Program Reviews

This was an incredible experience! I am from Colorado, USA. I love mountains and had always wanted to see the Himalayas, so that was definitely part of the reason I chose this trip. GapForce is also way more affordable than most American gap year and travel programs. Before this trip, I had never been outside of the US for more than a week and a half or so. I had never been to Asia. I had never travelled so thoroughly in a third world country. The Nepal and India Adventure covered all of that and more. We saw some spectacular, colorful, fascinating, eye-opening things during the 8 week program. I would 100% recommend it to someone else looking for an adventure or just wanting to see the world. A few things you might be wondering: my group was small, and unusually so I think. I was worried about it at the beginning, but it ended up working out really well. Logistically, it made everything much easier: hotels, transportation, and even just keeping track of everyone. A small group is nice because you get to know everyone really well, and there’s no room for cliques or smaller groups. I can’t speak to big groups, but I enjoyed my group size. You also may be wondering about accommodations. If you like classier, more luxurious travel, this may not be the trip for you. That being said, the places we stayed were comfortable and clean for nearly all of the trip with only one exception: the last hostel we stayed in. If you’re considering this trip, you may be wondering about the difficulty of the trek to Everest Base Camp. It was definitely hard sometimes, but incredibly rewarding. Everyone in my group made it, and I think it’s totally achievable for the average person as long as you have a good attitude. Personally, it was my favorite part of the trip, and I’m already planning another trek for later this year. There is minimal volunteering built into this trip, but I thought it was a good combination of helping local communities and getting to see the world. Both volunteering projects were very interesting and memorable, especially the one in India, but if you’re looking for pure volunteering, this isn’t the program for you. Another quick note: you’re going to want to have at least a couple hundred dollars for spending money. There are loads of neat souvenirs and trinkets at almost every stop. Also, if you see something cool, just buy it. You might not have the chance later on. I hope this review was helpful!

Every day was packed with adventure and activities. We got to experience things that other tourists may not have been able to or thought of such as; volunteering with Tibet World, celebrating Diwali at the Golden Temple, city bike tours and food tours. After a busy three weeks we had a nice rest and relaxation period in Goa where the schedule was more relaxed and we had some free time. The accommodation is pretty basic but has all the essentials. Additionally, the trip ran smoothly thanks to our leader Stefan, who organised everything which made the trip less stressful. He also had good knowledge of the different areas and took us to the best places to taste the local cuisine. Overall, i thoroughly enjoyed my India adventure and it is definitely worth the time and money.

I booked the 4 week trip in Thailand and I had the most amazing time there. I met a lot of new and wonderful people on this trip. We had lots of interesting activities, but also a lot of free time so we could explore on our own. I would recommend to read a little bit about Thailand, the culture and what to do, so you can plan visiting places on your own, e.g. temples that are not on the program. Take part in the optional activities, there is some really cool stuff to experience. The elephant sanctuary was something I was really looking forward to. It was different than what I expected but I had a great time there. You are not allowed to touch the elephants, but that gives you the opportunity the get to know their real personality. It is awesome to see what impact you can have and to help out the people there. Our leaders Terence and Callum took really good care of us, always asking how we were feeling and never pushed us to do anything if we were tired. I cannot tell which part my favourite was, because every place had it's own charm. I would love to go back one day!

I recommend this company for first timers only. If this is your first time traveling abroad, or without people you know, this is most likely the perfect fit for you.
HOWEVER if you’ve travelled before and know how to take care of yourself, this may not be the program for you. Our leaders are super friendly and everything you would hope for. Probably for UK legal reasons the company structures the trip more like a high school trip (Buddy system etc) rather than a group of seasoned travelers looking for fellow seasoned travelers. I was slightly shocked by the lack of experience in the group but I am still super glad I did this trip. You can enjoy this trip as a first time traveler or a experienced traveler, just know what to expect!
I joined the trip for the awesome itinerary and that alone was worth it. Plus you still meet lots of people in and outside of your group.

