Follow the World Challenge blog and be inspired! We'll discuss the best destinations and treks, keep you up to date with the latest travel news and information about our events that may interest you.

Our Expedition Planning Managers (EPMs) travel all corners of the globe to check out new expedition routes. Follow their progress through some of our most exciting destinations.

For more information about our expeditions, visit the World Challenge website.

Thursday 28 October 2010

Swaziland recce photo album

Alex in Africa - Swaziland recce


Johannesburg
Inspite of Toni’s best efforts, the business class upgrade on Emirates flight EK4 fails to materialise, but the courtesy of a splendid new A380 Airbus, the journey from London to Jo’burg is as pleasant as a long haul economy can be. The landing is rough as the storm clouds are gathering, but in no time I’m off the plane, through immigration, changing money then heading over to the domestic terminal where my hostel shuttle bus is waiting. Stepping outside the skies open and I’m drenched by a deluge which marks the start of the rainy season. Bodes well for seeing Swaziland awash with bright flowers, green grass and blossoming trees. The rain is torrential and the lightening spectacular – it’s a welcome tonic from the stuffy flight.

We don’t normally have teams staying in Jo’burg – parts of the city aren’t suitable – but the hostel I’ve found is about 25km outside of the centre, in a peaceful rural feeling suburb. It’s a large secure homestead with a great campsite, bathrooms, camp kitchen, braai (barbecue) pits, dorms, a TV lounge and very tasty home cooked meals. Perfect for teams. The owners can organise safaris and transport – we spend some time discussing prices. Turns out that there’s also a supermarket 2km walk away, and just next to that is a friendly little orphanage which welcomes volunteers – an unexpected potential project. After a night and a morning in Jo’burg confirming costings and logistics it’s time to jump on the bus east to Swaziland, and the exciting bit of recce begins…

Friday 22 October 2010

Nicaragua and Costa Rica recce

Latin America Continent Manager Caroline Joyner heads off on a short recce. She will travel from Managua, Nicaragua to San Jose, Costa Rica over land. During the journey she will be sourcing new projects, negotiating prices and meeting with key suppliers and in country agents.

Monday 4 October 2010

World Challenge meets the education department in Malawi


This is some feedback from a project up in northern Malawi.
"We were blessed with another World Challenge group this year as well.

A large group came from Queen Elizabeth’s College in Lincolnshire and an Australian leader named Daine. They were an excellent team and went straight to work at the local primary school, Chikale, constructing another adventure playground. This time with a difference as it had giant games like connect four, bao, a maze and a chess board.

They left a donation as they had budgeted so well which was very generous as a group decision. This could mean a new classroom which is well needed with over 100 students in each class at the moment.

Everyone was very hands on, even those who couldn’t lift, dig, hammer, were kept busy with painting and decorating inside classes. It was great to get a visit from the education department showing interest and well deserved biscuit delivery. Once again I feel so happy to be part of the work this organization does and after all their hard work I get to see the joy it brings to children around us that need play equipment, and as Mr. Moyo, head of education stated a place to give learning minds a chance to rest and have their well earned fun. "

Find out more about World Challenge expeditions to Malawi and Malawi and Zambia

Tuesday 21 September 2010

Fort Cochin: is this really India?


