Program Reviews

Before starting this trip I didn't know what to expect, but having finished it I can say it was the best month of my life. I met some amazing people which I will definitely stay friends with. After only a few days we bonded so well and our friendships definitely made the trip. Before going I knew I'd get to see all these amazing cities, but it was the experience as a whole. Between the people I met and places we went, it was a very very special trip. It's safe to say the low of my trip was leaving. The minute I returned home, I missed the holiday. I wanted to go back and I definitely don't think I was the only one who felt this in the group.. Also when your on the trip I learnt so much. If I had the chance I'd do it all again in a heartbeat

There was one dive where we did a fish point out and it was just amazing. First there were 3 sharks around us and after this we saw a moray swimming which was absolutely amazing. Staying here is amazing because of the nice sea and the diving sites. Even snorkeling is much fun when you can see all the corals and fishes right under you and you can make amazing photos. I liked the trips to the blue holes because it is nice to see these water filled big holes in the middle of the jungle.

It was amazing. I never expected to meet interesting people, and get such an immersive experience in each city. Xav, our group leader, is a top-notch guy with a bunch of interesting stories to tell. He 100% deserves a raise, and I'm totally not being forced to write this for him.

There were many highlights on this exciting trip in Andros, Bahamas. One of the most memorable moments was the day trip to Uncle Charlie's Blue Hole. I enjoyed riding in the back of the truck with all of my peers. We brought a speaker and listened to our favorite tunes the whole way there, which was a total of about 30 minutes. Our driver was going slow as a saftey precaution so it took a bit longer to arrive, yet I didn't mind from how enjoyable the car ride was. We took turns picking a song, and it was so interesting to hear all of the different styles of music played. Some of the songs I never heard before and couldn't even understand as they were in a different language, but they grew on me. Now, I play them on days we have wifi, because how catchy they are. With the wind blowing in our hair and trying our best to sing along, we created bonds that hopefully last a lifetime.

When we arrived at the bluehole everyone jumped right in to cool off from the sun's rays that give us our golden brown tans. The water was surprisingly warm with such a fresh lake like feel to it. The color of the water was amazing as it reminded me of my ocean back home, in a cool blue. After swimming around we all gathered together for a giant water polo game. I have never played before so it did not take me long to realize how much of a tiring sport it is. My heart was racing as everyone was turning all of their poridge into ATP in hopes of out swimming their competitors. I ended up scoring 6 of our 10 goals but only because I hung out on offense the whole time as I grew tired quickly of swimming the length of the massive water hole. We all took a half time break to enjoy some delicious lunch made by our volunteers. The biggest highlight of the day was the tricks I did off of the table into the water. I started off with a front flip despite caution warnings by the staff. This got my confidence going to where I was able to gather up enough courage to try a gainer flip, something I have aspired to try for a while. I finally did it though and was very proud of myself when I rested my head down later that night.

This trip is the best experience of my life. Everything about this trip was incredible: the traveling, sightseeing, walking, and socializing with new people. Going on this trip, I knew that my favorite experience would be meeting new people, and I was right. Every person I met on this trip has contributed to my positive experience. Most of all, my expedition leader, Xav, really made this trip great. Although he is only two years older than me, I respect him as a leader and a friend. Not only does he keep an eye on us while traveling, but he also has fun with us. He actively seeks anyone who may feel alone or distressed and talks to them to make them feel better. I can confidently say that all of us look up to him. I don't know anyone else who has done expedition training in jungles around the world. We all aspire to be as well rounded as him. I regret nothing on this trip, most of all meeting all of the incredible friends I've made in our group. I highly recommend this Europe trip. Also, I would like to commend Xav on being an incredible leader.

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip and learnt much about what to consider when being a medic on an expedition. As the role of medic and expedition leader can be quite interchangeable - often trips will have one person doing both roles - a lot of our training focused on how to look after the group and things to consider when leading an expedition.

I also learnt a lot about my own body and how I cope with such a tough environment, this was a very important lesson as it will help me to consider my group members and what health problems they could potentially encounter.

The Spanish lessons around the fire in the evening were particularly enjoyable and, unlike learning a language at school, we learnt very useful phrases and vocabulary for our situation. It made me feel much more at home in this Spanish speaking country.

Expedition Medic Course-I had a great experience during my expedition medicine course. We spent the first three weeks of my course learning the theory via lessons, workbooks, scenarios, quizzes plus on-going feedback from the instructor. This proved beneficial as the whole group, who all started with significant differences in medical knowledge, were able to learn and complete the course with a sound practical understanding of expedition medicine. The course instructor, Jade, is extremely knowledgeable with obvious working experience of both teaching and being an expedition medic. The course was well structured and Jade created a good, enjoyable learning environment.

Spanish-A few days into the course we met the other leader, Colin. He began teaching the group Spanish. Again it its clear he has a great amount of experience teaching which made learning this new language easier. Through regular short sessions the group managed to pick up a good basic language in a small amount of time.

Jungle-The jungle experience was a good opportunity to learn basic survival skills; camp set-up, cooking and hygiene practices, as well as practice expedition medicine through more realistic scenarios. The group was also introduced into incident management and evacuation procedures. The week in the jungle helped solidify the knowledge learnt plus allowed yourself to be tested in the expedition medic role.

RR-Mixed in with the education was regular rest days and fun activities, mines included surf lessons and white water rafting. These were fun relaxing days where I got to experience and attempt to learn new skills. Again I would recommend both Jade and Colin on their encouraging attitude during these lessons.

What impressed me the most in the course was how well organised Jade and Colin managed to run the whole trip. Their flexibility combined with their adaptability allowed the course to suit everyone’s individual needs while running in a smooth and professional way. This is a good comprehensive yet enjoyable course, I would recommend it to healthcare students.

Volunteering and interning at Greenforce Bahamas was one of the most fulfilling and exhilarating experiences of my life. Not only did I learn to scuba dive to the level of Rescue diver but I was able to make life long friendships with individuals from all around the world who shared the same passion as me. Along with scuba diving the third largest fringing reef in the world every day, I also learned over 100 fish and coral species and carried out fish and benthic surveys for the Atlantic Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment. Living on Andros Island gives you the true island experience where one can completely immerse themselves in the Bahamian culture. The staff on site were very knowledgeable and eager about their jobs and duties and helping the volunteers accomplish what they came for. If you are looking for a program that is both educational and actively fun I highly recommend either the Marine Scientist Training or Marine Conservation Program.

I graduated high school in 2015, not knowing what I want to do. I found Gapforce and knew it was the perfect opportunity to see the world. I have never traveled outside of the United States so I was very excited. I knew I would have the time of my life, and it did not disappoint. I met many new people and gained many new friends that I know I will have for the rest of my life. I am so thankful for Gapforce for giving me this opportunity.

My group of four decided to hike up Table Mountain one day. It's an amazing mountain with a flat top and an even more amazing view once you're at the top. I love new adventures but I'm really not one for long hikes. Half way up I decided I was done because I felt so tired and two of the guys had gone ahead and we're almost at the top but the support and friendship of our group leader was unbelievable. Barney hikes all the time and could have done this trek in half an hour but he happily stayed back with me and walked slowly up. I have nothing but good things to say about GapForce and I can't wait for my next adventure with you guys. .