I had the privilege of participating in the GF Southeast Asia Explorer Trip lead by Terence Kuan this past Spring and I can honestly say it was everything I could’ve hoped and more. While the itinerary and planned activities were amazing to begin with, Terence’s experience, insight into cultural competency, and commitment to fostering an educational and fun experience for his group took it to the next level in terms of valuable experience. He was consistently present and willing to support any need arising within the group, facilitated productive conversation about concerns, and frequently vocalized his intention for the outcome of each part of the trip. I felt 100% supported, and I would 100% recommend Gap Force to anyone, but especially any trip lead by Terence.

I had an amazing time on this trip. I was super nervous about meeting 7 strangers who I had to spend the next 4 weeks with but everyone was lovely and we all got on so well. The places we went were truly amazing and the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu was a big highlight for me. Even when we were all tired and cold it was still an unforgettable experience and made getting to see Machu Picchu all the more memorable and special. Stefan our guide was great and helped with any problems we had while talking and taking no shit from anyone which was refreshing and meant we all trusted him to take charge when he needed to. We were quite a young group but for me that made it even more fun. I would really push anyone who’s remotely interested to go on this trip.

I had fun and saw some amazing things such as Machu Picchu. The views on the trek were equsiseite and the journey extremely hard but rewarding with the scenery it offered. One thing I struggled with was the food but this was due to my dietary requirements of being a vegetarian. All the hostels we stayed in were great and all the staff were lovely. Stefan made sure we were always safe and let us know when certain areas were more dangerous than others. Other activities such as white water rafting were reallly fun and memorable, but what I found the nicest was the friends I made along the way. I wish there was more we did in terms of activites as we had many free days, but at the same time it was up to us and go do something. Overall would recommend.

I participated I The Europe Tour put on by Gapforce in July 2019 and I have to say I’m glad I took the chance to participate in the tour! From London all the way to Amsterdam I made many friends and memories I’ll never forget! This was my first time travelling abroad and Gapforce took all worries that I had about traveling away!

Hostels: The living conditions Gapforce provided were better than I expected! They found safe/clean hostels for us to stay where we’d bunk in rooms together and with other travellers. I met so many interesting people and made some friends at the hostels we stayed at!

Tour Guides: Will and Andy our tour guides provided by Gapforce did a FANTASTIC job on this tour! We were very lucky to have such ambitious, patient and charismatic leaders! Whether it was assisting us after our nightly adventures or making sure everyone was being included in group activities both Will and Andy went ABOVE their job description to make sure everyone enjoyed their trip! Cheers boys!!

Travelling: We always travelled by train in between countries! The trains are very spacious and I had no bad experiences on any of them! Make sure to use the metro in the cities, they’re your best friend and will save you a ton of walking! If you do partake in this trip be prepared to do a lot of walking during the day while your out and while you’re going to the next destination so be prepared to be moving around a lot!

The tour: Everyday we’d usually start out in the morning with a tour by either Will or Andy in which we’d go see different tourist attractions and sights around the city. After that we’d take a break for lunch and have a choice after to continue on a guided tour by them or to be able to take the afternoon to ourselves. I found taking the afternoon to walk around and explore was a good way to take in the culture and meet some locals!

Escape days and the nightlife: We got two escape in our four week period in Europe in which we were able to do whatever we wanted! My best advice would be to plan your day out in advance the day before so you can get tickets to any tours or sights you’d like to see! The nightlife in most of the places was interesting! It’s a very fun way to take in the culture and meet people! My only advice would be to always travel in groups( especially when out at night) and make sure to look after yourself if you are partaking in any of the nighttime adventures.

Safety: Our tour guides did a great job of making sure everyone stayed safe on our trip! They always would check in on us if we were on our own adventures and always made sure we were staying hydrated if we were with them!

Overall the trip was life changing and I met so many great people that came along on the tour and on our travels! A truly unforgettable experience!!

