Program Reviews

Spending 10 weeks in Madagascar was probably the best experience of my life. I grew as a person, found out about new cultures and ways of living and had the best time with the ones around me. But the volunteer program was not well organized, most staff members did not know about most things that was going on, there was too much free time, there wasn’t any staff members in the hole 10 weeks I was there that were actually a part of the leap program and some of the programs such as marine conservation was not well executed I think. Some days you wouldn’t do anything, it was not productive and it did not feel like you were volunteering. Also, the Leap has a bad reputation in Madagascar so the first few weeks our group was there we felt a little out of place and excluded, but then they got to know us and it was fine! For me the best part of the 10 weeks was meeting all the people on camp and exploring the beautiful island of Nosy Komba, as well as the construction program were I got to help build a trash system and a school for the locals.

I had my sights set on travelling to Central America this summer and due to my friends having other commitments I found myself organizing a solo trip to Costa Rica. A friend of mine suggested going on an organized trip and she then recommended The Leap having used them in her gap year to go to Tanzania in which she had a great experience teaching and volunteering.

Before flying, the three-week leapers arranged to meet at the airport and we met the rest of the 6-week leapers out there who had arrived a few days before us. We thought it was strange at the time that we didn’t all start the ‘program’ as one group but we realized that no specific program had been planned for either the 3 week or 6 week leap volunteers.

The trip that we had signed up to was entitled ‘Costa Rica Turtles’ but the turtle conserving was very minimal. This element of our trip was brought forward to our second week of the trip when we asked our camp leader about it which also made room for a trip to Monteverde. When at the turtle project there was a lot of free time. It became apparent that project organizsers had been expecting us in the third week of our trip and not the second and therefore volunteering tasks hadn’t been prepared for us. The highlight of our stay here was of course seeing mothering turtles laying their eggs which was extremely special. However on a 3 week turtle conservation trip to Costa Rica, 9 hours of turtle conservation did not match up to the trips description. Another group in our camp had a much more hands on experience as they attended in the third week as planned, having busy days volunteering and even dance classes included.

Furthermore, the leap had described the Spanish lessons as optional, 45 minute extras to our trip should we be interested. However, it became clear these were part of our daily schedule and lasted for an hour and a half each day. Whilst it was great to learn Spanish, it was not the main reason we were there and the trip began to feel like something quite different to what had been sold to us.

The most memorable parts of the trip were the extra activities that we paid for which included a waterfall tour, a day tour on ATVs, a trip to Monteverde and surfing lessons. These varied in price from $45 for the waterfall tour to $160 for the surfing lessons. This added up which became costly especially when the trip was expensive in the first instance. It was lucky that my group had budgeted for these as the trip would have felt empty without them. Before arrived, I was aware that Costa Rica was expensive but I did not anticipate the extra activities to take up most of my budget considering that we were already on an organized trip.

The last week of the trip worked well when we mentioned to our leaders that we wanted to be busy and more involved. Our itinerary then included daily surfing, Spanish and volunteering - it was a shame that the trip did not start of in this vain. The most enjoyable volunteering activity we took part in was the beach clean-up. This was the most efficiently ran exercise and we could see we were making a direct difference to Banana Beach. It was done by a smaller group of volunteers that used at the project meaning that we could get hands on. Meli, Brandon and Edwin were all great leaders and we felt particularly safe and encouraged when working with them. It was a shame that the three week leapers did not get involved in the bridge project that the six week leapers started after our arrival.

Overall I had an amazing time and made some really great friends. I would recommend this trip to gap year/students looking for a chilled out holiday with some volunteering but not as a turtle conservation/volunteering program in the first instance. I would also recommend checking items on the kit list with the leap (i.e mosquito net and sleeping bag) before coming as it was not necessary to have these things.

