SCHOOL TRIPS: Looking back on a life-changing adventure

Four teams of RGS students and staff enjoyed a series of thrilling expeditions in Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia this summer. OLLIE KITSON, NIA PEEDELL and WILL BELLARIES reflect on what they experienced on their trip, how it broadened their horizons, altered their view of the world and helped them emerge as better global citizens

OUR World Challenge expedition has received quite a lot of attention. Many of you reading have probably heard about the 16 ‘heroic’ students who helped rescue Mrs Savage while in the remote mountains of Laos. It sounds quite dramatic, but here is the real story! We have spent three weeks having the adventure of a lifetime and we’d love to share our experience with you. Many of us have come out of this journey with new confidence, skills and ambitions and we think that reflects the transformative nature of this unmissable adventure. Hopefully we can inspire some of you to seize the next opportunity to go on a world challenge trip and give you some first-hand advice to help you overcome the challenges you might face along the way.

So, what is World Challenge? It is a company that provides expeditions for students to a wide range of amazing places around the world. Every expedition has a focus on student leadership and being sustainable, so that we leave no trace, with a specific UN sustainable development goal attached to each one. This means that while a large proportion of the trip involves thrilling and enriching activities for the students, there is also a community development project that you’ll get involved in, which a lot of us found to be the most rewarding part of the trip. Due to the more extreme, but above all exciting and exotic climates you venture to, it’s important to be prepared. Expeditions will have a set kit list and necessary vaccines, which you have to pay for on top of the upfront cost. That’s where your first responsibility as a participant comes in, raising some of the funds for yourself. It’s greatly encouraged by the organisation to do this as, although it is daunting, it is great to get involved in some part time work or more ambitious fundraising events to feel an even greater satisfaction once you finally embark on your journey.

For our expedition, we ventured to the spiritual and vibrant lands of Southeast Asia and visited the countries of Laos and Thailand. We got the chance to discover the variety this corner of the world had to offer - transcendental temples, mist covered mountains, remote jungle villages and bustling street markets. Coming with sixteen of us were our incredible team leaders Mr Cocks, Mrs Savage and Emma Burrows. We got to develop close relationships with them and see a side to teachers you don’t often get to see! Throughout the expedition we overcame daily logistical challenges as a team and each of us had to step up into a leadership role. In addition, the trip was placed firmly in our hands, so we made our own decisions as a group on what activities to do, leaving us with the responsibility to organise it. We got to choose from cooking classes and temple visits to walking amongst elephants and white-water rafting. Each one holds unforgettable moments and fond memories that will keep our team cemented together for years to come. What’s more, they gave us a chance to truly delve into the culture of Laos and Thailand and educate ourselves on their unique customs, way of life and nature!

During our three-week expedition, we embarked on a variety of activities, adventures, and challenges. This included sightseeing around cities in Laos and Thailand, including Bangkok, the Thai capital, where we viewed the grand palace complex, and Luang Prabang, which featured unique and incredibly well-preserved architecture, as well as giving us a chance to experience some of the vibrant Laos culture.

Our elephant experience at Mandalao tours was also particularly memorable, not just giving us the opportunity to watch and walk with these fantastic animals, but also enlightening us on their abhorrent treatment in elephant riding centres.

Whilst we're sure most of our team would agree our jungle trek in the Chiang Dao region was not particularly easy, having to carry large backpacks up and down expansive mountains and vast valleys in the midst of torrential rain, that feeling of sitting down after finishing three arduous days of hiking is just incomparable, as was the sleep afterward!

Obviously, many of the high points came from these electrifying experiences and activities. Perhaps the most memorable though, are the ones that sprung about from down time spent with each other and new people. A music playlist on our team phone led to some great singalongs and dances. Long days of travel and late evenings spurred on great conversation. Time spent with local people offered new perspectives as we communicated and played games together. Possibly the biggest high point and positive factor of our trip (other than the life-changing food) was the great group of people in our team and the amazing people we met along the way!

Although our trip was truly amazing, it was not without its difficulties and challenges.


