Case Studies

The STC. Friendly, organised, ethical, caring, good fun, realistic, honest, safe, enthusiastic, humble, knowledgeable, respectful... I could go on and on...

I have taken in excess of 30 residential trips, mostly abroad, and this rates among the top 3. Flawless organisation and a brilliant variety of experiences for all. 34 delighted students and parents. Really cannot praise the level of organisation highly enough.

We returned last night from India, at the end of an outstanding 4-week expedition to the Himalayas. For all who went from Exeter School, it was both very challenging and immensely rewarding. The work of Adrian at The STC was integral to the success of our expedition, with his untiring support and guidance priceless in the build up to departure. I, and 32 other expeditioners and staff, are most grateful to him.

Just a quick email to say we arrived home all safe last night. The trip was absolutely INCREDIBLE. A life-changer for a lot of kids and a dream come true for me. Our guide was a total God. So sad to come home. Thanks to everything you did in the planning, none of us staff felt as though we were on a school trip - probably the biggest compliment I can give! Thank you so much!

I learnt a lot about myself as a person. I’ve spent time away from my phone which has me realise that face to face interaction is much better than phone to phone.

This trip was simply wonderful and met ALL expectations.  I literally CANNOT fault it. An amazing country. I’d be willing to talk to any groups thinking of going – felt very safe.  We will be rebooking for a trip in 2 years.

The guide and local operator were excellent as ever. The itinerary was good and had been adapted well. The wedding in Aguersioual was a particular high point and attested to the level of familiarity that we have built up over the last three years. The students loved the experience, notably the cultural interaction in the village and sense of how a simple, more co-operative way of living can be contrasted to our society and its stresses.

I want to start living with less plastic and I would like to start training to go hiking overseas in a few years. This trip has definitely made me more adventurous.

Taking 32 boys walking in the Sinai desert was initially a daunting prospect. However, it turned out to be a truly amazing experience for pupils and the staff. The STC chose the perfect travel partner and I was amazed how smoothly every day ran. There was the right balance of trekking and relaxation, the scenery changed each day and being able to sleep under the stars was fantastic. The chef produced some amazing meals with the limited foods available and the boys always went for seconds. At the end of the trek it was great to relax in a hotel on the beach and then snorkel in crystal clear waters. The STC took the stress out of finding the right company and then helping with paper work (reminding and checking) and risk assessments! I am using The STC again this year and will recommend to anyone organising expeditions.

This being the second trip we have done with the STC, I knew things were going to run smoothly and I was not disappointed. From the beginning of the planning process right through to the in-expedition help, the team at the STC were quick to respond to anything we needed to make our trip possible. There are very few companies out there willing to tailor-make a trip to some very specific educational ideals, right through to ensuring that our school teachers are the ones teaching at the sites we visited. You are in safe hands with the STC and I would not hesitate to secure their services for any out-of-the-ordinary trip.

The Expedition has been amazing and better than I could possibly have imagined. Undoubtedly a few of the boys have been pushed out of their comfort zone, which of course is partly the aim, but then others have adapted to it like a duck to water! The chief guides we had were excellent and clearly specifically chosen for the age of the children. Between the two of them they had climbed Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro over 700 times....enough said!

A HUGE "thank you" to the STC for a truly memorable trip. My colleague is a seasoned school traveller, and she said she had never been on such a well-organised, hassle-free trip. Apart from one of our students breaking his collarbone in the Wadi Rum, absolutely nothing went wrong. Even that accident provided us with the opportunity to see the efficiency with which our attendant tourist policeman and the local Jordanian doctors dealt with the situation.Worth special mention is our incomparable guide in Jordan, Sam. I cannot now imagine the trip without him. Not only was he delightful, friendly, humorous and excellent at communicating with teens, he also knew everybody in Jordan and his name alone proved to be a talisman when dealing with locals. Maher in Israel was excellent too - tho' Sam was an impossible act to follow. Finally, I would rate every aspect as "excellent" - not just the trip itself, but your patience and guidance during the 16 months of preparation.

Every aspect was impressive. Quietly supportive would be my description…….I was grateful on several occasions for The STC’s intervention and help and would strongly recommend your company.

Having recently returned from an epic 10 day expedition to Nepal with 42 boys and 6 staff, Dulwich College highly recommends The STC as an excellent independent and responsible tourism operator. Adrian and his team put together a bespoke tour of Nepal, taking in the sights of Kathmandu, 4 days camping and trekking in the Annapurna region and Chitwan National Park. Our boys were able to experience an excellent range of geographical and religious sites from Buddhist Stupas, Hindu Temples, Diwali festival street parties, remote monasteries, breath-taking views of the Himalayan mountain range, glacial landscapes and jungle biodiversity. Absolutely everything was included within the tour price: no hidden extras at all. We ate like kings (having been cooked for most nights by our own team of Sherpas) and the experience was worth every penny.

