Program Reviews

This has been my favorite trip of my life. We were able to explore South Africa and give back to the community. This trip allowed me to go outside of my comfort zone and participate in activities I would have never done; surfing, zip lining, clif jumping and more. The service component was amazing, we were able to work with the locals and help improve their community by building a playground, we also played with the kids. This trip showed me the amazing impact service can do and how it helps people, both parties benefit from it, it’s a win win situation. TFT made my experience amazing with great staff and an enthusiastic attitude towards everything!

I went on Ultimate Hawaii last summer and it was the best three weeks of my life ever! I made so many friends that I still talk to and even meet up with from time to time to this day. We did so many amazing and different things. One of my favorite things was swimming with the Manta rays and snorkeling with sea turtles. I have so many memories from this trip that I will never forget. My councilors and my CIT were super cool and always managed to keep things in order. Also, it was amazing how many great photos they were able to get of us, they had so many amazing candid shots that I love to look back on! This trip gives you the full Hawaiian experience and shows you the different personalities of every island.

l can say for a fact that this trip has changed my life. The staff from TFT managed to make me feel that safety and fun were always the number one priorities. My parents also loved this program because they always felt included in the daily emails and photos. On Ultimate Europe 30 day, l had the chance to travel through eight amazing countries along with mind-blowing excursions like paragliding in Interlaken, exploring the Swiss capital of Bern, and visiting the Neuschwastein castle in Germany. l loved the length of this trip because it allowed me to make friends and truly bond with them. l absolutely loved ultimate Europe and if your looking to go to Europe, this is definitely the trip that you should choose.

For my first time being in Europe, this was an awesome trip to go on to get my feet wet! It was great being able to experience so much culture and history but at the same time never feeling like it was too overwhelming. There was a great balance between adventure and relaxation and eating lots of great food. I loved meeting new people on the trip and learning a new language with them. It was also cool how we got to interact with the locals, being taught in an art class and spending time in town. This trip definitely showed me how many great things there are to see in Italy and I will for sure be going back.

I had a fantastic time with TFT abroad in the summer of 2017. Not only did l learn a lot, but I also had a blast. I got to meet many people from different places and made many friends. One of the best parts is being able to travel with the trip leaders. They are friendly, supportive, and caring. Whenever we had a crisis, they were always calm and took responsibility. My favorite activities were the boat ride in Paris and the Broadway show in London. If I had the chance, I would totally go back again. You can't deny that there will always be up and downs to traveling, but I honestly cannot remember a time with TFT when l was less than happy. This company has really changed my life, teaching me to be a traveler, not a tourist. I would definitely recommend this program to teens who want to travel the world.

Italy Photography was the best trip I have ever taken!! Not only did we learn so much about how to professionally capture photos, but we also were emerged in the culture. We had a fabulous National Geographic photographer, Simon Bond, who tagged along and he taught us all about the structure and settings of our cameras along with certain photography techniques. Marguax was the other counselor on the trip who was AMAZING. She taught us all the historical background on each city we visited and she showed us how to eat some gelatto!:) If you love pasta and pizza, then you sure are in for a treat! Although we had a full itinerary, the trip was very laid back and the schedule was very flexible. Italy was a breath taking place to visit and being able to really capture moments from the trip was the coolest thing. I HIGHLY recommend Italy Photography.

I cannot say enough good things about this trip!!! At the start of this trip, I had very little knowledge about my camera or the basic mechanics of how it worked. But with our daily photo lessons (about 15-25 minutes) I quickly became comfortable changing the settings and knowing what angles would give me the best lighting. Our photo teacher, Simon Bond, who has been featured in National Geographics would also give us "mini projects" such as street photography, portraits, the rule of thirds, framing, lighting, etc. I absolutely loved the hustle and bustle of Florence and climbing to the top of the Duomo, although a little tiring, was totally worth it because of the breathtaking views of the city! Wondering the streets of Venice was an excellent way to end our trip. I loved when we spent the afternoon exploring the side streets of Venice, snapping pictures of the beautiful canals, bridges, and architecture! I am so grateful that I found TFT, and am already planning what trip to go on next year!

I aboslutley loved my trip from TFT. The Trip directer and Senior counciler were just wonderful. They were always considerate and good friends. Put our enjoyment and safety above anything else. I'm naturally a very timid person and they brought me out of my shell and I have become more sociable since I have traveled with them. I would love for more people to get this opportunity and to enjoy the world. It is honestly an amazing journey that should be taken if possible.

The Cinque Terre Community Service trip was one of the best experiences of my life. As cheesy as it sounds, it's true! I cannot express how much this trip, the people and places I connected with have impacted my life for the better. Having been to Italy before my trip with TFT, I expected the same type of experience, fortunately I turned out to be mistaken. Regardless of having a great time going to Italy with my mom, I had the best time of my life travelling with my TFT family. Although, the Cinque Terre trip is only thirteen days long it feels like you have known the people in your group for years.
So if you are concerned about making friends or having a good time, don’t be! We were all admittedly nervous at first, but at the end you do not want to go home. We all tried to convince our parents to let us stay an extra month, unfortunately we had no luck. It was everyone’s first time in my group travelling with TFT, except for the counselors, Emma and Federico. Travelling to a foreign country, unable to say anything besides “ciao” or my gelato order, I felt so incredibly lucky to have these two as my mentors/guides. Not only do they know all the cool underground places hidden in each city, they make you feel at home even though you are miles away from it.
All the people from my group still talk almost everyday, reminiscing about our times eating gelato from small stands in Cinque Terre (pistachio being my personal favorite), exploring the streets of Rome at night, relaxing on a beautiful boat ride from all the different coast of Italy, and visiting a monastery at the very top of a stone hill greeted with bowls of the best pesto pasta you will ever taste. Which reminds me, I highly recommend packing hiking shoes because the walk to the top is long but the view is worth it! There are so many more memories I will carry with me but I don't think I could ever put into words how incredible this trip is. I guess there is only way you will know just how fun and fulfilling it was … you have to go check it out yourself. You will be glad you did, trust me!
I highly recommend this trip to everyone! Not only are you doing something to give back to others, but you are doing yourself a favor by immersing yourself into a different culture and exploring the world. Travelling with new people really takes you outside your comfort zone and allows you to grow and experience the culture and places around you in an entirely different way. I am so grateful I had the chance to participate in this memorable opportunity! This was my first trip with TFT but definitely not my last!

Traveling with TFT was an amazing experience. I felt I was able to become immersed in the local culture of Thailand. We took traditional Thai cooking classes, learned some of the Thai language an interacted with the people. Being able to work with the elephants was an eye opening experience. I loved learning about their day to day life at the reserve. After the service, traveling the country was very cool. We visited ornate temples full of history, explored the colorful markets of several cities, and enjoyed the quaint villages along the countryside. The islands were full of animal and human life and the water was a beautiful blue. I became very close with my counselors and the other teens on my trip and created memories I will be able to cherish forever.