Program Reviews

I had a great time on the South American Explorer program. I only did the 4-weeks, but I really enjoyed everything in the program. I’d have to say my favorite activity was the Salkantay trek to Macchu Pichu, despite it getting hard at times, it was a great experience and very rewarding once you stood overlooking Macchu Pichu. The culture is so different from my own and it’s very humbling and exciting to be immersed in the indigenous culture here. The people are very nice and I would one hundred percent recommend it for anyone looking to do it.

Whether you are a first-time, intermediate, or seasoned traveller looking for a chance to be exposed to surreal and lifechanging experiences, I encourage you to consider Interexchange's SACR program. After a month, I am still seeing new ways in which I have grown as a student, friend, and leader after the program. The biggest component to my endless bliss during the 8 day program was my endless curiosity which has stayed with me to this day. It is a true expedition for both the adventurous as well as those wanting to try that side of themselves out!

I had an amazing time during this program and learned so much from the guides, James and Pedro, and our driver, Edgar! Every day, we visited new local businesses and met new people which made this a truly life-changing cultural immersion, even if it was only for 8 days. I wasn't able to fit a study-abroad program into my time at university and this proved to be the perfect compromise. The group I went with was absolutely lovely and made the whole week that much better. Everyone was friendly and willing to try new things which allowed us all to get that much more out of the program. Overall, this was an excellent experience that I would highly recommend to anyone who wants to learn more about conservation and sustainability while experiencing a different culture!

This program was amazing! I learned so much about local communities and the initiatives they are taking to help the environment. It was truly inspiring. The landscape is so beautiful and the people even more so! The food was delicious as well and accommodating for any allergies or preferences (my group had someone that was gluten free, someone vegan, and two vegetarians and we all ate really good)! James and Pedro were also so supportive and led us fearlessly! You are able to meet amazing people from around the United States that have the same interests as you and that was one of the best parts, (it was hard saying goodbye). I recommend this program 100%!!

This was one of the best decisions of my life! The trip had such an amazing blend of education and adventure, I would 10/10 recommended to anyone considering it! Our leaders James and Pedro were so great and caring! The places we visited were very unique also! I am a vegetarian and I felt very accommodated, and the housing was safe and comfortable. I loved this program so much I even stayed after and explored Costa Rica more with my mom. I would definitely do this again if given the opportunity! Great experience overall :)

My decision to go on the Southeast Asia adventure was very spontaneous and out of character for me, and it ended up being the best decision I’ve ever made! I wanted to experience other cultures, meet friends from around the world, and gain perspective away from my little bubble at home. All of that was achieved and more! Genuinely, from the moment I stepped off the plane and met up with a few of the participants, I knew I was in the right place and that I was going to have a couple very transformative months.
One of my favorite things was house building in Cambodia. It was extremely humbling and eye opening to work alongside the locals in the village, and to see how quickly we could get a house up when we all worked together! I also loved the gorgeous scenery and beaches on the island Koh Tao, hikes through the jungle in Thailand, and the stunning boat ride through Halong Bay in Vietnam.
If you are on the fence, you should do the trip!! You will be challenged, and sometimes uncomfortable, but mostly having the best time and making memories you will never ever forget.

Arriving by myself part way into the trip, I was apprehensive about joining a group that had already trekked to Everest base camp and had that shared history, but everyone in the group was so lovely and welcoming that I really had nothing to worry about. So if you aren’t too keen on doing the trek but want to experience the sights and smells of India, go for it! For me, I struggled with remembering that the trip is more of an adventure over being a holiday so bear in mind that you will experience accommodation of hostels at both ends of the spectrum BUT don’t let that put you off because you are ok the move so often that it really doesn’t matter that much. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience on this trip thanks to the wonderful leader who could expertly navigate, communicate, and barter with the locals. I would without a doubt recommend this trip, no matter your apprehensions, the positives outweighs any negatives! Thank you gap force :)

