Program Reviews

I absolutely loved traveling with the Travel For Teens organization. They are highly knowledgable about any location that you are traveling too. Little things such as knowing which restaurants have the best dinner or knowing the locals goes such a long way. They are able to keep everyone organized and safe at all times while giving lots of freedom to enjoy your time there. They also provide two meals a day which are breakfast and dinner so the only one that you need to worry about is lunch. Everyday they would give out free time in new areas to go out on your own to try the local cuisine on your own. This was such a nice way to meet new people from the place as well as the new people you are traveling with. I have several friends from all over the world that will always be my best friends from these trips!

I went to Tanzania for three weeks during the summer of 2018, from late June until early July. Going into this trip I was so excited to meet girls living at a boarding school and to work in an orphanage. I was excited to meet all the people that I would be staying with and going on safaris. What I wasn't expecting was to have my outlook on life changed forever.
When we landed in Dar es Salaam after two long flights, we were greeted with the most love and joy I have ever seen and felt. Everyone was smiling and waiting to help us in any way they could. I was so overwhelmed at how amazing these people were. After being greeted we began the drive to our first hotel. On the way, I saw the poverty throughout the capital, but what I also saw was smiles. Smiles everywhere. I saw mothers carrying their children along the streets, with no shoes on; but they were still smiling and talking happily to each other.
Not only did I see this is the capital, but I also saw this with the girls and the orphans. These girls had nothing but their uniforms and books, yet they were so happy. They always thanked us for any little thing we did. I will never forget one time a sweet girl about my age (16), cried out of happiness just from me sitting with her and making friendship bracelets. The little kids in the orphanage that had been living there since before they could remember were all joy. All they wanted to do was hold your hand and be next to you.
These things will always stay with me, not because I got to go to Africa, or see zebras and lions and giraffes up close, or meet some amazing people who I still keep in touch with today, but because I saw people who realized that life is not about what you have, it's about who is in your life and how you chose to live it.

Traveling to Thailand with Travel for Teens in the Thailand Service and Adventure program has been one of the best decisions I had made so far. The staff and the kids I went with were wonderful! Each and every one of them made the trip a memorable experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life. The staff was really supportive when it came to dietary restrictions and allergies, and they made sure everyone had what they wanted and needed throughout the trip. They were also very flexible with what we wanted to do and the schedule. The places we visited were unique and beautiful, for example, we visited a Monkey Island near Phi Phi, where we witnessed the monkeys steal food from the visitors, or take off the lice from one another. We also visited an elephant sanctuary where we learned about the elephants and the different ways we can help them, in the long run, to stop them from getting abused. Not only that, but we were able to give back to the community by building a cement house from scratch in a tiny community in Chaing Mai. This trip not only was wonderful, but it made me feel at home and thankful for having the opportunity to live such a unique experience.

This summer I went to the Costa Rica for younger teens: Hola Costa Rica trip. It's a very big step to go out of the country with people you don't know. Trust me I was very hesitant. It takes a lot of courage to sign up for something so far out of your comfort zone, assure you, you will NOT regret it. I had the time of my life. Everything was perfect. The food was wonderful. The other kids were great. The counselors were very professional and experienced. It was truly a life changing experience that I was lucky enough to be a part of. This was the best summer ever!

Henry Bleiweiss

My tft greece and italy trip was so much fun. My group and i had so many fun and personal experiences. we did cooking classes, scuba diving and so many other once in a lifetime cultural immersions. we walked through many wonderful market places and swam in many beautiful beaches. i would do the trip again in a heart beat and always talk very highly of this particular tft trip. the hotels in greece were amazing and i was extremely happy with them. the counselors gave us so much room to explore and grow on our trip. i highly recommend this trip to any interested as it will reach every expectation you may have. TFT does an amazing job in any trip that they have on their site but this one has been my overall favorite. i had gone to the paris and barcelona trip and i loved that trip as well.