The Indian family sitting opposite me are staring again. When I read they stare, when I sleep they stare and when I eat they stare. I am one of only 3 Westerners on the flight from Kuala Lumpur (I have just been on holiday in New Zealand) to Kochi in Southern India, and as yet un-used to the continual staring that will accompany me on this recce.
As we come close to landing in Kochi, Kerala, I see a carpet of shaggy coconut palm forests, tangled rivers, canals and lagoons.
I am at the airport by a man in a cream 1950’s-esq “Ambassador” car. “You from?” The taxi driver asks. I would be asked this question 1000 times over in the coming weeks by rickshaw drivers, taxi drivers, shop keepers, hoteliers, waiters and often people just passing me in the street.
Kerala is one of India’s wealthiest states, and as we drive through the outskirts there is a sense of wealth I was not expecting – bill boards advertising luxury flats, gold jewellery and wedding shops flash past. In 1957 Kerala was the first state in the world to freely elect a communist government which has been in and out of power ever since. This democratic form of communism has led to equality in land distribution as well as a focus on health and education. Today 30% of the state’s wealth is ploughed into education and Kerala has the highest literacy (91%) and life expectancy (73) of any Indian state.
The next day, stepping outside into India in daylight for the first time I soon realise Fort Cochin does not really have much to do with India. The town is on a peninsula connected to the mainland via a bridge. The real Cochin city is on the mainland and behaves much like any other hectic Indian city, but Fort Cochin seems like a piece of India sectioned off just for tourists. The majority of the people on the narrow streets of this tiny port enclave are westerners, and not only that, western package tourists! Every single shop is a tourist restaurant, souvenir shop or travel agency. It’s easy to see the appeal of the town: narrow atmospheric streets lined with white medieval buildings, ornate white catholic Churches, a Dutch palace, wooden roof top restaurants, quaint art galleries and a general air of times past make a lovely place to wander. All this is courtesy of a 600 year history which includes Portuguese, Dutch and British traders along with Chinese fisherman who brought their now infamous enormous spider-like fishing net contraptions to Cochin’s port.
Down to business. My first task, (other than searching out some muesli and green tea of course) is to research the hostel situation. I attempt my usual game of “how fast can you recce a hostel” but soon found that in India this game is almost certainly lost before starting. After a long conversation, I am shown around the first hotel by the very proud owner and then I attempt my first escape. Ah no. Before I knew it I am on the back of a motorbike ((full on the ground risk assessment conducted of course) whizzing my way to his second hotel, which I already know before arriving will be unsuitable for our teams. Half an hour later after many discerningly flattering comments about Mr Singh’s hotel we are back at hotel number 1. “Come in and sit down” he pines, gesturing me back into the office. I make my excuses and scarper, my first lesson of India learned.

It’s during my visit to one hostel that I come across the Indian art of head wobbling for the first time. Somehow I have managed to live all my life without knowing about this typical Indian trait. The receptionist seems to wobble and shake her head in different directions whatever I say. She can be answering “yes” to a question but still shaking her head and I begin to wonder if she has some sort of facial/head wobbling tick. “How many rooms do you have here?” I ask.

“12” she says as she wobbles her head ferociously.

“So you can sleep 24 then”. I say. More vigorous head shaking follows and I am seriously confused. That is until the next day I begin to notice it more and more in almost all conversations with Indian people. Basically the head wobble can mean “Yes”, “No,” or “I don’t know” which makes for a confusing first few days.
I visit as many hostels, tour agencies-posing-as-tourist-information and money changers as possible. Many Chais, long winded discussions about how many people can be squeezed into one home-stay and foot-mileage later I manage to make it to see Fort Cochin’s tourist spectacle of the sun setting over the local giant sized Chinese fishing nets. Getting that elusive picture however demands finding a rock which isn’t already taken by an over- weight German package tourist, which somehow ruins the moment for me.
The next morning, feeling like a VIP I get into the landrover which has been sent to collect me by our in country agent. On arrival at their offices, it is obvious that this isn’t going to be just any first-meeting-on-recce with a normal agent. Rather than the usual cafe in some dodgy neighbourhood, here are the agent sparkling shiny offices situated amongst mansions.
I am lead into the board room where 3 middle aged men and 2 younger men are already seated and looking ready for me to lead some sort of World Challenge summit. The older men introduce themselves as the Directors, they are ex Naval commanders who feel the need to keep their titles even though they are now working in tourism! Their staff address them at “Sah”. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, I begin the usual endless round of ‘Thank Yous’ for their work in 2009 before starting on the review points and plans for 2010 teams. A short time later, the formality is suddenly gone and replaced by a jolly atmosphere in which I am heartened to realise that sarcasm is alive and well in India, and moreover, here even company director’s love to take the micky out of themselves! I had had my first taste of the true warmth of Indian people and there was much more to come.
The agent had scheduled a mere 2 hours for this meeting. Often the first meeting with an in contry contact can last for a full day and so I am not surprised when nearly 5 hours later, we emerge for a very late lunch. After much insistence on my part that World Challenge would like to pay for this lunch I have to submit to defeat. Clearly me paying for their lunch is not an acceptable way to do business here.
Later that afternoon I meet with a potential project contact from an NGO, which provides extra curricular English classes to under privileged children at various orphanages around the city. Not long out of Uni himself, he could talk for India and takes me through the organisation, staffing and mission of the NGO without stopping for breath at breakneck speed. By the time he has stopped talking its early evening and we head for an orphanage for disadvantaged girls where classes are taking place. Supported by the Catholic Church, the orphanage itself seems fairly well off, but all the girls here are from a background which includes some sort of trauma. Families who don’t have enough money to look after them, abusive parents, or absent parents. The girls are grouped into 5 classes according to age and are listening attentively when I enter the first class. Hands shoot up with enthusiasm at each question. Their passion for learning touches me. As soon as I pop my head into the classroom the children begin firing questions at me and control is lost. They only settle down again after being promised they can talk to the foreigner at the end of class. The girls form a circle around me and ask several million questions. After the ubiquitous “what is your name”, comes “what is your mother/father’s name, what religion are you and do you have mosquito bites” which I find an odd combination!
I arrive back at my room late in the evening and myself and the recce laptop take ourselves out for a nice Dahl.