I would recommend an STC adventure to other students because I had the most amazing experience of my life. Looking back, you don't care about the fact that you didn't shower properly for 3 weeks or that the bathroom was a hole in the ground. You don't remember if the food wasn't your favourite or that all of your hand washed clothes smelt of smoke from the fire. You could care less about all the mosquito bites and huge spiders that you saw because everything else was such an experience. You'll remember the look on the kids faces as they see bubbles being blown and their grins as you give them a new football to replace their worn out one. You'll remember coming around a bend on safari and seeing wild elephants right in front of you and having giraffes walk right in front of your jeep. You'll remember the tiny sleeping puppies and the dogs that just want some small affection. You'll remember all the incredible things you did and saw, like lions eating a water buffalo or the sun rising over Mt Kilimanjaro. And the friends you have made and the memories that you have shared will last a lifetime.

Much better than the expedition I led previously with a different provider. The itinerary was action-packed and having the truck worked really well. The whole expedition was really brilliant…..no-one got sick from the food which was excellent. The vehicle, crew and everything in Kenya was above any expectation. Julius the tour leader was excellent in all respects. He consulted us over important matters and was always flexible so that we could get the most from our expedition.He engaged fully with all members of the group. He got us singing, dancing and seemed to fully appreciate the importance of the school visits to us. He played a vital role in the great success of this expedition. Thank you for a wonderful experience.

The students had a life-changing experience in Jordan. The school visits were particularly impressive and the timings of the visits were perfect as it gave the students - many who were nervous about Middle Eastern travel - a really warm welcome into the country and they made lasting friendships very quickly.

The whole thing ran incredibly smoothly. I can't recommend the guide highly enough. He had a great manner with the students, which put them all at ease and was on hand whenever we had a query or problem. The students all agreed that he was a huge reason the trip was so successful. It was a truly memorable experience and one the staff and students would like to repeat. Thanks for your hard work!

The School Travel Consultancy attracted me because they were organising trips other tour agencies weren’t even looking at! As an R.E Teacher of thirty years I’d always wanted to take a school group to Israel, but none of the usual educational tour agencies were interested. I was delighted to see STC included it in their list of destinations.

The STC is a small company, but this is of considerable benefit. I got to know the MD, Adrian Ferraro very well and was able to call on his help at any time. He was great to work with; totally honest, calm when things weren’t going according to plan and genuinely interested in providing stimulating travel for young people.

I felt well supported throughout the planning; in the first instance STC were very happy to visit school and explain to parents and pupils everything a trip to Israel would entail and we never felt any commercial pressure from the company, despite small numbers. During the tour itself we felt very safe and well looked after by our hosts. It was an exceptionally successful and memorable tour.

At Gordano School we have used the School Travel Consultancy to run our Silver expeditions on our behalf for the previous two years. They run planning and expedition prep sessions after school before then leading out expeditions on Exmoor and Dartmoor. They have been incredibly flexible around dates, locations and tailoring their services to our particular needs. Knowing the quality of the staff they use on their expeditions provides real peace of mind and I have no hesitation when groups are out on expedition for the weekend with them. This year both expeditions were blighted by particularly bad weather, in preparation for this, the STC brought in extra staff in advance and I had no concerns that students were anything but safe for both weekends. Chris’ prior experience working in classrooms means he has a great working relationship when planning with the students and they really value the experience on the hill he provides to their planning sessions prior to their expeditions. I thoroughly recommend this very professional expedition company.

As a College the Cuba tour that we did was brilliant and far beyond our expectations.  The variety of activities, the organisation and the experiences our pupils had were all amazing.  The kids are still talking about their trip one week on and many are hoping to return to Cuba. Aside from the quality of the activities, we were incredibly fortunate to have Alex and Eddie as our tour leaders. They were brilliant.  They knew so much and they made everything such fun.  Our kids were quiet, but Alex and Eddie brought out the best in them and the kids thoroughly enjoyed their company. A really amazing adventure, so thank you very much for the wonderful and memorable experience.

The month long trip to Venezuela had all the ingredients to be very special indeed and we were not disappointed. The variety of rainforest trekking, tepui climbing, tribal visits and beach exploration was, in itself, one of the most successful elements of this tailor-made itinerary. When this is coupled to the remoteness of the destinations (the tepui was three different plane journeys away) and the adventurous nature of the challenge, it really was a trip of a life time. Climbing an isolated mountain in complete solitude for 10 days made you feel at one with the 'lost world', whilst joining in with festivities in the Shirian highlands, a tribe rarely visited by outsiders, was something that will, doubtless stay with the boys for the rest of their lives. Chewing on grasshoppers, flying in Cessnas, avoiding tarantulas and coral snakes, gaping at Angel Falls, sleeping in hammocks right on the edge of the explored - I have led countless trips and expeditions but I would rate this as one of the very best. It was adventure tourism at its very best and is to be recommended wholeheartedly.

The trip has changed how I view the conflict between Israel and Palestine. It furthered my love for travel and exploring different cultures. Best trip of my life. The tour guide, driver and the group of people on the trip made it like that for me. I’d definitely recommend an STC trip.  I've never been so sad to come home, it’s changed my view on a lot of things in life.