Description

The ultimate adventure travel Gap year in South America. Learn Spanish, Volunteer on an aid project, adventure with purpose!

A complete and in depth exploration of South America and the Amazon region. We get under the skin of this area and get to know its people, culture and language. With over 8,000 indigenous animals, countless numbers of unknown plants and insects still uncategorized by science, the Amazon jungle itself covers around eight million square kilometres and produces more than 20% of the worlds oxygen.

Cultural Introduction and Language School (Weeks 1-2 + 14)
Learn Spanish in the vibrant Ecuadorian capital of Quito, followed by a refresher course in ancient Cusco. Your cultural introduction goes beyond language alone: you'll get a chance to savour the flavours of local cuisine during your Ecuadorian and Peruvian cooking course. There are even salsa classes for those who feel the need to ignite those Latin rhythms & your afternoons and weekends remain free to explore Quito and Cusco, trying anything from haggling for goods at Otavalos world famous market, to climbing up a rocky summit, to mountain-biking down again.

Volunteer Project (Weeks 3-4 + 6-7)
In the sea just off fishing village Puerto Lopez' stunning beaches and coastal forests, you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of migrating humpback whales. Your time in the village will be spent helping construct much-needed classrooms and day centres alongside local people, which also gives you the opportunity to build on the practical Spanish skills you began to develop in weeks 1-2. You can also help teach English to children, or assist in the construction of a mountain bike trail which will help attract visitors to the area. For the next stage of your volunteering work, in Peru, you'll become part of local work on the Great Inca Road project, which aims to establish a new trekking route to provide additional sources of income to remote Andean villages.

Adventure and Exploration (Weeks 5, 8-13 + 15)
The exploration stage of this venture really is extensive. You'll descend from the Andes to the Amazon, rafting, climbing, surfing and relaxing as you journey into Peru. Trek 2,400 metres above sea level to the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, sail across sacred Lake Titicaca, traverse deserts and salt flats. You'll fly over the mysterious Nazca lines, giant desert geoglyphs constructed over a thousand years ago. Mountain biking, horse-riding, white-water rafting and trekking your way around these memorable lands, this exploration will be no walk in the park. After venturing deep into the Amazon basin, following the waterways in a canoe, you swim with pink river dolphins, though keep watch for both anacondas and piranhas.

Highlights

* Learn Spanish in vibrant Quito
* Visit South America's most spectacular market
* Cotopaxi Volcano
* Mountain biking
* Volunteer on the beach helping the local community
* Whale spotting (seasonal)
* Amazon jungle
* White-water rafting
* Raft building
* Living with an Amazonian community
* Surfing the worlds longest wave
* Volunteer in the high Andes
* Great Inca Road trek
* Colonial Lima
* Marine safari to spot dolphins, penguins and sea lions,
* Nazca lines
* Colonial Arequipa
* Atacama desert
* Lunar valley
* Surreal salt flats
* Potosi (highest city in the world)
* La Paz' witches market
* Choro trek into the Amazon jungle
* Jungle canoe safari
* Lake Titicaca
* Trek to Machu Pichu
* Cusco

Travel Types

• Off Road / 4X4 Driving
• Camping
• Canoeing
• Cycling (Road/Touring)
• Hiking
• Homestay
• Native Culture Studies
• Overland Tours
• Rafting
• RainForest Tours
• Safari
• Trekking
• Volunteering
• Language Immersion

Cost in US$:

6995 USD for 15 weeks

Program Fees Include:

- All food, transport and accommodation
- Two language tuition courses
- Volunteer projects
- Expedition activities including mountain biking, white-water rafting, offshore marine wildlife visit, Nasca lines over-flight, 4x4 desert crossing from Chile to Bolivia, Amazon wildlife safari, treks as per itinerary.

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel

Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work

in Groups of maximum of 16

Application Process Involves

• Written Application

Typically The Application Process Time is

7 days

Post Services Include

• Exit Debriefing Abroad
• Re-Entry Debriefing at Home

VentureCo Worldwide's Mission Statement

To travel to adventurous destinations is a privilege: the opportunity to work closely with indigenous communities is a revelation: the experiences you earn and memories you return with will become part of who you are. In 1999, a group of people came together to found a travel company for all those who believe that travelling is about more than simply flying to a foreign country. VentureCo was created out of a need to get under the skin of the cultures we encounter, for those who seek to genuinely understand our world and the part we play in it thorough a spirit of adventure, exploration and cooperation. VentureCo was set up by current directors Mark Davison and David Gordon. A chance conversation between Dave and Mark in a back street ceviche bar in Quito, Ecuador in 1998 gave rise to the idea of combining our experience and creating VentureCo.

Year Founded

1999