I had a really fantastic time overall but I found I was promised things that weren't delivered... Volunteering and spanish lessons were spaced apart by 1 or 2 hrs so we wasted time hanging around at camp. There were no turtles this time of year, and the animal sanctuary they replaced it with was fine but not what I had signed up to the programme for. Meli Sophie and Pablo were awesome but when they left we had no group leader and volunteering felt half-hearted. It would have made a big difference if we had group leaders that were there for the whole time.
I wasn't told much about the volunteering and I was not expecting to be doing litter-picking and recycling for the majority of days. We taught english to children on friday mornings which was fun and helped my spanish a lot.
The excursions at the weekend were expensive- Isla Tortuga was $60 and the waterfalls trip was $35. I was not expecting to have to pay that much when I had payed over £4,000 already. We also had to pay for the zipline and canopy tour in Monteverde which came to $85... I was surprised this was not included! I don't remember being told this when I booked the trip. Bring plenty of spending money because Teresa is expensive and you will want to do trips at the weekend- for example renting quad bikes was about $60 per quad for 24hrs.
The surf lessons were great and I picked it up really quickly. I only had 4 lessons included and it was $50 per lesson after that which I had not prepared for in my budget. I would recommend buying your own surfboard there if you take to it and avoid going during rainy season as the surf conditions aren't ideal.
Santa Teresa has a great vibe and nightlife, and the locals are friendly! I really would recommend Jakera. I think it was the people and location that made the trip. It felt like home and after 2 months I was so sad to leave.
A big thank you to the staff as well they were fantastic. When I brought up issues they were quickly resolved and compensated for. I felt like the staff at Jakera would do anything to make your experience better, and the issue was more the Leap not giving the right information about the programme. My biggest complaint is that I expected more for the amount of money I payed. I think the agency fees are excessive- for example If you book directly with Jakera it is 2 weeks shorter but you save about £500 and you have 8 yoga lessons included.
The leap were however very helpful when I booked the trip and answered all my questions.. booking was super easy and I felt very supported during the trip. So I suppose this is the extra you're paying for and if it's your first time travelling and money is not an issue then you might find this helpful.

If you love being outdoors, being with surrounded by like minded adventurers, and going on worldview changing experiences then THIS is the trip to go on!

There's nothing NOT to love about The Leap's Madagascar program and MRCI - the Malagasy organization you'll be volunteering for. When you arrive on Nosy Be, one of MRCI's charismatic staff members will meet you at the airport and take you across the small island to the port, where you'll hop on an incredibly scenic boat ride to your basecamp on Nosy Komba: Turtle Cove. The boat will drop you off at the beach where you'll get your first glimpse of paradise on Earth. As you walk up into the camp, which is built and blended into the rocky hillside, you'll be greeted by other (inevitably glowing and happy) volunteers who can help show you the ropes.

If you're starting with Marine and it is your first time diving (like it was mine), within days the team will have you underwater, practicing your skills, exploring the reef, and well over those powerful nerves you get when you first realize you are breathing underwater! Then time will fly and before you know it you'll be going on fish and coral survey dives, cleaning freshly planted baby coral and getting to know the resident sea turtles.

If you're starting on Forest, be prepared for a solid leg workout but also stunning views and immersion into the natural landscape. As a part of the forest team you get to learn all about the island's fauna and go on surveys where you search out and identify the all the little creatures; the data collected all goes on record to help current and future conservation efforts there! You'll also get to meet the Lemurs local to Ampangorinana, or "Ampang", the nearby village. They're cute, but be careful not to get peed on!

Being in the Community program, for me, was possibly the most rewarding part of the whole experience. Connecting one-on-one with locals and getting to know all about their lives in Madagascar through teaching them English was incredible. I had the pleasure of becoming good friends with Julian, a 23 year old Wiz Khalifa lover, and Silver, a 65 year old barbecue master, both of whom I know I'll never forget.

On Island Outreach, you'll get to do bits and pieces of the other 3 programs on a bunch of Islands in the area, traveling between them on MRCI's ship "Spirit of Malala". The ship's crew is hospitable and hilarious - Abdu and Johnny will get you wherever you need to get in style (rustic style, at least). And not to mention Patrick, the Malala's onboard chef, who can whip you up some of the tastiest barracuda you'll ever have.

On weekends, you'll have time off from whichever program you are on to explore Nosy Be or just relax around camp (which is never a bad idea because there's always an open hammock, an intriguing book in the camp's library, or someone looking to play a game of cards). If you do choose to spend the weekend on Nosy Be, there's a magnificent list of places to go and things to do. You can visit the island's sacred waterfall, ride horses on the beach, or hit up the bars in Ambatoloaka. There's always something happening on the weekend that you're going to want to be a part of.

The worst part of this trip is that eventually, you have to leave. If it was up to me I'd still be enjoying the endless 80° weather and honing my fish identifying skills right now. So don't even bother continuing to look for your Overseas Experience - this is the one you want.

