicked instantly. We spent the next 8 weeks learning Spanish, trekking, salsaing, beaching, exploring cities, working with animals, chilling by the Amazon, volunteering at a daycare and finally living it up in the Galápagos.
Going on this trip was one of the best decisions I’ve made, and although I was a little nervous beforehand, the website not having provided many details, I would recommend it to anyone. I would also suggest that if you’re going to do the expedition, definitely do the 7 week program and the Galápagos extension. I had originally only planned to do 7 weeks but going to the Galápagos Islands was an incredible experience and was totally worth the extra money.
The people I’ve met on this trip are some of the coolest and most fun people I know. We’ve all become close friends and I will miss you all so much.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the Nepal and India adventure, never getting bored due to the fun packed busy schedule that was planned for us. From the Everest Base Camp trek to teaching English, we could emerge ourselves in the culture of these two fascinating countries. Having never been to Asia before I did not know what to expect and was a little nervous, however the fabulous guides Colin and Fergus were extremely organised an efficient, answering any stupid question we may have and always going out of their way to make sure we had an amazing time.
As with any trip there were lowlights, such as getting stuck in Lukla after the bad weather meant flights back were cancelled and then having to walk for a further 2 days. But in the long run it just made the trip that little bit more memorable!
All together a trip I will never forget, meeting the most amazing group of people that will now be friends for life, and experiencing once in a lifetime opportunities such as meeting the Dalai Lama! Due to all of this I would 100% recomend gapforce to any young traveller wanting an adventure.

Having done the full 8week, India and Nepal programme, i overall really enjoyed it and think it was a great experience. I was the only one in the group not going to university (everyone was my age however - 18-19).

The Nepal part of my trip I throughly enjoyed, Chitwan and Pokhara were beautiful, I loved the trek and Katmandu was good fun.
A few changes/ recommendations I would make are:
- An extra day in Chitwan would have been great (and one less in Katmandu at the end)
-For the volunteering in Pokhara- the farm project was really great and I felt like I was making a big impact but the time in the orphanage coincided with a holiday so it didn’t feel as tho we were being much help! All the less was eye opening to see how excellently the children were looked after etc
- for the trek Yaks where used, I found it very hard to exploit an innocent animal for my own selfish ease and would highly recommend to anyone who is conscious of animal rights to request in advance not to use yaks and carry your own bags, this is a big regret of mine I have carried with me, I would also suggest to gapforce to consider to stop using yaks for future expeditions.
-On the trek , we ended up doing an extra 2 days walk to the road to get back- that walk was so cool and so much less touristy I would even recommend including it anyway- it may even save some money?
- I would also recommend buying lots of snacks before the Everest trek and planning them out day by day (I didn’t do this and ended up spending lots of money on snacks and as a vegan was left with a very slim snack option up at the top - understandably)

India overall was also good. It went so fast, it felt like we were flying from place to place, however very culturally and spiritually amazing. My highlights where Dharamsala (McleodGangi) I got to meet the Dalai Lama not once but twice and gave him a personal letter which he has responded to by sending me to some books. (For someone who practices Buddhism this was life changing). Another highlight was sleeping under the stars in Jaisalmer.

Some changes/ recommendations I would make would be:
- I am training to be a yoga teacher and came to India to explore more deeply the heartland for yoga- I think as we visited Rajasthan the home of yoga a yoga class or talk maybe should have been included (I’m not saying this as a yogi I’m saying it as I think it is a fundamental part of Indian culture overlooked on the trip)
-luckily due to our trek overrunning our time in Delhi was cut short- i think the 2 days in Delhi is plenty and would rather if it was me the extra days from that somewhere else like Udaipur
-In Jaisalmer, I think it was extremely irresponsible of gapforce to include camel riding, camel riding is nothing like horse riding now and in 10years time will hopefully have the coverage that elephant riding has - I saw a camel jumping trying to move with its legs tied up, and they have scars from beating all over there bodies, it was very disturbing. I rode in the jeep and still sleeping in the desert is incredible- no need for animal cruelty to do so. (Photos of camel abuse attached This first picture depicts the camels legs tied up. The second the piercing through which they tie its reigns. The third scars on its neck from sores from the reigns. The fourth a camels whose nose has been split open where the piercing was. The last branding marked on the camels. )
-spending money in the cities like mumbai , and Amritsar for food didn’t go very far- so expect to spend more money

