Gap Year and Career Breaks, Inca venture
| country: | Ecuador, Peru |
| departures: | 2010: 17 Jun |
| price: | From £3795 (12 weeks) excluding flights, from £4570 including flights from the UK. Local Payment of £335 |
| more info: | Price includes 3 day UK travel safety course, all food & accommodation, language tuition & homestays, cultural orientation, permits, guides & porters, transport, development project funding and activities (including treks, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, Nazca Lines flight, sail-trek and motor launch) |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Gap Year and Career Breaks, Inca venture
Inca sun-god, Inti, was eclipsed when the Spanish conquistadors killed the last Inca Emperor, Atahualpa, in 1532. We explore the jungles, deserts and high Andes of the Inca Empire, between Atahualpa’s northern outpost, Quito and southern capital Cusco, the “Naval of the Universe”. Our language school staff take great delight in introducing you to the essentials of local living.
Three phases make up this trip:
1. Cultural Orientation and Learn Spanish
2. Live and work with a remote Inca community
3. Wilderness exploration on the hidden inca trail to Machu Picchu
Trip highlights
Travel Survival Weekend in UK before departure
Three weeks of 1-to-1 Spanish tuition in Ecuador and Peru along with cultural introduction
Community development projects in Ecuador and Peru, work with the people and live a foreign culture
Two high altitude expedition treks in the Andes
Adventure activities including mountain biking, surfing and white-water rafting
New friends and the time of your life!
This is an all-inclusive trip, with full support and a range of services provided before, during and after the trip. The “with flights” option includes “open jaw” flights (London-Quito & Lima-London).
Not included are visas, inoculations, personal items, tips, drinks & evenings out and travel insurance. (Our insurance is £183 for 12 weeks.) The “with flights” price does not include taxes (approx £108), which are subject to change. These will be confirmed at your safety course, about 10 weeks before departure.
Three phases make up this trip:
1. Cultural Orientation and Learn Spanish
2. Live and work with a remote Inca community
3. Wilderness exploration on the hidden inca trail to Machu Picchu
Trip highlights
This is an all-inclusive trip, with full support and a range of services provided before, during and after the trip. The “with flights” option includes “open jaw” flights (London-Quito & Lima-London). Not included are visas, inoculations, personal items, tips, drinks & evenings out and travel insurance. (Our insurance is £183 for 12 weeks.) The “with flights” price does not include taxes (approx £108), which are subject to change. These will be confirmed at your safety course, about 10 weeks before departure.
a day in the life of a volunteer
Puerto Lopez Community Project: Through out the day you will be involved in light construction work, located in one of the day care centres in a near by village. Tasks could involve digging foundations, mixing cement, building walls and constructing timber frame works etc. You will be involved with the young children and you may get the chance to spend time teaching them. During in this project you will be staying in our house located in Puerto Lopez itself. This is basic and gives you a real idea of Ecuadorian life, whilst indicating our intentions to the locals. Which are to be a part of their community for a long time. day-by-day itinerary
| Week 1-2: | Cultural Orientation: Quito, Ecuador. Spanish tuition on a one to one basis or in groups. Weekend visits to indigenous markets and expedition training including the chance to climb an active Volcano. |
| Week 3-4: | Community Development Project, Ecuador: Machallila National Park, Puerto Lopez Developing footpaths and information boards in the park. Constructing classrooms and day-care centres in nearby villages. Accommodation in the VentureCo Field Centre |
| Week 5: | Expedition Ecuador: Amazon Jungle River Exploration and the Pacific Coast. Explore the Amazon Jungle and white water raft on the Napo river. Make your way to Peru, enjoying the surf beaches and ancient city of Chan Chan. |
| Week 6-7: | Community Development Projects, Peru: The Great Inca Road, Cordillera Blanca. Installing trekking and camping facilities in highland villages along the Great Inca Road. Self –supported camping accommodation. |
| Week 8: | Expedition, Peru: High Altitude Trek. 5 day high altitude trek along the Inca Naani section of the Great Inca Road. Self-supported camping expedition. |
| Week 9: | Expedition Peru: Lima, Ballestas Isles, Nazca Lines and Arequipa. Sample city life in Lima, view marine wildlife on the Ballestas Isles. Fly over the Nazca lines and explore colonial Arequipa. |
| Week 10: | Expedition Peru: Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca and Cusco. Explore one of the deepest canyons in the World, where the mighty condor reins the skies. Living with islanders on Lake Titicaca. |
| Week 11: | Language School Peru: Cusco Language School. Stay with local families whilst learning Spanish at Amigos Language School and assisting with the Amigos Street Children Project. |
| Week 12: | Expedition Peru: The Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu. A 5-day trek through stunning Andean landscapes to Machu Picchu. |
gap year & career breaks
Gap Year ventures are for school leavers, aged 17-20, taking time off before entering University or employment. Career Gap ventures will appeal to those taking a career break or sabbatical. There is no upper age limit although the majority of participants are aged between 21 and 35 years old.
how this holiday makes a difference
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This venture supports the Puerto Lopez Volunteer Project and the Great Inca Road Project. As well as our guides you are also accompanied by local guides and project partners. Groups are kept to a maximum of sixteen people, big enough to help the local communities, but not big enough to have a negative affect themselves. Back in the UK we also have our own environmental policy and we believe this is where responsible travel should start, prior to departure. It is simple things that help and perhaps the biggest impact in the office comes from recycling paper, as a rule where possible we print on both sides of paper and it is not until it is completely beyond use that we then send it to be recycled.
All our development projects have been carefully chosen to satisfy several criteria. They are of definable and sustainable benefit to the indigenous community and allow us the opportunity to work in tandem with the host community. Funding for the projects comes directly from the our Trust. For each person that joins us, we, as a company, give at least US $400 (GB £215) to the Trust. 100% of the money the Trust receives is spent on the projects. All development projects are over-seen by a resident Project Manager whose role is to co-ordinate the adventures, the funding and the project's objectives. We are committed to direct patronage within the local economies of the countries in which we operate. We pay local tutors to teach languages; accommodation throughout the adventure is in locally owned hostels or based in the project locations; and the entire expedition budget will be spent by the team at local "grass roots" level. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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All development projects are over-seen by a resident Project Manager whose role is to co-ordinate the adventures, the funding and the project's objectives. We are committed to direct patronage within the local economies of the countries in which we operate.