Any experience of World Challenge expeditions

Does anyone have any experience of the above company or sent their kids on trips with them?

Yes, my youngest daughter went to India with them. Absolutely fantastic experience for her , the school split the kids up so she didn’t go with any of her mates . She already had a bit of DoE experience so wasn’t phased by roughing it and had done plenty of walking so the trek into the Himalayas was ok though altitude has to be managed. They were supervised, but from a distance so had to cope, by an ex commando who was pretty hands off by all accounts.  She is now a seasoned traveller and going across the world alone does not bother her in the least.

Many years ago I was interviewed for a job with them as an Account Manager type person, liaising with schools and selling trips. I visited their office / operations centre in west London somewhere. It was a very impressive setup.

I withdrew from the process after they gave me a hard time in interview saying I couldn’t be a credible account manager in Scotland because I am English. Felt a bit racist / illegal. But, that was a long time ago. I know a few young people who have been on trips with them and they have all be excellent trips. I would jump at the chance for one of my kids to go.

Thank you that’s good to hear

They’re an established, bigger player, and do many many trips annually.

In the past I’ve heard of a few wobbles, but I couldn’t say that they are things which would not have happened with any other provider.

They would not be in business so long if they weren’t doing something right.

Does anyone have any experience of the above company

Yeah, but it was in 1994 so things might have changed a bit…

Great (distant) memories

I struggle with the whole concept of World Challenge and other similar providers. It can be a life changing experience for some but mostly its an expensive jolly only open to a few.

I struggle with the whole concept of World Challenge and other similar providers. It can be a life changing experience for some but mostly its an expensive jolly only open to a few.

– that’s tourism.

Years ago, as in 1993 i went with them to Ecuador for my Gold Expedition for DofE, long time ago, but they are really good, and we had over a years notice for fundraising, so i had a weekend job and saved, and it was worth, still have fond memories.

that’s tourism.

Up to a point, yes but I doubt many people put their week in Ibiza on their uni application or ask for donations to fund it.

I went on a trip many years ago, in the 2000s.

Fantastic opportunity, I got an awful lot out of the experience.  The participants do a surprising amount, I was really sort of shocked when it was like “right, off you go and buy supplied for the month / you two need to go off and sort out minibuses for the 4 day journey” etc but we all rose to the challenge and I felt like I grew up a lot. Complements Gold DofE well as you can (or could then) use elements of the trip towards your award.

Trip was really expensive even then, so I can’t even imagine how much it will be now.  If I had a kid of that age (sixth form) I would love them to be able to go on a world challenge trip.

I really disliked the ‘fundraising’ aspect we were encouraged to do. Like, it was a very expensive trip for personal development. The charity work you do is incidental. Have your kids work, save birthday/Christmas money, parents pay, run events like quiz nights or whatever – but don’t fundraise like you are raising money to fund a charity trip or good cause.

Of course it is exclusive due to the expense and its not really achievable for the poorer families, but that doesn’t make it a bad thing.

No direct experience but we’ve had to fund similar trips for our two through school, Scouts and Guides.

Must be incredibly tough for poorer families, whose kids may only get one chance at these types of eye opening chances that can make a real difference to life chances with uni and work.

Son1 spent his 18th birthday on the Galapagos Islands, Son2 spent his 17th trekking to Machu Picchu. (three years between them and trips were biannual). Both via the school, and both expeditions were well-led, and they came back changed. There was an element of charity work (digging foundations for a school in one if I recall). As for the notion of “fund raising”… well none of the children on either expedition had done any fund raising to speak of. To be blunt, the expedition is a quarter of a year of school fees at a typical private school, fees that the parents who sent their children were not paying but probably could have (state school). We paid by instalments.

I’m glad they went and they have fond memories. But it’s a holiday first and foremost, one that will leave a lasting impression.

Must be incredibly tough for poorer families, whose kids may only get one chance at these types of eye opening chances that can make a real difference to life chances with uni and work

It’s a tricky one really, I was lucky i went to a good fee-paying Grammar school, so got these opportunities, but i was on the old Assisted Place scheme for kids who could not afford the school fees, i was the kid with the second hand blazer with the elbow patches.

But i believe having to work weekends and evenings to fund the trip, along with asking for cash for birthday and christmas, i probably got a lot more life experience than the kids who folks just coughed up.

But i believe having to work weekends and evenings to fund the trip, along with asking for cash for birthday and christmas, i probably got a lot more life experience than the kids who folks just coughed up.

That’s what ours have done, along with LOTS of fundraising on top – cycle clubs will pay generously for a cake stop on a ride.

But i believe having to work weekends and evenings to fund the trip, along with asking for cash for birthday and christmas, i probably got a lot more life experience than the kids who folks just coughed up.

This  – we washed a lot of cars, and turns out the profit margin on a cheese toastie can be quite high if you can find an audience… it was never charity donations, it was always an Overseas Experience (jolly)

A mate of mine worked (briefly) as a leader for them on a couple of expeditions 20+ years ago, and reckoned they were pretty good as an organisation generally. Then he got married, so that put a stop to the expeditioning lark rather effectively.

My son has just signed up for trip to Cambodia in a few years. Bottom line is it looked awesome and we would have loved to have gone when we were kids so he’s going.

I struggle with the whole concept of World Challenge and other similar providers. It can be a life changing experience for some but mostly its an expensive jolly only open to a few.

Someone I knew went on one over 10 years ago on his gap yah. Or to be more accurate, was sent on one by his parents. Sounded like a fun holiday but there didn’t appear to be any “challenge” involved at all.

Another person who was judging job applicant CVs looked at this sort of thing favourably, turns out they had done it themselves previously.