Besides the trip itself I would advise anyone from the north of England, with more left wing views to be warned that on this trip me and my friend I came with from home were the only northerners and there was no other left wing people. This caused tension in the group and made me imparticular feel abit of an outsider. There were also no ethnic minorties or people not going to university. (It was a very white middle class type of person gapforce attracts, and despite everyone being lovely and I made some very good friends I would just be warned of this before booking.)
I would also say £50 a week is not enough spending money to bring. I would say £75. In Nepal I didn’t need to spend very much money until the trek but in India there was lots more free time which meant if you wanted to do additional activities abit more than £50 a week is a good idea.

If your deciding on wether to travel with a group or on your own I would say, with everything included I think it worked well for me to come with gap-force to India and Nepal- we got to stay in lovely pre booked hostels, and travelled on air conditioned buses and trains, once we got to places iternarys where sorted which took lots of the stress out of everything and I felt safe at all times in such a big group. Due to feeling quite disliked by the group for being more left wing and socialist I did think at many times I would rather have travelled alone however I can’t fault the amazing experience I had. I think if I was to go any older or if you want a more authentic and affordable experience i would recommend going on your own and having a more down to earth traveller experience. I

Our main leader Colin Lovel was lovely and very reasonable and went above and beyond to help me in many situations. He had a good understanding of the culture of India and Nepal and knew what was appropriate etc at all times. Fergus who we had in Nepal who unfortunately had to leave was also amazing and we were all gutted when he left us. Jade the guide who joined us for the trek was very knowledgable and helpful.

An experience of a lifetime and I would recommend:)

Overall, this trip was amazing! I didn’t expect to love Nepal as much as I did, it was absolutely beautiful, Chitwan and Pokhara were my favorite because it was more tranquil than Kathmandu. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to do the Mount Everest Base Camp Trek as I sprained my ankle a few days before in Pokhara (watch out for the potholes!) but the support I got from my leaders was amazing, Colin came with me to the hospital and was very comforting and helpful when trying to sort out what I was going to do. I met back up with everyone for the India portion of the trip which is so different to Nepal. I enjoyed the second half of India more because we went to calmer places (Dharamsala, Udaipur, Jaisalmer and Goa were my favorites). At first, it’s overwhelming with the list of all the places to go in India, but every place is worth going to because there is something to see and do in each place. Overall, Gapforce is a great program and they always seem to find (most of the time) really cool hostels and restaurants that I would never think of going to! I’ve learnt so much on this trip about different cultures, dealing with difficult situations, being around a large group of people all the time and also about myself. Would highly recommend!

So when i went to Costa Rica I had absolutely no idea what to expect. Having only the brief information and no further contact on what was going on it was a slightly scary unknown. So when me and my best friend walked off the plan we had no idea who we were meeting or where we would be going. Thankfully we walked out of the airport to the smiling face of Joe. Who was not just our leader but a great friend and a massive part of the trip being fun. Throughout my month away i faced so many fears and believe i grew a lot as a person. Whether it was small things like trying rice and beans, as i am an extremely fussy eater, or the big things like zip lining across the rainforest, i made sure to give everything a go. And i definitely would have regretted it if i didn't. Being someone who is extremely scared of heights i was extremely nervous to zip line but due to the support around me i gave it a go and i must say it was one of the best days of my life! There were so many once in a life time experiences throughout the trip and even though some things do not go to plan (For example the hostel set on fire) I would not change it for the world . Both the experience and the people. I would not have had the same experience without them, and Joe was definitely a good leader that helped me enjoy the trip to the fullest.

