Real Gap Experience

Best week of my life and I'm still living the dream on a station in nw qld so thanx real gap-oz is the best thing I've ever done!

One memory that I will treasure is when the Shoeboxes arrived at the orphanage. As a primary school teacher my class participates every year in the filling of shoe boxes that are sent to disadvantaged children all over the world so it was lovely to be able to see where the boxes actually end up and to see the children's faces as they opened them. One little girl in particular stays in my mind. Her name was Christina and she was three years old. Inside her box was a toothbrush that flashed when you pressed a button and two pairs of gloves that had snowflakes on them. She put on both pairs of gloves and then went around the room laughing and smiling and babbling in Ukrainian showing everyone her flashing toothbrush and her pretty new gloves. It brought tears to my eyes.

My host family were great and really treated me like a member of their family. I was lucky enough to have my own room (although there were always people walking through it to get washing off the balcony). The apartment had hot water, shower, washing machine etc. We were only allowed to go to the orphanage between 11.00-13.00 and 17.00-19.00, which was a shame, but this allowed us to experience more of the way of life as well as helping at the orphanage.

Mongolia is the most amazing country ever. It's really beautiful, everyone is happy. So far we have: - Lived with nomads in traditional ger tents - Rode camels over the sand dunes - Visited monasteries and seen 27 meter tall Buddha statues - Been on a Genghis Khan Pub Crawl! - Drank fermented mares milk

It took away some of the pressure of having to organise the trip, and it gave us more choice on what we could do in Siberia and Mongolia. As it turned out, it was also useful for helping us to meet other people doing the same trip through Real Gap. (we were not happy with the visa application process provided by Real Gap before we left the UK, we feel this could have been done more quickly ourselves.)

- Bring lots of pictures of where you are from, your family and friends. - If you want to bring anything for the school then good ideas are books and sweets. - Be prepared for lots of questions. - Your phone might not work with a Moldovan SIM card (mine didn't), but I borrowed a Nokia phone and that worked fine. Have fun!

Read the information package that you receive from Real Gap. Then, read it again. It is very, very useful. Be open to invitations and other activities, but be firm when some plan doesn't interest you. Aside from that, common sense is more than enough for you to have a wonderful time.

I have benefitted enormously from my experience. I have had the most amazing time in NZ but I had to push myself to get the most out of it. Through working hard and sticking at something I was finding tough I have enjoyed an experience I will never forget. As the Kiwis would say, Go hard bro. I think the key to a trip like the Rugby Academy is to throw yourself into it 100%. was extremely tiring but immensely rewarding. New Zealand is such a young and exciting place to be that there isn't time to sit back and relax while you're out there. You just have to go for it. There is nowhere in the world that loves rugby more than New Zealand so it's Important to value the time you have.

The programme was so well constructed and inclusive of every activity one would expect on a ranch. Exceeded expectations completely. Great hospitality, great activities, great group of people! Best moment was the last day of 'training', on the muster. There is a choice of mustering on bike, quad or horseback. Incredible experience. You wont have a better time anywhere else! Experience so many new activities and learn new skills essential for your job. Meet new people. Experience something truly Australian.

Best week of my life and I'm still living the dream on a station in nw qld so thanx real gap-oz is the best thing I've ever done!

This package was truly amazing! we got to do so much and our rep Jen was amazing, such a laugh n really good at letting us know things or makin up answers to stupid questions we asked! Wake-Up, the hostel we stayed in was wicked, never forget the drunken nights in Side Bar! To anyone thinkin about taking this life changing trip who wants to work as well as have the best first week in Sydney ever...this is the best way to do it!!! What an amazing deal. thanks for a brill week!!!

Its difficult to explain in words how good the From Houses to Home programme is, and no words can really quantify the amazing experience I had over there. All the local workers are really friendly and helpful and a really good laugh too! Seeing the houses come together, and having the kids help you out in building the house is an experience that seems very difficult to beat. Its brilliant to get involved (and you do get very involved) in the building of the house, and when its finished all your hard work pays off to see the family moving in to their new house. Dont think about it, just go for it. Although sometimes hard work, take every day as it comes and just enjoy the experience!!

