What an amazing experience! I absolutely love travelling and experiencing new cultures and getting the 'true' experience of the country. For anyone like me, this is the gig for you. I spent two weeks in Nepal, 1 week sight seeing and 1 week in the monastery. The first week was my introduction to Nepal, I had a chance to explore Kathmandu and then spent 3 days in Chitwan National park. The second week was at the monastery and this was the best! In all honesty, I probably could have done without the trip to Chitwan - it did take all day to get their and all day to get back. It wasn't a bad experience at all - I got to canoe ride down a river and go on an elephant back safari (among other activities), but I was sold on the monastery and really that is what I booked it for - even though I was aware the Chitwan trip was part of the experience. Perhaps I should have booked longer instead! Anyway, the monastery. I was only their a very short time but I felt like I made a real connection with the place and the people. There was a lot of down time but I never felt bored. There was always someone to chat to, lessons to teach, homework to help with. The monks were all so respectful, polite, funny, happy, curious and eager to learn. It just made for an amazing and personal experience. Things always get built up in my head to inevitably be better than in reality. However, the teaching at the monastery experience was exactly how I hoped and imagined the first day I read about the experience. I have absolutely every intention to return. Well worth the money - an experience of a lifetime.

I'd been planning to go on a volunteer trip for years, after researching different travel companies I chose Real Gap.. their help, experience and advice were exactly what I needed! I also booked my flights and insurance through them- the staff couldn't have done any more for me! I highly recommend using Real Gap, I have also had friends travel through them and all have had the same positive experience! Many thanks to the Real Gap team

A truly unique and incredible experience, with an amazing lineup of activities! Definitely the best trip around for anyone looking to dip their toes into travel. Make sure to take plenty of DEET spray and enough money (£800 for me), and never say no to any of the optional activity because they tended to be the best! Without a doubt the best month of my life!!!

The itinerary was spot on. I was so impressed by the amount of activities etc packed in and included in the tour! I absolutely loved all of the different places we visited, I think it was brilliant to be able to discover such different parts of Thailand from the buzzing Bangkok to the rural Sangkhlaburi to the beautiful Koh Tao. Spending 24/7 with one group of people for a whole month meant that I really made friends for life. There are only two things that I can really make a negative comment about; the first being the location of the hotel in Kanchanaburi. Our hotel was quite a way out from the town and there wasn't anything within walking distance or even a bar or restaurant at the hotel. Due to this I feel like, unfortunately, we didn't really get the opportunity to properly experience and explore Kanchanaburi. The second thing I would change would be to stay on a different island (Koh Samui for example) rather than Koh Phangan. Although our hotel was lovely and the beach was gorgeous, there was very little to do on the island and spending a week there meant that the days could be quite long. It seemed that most people (tourists) only came to the island for the full moon party. Our tour guide took some of us to Koh Samui on a day trip and we all wished we were staying on that island instead; there was so much more to do and see than on Koh Phangan and it would have been much better to have just got a boat across to Koh Phangan for the full moon party and then the boat back. Other than that the trip really was a life changing experience and the best few weeks of my life. It has to be said that the main reason for this was my two tour guides. They were the most friendly, accommodating, helpful and fun people I have ever met and they really made the trip for us all. By the end not only were they our brilliant tour guides but also brilliant friends. I can't thank real gap enough for providing this amazing trip and I would recommend it to anyone!

I had the most amazing time away in Laos. Vang Vieng was amazing, such a beautiful river to glide down and had an unforgettable (well, some blurry moments!) night afterwards! Luang Prabang was beautiful I could really see myself living there. Kong Lor Cave and the plain of jars are unmissable and I've never seen anything like them, and of course Don Det is a brilliant way to round off the 3 fantastic weeks! The guides really made the trip great, they always had a smile on their face and happy to help with anything and I made some friends for life in the other travellers on my trip! Laos is so untouched that it feels like a real adventure that you're on, that you're discovering things for the first time. Travelling with RealGap gives you this thrill but also the safety and security of knowing that there's always someone there to help you. I 100% recommend this trip and company.

