Program Reviews

This was the trip of a lifetime and a wonderful opportunity to learn and grow on an individual level as well as gain valuable life experience. Not only did I learn more about the world I live in but, I also had the opportunity to meet a lot of fantastic people both on the trip (students, staff and guides) and in the local village of Camarones.
It's challenging to find one main highlight for the trip as each component provided a very different and amazing aspect of the Help, Learn & Discover program. The volunteer site was such a powerful experience for myself and spending 12 days there was very worthwhile. The gratitude, love and kindness of the people there is overwhelmingly beautiful. It was also wonderful to see the progress on the homes day by day and see the difference
that everyone's hard work made.

The Learn component is geared towards students who are in the bio/pre-med program. Although I have not done this program I would highly recommend it to any student who has ever thought of becoming a doctor. It provides very practical experience and you will finish the program knowing if that is the career path for you.

The Discover portion was fantastic!! We did everything from waterfall repelling and white water rafting in Mindo to volcano hikes and snorkeling in the Galapagos (take the extra week and go to the Galapagos, it's breathtaking) to surfing lessons in Canoa.

This trip was an absolutely amazing experience! I got so much more that I expected and imagined out of all 3 parts of the trip; med rotations, traveling, and volunteer.

The Med rotations were definately one of the things that most attracted me to this trip, and they did not disappoint. Its crazy how much we learned in just a week. It was an experience I could not have gotten anywhere else. We all got to see a wide variety of surguries and my group was even lucky enough to see a birth. But we also learned a lot from the workshops and the case studies too. The tutors were amazing, so knowledgeable and always answered all our questions, and went above and beyond to make the rotations exciting and educational for us. They were well chosen and definately were a huge part of why the med rotations were so great

The traveling around Ecuador was super cool because we got to know all the different sides of what Ecuador had to offer. We never stayed very long in one place, even though they did try to arrange longer stays in some of the nicer places like Canoa, but that was ok because thats what made it possible to see so much. We got to do some pretty sweet activities like surfing and waterfall rapelling too. Our tour guides Olivia and Tom were also awesome!!

The volunteer part was once in a lifetime experience. Nothing compares to actually meeting these families that will be receiving the houses and getting to know them, playing with their kids, and working along side them for the week. The work was hard but so rewarding, and at the end of the week it was so hard to say goodbye to the community. One thing that really struck us was how grateful they were and how generous and willing to give, even though they had so little! They made dinner for us the first night, and had a `dance party` for us to show us their appreciation. It was really special to witness.

Overall this trip was a great experience and I would definately reccomend it to anyone! You will do so many amazing things in a month and build so many lifetime memories and friendships!

This was a trip of a lifetime. The group tour guide as well the owners did an amazing job of making everyone in the group feel included and excited about all of the events on the trip. They helped to foster teamwork and camaraderie in the group, and provided useful and interesting information about the different places we traveled to in Ecuador. The accommodations throughout the entire trip were amazing, as well as the food on tour and at the volunteer site. Volunteering was a highlight of the experience, as it was evident that the money raised by the group and the physical labour done by members of EcuaExperience made a major impact in the lives of the families in the community. Getting the opportunity to work alongside individuals who would be moving into the houses was an amazing opportunity and a chance to experience another culture. Another unique aspect of the trip were the medical rotations. From watching natural births to learning how to stitch, this week displayed many of the different fields in medicine as well as giving students insight into the daily lives of doctors. This is an experience that would probably be impossible to replicate in Canada outside of medical school. Overall, the trip was unbelievable; the group was filled with amazing people, I learned more about working in healthcare, and also gained exposure to a different culture. Once in Ecuador, the trip was very well organized.

This trip was overall an awesome experience - due to it's nature you meet so many great people and experience so many new and exciting adventures.

Help - The volunteer site was amazing to see! We didn't get to see much of the beginning but the end result was really great and giving away the houses was such a fun experience, definitely a perk of going in August.