A great project! Definitely consider this if you like tortoises and are looking for the opportunity to spend some time in the Galapagos islands, which are some of the most special places for wildlife on this planet. My recommendations would be to go do the project for two weeks and then have some time visiting the other islands because they are all home to their own endemic species, and look forward for a relaxed time! It is very helpful to be able to speak Spanish to enhance your experience too.

I loved my time in Ecuador and even arranged to stay longer, this was largely due to the rewarding work at the programmes and the number of like-minded people you meet there and share weekend adventures with. It really felt like you were making a difference as well as the work was quite demanding and was relied upon solely by volunteers. The programmes gave you a chance to take in the heart and soul of the country whilst also having fun. Accommodation in the Andes was fantastic, and I felt at home straight away whilst the lions just outside the window reminded me I wasn't.

As travelling on my own it gave me the piece of mind and security that someone will be there if I run into any sticky situations.... plus the bonus that you will not actually be on your own.

We have now safely returned to grey, drab... jolly ole England! We just wanted to thank you all for an incredible experience in Thailand. We really enjoyed ourselves, especially at the monastery - to experience a culture so vastly different to our own is something we shall never forget... I also loved the fact we had free time on the weekends to do as we pleased. We travelled up to Kanchanaburi and climbed the Erawan waterfalls, tiger temple and also experienced our first true asian-style club (very surreal having men bow down to you as you walked by!)

I got more than I bargained for; there's a lot to do and the coordinators keep you busy - they're great fun! Thailand was great and the best thing about this programme was that it had lots of different experiences. If you're doing the Thai boxing try not to over train, you can train twice a day if you want to but its hard work. I found that training twice a day was a bit much at times as you need to get plenty of rest, which is even harder when you're in Thailand because there so much to do and see! And you wouldn't want to miss anything. Also the coordinators would organise trips on the weekend!

This programme was very fulfilling and exciting, I was always entertained and achieved a lot more than I had thought possible.

I feel I have seen a lot in my short time in Nepal with the sightseeing in Kathmandu Pokhara and Chitwan and it has allowed me to experience some of what Nepal has to offer. My Placement in Nirmal Pokhari was also amazing. The family, were very welcoming and I had a really great time teaching the children in the morning and evenings, and was sad to leave at the end of my stay. I have had a wonderful experience here in Nepal and look forward to returning some time in the future.

Today I had to say goodbye to the little ones at the orphanage camp, and one little girl in particular broke my heart! I love her with all my heart and we both got very upset as we both knew it was goodbye... It has certainly been an experience so far.. I would be lying if I said I have enjoyed every minute of it because I havn`t.. But I will cherish this experience forever and I would like to thank gap for this amazing opportunity..... I just wish they had warned me it would hurt so much saying goodbye to the little ones...

As it was my 1st time travelling abroad by myself real gap was able to offer me a safe and exciting opportunity to do so!!! interacting with the animals and being able to enrich their lives and just being that close to so many wild animals is unimaginable!!!

A real highlight for me was being to able to get close to orangutans and learn so much more about them for example, their behaviour. The other highlight was staying in the jungle and living near the iban tribe and getting to know a very different way of living. Also, i just want to say that our facilitators out in Malaysia and Borneo were fantastic and couldnt do enough for us!

I had the best 4 weeks of my life, I will go away with so many memories and friendships, sharing the experience with others just made it so wonderful. Trekking through the jungle on a three day hike was pretty tough but I think I surprised myself in what I was capable of! Working in our volunteer placements was wonderful for me, being able to teach the children songs while they copy the actions was a lot of fun!

Honestly, this was the single most rewarding travelling experience I have ever had. It was not always easy, but looking back I learnt so much and saw such a vast scope of human and geographical beauty&that I will always value this adventure very highly.

The Teach and Travel China experience has been one of the most fulfilling and exciting things I have done in my life. The program offered me a chance to see and live in China for an extended period of time and discover the richness of Chinese culture. The program trained me how to teach English and I am now qualified to teach English as a foreign language. For anyone considering this trip, my advice would be to just go for it, I've had some amazing experiences and made some life long friends, it's been thoroughly enjoyable.

