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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Pam and Paul, Australia, Paine W self-guided, Chile. March 2025 As an older non Spanish speaking couple hailing from Australia, booking our 5 day solo Torres del Paine W trek with Andean Trails was the perfect start to realise our adventure. Having all our accommodation, transfers, inclusive meals and comprehensive pack list sorted to suit our itinerary by such knowledgeable, professional and amenable travel experts meant we could focus our efforts entirely on the trek. We were blessed by great weather - a considerable bonus given we took a few hours longer to complete each daily walk as some of the trails were challenging too but the stunning views that unfolded along the trails provided impetus for us to persevere. We also found our walking poles were essential for ascents and descents on steeper slopes. Our last night was a fixed tent camping spot - comfortable enough and allowed for unreal Milky Way stargazing in the wee small hours. Our 3 nights in Refugios were good - took a bit of getting used to sharing space with 4 other bunk bed mates and it helped being organised the night before when setting off for a pre-dawn start with head torches. The food provided was fine and portions adequate to needs and the Chilean staff were all friendly and helpful. In summary whilst we have physically come down from the mountain tops we are still on an emotional high! Our entire Patagonian trip was nourishment for the heart and soul and a truly awesome experience to be immersed in such an incredible, diverse and unique natural environment - the sound of roaring rivers, the thunder of shifting glaciers , the winds through the forest and high peaks further complimented our sensory experience. There are many options for trekkers to explore in terms of walks and destinations within this mighty National Park to suit fitness and/or time constraints. Our advice would be take your time considering what you feel comfortable with challenging yourself (I was certainly apprehensive about my ability to complete the full 70km circuit and we ended up doing less kms towards the end which felt just fine and meant we we could have more time sitting on a rock admiring Grey glacier from a greater distance) and then make it happen, one beautiful step at a time - you might even glimpse a Puma along the way!
Pam Christmas » Self-Guided Paine W Trek
C. Cooper, UK. Photography Tour, Chile and Bolivia, April 2025 We had a truly amazing experience. Chile and Bolivia are stunning. Our guides were professional, knowledgeable and friendly. All of the guides said we had a very well planned itinerary that gave us the best chance of acclimatising to the altitude properly (the hike in Atacama and the trek to the Hot Springs before departing for Bolivia). Our driver in Bolivia was fantastic. He was professional and very competent. Despite the condition of the roads and the amount of time we spent travelling we always felt completely safe. The hotels in Bolivia were basic but charming. Some of the facilities were a bit more rustic than we had expected (no heating and/ or no hot water in the mornings) but we managed. Food was simple but good. Overall, it was a very special trip and has given us a lot of amazing memories. If someone asks what the best part was, I couldn’t decide because there were so many best bits….Moon Valley, the flooded Solar de Uyuni, The Milky Way, Sunsets & Sunrises, the Flamingos at Laguna Colorado. It was exhausting and unforgettable - just how we like it :-) I will eventually get to reviewing my photos and will send you some. Many thanks for your help in organising everything.
C. Cooper » Bolivia Uyuni Salt Flats 4WD Tour
