Gap Year for Grown Ups
As the tourist trail makes further inroads throughout traditionally popular gap year destinations, adventurers and career breakers alike are turning to South American countries such as Ecuador for a more authentic experience. For those who are new to travelling, beginning their adventures in a largely undeveloped corner of South America may seem a little daunting, fortunately leading gap travel company Gap Year for Grown Ups have access to some words of comfort.
As a leading UK gap travel company, Gap Year for Grown Ups put a lot of work into keeping up good relations with their in-country representatives;
The pair began with some valuable words of wisdom for less seasoned travellers ‘for people who are travelling to South America for the first time, Ecuador is a fantastic way to start. Ecuador is small but so diverse…travel there is good preparation and a good introduction to the culture for anyone who wants to travel in the rest of South America afterwards.’
Prodigiously proud of their homeland they are also full of enthusiasm for its draw as a travel destination ‘in 2 weeks you can go on a trip to the Amazon, trek through snowy the mountains, visit the cities and explore the coast; it’s like 4 worlds in one country!’ There is plenty of passion too for the work that Gap Year for Grown Ups make possible ‘It’s good to see what our volunteers are achieving, especially in community projects. To know that we have been part of that development and that we are helping our country socially and economically is very rewarding.’
Among their bevy of life changing trips Luis and Enrique have reserved their recommendations for the Galapagos Experience and the Ecuador Street Children Care and Education project. The Galapagos experience offers travellers an unrivalled mixture of all that is best about this amazing island ‘It combines learning activities with volunteering and exploring one of the most beautiful destinations in the world. It is a true insight into Galapagos life.’
The community care project, however, owes its recommendation to the worthiness of its cause ‘the social projects in Quito would be another recommendation, purely because they are in so much need of help. Volunteers can make a real and lasting difference at these projects’. Volunteers who choose to devote their efforts to these projects are not only giving children a safe, secure environment, they are also helping to equip them with the means to improve their own prospects.
Their parting praise for Gap Year for Grown Ups concerns the workers behind the scenes ‘the travel advisers know exactly what people in the UK are interested in doing and they know what the projects need, so it makes it easier for them to match the right volunteer to the right project.’ Preparation quality also gets a brief but glowing final mention ‘the volunteers are really well prepared, the pre-departure process means that volunteers know exactly what they need to do before they leave and they know what to except in country.’
Mature travellers who have been inspired by the Ecuadorian passion for volunteering can find out more about Gap Year for Grown Ups trips here http://www.gapyearforgrownups.co.uk/
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