This was a truly fantastic experience, physically demanding and a real culture shock but worth every second and penny. The staff are all extremely friendly and we soon found ways to communicate without speaking the same language. When I left there were tears in the eyes of the cooks and I still miss them all now. This experience is going to stay with me forever and I can't recommend it highly enough to anyone who wants to experience the real China whilst getting fit!

This was an amazing experience and one of the best things I have ever done. It was a great way to experience China as well as being able to get so close to Pandas. The highlight was of course being able to go into the one-year-old pandas enclosure to feed and play with them. Thanks so much to realgap and the coordinators over in China along with all the staff over in Bifengxia!

I became so used to just seeing lions, elephants, zebras and giraffes in my every day activities. I loved working with the animals and also the children when we painted the nursery school and fed the orphans. They are all so happy. Every day was a new experience. Take a journal otherwise you wont be able to remember everything you do!

I have thoroughly enjoyed my stay here, 4 weeks was definitely not enough & I've seen so many things that I just would not have experienced elsewhere and I'll take so many memories home with me.

I'd encourage everyone to go to Tanzania and get fully involved in teaching and the culture. The strongest recommendation is just to remember that this is Africa, its completely different to what we think as normal, and therefore just be happy to adjust and try a new way of living for a while

When I arrived in Johannesburg, I was met by some of the nicest people I've ever met - which put me at ease straight away. I think that the programme was incredible, as it was fun, educational and worthwhile. There are not many facilities that allow you to get hands-on with Spitting Cobras everyday! It was extremely beneficial to me as it will also help with my veterinary career. I have gained a new respect for reptiles, recognising that they need more people to look out for them. Everyone is always interested in saving the cute, fluffy chimps and seals, but don't think twice about scaly snakes. Even people who are unsure of reptiles should give this programme a go, what better way to get over a phobia than working with experts in a snake park!

The most amazing experience! I loved the country and the people and there is not a day that goes by when i dont miss them and my wonderful experiences. I'm planning on going back but for a lot longer this time as 1 month is simply not enough time to spend in such an environment. I would reccommend this to anyone, whether they have been riding for years or have only been riding once, as the girls work wonders with beginners and the love they have for their horses transfers to the vollys! The girls are the most lovely, passionate people i have ever met, truly incredible!

Best experience of my life! I had so much hands on experience compared to work experience in UK hospitals. In no time at all i was taking histories,giving injections, taking blood, putting in IVs. I got to spend a night on maternity ward where i saw both natural and c section births- both of which were so special i cried! I know i'll be so far ahead of everyone else when i start medical school now. The animal side was unbelievable too-sleeping with baboons and playing with cheetahs-so surreal! I cant wait to go back.

I have so many incredible memories (and photographs!) from my time at the Namibian Wildlife Sanctuary. My favourite parts include sleeping with the baby baboons, sitting in the sun with three gorgeous tame cheetahs and relaxing by the campfire in the evenings. Although you do have to work hard, every single moment is enjoyable, and the staff are so friendly and helpful...even the food is great! I really recommend this project, and would love to return in the near future.

Everything was organised for me, I didn't have to worry about how i would transfer from the airport when i got there. Also didn't have to worry about finding accomodation whilst there or having the money with us to pay for the accomodation. The highlight was definately being able to spend time with the children at the orphanage and learn their ways of life. I got to experience how many difficulties the children and families face but also saw how happy they still were and how grateful they were for anything they received. I also very much enjoyed the weekend away from the orphanage and the things we experienced throughout Malawi, including; Mount Mulanje, Lake Malawi, Zomba and Liwonde National park.

Working in the hospital and treating people was amazing. I didn't expect, that without medical training, i would be able to actively help so much. The weekend trips away were also really good!

My experience in Kenya far exceeded my expectations. I didn't expect to be given the opportunity to really see things the way I did. I felt that the doctors at the hospitals were very open minded and willing for the volunteers to learn as much as they could by observing operations and allowing us to help hands on. I feel that I have seen a lot of things I would never have had the opportunity to see otherwise. I also met some wonderful people, including the staff who are very warm and welcoming. All in all I don't feel that I could have asked for anything more, everything was very well organised and structured to get the best out of our experiences.