The day that I clicked the button to confirm that I was going with Gap force to South East Asia I felt sick.... I was worried about being away from home, flying by myself, not knowing anyone, the food etc but as soon as I was greeted by Terence in the airport in Thailand I felt as ease! And from that moment on I just sucked up every aspect of adventure within Thailand and Cambodia and I have to say I don’t think I stopped smiling!
The dynamics of our group were so lovely and I felt that after a couple of days we became so comfortable around each other and truly became good friends. This also applied to our leaders Callum and Terence who became very close to us ,along with being super protective of the group, energetic and being able to give advice under all circumstances!
The food, hostels and areas we visited were all unique and met everyone’s tastes. Our hostels sleeping arrangements varied from location to location yet we always slept well and had access to a bath room even if this included having to get up early to get the first slot in the shower! There were also some cases where there were strangers in the room as-well which was slightly strange and was always tried to be avoided.
The food took me awhile to get used to. Especially when we had to have noodles/rice for breakfast! But now I’m back home I crave the Thai food so much and despite bringing my own spices home I can’t seem to replicate the food to anywhere near the quality that it was.... so embrace it while you are there!!!
Every location we went to was different from the last and therefore contained both positives and negatives. My favourite places were Pai which felt very small and safe aswell as Bees elephant sanctuary which consisted of very simple living in the countryside, with the company of the most amazing people and creatures which I loved! I didn’t like Bangkok which is dirty, busy and very smelly! Sadly Bangkok is a focal point during the course of the trip which means that despite its negative connotations we had to revisit it quite a lot which was a downside to the trip as no one was ever looking forward to the return!
The trip contains a lot of travelling such as overnight buses which last on average about 10 hours. These are not incredibly fun to travel on so make sure you have a neck pillow and some good snacks as you never really know when your next stop is!
Also if you are considering doing this trip I advise you to review your fitness level as some of the hikes ie to view points and waterfalls are quite physically challenging for some. However don’t let this hold you back as there are sometimes alternative activities such as a cooking class which can fill your day if your not up for a hike!
During my time on the trip I was surprised yet I enjoyed the amount of independence and free time we were given. We could utilise our free time in whatever way we wanted even if that was just a day of chilling or perhaps going to explore a new temple. We were allowed to go out to the local shops whenever we wanted and could eat when and with who suited us!
All in all if you are reading this review then you must be somewhat interested in joining Gapforce to go to South East Asia and I urge you to do it! It was one of the best decisions I made and I was supported the whole way by my team leaders who were such great guys and from my family at home (there is WiFi everywhere). As a result of this trip (the first time I travelled alone) I feel like I have developed so much as an individual and I am much more independent and capable of travelling alone in the future. So my advice to you is to just go for it and you will soon get the travel bug too! X

I would highly recommend this trip to anyone and everyone! Having always wanted to travel Australia I would never of been able to organise everything on this trip i.e white water rafting, fraiser island, surfing (I could go on) making my trip very easy. Our leaders, Andy and Humphrey truly made our experience being the parent, friend and occasional doctor we needed for our little family. We laughed the whole way up the coast whilst obviously conducting many dynamic risk assessments! The people on the trip were amazing and I made many true friends who saying goodbye was difficult. It’s crazy to me that I ever considered NOT going on this trip, it’s a great way to get out of your comfort zone whilst always feeling safe and make friends. The only bad thing about it is that the rest of gap year might not measure up! Thank you GapForce (Andy and Humphrey). Memories for a lifetime

Where do i start! This trip has exceeded my expectations and i am so pleased I pushed myself to take part as i wouldn't have made so many memories, met the most amazing people and formed amazing friendships.
My trip didn't have the smoothest of starts feeling homesick but I wouldn't have enjoyed it half as much if it wasn't for the encouragement of my leaders Andy and Humphrey. They really take care of you and made the trip so enjoyable.
Byron Bay was by far my most favourite place and i tried surfing for the first time. This trip enabled me to try new experiences like the Harbour Bridge, hold a koala, snorkel the Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsundays Boat Trip will be a trip i will never forget.
This trip is perfect for first travellers!