Guyana makes a great gap year and volunteering holiday destination thanks to its amazing wildlife and amazingly friendly people.
In Yupukari, Guyana (the only English-speaking country in South America), villagers will teach you their indigenous knowledge while you contribute your strengths in reading, writing and technology to their self-development projects.
Villagers of all ages will teach you to fish, farm, weave a hammock, plait a basket, make and use bows & arrows, paddle a dugout, cook over fire and many other indigenous skills the same way they teach their own family.
These student-villager co-creative partnerships have yielded the first digital maps of the community; the first catalogue of medicinal plants; the first books from oral stories, among other projects that have been transformative for locals and visitors alike.
This working relationship allows both parties to develop an appreciation of their own knowledge, gifts and strengths, while learning lifelong skills and forming deep friendships.
Rupununi Learners – finding out more
The host organisation is a village-run NGO, Rupununi Learners, which operates a guest lodge, Caiman House, where you will live. 100% of revenue surplus from visitors goes to the village public library, wildlife research and cultural preservation. In 2012 Caiman House received the Caribbean Sustainable Tourism Award.
This gap semester program is based on an award-winning, university-accredited Study Abroad program, but with a focus on “learning from living” rather than fulfilling academic requirements.
The experienced staff are a mix of villagers, Canadians and Americans.
Find out more here on the Gap Semester Webpage, and read more about Caiman House in Tom’s blog.
Please get in touch for more information, and read our Volunteer section.
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Lesley Rafferty, Scotland. Tailormade Ecuador and Galapagos, April 2026 What an amazing holiday I had in Ecuador and the Galapagos. Everything ran so smoothly from flights, to pickup transfers, to hotels. Casona de la Ronda was characterful. La Jimenita was lovely with its own nature trail. Hacienda Alegria was absolutely fantastic. Only person staying there, and the owner Gabriel made me feel like one of the family. Wonderful horseriding every day in the foothills of the Andes. So peaceful. Galapagos cruise (Solaris) was also fantastic. Snorkelling twice a day off the pangas. Wildlife everywhere - a feast for the eyes. Sea lions, Galapagos penguins, turtles, iguanas, small sharks, octopus, manta rays and so many different fish. Great group and just the right number (16). El Monte Sustainable Lodge was lovely and so peaceful. Had a great trek to some lovely waterfalls with a guide and saw lots of birds. Throughout the holiday, all food freshly cooked. Thank you so much for organising this trip.
Lesley Rafferty » Solaris First-Class Galapagos Motor Yacht
Gail Robertson, Scotland. Tailormade Patagonia, April 2026 We had a great trip. Certainly lived up to expectations. We had a bucket list of places to visit, especially Patagonia. Tom put together our trip based on our list. Friend recommended Andean Trails. We did look at other travel companies but liked the idea of a bespoke trip organised for us. Tom did a great job. It’s difficult to pick one highlight, but probably our stay in El Chalten. The weather there was glorious and autumn colours beautiful. Hotel was nice, all the walks we did we enjoyed. Atacama was pretty special too. Overall, the landscape and scenery were amazing. Guides were all great, as was organisation. Everything went to plan. Any query dealt with promptly. We particularly valued having the local contacts who kept in touch throughout. We feel we benefitted the local people by using local guides, visiting museums, markets, eating out in restaurants, staying in independent hotels etc. We had an amazing trip, Tom. Thank you. We would certainly recommend Andean Trails. We are already thinking about our next trip!!
Gail Robertson