Learn - This part was incredible, we learned more than I could have imagined and standing behind the surgeons in the ORs was something you'll never get in Canada. If you're unsure if being a doctor/medicine is for you this is 100% the best way to find out. I even thought the case studies we did were a lot of fun!

Discover - We went to so many places I definitely got a feel for Ecuador. We saw ocean, mountain, rainforest, shopping, hot springs and did lots of activities like hikes, rappelling and tubing. We sacrificed time spent in each place for quantity but I'm glad we saw as much as we did.

An amazing way to travel, meet incredible people, learn, and feel as though you have made a difference in the world. This program taught me so much from seeing culture changes up close in the village of Camerones, exploring the landscape and biodiversity of the galapagos islands, to watching natural births and open heart surgerys in the hospitals of Quito. Looking back It's hard to imagine how we fit so many amazing adventures into only 4 weeks. Everyday is filled with new experiences from surfing lessons on the beaches of Canoa to jungle walks and tubing in the Amazon. I would recommend this trip to anyone who is looking for an unforgettable adventure in a beautiful country with people who create a positive, fun, free atmosphere. At the end of this trip you will feel as though you have found your second family.

Help, Learn & Discover has been an breathtaking, wild, knowledgeable and extremely valuable program. Not only does it cover aspects of medical rotations and show you the hot spots of Ecuador, but it also allows you to help the unfortunate communities by providing them with homes that they can cherish for the future.

Personally, my favourite part of this program was the "Help" portion where we were able to support the community in Camarones by helping build 20+ homes. Fundraising money in the places we live and knowing 100% of the proceeds going to the constructions of these houses as well as dealing with the money by ourselves makes this program exceptional as it gives you a great amount of responsibility and you are able to see all your fundraising work helping the lovely children and parents that are in Ecuador. In addition, the program allowing you to get to know the community on a personal level by holding meet & greets and parties makes this portion of the program important and emotional as you build a friendship with the community that you are helping. The smiles on children that you get to see everyday when you are working; that is something that words really cannot describe and one must travel to experience first hand. This program allows you to truly feel and see the support you are showing to the community and I would highly recommend anyone to join this program on this reason alone.

However, Ecuaexperience not only has a Help section but also a "Learn" and thus makes this program is truly worthwhile. Since I did the pre-med program I was privileged to see some amazing things in hospitals that I would never be able to see in Canada unless I was to be in medical school. For anyone wondering if they would like to pursue a medical career the "Learn" quadrant of HLD gives an exceptional taste of what it is like to be a medical student with case studies, morning rounds, physical exams, surgery viewing and much more. By doing this program I have assured myself that I want to pursue the medical path even after seeing how difficult it is. HLD also hires English medical students to help you out throughout the week and therefore you do not feel lost at anytime during the learning process and you can have as many questions answered. The med tutors are extremely knowledgeable, supportive and you get to know them on a personal level so this program also gives you the opportunity to make a lot of overseas friends.

If that isn't enough alone HLD goes above and beyond with the Discover portion by taking students to some of the absolute beautiful places in Ecuador including waterfalls, natural hot springs, jungle, stunning beaches etc. They also throw in some crazy activities such as water fall repelling! I wont say much more so I do not ruin the experience for those that are intending to embark on this lifetime adventure.

I can understand how the prices may seem high for this program, however I assure you every penny I paid was completely worth it for what I received out of this program. Not only do you get a sense of accomplishment as you get to support an entire community, you also learn some really cool things along the way and you get to travel the beautiful land of Ecuador!

There isn't much to say other than its time for you to go experience Ecuador yourself and to say this program is the best is an understatement (its simply amazing) as it manages to let you find out a lot of things about yourself as well as see and do things that you will be sharing for pretty much the rest of your life!

This trip was absolutely incredible and life changing. The places we visited were so beautiful and the people I met were amazing.

Help- the volunteer component was great, it was a really good feeling to know that we were making a positive difference.

