Program Reviews

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.

Ultimate Europe was a life changing experience for me and one I will never forget. I visited 7 countries in 30 days and formed close friendships with people I still keep in touch with and visit today. I highly recommend this trip in particular, because it offered a great mix of active, tourist, historical, and art related activities. The wide range of activities kept the trip interesting and fun, and I never felt as if we were doing the same types of activities throughout the trip. For instance, we hiked in Cinque Terre, visited the Eiffel Tower in Paris, visited the Van Gough museum in Amsterdam, and took the train to do a tour of Dachau in Germany. I also relished learning how to use the public transportation systems abroad and believe it helped me develop a stronger sense of direction. One of the reasons I chose TFT was because in comparison to other competitors who tend to use large buses to transport everyone, we primarily used public transportation, which afforded me an incredible opportunity to experience each place as if I were a local, observing the people who boarded the trains. TFT also stands out from competitors because it embraces flexibility and fosters independence, allowing participants to sometimes choose between activities based on personal interests. Overall, Ultimate Europe was an unbelievable trip that instilled in me a passion for traveling.

My experience with TFT has been nothing short of great. I loved my trip, the people, and sharing so many great adventures with everyone. I hope to do it again sometime soon! We went ziplining, white water rafting, and had so many crazy adventures. For service, we helped out at a school by cleaning their walls, and picked up trash on the beaches and in the streets. We also got to go on an alligator tour as well and see all the beautiful sites Costa Rica has to offer.

Bula everyone! This past 2017 summer I had the privilege of attending the adventures and service work in Fiji ! It was the most incredible thing I have even done !! The highlight for me would definitely be working and playing with the children there! I cannot say one bad thing about the locals as well, they were so inclusive to us we played volleyball with them and did lots of java ceremonies. Every night at one of the resorts we had a super fun dance party with my group, song and dance around the bonfire and live on Fiji time. The community service portion was also one of the best things about the trip, we got to sing and dance with the kids at the school, on our lunch break play soccer and get fresh coconuts off the trees. I will never forget the breath taking scenery of Fiji. It was truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever gone too. The part I miss most about this trip would be the people I met on it. We FaceTime weekly and can’t wait to meet up again somewhere! The hardest part about travel for teens is picking the destenation, I right now cannot figure out what trip I am going on for the 2018 summer! I just hope it will be as spectacular as Fiji !