Gap 360 Reviews

"Ive just finished the Bali trip a week ago and I\u2019ve had the most fantastic time. I\u2019ve booked it through lgbt backpackers to ensure I had a queer friendly group. I have big anxieties about being queer and traveling. I had the best group of people along side me on the tour having an lgbt designated trip is so important for queer people to connect and feel safe with each other. Although I knew the people joining me on the tour would be accepting and understanding I will hold my hands up and say I was a little nervous about the tour guides. I am quite visibly queer I have a shaved yet and am non-binary and use they\/them pronouns and going to a new country with a new set of people I\u2019ve never met was very scary. We were blessed to not just have one amazing guide we had two the tour was led by violetta (our queen vee)and we had the lovely Elay join us too. As queer person it\u2019s hard to trust people and feel safe around new people. These two people were the PERFECT choice for this trip. Although it was vees first lgbt group she really implemented things like pronouns and gender neutral bathrooms into her language and tour approuch so easily. Elays energy really was infectious her desire for life, new experiences and meeting new people really shown through. It was great to learn about the Philippines too (please get an lgbt trip there soon with Elay). \r\n\r\nVee went above and beyond for all of us on this tour not just on the 12 days we were with her but answering questions before and giving me so many recommendations for my post trip around Bali. I really was a dog on a lead in the best way. She genuinely cares and takes note of everything. Sending us locations of places we mentioned to her for free time and going out of her way to check on members of the group that weren\u2019t feeling themselves. She\u2019s the life and soul of the party and really has been the biggest ray of sunshine throughout my trip. I\u2019m dyslexic, dyspraxic and neurodivergent and find the stresses that come with travelling really overwhelming. Vee was the biggest reassurance overall answering all my questions as many times as she needed to and putting all key information in the group chat (what we needed for each day was super helpful for me). I have a people centred job and manage a large number of volunteers something I that really inspired me about vee was how she helped to connect us all and really build unity on the group. \r\n\r\nThe trip itself was a great itinerary really varied days which I loved. I would have loved more time in lovina at the villa it\u2019s such a magical place that really helped us all to connect and unwind. I think an extra day there would be great: maybe bringing in someone in to do a cooking class in the morning and a games night in the evening. Something really low key and low budget. The only other thing I\u2019d say was I think more warning and an alternative to mount batru hike would be really useful. I struggled at the start being in the pitch black with a head tourch and really rocky and uneven ground as someone with dsypraxica and a stigmatism this made me feel really sick, once there was more light I started to feel loads better. I did feel bad for members of the group that physically struggled with this as I think the level of the hike was underplayed as it was not moderate level of fitness required as it was really intense. That being said Vee was so supportive and stuck at the back with everyone that was struggling. \r\n\r\nI\u2019ve really had an incredible experience, meeting friends for life. I feel really privileged I got to do it under vee with her expert knowledge, care and compassion."