In the following review, I would like to tell you about my personal experience with the Australian Adventure with Gapforce.

At the beginning of this year, I decided to have a change in my life and to forget about all my worries that stopped me from exploring the whole wide world. Far away - just to have some quality time for myself. I have to say that I did some kind of group travelling with random people before and they have been way older than me. It's actually more fun having people around you in your age.

I have never been in Australia before and not being a native english speaking person, makes it even harder to leave my familiar europe and to explore completely new cultures.
Actually, I wanted to do the 7 week program that includes these 4 weeks of travelling
and a voluntary phase at the end of the trip. It seemed to be the perfect combination for me. Travelling along the Australian East Coast and giving something back to Mother Nature before you go back home. Unfortunately, they didn't offer it for the Australian Winter Season. I booked it anyway and decided to just hang on a few more weeks and applied for a voluntary project on my own.

Our Expedition Leader was Gaz Lloyd. Or like he would say - Gazforce Banana Adventure Lloyd. You will definitely understand, when you meet him. If you will get him for your next adventure with Gapforce, you are really really lucky. He is one of the most impressive people I met in my whole life. If  you need individual help, want to do some optional activities in your freetime or just go for a hike, especially in the early morning, he was always there for you and ready to offer you any kind of help.
Anyway, he didn't want to hold our hands all the time and to protect us from making mistakes. Quite the contrary - he rather wanted to give us the freedom needed to experience the country independently, to get more self-
confident in travelling and to make our own personal adventures.

Our Australian Adventure is going to an end now and looking back to the past four weeks and all the things we have experienced and struggled with together, makes it even harder to finally say goodbye. I will never regret my decision to take part on this trip. Thank you to all the amazing people I met and for all these special moments we shared. You guys made my australian experience so special and I couldn't be more thankful for it.

So, if you're thinking about visiting Australia for a few weeks, but you don't feel well doing it for the first time and being completely responsible for yourself, the Australian Adventure with Gapforce might be the perfect solution. It gives you a general basis to work with. You don't have to worry about accommodation or transport. The only thing you have to think about is how you can make it to your own personal and unforgettable adventure.

Things that I learned on this trip: Don't think too much about what might happen. Sometimes you have to be brave for just a few seconds. Just do it, do it, do it!!!!
Change is all what life is about. You shouldn't worry too much about certain things that you would definitely regret. The last thing you want is to look back on your life and wonder, if only... .

My experience on the Australia Adventure was one of the best trips I have been on. I would particularly reccomend it to any first time travelers who are unsure about backpacking abroad and would like to enjoy a summer of fun travelling up the East coast of Australia.
I particularly enjoyed Fraser Island, the Whitsundays and the Blue Mountains tour where we had a great day guide called Sam. This trip gives a balanced experience by staying in metropolitan areas like Sydney and then in Australian beach towns like Byron Bay. The koala sanctuary on Magnetic Island was one of my favourite parts of the trip where we got to see and hold koalas, lizards and snakes. The Bush Stone Curlew birds were also very amusing to watch around the hostels. Our leader, Gaz, helped us to prepare for each new day on our itinerary giving us advise on money management, food preparation and the best places to visit on our free days. His unlikely expertise/obsession with bananas was also a great topic of conversation during our trip. On our last day as a group we rented a car in Cairns and took a drive to the Daintree River to go on a crocodile tour which was not on the itinerary and was a really fun way to spend time together. I found our leader Gaz to be really easy going and open to planning day trips or taking individual requests that weren't on our itinerary in order to give us the full Oz experience! So feel free to plan and research any other experiences not included on the itinerary. It's also a perfect way to meet new people and make long lasting friendships with people from all parts of the world. Our group was relatively small compared to previous groups but I found that made us closer by the end of the trip. There were a few group dinners that were included as well as some hilarious group games which I think largely attributed to our close bond. If your interested in travelling in a group and would like a trip where all the bookings for transport and accomodation are taken care of then I would definitely recommend the Australia Adventure.