VentureCo - travel, ethics, purpose

One: Learn

Our hand-picked local tutors provide that crucial briefing for the uninitiated on potential cultural pitfalls.

They will suggest how you as an individual can make the most of your time, helping you experience a rich and varied stay in your chosen region.

An intensive language crash-course gives you the basic linguistic tools from experts, and perhaps even more significantly, you’ll get to experience first-hand all those informal customs that you can’t learn from a book: the key to successfully immersing yourself in a new culture

Examples: Learn Spanish in ancient Cusco, learn Swahili whilst living with the locals, learn Game ranger skills in Namibia, how to cook a curry in Nepal, live with Buddhist monks and learn Khmer.

Two: Volunteer

At the heart of your adventure is the long-lasting and far-reaching effect your help will bring to a local community.

Our access offers you a special opportunity to work intimately with NGOs (Non Government Organisations) to make a positive difference to the world we all share.

Whether you’re building a children’s playground, putting a roof on a village school, contributing to a conservation project or helping shepherd llamas to higher pasture, you can be confident that your work matters.

All our projects are funded by the VentureCo Trust, charity number 1111268. Visit the VentureCo Trust page for more information.

Examples: Volunteer in the Belize Jungle to save Manatees, with the local community in the Andes Mountains, with orphans in Tanazania, on board a mobile library in Zambia, or with a beach community in Ecuador.

Three: Explore

Armed with the insider knowledge you've absorbed in phases one and two, you’re ready to engage with the world in ways you might not have predicted.

Full-on continental exploration is not for the faint-hearted, which is why we do ask that you expect the unexpected. Your expedition will be unpredictable, but we believe we can guarantee variety unlike anything you will have experienced in habitats such as glaciers, jungles and deserts. From the non-stop hustle of exotic 24/7 cities, to remote, self-sufficient villages, from aeroplanes to rickety rickshaws, you need to be prepared for contrast. If camel-rides, elephant safaris and some old-school trekking on your own two feet are an off-putting prospect, you might want to think twice about booking...

Examples: Climb Kilimanjaro, venture into the Amazon Jungle, cruise around the Galapagos, sail down the Ganges, trek to Mt Everest, explore Machu Picchu, trek on a Patagonian glacier, raft the source of the Nile, dive in the Caribbean, sleep under the stars on a camel safari, spot lions, cheetahs, anacondas, tigers, pink dolphins.