"Ive just finished the Bali trip a week ago and I\u2019ve had the most fantastic time. I\u2019ve booked it through lgbt backpackers to ensure I had a queer friendly group. I have big anxieties about being queer and traveling. I had the best group of people along side me on the tour having an lgbt designated trip is so important for queer people to connect and feel safe with each other. Although I knew the people joining me on the tour would be accepting and understanding I will hold my hands up and say I was a little nervous about the tour guides. I am quite visibly queer I have a shaved yet and am non-binary and use they\/them pronouns and going to a new country with a new set of people I\u2019ve never met was very scary. We were blessed to not just have one amazing guide we had two the tour was led by violetta (our queen vee)and we had the lovely Elay join us too. As queer person it\u2019s hard to trust people and feel safe around new people. These two people were the PERFECT choice for this trip. Although it was vees first lgbt group she really implemented things like pronouns and gender neutral bathrooms into her language and tour approuch so easily. Elays energy really was infectious her desire for life, new experiences and meeting new people really shown through. It was great to learn about the Philippines too (please get an lgbt trip there soon with Elay). \r\n\r\nVee went above and beyond for all of us on this tour not just on the 12 days we were with her but answering questions before and giving me so many recommendations for my post trip around Bali. I really was a dog on a lead in the best way. She genuinely cares and takes note of everything. Sending us locations of places we mentioned to her for free time and going out of her way to check on members of the group that weren\u2019t feeling themselves. She\u2019s the life and soul of the party and really has been the biggest ray of sunshine throughout my trip. I\u2019m dyslexic, dyspraxic and neurodivergent and find the stresses that come with travelling really overwhelming. Vee was the biggest reassurance overall answering all my questions as many times as she needed to and putting all key information in the group chat (what we needed for each day was super helpful for me). I have a people centred job and manage a large number of volunteers something I that really inspired me about vee was how she helped to connect us all and really build unity on the group. \r\n\r\nThe trip itself was a great itinerary really varied days which I loved. I would have loved more time in lovina at the villa it\u2019s such a magical place that really helped us all to connect and unwind. I think an extra day there would be great: maybe bringing in someone in to do a cooking class in the morning and a games night in the evening. Something really low key and low budget. The only other thing I\u2019d say was I think more warning and an alternative to mount batru hike would be really useful. I struggled at the start being in the pitch black with a head tourch and really rocky and uneven ground as someone with dsypraxica and a stigmatism this made me feel really sick, once there was more light I started to feel loads better. I did feel bad for members of the group that physically struggled with this as I think the level of the hike was underplayed as it was not moderate level of fitness required as it was really intense. That being said Vee was so supportive and stuck at the back with everyone that was struggling. \r\n\r\nI\u2019ve really had an incredible experience, meeting friends for life. I feel really privileged I got to do it under vee with her expert knowledge, care and compassion."

"The Bali 12 day intro was my first group travel trip and it was better than I could have imagined. Michelle Gautama was my group leader and she did a fantastic job keeping the energy levels of the group high and \r\n was super insightful into Bali and the Balinese culture. She was also really encouraging when I tried to speak a few Bahasi words (very badly \ud83e\udee3\ud83e\udd23)I would 100% recommend anyone thinking of group travel to give it a go, you will meet so many cool people and make some great memories that you can look back on. "

"The Bali 12 day intro was my first group travel trip and it was better than I could have imagined. Michelle Gautama was my group leader and she did a fantastic job keeping the energy levels of the group high and \r\n was super insightful into Bali and the Balinese culture. She was also really encouraging when I tried to speak a few Bahasi words (very badly \ud83e\udee3\ud83e\udd23)I would 100% recommend anyone thinking of group travel to give it a go, you will meet so many cool people and make some great memories that you can look back on. "

"The Bali 12 day intro was my first group travel trip and it was better than I could have imagined. Michelle Gautama was my group leader and she did a fantastic job keeping the energy levels of the group high and \r\n was super insightful into Bali and the Balinese culture. She was also really encouraging when I tried to speak a few Bahasi words (very badly \ud83e\udee3\ud83e\udd23)I would 100% recommend anyone thinking of group travel to give it a go, you will meet so many cool people and make some great memories that you can look back on. "

"The Bali 12 day intro was my first group travel trip and it was better than I could have imagined. Michelle Gautama was my group leader and she did a fantastic job keeping the energy levels of the group high and \r\n was super insightful into Bali and the Balinese culture. She was also really encouraging when I tried to speak a few Bahasi words (very badly \ud83e\udee3\ud83e\udd23)I would 100% recommend anyone thinking of group travel to give it a go, you will meet so many cool people and make some great memories that you can look back on. "

"The Bali 12 day intro was my first group travel trip and it was better than I could have imagined. Michelle Gautama was my group leader and she did a fantastic job keeping the energy levels of the group high and \r\n was super insightful into Bali and the Balinese culture. She was also really encouraging when I tried to speak a few Bahasi words (very badly \ud83e\udee3\ud83e\udd23)I would 100% recommend anyone thinking of group travel to give it a go, you will meet so many cool people and make some great memories that you can look back on. "