Traveling to Bali with Travel for Teens on the Bali Ultimate Service and Adventure trip has been one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I was excited to embrace long-haul international travel and finally explore somewhere that far from my home. Like a lot of people, I was nervous about how I was going to fit in within the group. That was fear was quickly squashed and I formed some very close friendships with everyone on the trip, from other travelers to the counselors to our amazing local guides. This trip was very diverse in many ways: both in the cultures of the regions we visited, the activities that we did, and the composition of our surrounding environment.This trip had a bit of everything, which I loved! We went from cityscapes to mountains to beaches. We had valuable service opportunities, working to restore coral reefs and practicing English with local children and more. We also had adventures like white water rafting, mountainside hikes, and scuba diving. It is really difficult to answer the question “what was your favorite part of the trip” because there really wasn’t one singular event; however, a part of the trip that I found really valuable was eating dinner with the prince. Talking with him provided insight into their culture and their views. He answered our questions about Bali and we answered his about America and Canada. 21 days flew by so fast and while our group is no longer in Bali, the friendships and memories remain.

This was my first year traveling through TFT, and I can definitely say I will travel with them again. Greece and Italy: Island Service gave me a truly well-rounded experience. I was able to help the local community in Corfu, visit historical sights in Italy, and still have time to immerse myself in the culture around me. TFT was extremely organized, and I felt as though the counselors were people who i could really open up to and ask for life advice from. I made some of my closest friends on this trip, and we still get together even now. The accommodations were perfect- small, family-run inns and hotels, allowing me to see the countries through a traveler's eyes, not just a tourist in a resort. The trip was exactly what I had hoped, and I got to do things I'd only dreamed about. For instance, one of the optional excursions was a scuba diving trip, which has been on my bucket list since I was 10 years old. I had a truly amazing experience traveling through TFT this summer, and I hope that more people will choose to go through this company.

I traveled on the Costa Rica Adrenaline this summer. It was my first time traveling without my family, and, boy, was I nervous. All those fears quickly disappeared once I arrived to the airport and met my travel mates. Although we all came from different parts of the country we immediately bonded. I loved the hacienda and its horses. The tubing was my favorite of the many adventures. The guides made me feel comfortable and safe. I made lifelong friends and can’t wait for my next adventure! I would recommend travel for teens for anyone looking to break out of their comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to try new things and meet new people. Everything is super organized and there is nothing to worry about. I can’t imagine a better tour group. Next: Asia?

This past summer I went on the Bali Ultimate Service and Adventure trip. At first, I was hesitant to sign up for this trip as it was 10,000 miles from my home and it was 21 days long. However, once I arrived, I knew that I had made the right decision. The counselors, other campers, and I immediately all clicked and we became so close that we called ourselves a family. On top of the close relationships that I formed, the trip and all of the activities that we did were amazing. TFT did a really good job of creating a schedule that was a perfect mix of fun, service, and immersion in the culture. When asked what day or activity on the trip was my favorite, I couldn’t choose. Everyday was filled with amazing activities. Apart from the fun and adventurous activities that we did such as white water rafting, we also participated in life-changing service. One service activity that we did was tutoring children at the local schools. It was amazing to see the impact that just a couple of English classes had on those kids, it was truly a life-changing experience that I will never forget. I was able to check off Bali from my bucket list, while getting service hours, and making some of the best friends that I have ever had!

Traveling to Thailand with Travel For Teens was an experience I will never forget. The sites were incredible and every single day was filled with adventure and fun. The food was incredible as it was authentic and we even got to attend cooking classes. We cooked traditional food that was delicious. The language portion of the trip was really enlightening as we learned the basic of the beautiful language: Thai. The group I was with was filled with like minded individuals striving to see the world and truly experience what real traveling is like. We shared beautiful experiences with excursions like rafting down the Pai River and scuba driving Thai coral reefs. The counselors made everyone feel safe while being friendly and fun the entire trip.