“I have been on two tours now with gap 360 and they are a great company to travel with! Everything is organised for you, and you can get all the help you require to ensure you babe the best trip. Last year I did a month in Thailand and was amazing! Everything we did was what was advertised on the website, the reps are amazing and are there making your memories matter, you meet lots of new people and make friends for life. Recently I have come back from doing the Bali 12 day tour, I had the best time doing it! Our group was of 40 people so we had a lot of people to enjoy the tour with. Had the chance to do once in a lifetime activities. Again the reps we had were lovely and made my tour, we had a lot of fun in the two weeks away. I strongly recommend gap 360 as it is a great trusted company and you are well looked after from the moment you book your tour to the moment you arrive back home. Very satisfied.”
Hi Beth, thank you so much for your review. It's great to hear that you enjoyed both of your trips so much. Thank you for your recommendation - we would love to have you back on your next adventure!
“I partook in the South African Wild Adventure at Kwa Madwala. I had the best time
Of my life. The trip was exactly what it said on the tin, and more. The rangers, Keegan and Sven, made the trip the best it could be. Their constant hard work and effort is unmeasurable. I cannot thank them both enough. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone and everyone.”
Hi Eliza, thank you for your review! We are so glad you had an amazing time, it's also great to hear that Keegan and Sven made your time even more enjoyable - we will pass on the lovely words :)
“I literally have just returned home from the 4-week Gap 360 Thai Adventure and I can honestly say it was the best money I have ever spent in my life! It is such an amazing and well thought out trip with full coverage of Thailand's best cultural landmarks and a variety of activities that I would not have experienced had I gone independently.
To begin with, the two guides in Thailand, Mickey and Yo were so knowledgeable of Thailand (temples, the Buddhist religion, local customs and the main sites to visit) that it helped us all to fully integrate into the Thai community. They were such kind and interesting people that made us feel so welcome and safe throughout the 4 weeks.
The first two weeks are the most active where you will be trekking, doing the community work (painting at a local school and dam building), where you will really learn your team working skills and visiting temples. The second two weeks are the R&R weeks where you are free to do whatever you want to do whenever but the guides usually recommended particular excursions that may be of interest to you.
The group that I was in had 20 people that ranged from 18 to 25 with a mixture of boys and girls from all over the UK and two from America, making it the perfect balance for everyone to enjoy. It was generally 2 same-sex people in the same rooms at the hostels and then for the Elephant sanctuary and for the trek, we were in 2 large rooms of 8 and 12 people. I noticed also that they arranged rooms according to the relationships formed during the trip, which was very comforting as well (although there wasn't a single person I didn't get along with and would have objected to staying with).
There are a huge selection of activities (at an extra cost) for you to choose from: total wipeout courses, zip lines, Mui Tai boxing events to watch and to participate in, snorkelling (a must!), diving and night safaris with plenty more.
Things to be aware of (but not negatives at all!):
There were a lot of long journeys (some of up to 15 hours by coach/ boat) that also took about 4/5 days off the trip so be prepared with travel bands/ tablets if you don't travel well.
There are a few additional costs that we were not expecting so always carry some extra cash with you for taxis etc.
Bring long baggy trousers (although they sell elephant pants in the market for a cheap price) and t-shirts that cover the shoulders (and chest for girls) when visiting the temples to respect the country's culture.
The trek varies according to different groups (some are easier than others) but it is during the peak heat of the day so be prepared for it to be mentally and physically challenging. Don't worry about not being able to do it quickly, as I was one of the stragglers at the back but we all went at our own pace and it was a very rewarding experience.
You will need to drink a lot of water (make sure it has a plastic seal) as you can get very dehydrated but it is unbelievably cheap (not even 10p!).
I'd recommend bringing a travel towel for certain accommodation or for the beach/pool, however, every hostel we went to provided a proper bath towel for showering.
Shoes-wise, bring flip flops and maybe some sandals for the nights out. I bought some walking trainers from Mountain Warehouse with proper grip and some brought converse/nike trainers for the trek but mine seriously saved me when going up steep slopes and muddy areas and some regretted their choice!