Having done only the Nepal portion of the trip, I enjoyed it greatly. I liked the balance between the tranquility and flexibility of volunteering in Pokhara, the challenge and excitement of the trek, the fun of Chitwan, and hectic Kathmandu. Every destination had something different to offer, therefore we were not just having similar experiences in various places. It was great to share the trip with like-minded people, especially since this is a gap year company and therefore all participants are taking gap years and nearly the same age.
If you are thinking of doing this program, I would 100% recommend it, but you must be comfortable with uncertainty and changes of plans. A program leader and a friend had to leave in the middle of the trip because of medical conditions, and the program had to be extended by three days because of a flight cancellation. These and similar inconveniences are circumstances you have to be comfortable with for the trip to be enjoyable. However, this flexibility can also bring about good things; for example, at last minute the orphanage leader invited us to her son's wedding, which was a great cultural experience.
I recommend being mindful about your money and belongings during the trek. Most people ran out of money well before ending the trek upon buying basic things such as toilet paper, snacks, showers, etc. (since they are expensive because it is very high up). Take more cash than is recommended, and do not expect ATMs during the trek. Since you are moving around so much, it is quite easy to lose your belongings (I lost a few things), so keep checking on your valuables to make sure you didn't leave them behind. Be prepared to have stomach issues at least once, and research about Everest Base Camp beforehand to both appreciate it more and be prepared for the cold, lack of communication, etc.

The Expedition leader course was a comprehensive yet mentally and physically challenging experience. We were in the jungle for at least 2 weeks at a time before coming back out for food runs. The highlights of the course we're definitely the 3am emergency medical drills and Expedition recces in Nicaragua. My confidence as a leader has improved and i learned more about myself than any other experiences I've had. After passing the course I was offered a contract to lead the Australian Expedition. My only wish was for the Expedition Leader Training is to include high altitude trekking!

Wanting to change something in my life, I found this course while browsing the internet. It took me a while to decide as it was quite expensive, but they guaranteed work if you pass the cours. I saw it as an investment into the best job possible; motivate and guide people to have the best adventure of their life. I never had any regret signing up, the team became family. It is a very intensive course but so worth all the effort and money! A lot of different topics were covered to open the door to a growing industry: wilderness medicine first aid, logistics, leadership skills, group dynamics, etc. Lessons given by experienced and professional expedition leaders. Whoever loves being outdoor and wants a first grip on the industry this is the course for you! Best choice I ever made!

As a bit of a nature freak who dreamed of traveling to Costa Rica since I was about 5 years old, this program seemed too good to be true. Based in Quepos, not 15 minutes from the world famous Manuel Antonio national park, prepare to be surrounded by a cornucopia of exotic animals ranging from toucans, to iguanas, to monkeys, and so much more. There is nothing quite like watching a whole family of squirrel monkeys plummeting from the jungle canopy while enjoying a delicious breakfast, only to be followed up by a sloth cruising down a power line on your walk to work a few minutes later. Only in Costa Rica....

Upon arrival in Quepos, you will take up residence with a local family at a homestay. All of the people participating in Gapforce programs (this one and others) will stay at the same place so you will probably have some unique housemates from all over the world. The homestay provides a fantastic opportunity to work on your spanish, enjoy some great tico cuisine, and completely immerse yourself in the local culture.

Regarding the surrounding area, prepare yourself for beautiful jungle lined beaches complete with loads of opportunities to jet ski, surf, parasail and more. The bus system is very cheap and easy so getting around is no problem. The nightlife is fun and the locals are super kind and laid back.

As should be expected, the dive training is definitely the standout of the program. The staff at Oceans Unlimited (the dive center you'll be training out of) are absolutely top notch. Everyone at the shop is a master at their craft and are capable of providing so much practical knowledge and support through the duration of your stay. I entered the program a novice, and can confidently say I came out a very capable, self sufficient diver. The staff will not hesitate to push you out of your comfort zone, but all with the intention of making you the best you can be.

The diving itself is also incredible, getting to see animals like octopus, eels, sea horses, and turtles on the daily. Costa Rica also has the longest whale season in the world, so prepare to see humpbacks on the surface multiple days out of the week.

The jungle survival portion of the program was also a fantastic addition, presenting a nice break from the dive training and an opportunity to live secluded in the rain forest while picking up some interesting knowledge and skills. During your stay you will cross rivers, bathe in waterfalls, treck through scenic landscapes, encounter a variety of strange jungle creatures, and enjoy some unique jungle snacks. Truly a once in a lifetime experience!

I could not say enough about this experience as a whole, massively worth while if you're looking to get properly educated on diving and enjoy a bit of adventure. The program delivered across the board and I will always look back fondly on my time in Costa Rica.