Program Reviews

Leh reminds me of New Mexico one hundred years ago. Irrigation is a must for agriculture, everything is at altitude, homes are adobe, people are gracious, and days are hot with cool evenings. This program has been in effect long enough that we are seeing returning kids with perfect teeth. Most gratifying. I like this location the best with my off time spent in the market, drinking tea with the shopkeepers, and watching life go by. There is an option to see the Taj Mahal later.

I've wanted to see Angkor Wat since I was 7 or 8. Working in Siem Reap was a way to diminish my carbon footprint. I'm used to dry, cool air and the heat and humidity could have been a problem but fans were never in short supply and our rooms at night had ac. The group one is assigned to will begin to feel like family as you work and explore together. But it feels perfectly comfortable to hire a driver and a guide to explore more of Angkor Wat on one's own or to wander thru the markets at will. It is a beautiful place to be on any terms.

Baroness Karen von Blixen's Kikuyu have their own village and it is here that the health clinic in which you'll work is located. Nairobi is higher in altitude and drier than the coast, making for pleasant working conditions. The assistants are well trained and the local doc's gracious. You'll have opportunities to see Karen's home and movie location, elephants, and more on days off. After, there is a safari option. I chose, instead, to go to Mombasa and GDR made the arrangements for me. Consider also tacking on a trip up Kilimanjaro, just over the border in Tanzania.