(If you want to receive £100 off your trip use the code 39733 in your booking form)
My brother and I went to Costa Rica in July and had a great time. The house we stayed in was really nice and all the staff working there were extremely helpful. I would 100% recommend this trip. Upon arrival we were greeted in a lovely hotel by a boy named Marco who was our « guide » during the trip, we then travelled to the house in Puntarenas which took about 6 hours. We personally stayed for 3 weeks and did lots of activities, the only sad thing was that we were looking forward to turtle conservation, however July was not to right time to visit because it is not hatching season. I will definitely be going back in October at some point to help with turtle hatching.

This trip was honestly amazing and I would highly recommend anyone to take the opportunity to do it. The leap is an awesome company who takes care of every aspect of your trip to make sure you can enjoy it to the fullest.
I met amazing staff and locals over the 6 weeks and also amazing people who I still stay in contact with and I can’t wait to see during the rest of my travels.
The outreach was definitely a highlight as you get to explore more islands and do different activities. The locals are amazing and the sense of community and the appreciation for volunteers makes it so worth doing. I did forest conservation because I love animals and hiking but with the leap your programme is flexible and if you prefer to teach you can switch over as well which you don’t get with other company’s.
It’s a shame that there’s bad reviews from people that I was there with because the leap had nothing to do with it - it was their overall behaviour that ruined it for them- so those reviews aren’t worth reading
What you should know is GO THROUGH THE LEAP!

I loved every aspect of the programme and would definitely recommend it to others. I made so many amazing memories and met some remarkable people during my time in Madagascar. My favourite part of my time there was Island Outreach as we travelled around to remote islands by boat, taught children and went snorkelling in the most beautiful areas. Whilst on camp, Turtle Cove, I participated in forest conservation and taught in the local village which I found to be most rewarding. I seen some beautiful animals and taught some fascinating people. In my spare time on the weekends I arranged some fun excursions, one of my favourites being the whale shark excursion. I loved this one was I was able to swim alongside a whale shark and used my go pro to take some photos. It was a once in a lifetime experience that I am so grateful to have been a part of. I would like to thank the staff at The Leap for being so helpful.

I would recommend this experience to anyone interested in an unique opportunity to discover Madagascar. The Leap is a fantastic company which take care of you from the moment you book to your last day. I was very fortunate to be surrounded by some amazing people during my 6 weeks. This includes both the staff, locals and my fellow volunteers.

I would highly recommend the scuba diving course. Llewellyn is a seriously good teacher but also great guy to be around. The Leap also offer a 10 day boat trip around the North of Madagascar which is included in your fee. The time I had out on those 10 days were both rewarding and exceptionally good fun.

I notice that not all reviews on this site are positive, however I would make the comment that this does not reflect the time I or any of my fellow volunteers experienced.

This program is a scam. Turns out IVHQ was also sending volunteers to this camp and they were all doing the exact same program as us for half the price and when I asked why this was they said "Leapers get a bunch of extra benefits". This is all nonsense, the IVHQ volunteers had everything we did besides for separate meetings every 3 weeks. I managed to get my leg run-over by a car while I was there and got no medical attention, my parents were not even informed. The drinking water is yellow. Towards the end of my trip they told one of my mates that he could go on a free boat ride to see whale sharks with a couple other volunteers and I got quiet jealous at first but when they got back the two boys that went on the trip were asked to pay a large sum of money and the three girls got the trip for free. My mate didnt pay because he had lost his wallet much earlier on in the trip and had told this to the director to make sure the boat trip was free as he did not have the money to pay. When he confronted the director, they denied ever saying the trip was free in front of me and multiple other volunteers and the put his head down and walked off. None of the staff said anything for the next week or so until the day of our flight back home the director came and found my mate a couple hours before our flight and threatened him saying he was not aloud to leave the country if he didnt pay. This entire program is a joke although I had an amazing time it had nothing to do with the program. I could go on for days about why this program is the wrong choice but Im lazy.

These 4 weeks in the Namibian desert were definitely an unforgettable experience. We all learnt so much about not only wildlife conservation, but also the essential camping skills and how liberating life is without wifi! The base-camp was very comfortable, clean, and homely with Red and Dre's amazing hospitality and care. I would definitely recommend this trip to anyone of any age. I have no doubt that the landscape and tranquility cannot be found anywhere else.