Wednesday 8 September 2010

The adventures of Recce Ted!


As we come to the end of the 09/10 recce year, Recce Ted is enjoying a well deserved rest before heading off round the world for the next batch of recces for our expedition planning team.

This year our intrepid bear has explored dozens of countries and had some incredible adventures. He’s got too many snapshots to fit on the blog, but he’s compiled a montage of his favourite bits. Over the coming year Recce Ted will be packing his bags and heading to (amongst other places) Swaziland, Mozambique, China, Uzbekistan, Bolivia, Laos, Turkey, Syria, Zambia, Papua New Guinea and Kenya – and he can’t wait! Keep watching the blog to follow the progress of Recce Ted as he travels the globe…

Wednesday 14 July 2010


Expedition Planning Manager Chris Brunning will be out in Peru for 2 weeks from 29th July as an on-the ground extension of the World Challenge Operations Centre. With lots of teams passing through Cusco, having a full time member of World Challenge staff as an immediate contact is a big plus point.

He will also be gaining more first hand knowledge of the destination as part of his role as Expedition Planning Manager for Peru, which includes visiting new project sites and talking to current and potential providers.

Think that’s it for now and we’ll see how things unfold while he’s out there!

Find out more about World Challenge expeditions to Peru

Supporting teams in Tanzania


Our Head of School Support Polly Griffith is leaving to work out in one of our in-country hubs in Tanzania on Saturday, 17th July. She will be out there until 20th August in Moshi at the base of the Kilimanjaro National Park.
Her responsibility is to provide an operational and safety service enhancement, based locally and she is hoping to provide a significant boost to our ability to project in-country customer service.


See what’s happening out in Tanzania by following Polly on our blog!

Out in Borneo


Jenny Mullier, one of the Expedition Planning Manager has just arrived in Miri (Sarawak, Borneo) for 6 weeks. She will be spending 3 weeks in Sarawak & 3 weeks in Sabah.

She will be providing extra support for the teams and do recces for new treks and projects for future expeditions, and therefore will be moving around to different areas quite a lot instead of staying in one location for the whole time.

Check out the blog to follow how she is getting on! Find out more about Borneo expeditions.

Monday 7 June 2010

Sightseeing with our In-Country Agents


Back in April we set up a bit of an India versus Ecuador tennis match on the Wii and both Bob and Gary proved that they were both very capable of mastering modern technology in the form of a games console! And this weekend, after working hard at the EPC in High Wycombe the agents who didn’t have to head home straight away stayed out with the Expedition Planning Managers for some celebratory noodles. Tommy found an affinity with the Atlas the Ape on his t-shirt as he swung back to the hotel on every tree branch he could find and we’re delighted to report that Javier did make his rather early flight at 5am!

The following day, Pablo, Tommy and Carlos were packed off to London for a day of sightseeing. They managed an epic tour of Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and the Tate Britain before heading to the Taste of Spain Festival on Regent Street. Pausing for lunch in Green Park Carlos sought the ‘free advice’ of a generous Texan hippy whilst Tommy set up camp next to him to offer ‘free hugs’. Then it was the delights of Buckingham Palace, the changing of the guards, Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery where Tommy scaled the dizzy heights of the elephant and lion statues for a better view of London. Joined by Pablo, Team America finally ended up with frappe soya lattes in Soho.

