Inca & Amazon Venture

- Multi-Country

• Other Cities in - Multi-Country: 
Locations Throughout the World

  Bolivia

• Other Cities in Bolivia: 
La Paz

  Chile

• Rural Areas: 
Rural Areas

  Ecuador

• Quito: 
Quito

  Peru

• Cusco: 
Cusco
• Lima: 
Lima

Dates: 28th Jan 2010, 18th Mar 2010

Description: The ultimate adventure travel Gap year in South America.
Learn Spanish, Volunteer on an aid project, adventure with purpose!

A complete and in depth exploration of South America and the Amazon region. We get under the skin of this area and get to know its people, culture and language. With over 8,000 indigenous animals, countless numbers of unknown plants and insects still uncategorised by science, the Amazon jungle itself covers around eight million square kilometres and produces more than 20% of the worlds oxygen.

Cultural Introduction and Language School (Weeks 1-2 + 14)
Learn Spanish in the vibrant Ecuadorian capital of Quito, followed by a refresher course in ancient Cusco. Your cultural introduction goes beyond language alone: youll get a chance to savour the flavours of local cuisine during your Ecuadorian and Peruvian cooking course. There are even salsa classes for those who feel the need to ignite those Latin rhythms& Your afternoons and weekends remain free to explore Quito and Cusco, trying anything from haggling for goods at Otavalos world famous market, to climbing up a rocky summit, to mountain-biking down again.

Volunteer Project (Weeks 3-4 + 6-7)
In the sea just off fishing village Puerto Lopez' stunning beaches and coastal forests, you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of migrating humpback whales. Your time in the village will be spent helping construct much-needed classrooms and day centres alongside local people, which also gives you the opportunity to build on the practical Spanish skills you began to develop in weeks 1-2. You can also help teach English to children, or assist in the construction of a mountain bike trail which will help attract visitors to the area. For the next stage of your volunteering work, in Peru, you'll become part of local work on the Great Inca Road project, which aims to establish a new trekking route to provide additional sources of income to remote Andean villages.

Adventure and Exploration (Weeks 5, 8-13 + 15)
The exploration stage of this venture really is extensive. You'll descend from the Andes to the Amazon, rafting, climbing, surfing and relaxing as you journey into Peru. Trek 2,400 metres above sea level to the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, sail across sacred Lake Titicaca, traverse deserts and salt flats. You'll fly over the mysterious Nazca lines, giant desert geoglyphs constructed over a thousand years ago. Mountain biking, horse-riding, white-water rafting and trekking your way around these memorable lands, this exploration will be no walk in the park. After venturing deep into the Amazon basin, following the waterways in a canoe, you swim with pink river dolphins, though keep watch for both anacondas and piranhas.

Highlights:
*Learn Spanish in vibrant Quito
*visit South Americas most spectacular market
*Cotopaxi Volcano
*mountain biking
*volunteer on the beach helping the local community
*whale spotting (seasonal)
*Amazon jungle
*white-water rafting
*raft building
*living with an Amazonian community
*surfing the worlds longest wave
*volunteer in the high Andes
*Great Inca Road trek
*Colonial Lima
*marine safari to spot dolphins, penguins and sea lions,
*Nazca lines
*colonial Arequipa
*Atacama desert
*lunar valley
*surreal salt flats
*Potosi (highest city in the world)
*La Paz' witches market
*Choro trek into the Amazon jungle
*Jungle canoe safari
*Lake Titicaca
*Trek to Machu Pichu
*Cusco

Cost in US$: 6995 USD for 15 weeks

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work in Groups of maximum of 16

Application Process Involves:

• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Exit Debriefing Abroad
• Re-Entry Debriefing at Home

Year Founded: 1999