Most amazing two weeks ever! Very hands on experience with animals and ranger days. Learn lots about south africa and animals. Everyone is very welcoming and you only do what you want to do. Great trip for your first time travelling alone. 100% recommend it to anyone, especially animal lovers!

I've just got back from an amazing 17 days in Thailand exploring some stunning places with a fantastic culture to admire. I was nervous as this was my first time travelling alone but my tour guide was absolutely amazing. He was so helpful, knowledgeable, friendly and always up for a laugh. The people on the tour were amazing and I've made unforgettable memories with friends for life! The itinerary was well planned, fun, flexible and allowed me to do everything i wanted to do. Would definitely use Real Gap again and would recommend others to do so too!

I just got home from the three week South Africa Volunteering, Conservation and Working with Horses Program, and I'm already missing it. I spent an amazing couple of weeks on a private game reserve, doing things I would otherwise never have had the opportunity to do. Every single one of the people I met were kind and helpful, and made my trip all the more enjoyable. The Real Gap team were awesome, very patiently answering all my questions and booking my flights for me. I had almost no bad experiences on this trip, and would highly recommend it. I will honestly never forget it!

In February, I went on the Sydney to Cairns East coast tour and it was an amazing experience. Booking a holiday through Real Gap is extremely straight forward and the holiday itself was very well organised. The Real Gap website has a check list for organising all aspects of your holiday and provides reputable companies for services such as insurance. I thoroughly enjoyed the east coast tour and would definitely recommend Real Gap to a friend. The tour had a fantastic itinerary and plenty of optional extras. The guides were friendly and very knowledgeable about the country and the excursions. I would definitely book another tour through Real Gap and plan to in the near future!

Went on the Sydney to Cairns trip in February and i can't put into words how great it was. There wasn't one aspect of the trip that I would change! How it was organised, the people on the trip and the tour guide and driver made the amazing locations even better. If you're considering booking this trip just do it as you won't regret it. Time to get saving for the next real gap adventure.

I have recently completed the two week tour from Sydney to Cairns with Top Deck. I can honestly say that it was one of the best holidays I have ever been on. The tour was so well organised but also really fun. The staff made everyone feel really comfortable and everyone got on so well. We did some incredible activities including surfing, snorkeling, skydiving, horse riding and clay pigeon shooting. The tour was so interesting, one day we were on a boat and the next day we were on a farm, we were constantly on our toes not knowing where we would go next. Everywhere we stayed we amazing host with great accommodation and food. The tour is great for people from all backgrounds, whether you are travelling alone or in groups. I would definitely recommend this tour, I will certainly be doing another one soon.

Fantastic company who controlled every single facet of orientation and safety on the trip which my opinion are the key factors I look for in these types of organisations.

Firstly 2weeks was not long enough in Goa India, the camp we stayed at was very basic but enjoyable the staff and people I met on the trip as a whole were awesome. I volunteered to work in the orphange however I did not enjoy this and was able to change to a more suited workplace. Take lots of photos, bring an empty bag as you can buy everything you need over there and take clothes etc back home. Taste all the foods and enjoy the experience.

The Thailand Experience was incredible. I made so many awesome friends, and met amazing people. Our tour guide was brilliant throughout and ensured we had a brilliant time and helped us with any quiries. The volunteering was fantastic at the nursery where we got to play with kids all morning then helped decorate the outside walls with animal paintings! Would recommend this trip to any new traveller who isn't sure how to start travelling, or doesn't want to do it alone.

I had the best time of my life and met the most amazing people on the Thailand island hopping trip. The trip was really fun and had a good balance of planned activities and free time. The tour reps were amazing and really fun, they were knowledgable of Thailand and always there if you needed them. Thailand was beautiful and definitely one of the top places to visit. I would go for longer next time and visit more areas in Thailand. The accommodation was what I expected, basic and clean. Overall it was an amazing experience I would definitely recommend to anyone!