If you want to see what they had to say about London check out little video from Tommy and Carlos.

We know they speak for all our agents, including those that could not attend the conference, when they say they are looking forward to having you all this Summer. So keep up the last bits of fundraising and fitness training and they’ll see you there in a few weeks time!

Friday 14 May 2010

New brochure launched!

We've launched our new brochure! After taking on board all the feedback we've had from our customers, we've gone away to research and create new destinations including the Silk Road (Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan). If you’ve not received one in the post already please do request a free postal copy or simply view the online version here: http://www.world-challenge.co.uk/popup/getBrochureRegistration.asp

Thursday 29 April 2010

At World Challenge customers are more important than costs

While many travel companies left their customers stranded all over the world with no financial help, we at World Challenge were quick to ensure anyone under their care affected by the recent air traffic disruptions was very well looked after. The wellbeing and happiness of our customers comes first and foremost to us.

All customers were put up in 4* accommodation, all expenses paid and organised daily excursions. In addition to this the teams were wired out ‘pocket money' to cover costs of internet access, laundry and occasional treats.

We thought we'd share some of the positive feedback we've had from parents:

“I would just like to send my huge thanks to your world challenge team, for the way they handled the Morocco expeditions and the various 'unusual' problems they faced. Special thanks to the actual leaders, as the care and guidance they gave the girls was exceptional, but also thanks to the team at home, they kept us updated, and no question was too small. Please thank everyone involved, I am very impressed with your World Challenge team and will not hesitate to recommend them in the future. I will certainly be giving my other children the chance to have such a fabulous experience.”
Kind regards,
Parent
Morocco expedition


Hi there,
Just wanted to thank you all for your help and phone calls keeping us as parents informed while the children are stuck out in morocco. I have finally received an email from my daughter who seems to be having a great time and sounds like being well looked after. Cant wait to here all about the adventure when they finally return
Thank you again,
Parent
Morocco expedition


Hello,
We would like to offer our sincere thanks to the staff of both the school and World Challenge for the excellent welfare provided to our daughter during the recent Morocco trip. She has returned home in great spirits and we felt confident in her safety and wellbeing throughout the entire extended trip! We were very disappointed to read the negative comments from another parent in the article in Tuesday’s Evening Echo and we shall be writing to them accordingly in an effort to put the record straight. Please pass on our sincere thanks to all involved - we would recommend these trips whole-heartedly to any pupils contemplating such a challenge in the future.

Sincerely,
Parents
Morocco expedition

Friday 26 March 2010

Flickr

This is a test post from flickr, a fancy photo sharing thing.

World Challenge raises over £2000 for Sport Relief


Since January we’ve been working hard to promote and raise funds for Sport Relief… well, all of the events and hassling is now over and we’re proud to announce that we have raised £2093!!!

Friday 19 March 2010

Claire Bowes' East Africa Adventure!

Claire Bowes, World Challenge's Expedition Planning Manager (EPM) for Uganda and Kenya (and China!) is busy preparing for her imminent trip to East Africa. She leaves on Friday 19th March and will be visiting lots of amazing project sights as well as investigating new trekking possibilities. Come back soon to read her updates.

Friday 5 March 2010

Ali’s Darwinian recce begins!

Ali, World Challenge’s Expedition Planning Manager for Ecuador and Galapagos (amongst other exciting destinations) is heading off on a 3 week long recce Ecuador and Galapagos to visit new and existing project sites and trekking locations, meet our partners and agents in country and cover some serious ground during her short stay. She’s heading off on 6th March and will be taking loads of photos and videos so watch this space!

Wednesday 10 February 2010

Emma packs her bag for India!

Emma Turnbull, World Challenge's Expedition Planning Manager (EPM) for India and Nepal is busy preparing for her next trip to Rajasthan and the Himalayas. She leaves on Thursday 11th February and will be blogging whilst on the move! Come back soon to read her posts.

Find out about all our expeditions to India