As a group we made the decision to go to Laos and Thailand without our mobile phones, and we anticipated that we’d find this hard. Spending three weeks away in an unfamiliar environment with no contact back home seemed like it might be tough, but not having our phones allowed us to be more present and able to fully appreciate the experience. We all got to know each other really well and definitely feel bonded to the whole team as a result.

It also took a bit of time over the first few days to figure out how to work effectively as a team. However, with us being in charge of our own trip, we quickly created roles to be assigned each day, so that we could take turns having responsibility for different tasks (for example sorting food, accommodation, transport and money) and our communication skills as a group improved each day.


At the end of the first week, during our community initiative, our teamwork really came together when Ruth had a terrible fall, leading to her badly breaking her leg. We were half an hour walk from the remote village that we were staying in, so our group quickly worked together under the expert guidance of our World Challenge leader Emma, to stabilise Ruth’s leg and to get her back to our base. This involved crafting a splint from bamboo and our clothing for padding, and a stretcher from bamboo poles and tarpaulin from our survival bag. The boys and Emma took the job of carrying this stretcher, whilst the girls carried all the rucksacks and walked in front navigating the difficult terrain and highlighting the obstacles ahead. We all did our best to comfort Ruth and support each other, and we eventually got her to safety. A few days later Ruth was flown to Bangkok hospital for surgery, and now thankfully is back home and making a good recovery. I think we are all proud of how we pulled together and coped with this difficult situation.


Another major challenge for us all was the hot, humid climate which at times was draining and meant that at the end of a long day it was sometimes difficult to maintain high spirits and have full engagement. Of course, there were times where people got irritable and perhaps missed their privacy. Also, the combination of sweat, suncream and Deet to try and abate the endless attacks from mosquitoes, meant we were often sticky and uncomfortable, and sometimes had to rely on bucket showers and squat toilets for our personal hygiene, but at least we were all smelly together!


The trek specifically was quite challenging due to the wet, muddy conditions high up in the mountains, paired with the fact we were carrying heavy 65L rucksacks up steep hills for long periods. The scenery was beautiful although we were largely looking at where to put our feet! However, at the end of each day, being able to sit down and have a good meal together made it worth the struggle. The other problem was that it was difficult to dry any of our clothing which meant our rucksacks became very musty for the rest of the trip!


A low point for some was getting ill on the trip. Despite us all keeping on top of hygiene, sanitising and purifying our water, unfortunately some were unlucky and had to miss out on certain activities. A lot of us also got badly bitten by mosquitoes. Since returning home we’ve had cases of dengue fever and Weil’s disease!

Undoubtedly this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, which I’m sure many of you students are desperate to get involved in. Here are a few of our top tips to help you overcome challenges that you will eventually face:

  • -Stick to the kit list, you’ll need everything on there and more as suggested by your team leaders.
  • -Ditch your phones, you won’t need them where you’re going!
  • -Write a diary or journal so you can look back on your trip.
  • -Keep on top of insect repellent and suncream, burns and bites are avoidable annoyances you won’t want to deal with.
  • -Use dry bags to organise your rucksacks, it helps with packing and quickly grabbing what you need for the day.
  • -Most importantly, keep an open mind and make the most of everything.

World Challenge is truly an unmissable experience that we’d recommend to anyone thinking of doing it and up for the challenge. You do face hurdles along the way, but this has developed us all into better people and responsible citizens. A greater sense of independence and organisational skills have come from the individual leadership we all had to take on. We have developed our confidence and teamwork, which are important qualities whenever faced with new people and challenges to overcome. Many of us have caught the travel bug and are now eager to do more and are aware of the kinds of considerations you must take when travelling. Most profoundly, we have a greater appreciation of certain luxuries back home such as clean water, a mosquito free environment and the UK’s air ambulances!

Lastly, we’re all immensely grateful for this opportunity and to the leaders and organisers who made it possible for us. Mr Cocks is already busy planning the next adventure so, if we’ve managed to convince you, get involved and don’t miss your chance!

*Ollie, Nia and Will pictured at the elephant sanctuary, below, one of the highlights of their trip