Laundry is very easy and incredibly cheap out there and they wash and iron everything for you. It's usually around £1 for 1kg of clothing and they wash your shoes too (which helped after the trek) for around £2 a pair.
Money to take out varied according to each person. Some only spent around £600 whereas others spent nearly £1000 so have some money set aside just in case. Nowhere accepts cards other than 7-11 so always have cash on you.
I used Caxton FX as a travel currency card and that was brilliant, as it was easy to transfer money in through the app and is accepted at all atm machines. Only use the YELLOW, PURPLE, and PINK atm machines as they are the most reliable for foreign cards. Also, they charge you 200 baht (£4-£5) per bank withdrawal so I'd recommend taking out fewer large sums (5,000 baht maybe, which is around £119 with the charge) each time you withdraw.
The taxi back to the airport at the end of the trip is your responsibility to arrange and pay for but that is incredibly easy and safe to do through the hotel in Bangkok. I paid 525 baht (£12) for a 45-minte taxi to BKK and I felt very safe.
Most people brought bum bags with them to keep all valuables (money, phone etc) but I brought a neck pouch (from Mountain Warehouse) that kept everything I needed close to me and it saved carrying a clutch on nights out.
I bought most items from Mountain Warehouse (rucksack, neck pouch, travel towels, walking shorts, walking shoes, travel pillow- a lifesaver!) as it is very good quality and very cheap and then bought lots of cheap t-shirts, crop tops, socks, flip flops, bikinis and vest tops from Primark. Nothing is dressy out there, very casual as it is hot and often humid so go for comfort over style girls!
Also for phone SIM cards, a few people got one at the airport for around £12 to get their data and calls on their phones for the month with the TRUE phone provider, which I wish I had bought. However, wifi is literally everywhere you go (restaurants, bars, hotels, in the rooms, even in the jungle sometimes!)
I hope you don't take these last points as negatives at all, as they certainly aren't! I just would've been interested to hear them before I left so I was prepared that's all. It honestly was the best month of my life and you will make such good friendships out there that will last for a very long time.
Don't worry if you haven't done anything like this before on your own because I hadn't and I wouldn't have changed it for anything! I would advise that you go alone and not with someone you know so that you can fully experience it for yourself and get the most out of it. I felt completely safe at all times but just be sensible and don't go off by yourself and keep your valuables close at all times.
Have the most amazing experience and enjoy every moment of it because there is so much to enjoy and you won't regret it! I hope this helps a lot of you and good luck on your travels!”
Hi Anna, thank you so much for your review! We are so excited that you had such an amazing time on your trip, we want everyone to have a great travel experience and love the chance to hear about it when travellers return home so thank you for updating us :) You have also provided such great information for future travellers, that we will be sure to pass on to new customers, but it would be awesome if you were interested in writing a blog for Gap 360 about your experience with lots of tips and tricks to help other going on the Thai Adventure. A member of our marketing team will be in touch!
“As a parent of one of Gap360 customers it was very reassuring to know that my daughter had the backup of a team of knowledgeable people to help her on her way to Oz. From the initial contact right through to travel they have been amazing. My daughter has been in Sydney a week now and cannot praise the team there high enough. Her and her new friends have had great support from the team there which makes us as parents very relaxed. Already my daughter and her frinds have job interviews and rented accommodation with the help of the team in Oz. Thank you so much. Cannot recommend you highly enough.”
“Just got back from travelling with Gap 360 for a year doing the 'Global 360' trip. Can honestly say it was the best year of my life! I went everywhere from Thailand, to Australia, to New Zealand, to Fiji, to America. I would definitely recommend doing the Global 360 as it includes tours in each country you visit which really helps you get a feel for the place and it's a great way to make new friends! I've made friends for life from all over the world. Booking with Gap 360 was really easy and they help you so much with all the bookings and even flights and travel insurance. Some people I met along the way booked with other companies and they had some real troubles with them, whereas if I ever had a problem I could just send Gap 360 an email and they would help me asap, this came in handy when one of my tours in America was cancelled, they just booked me onto a similar tour no extra cost so I didn't lose money. They have honestly been great and I would like to say a big thank you to all the staff that helped me along the way! If this still hasn't convinced you to travel with Gap 360 then feel free to check out my travel pics on Instagram eloisekerr17. Enjoy travelling - you're going to love it!!”