Learn- absolutely amazing and no complaints about this part of the trip. I got to see things I would never see back home. The tutors are all incredibly bright, mature, friendly and intelligent. They make sure that you understand everything you are seeing and that you learn as much as possible. I stood in on numerous surgeries and natural births, and got an idea of what the work day of a doctor was like. The seminars at night are interesting and fun. For anyone interested in medicine I would highly recommend this trip.

Discover- Ecuador is such a beautiful country with so much to offer. We visited Quito, Banos (waterfalls and cable cars, night club), Papallacta (hot springs), Mindo (hiking, waterfall repelling, white water tubing, el quetzal chocolate factory, salsa dancing and butterfly sanctuary) , Misahuailli (jungle hike, tubing into hotel) , Otovalo (indigenous market), Cotopaxi (incredible scenery), Canoa (surfing and partying) and Mompiche (all inclusive resort). Every place was awesome for completely different reasons.

Overall my impression of this trip was very positive. it was my first time travelling for that long and I was amazed at the things we saw and did. I would definitely recommend it to people looking for a safe and enjoyable trip, especially if you are contemplating a job in healthcare.

If the med rotations are what draws you to this program then you will be more than thrilled. You'll never get an experience like that anywhere else. You're right behind the surgeons and can take pictures for later use. So so so amazing. The tutors are great and I learned so much.

Unfortunately the other parts of this trip weren't as great as I hoped. I feel like the help and discover portions should be predictable and the same amongst groups but they weren't. There was time wasted & missed opportunities due to extreme disorganization. If that's the part you most look forward to, I suggest looking elsewhere.

Anyone going on this trip will undoubtably have an amazing time and meet such great people. It's only the experienced traveler that will notice the discrepancy with other tour groups for the volunteer and travel portion.

This trip was the most rewarding and challenging experience of my life. I learned so much about Ecuador as a country, about medicine, and, most importantly, about myself through this month-long journey.

If I had to pick a favourite week, it would definitely be the volunteer site. Nothing compares to the looks on a family's face as they see their new homes come together. Even though we didn't speak the same language, we still were able to understand each other. It's incredible how close you can get with a community in a single week. The families receiving the homes work beside the volunteers every day, and it really gives perspective and meaning to your work.

In the touring sections, you were given the opportunity to discover the diversity of Ecuador. We travelled from the highlands, to the coast, to the jungle and back. Along the way, we hiked, surfed, tubed in the Amazon, and sat at the base of a volcano. You truly saw a bit of everything Ecuador has to offer. The guides were hilarious and really made these weeks worth-while. It was a lot of bus rides, but they flew by in a wave of dance parties and sing-alongs.

Med rotations were so unique and educational. On top of shadowing doctors in Quito hospitals, we were given access to bilingual tutors who answered all of our questions. We were able to see the ER/ICU, pediatrics, births, OR, radiology, and sports medicine. Nightly labs gave us the opportunity to learn stitches, and how to draw blood (from each other!!!).

Overall, this was the best month of my life, and I will miss the country and people every day. Everyone remotely interested in this program should go. You won't regret it.

I honestly don't know where to start... HLD Ecuaexperience has been an opportunity I won't soon forget. The people are remarkable, the things we see and people we meet are life changing, and the impact we make is heartwarming.

Help: The long and hard days at the volunteer site are worth every drop of sweat when you accomplish something as worthwhile as giving a family (especially 21 families) a home. The community is so appreciative, it really gives you a new perspective on life.

Learn: Thinking about medicine? The medical rotations are definitely an eye opening experience. During the long hours in the hospitals, you'll see anything from live births to a rhynoplasty, all while interacting with knowledgeable tutors and medical staff that really want to make your experience enjoyable.

Discover: Want to see sights that take your breath away? Ecuaexperience is not short on awe inspiring scenery. You haven't really hiked until you've hiked through the Amazon to one of the most breathtaking waterfalls.

All in all, this program is top notch and I would recommend it to anyone interested in making a difference. On top of it all, the friends you will make during this trip are ones that you will never want to let go. Trust me, this trip is more than worthwhile.

August 2013 HLD Participant