Final Travel Prep
Quick find - the stuff you need to get sorted!...
Go to page: 1 |
 |
Experiences with Frontier?! |
 Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 9:58 am |
  |
| I am thinking now (despite previous posts being good for Projects Abroad) that Frontier might offer an alternative, cheaper experience that for me is just as good!
So... as before, any comments good or bad or just your general thoughts or feeling with any communication you have had with this organisation would be appreciated. Thanks alot! Christina |
|
| Back to top | Location: Unknown | 36 Posts |
| Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 5:31 am |
|
| Never go with frontier!! It as my first time travelling and didn't know a thing, thought frontier were really good but found out they are nothing but that!! They charged me £1195 to go to a project in brazil but in actual fact, when i got there, the local organisation only got £375 of my money!! If most of the cost went to the local organisation i wouldn't be so angry but.... *sigh. Had to pay for the flight insurance etc. myself as well... they had no help getting my documentation...(im 17, had to get this parental thingy to go to brazil alone :P)
Also, the info they give you is very generalised, i could of got a ton more info from a guide book than the little they gave me. They promised airport pick up when i first paid my deposit but around a month before my trip, they said that the local organisation no longer provides it, when i was there, i found out the local organisation didn't ever provide the service!! I got no info of what i was going to be doing and what not, the office staff you phone up are really friendly but they simply use the naivety of first time travellers to scam them!! Argh!! I have heard a few good reviews about them but they only seem to be for a few projects, i wouldn't trust them though, basically they completely rip you off (or me off...=.="") The one and only good thing about frontier though, is that the local organisation in brazil they sent me to were amazing! The brazil organisation didn't know about how much i got scammed until i was there but im defo going back sometime (not through frontier of course, its better to do it direct with the local organisations.) All in all, ditch frontier, the place I went to is called Iracambi (www.iracambi.com) if your interested in conservation work, the volunteer coordinator, jemma is really nice (though a bit crazy :P). I also found this site: http://www.truetravellers.org/ they seem really good and recommend quite a few other good organisations. Hope I helped 
ps. if its your first time volunteering, my tip would be to find as many reviews to the orgaisations as possible! pps. don't go near realgap either! |
|
| Back to top | Location: Unknown | 2 Posts |
| Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 5:30 pm |
|
| Ok. Thanks alot. I am going to go to their london offices at the weekend for a chat and see what they are like without commiting myself to anything - plus I need to raise the money first!
Thanks for your comments and experiences but because I am a first time solo traveller and only 18 the entire company thing is sort of a good security backup, so personally organising in country isn't what I really want. Thanks anyway for your suggestions. Christina |
|
| Back to top | Location: Unknown | 36 Posts |
| Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 10:33 pm |
|
| Does anyone else have any feedback? | |
| Back to top | Location: Unknown | 36 Posts |
| Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:37 am |
|
| Hi Christina,
i totally understand you wanting to go through an organised programme. What do you want to do and where? Maybe people will have some good suggestions/ recommendations... |
|
| Back to top | Location: Unknown | 5 Posts |
| Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 4:13 pm |
|
| I have looked at teaching in Ghana, and diving in Madagascar. Diving is particually important as it links with my university course that I want to continue on after my gap year. Teaching is a more personal choice as I feel I will gain lots out of it as well as have a real affect on the lives of others. | |
| Back to top | Location: Unknown | 36 Posts |
| Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 9:56 am |
|
| Hi Christina,
I'd personally suggest that you focus on the teaching in terms of a volunteer placement, and then hit the coast for a couple of weeks after the placement to do the diving and organize that yourself. Do you already have your open water certificate? Lonely Planet would probably be a good resource to check out the best dive spots, you'd have a lot more confidence to do it by yourself after volunteering, and it's very easy to make friends at the backpacking beach resorts. |
|
| Back to top | Location: Unknown | 5 Posts |
| Posted: Sun Nov 1, 2009 1:06 am |
|
| I definitely wouldn't use Frontier - I've read that there is nothing charitable about their organisation:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/article-1205226/Not-profit-gap-year-firm-Frontier-shares-fees--directors.html Have also read that they have a very poor safety record (due to cost cutting no doubt) and that people have been injured on trips and someone was even killed a few years back. |
|
| Back to top | Location: Unknown | 2 Posts |
Go to page: 1 |
Previous Message :: Next Message |
|
|
Favourites
Digg
Furl
Del.icio.us
Facebook
Google
Reddit
More Services >>