“I've just got back from a tour of Europe and was very impressed with the how well organised everything was. A massive thanks to Amanda Dutchess- the leader of our European Wonder- who worked very hard to ensure everything ran like clockwork. Because of her, and the amazing people I met (none of which I knew before going), I'll be booking my trip to the U.S. with Ga360.”
“we had the most terrific time . emily was first class from start to finish .she was always ready to help and solved a credit problem for me . she was a fund of knowledge not to mention , a very good driver . All the places we visited were interesting and good fun.I cannot praise your organisation enough thanks to olivia and rachel for all their help they made it very easy . hope i can travel with you again best regards colin anderson”
“The entire trip was amazing.
tour guide was incredible
the only thing id add was the fellow travelers details so we could have each other number!
besides that, brst trrip ever”
“Just come back off the Thai Adventure with Phi Phi add on and can honestly say that I had the time of my life.
The whole trip was so well organised and our tour guide Chai was amazing, ensuring that we were all happy and safe at all times whilst trying his best to show us everything Thailand had to offer. The Itinerary was well organised and left an exciting contrast between experiences from north of Thailand down to the islands. I especially loved the elephant sanctuary stay; it was probably the best few days of my life as it was incredible living in such intimate proximity to such beautiful animals. The only negatives I could give was the accommodation as some of it was pretty bad, but I guess it's something that you just have to deal with!
If anyone is hesitating about doing this trip just book it now. I had the best time ever and met some friends for life to share my memories with. I would also recommend the phi phi add on, I couldn't understand why only 3 people from our group booked on as I feel it completed our journey perfectly on such a beautiful island.”
“Gap360 found the best deals, I am a budget backpacker and they literally halved my cost of flying! I have recommended this team to so many of my friends and managed to convince two of them to get a deal from gap360 and come and join me abroad'”
“Thai adventure 4 weeks- I have just come back on I what I can 100% say was the best month of my life, every moment was amazing and it was all down to the hard work and kindest of our guide chai. He honestly went above and beyond to make sure we enjoyed every second of our time away and truly got to experience all aspects of Thai culture, chai made us feel safe at all times and if anyone was ill he'd do all he could to make sure they was better. He took us to some of the most amazing places and really made the whole experience unforgettable. My only criticism would be in terms of some of the accompadation how ever this was expected and you really have to just go with it.”
“This trip was amazing and would deffenetly recommend it to anyone thinking about traveling or are a first time traveler. I have made friends for life and seen the most amazing things. Honestly though it was our tour guide chi who made the trip for me, always going above and behond for me, Helping us with what ever we needed and making us all feel very safe. He really did make the trip what it was for me and I couldn't of asked for a better tour guide if I'd tried, thank you chi”
“The voulenteering with children placement in ghana is such a lovely one that im in my second one as I type .. just 3 weeks into my second two month stay... that should be a good enough selling Pont for you maybes but if not just know ghana is safe and friendly as long as you use common sence and are polite to the culture diffrences you will be supprized how beautiful the outcome is for both you and those you gain the plesure to meet . Be a Nike supporter ..... JUST DO IT”
“I went on the South Africa Monkey Sanctuary Volunteering trip in june for 2 weeks, I had an absolutely nightmare journey nearly missing my flight running round the whole of heathrow trying to find the check in desk after being stuck in stand still traffic for 5 hours on the motorway. Your team member Kali was absaloutely fantastic, he really is a credit to your team he stayed on the phone to me out of working hours on the coach and running round the airport while I was a mess on the phone. He gave me options and reassured me, luckily I made it through, typically there was a delay on the plane which meant I missed 2 flights in south Africa but your team was able to rearrange my transfer for me. I am booked to go to Thailand at the weekend and I am really excited, you guys really are a fantastic team and I will continue to go around the world with Gap 360. Thanks for amazing trips! :)”
“Exciting trip to China. Was well prepared by Gap 360 prior to arrival, partner was suitable and followed the itinerary reasonably well. Cheapest supplier of the trip.”
