teens

Teen Travel UK Tour Group #2

Sunday 6th August

8 teens. 5 nationalities. 1 Dream Team.

What a day it’s been uniting all of our travellers in London! From dashing between tubes in London to long haul flights from all over the world it’s safe to say our team have had a big day! Sam and Cam welcomed all the children to their new mission for the next two weeks: exploring as much of the UK as possible.

The group started off with a rendezvous at King’s Cross’s iconic ‘Platform 9 3/4’ and were soon chatting like they were old friends catching up after a few years. After an adventure on the underground and a quick Power Nap for some we all ended up at our luxurious hostel in Camden. With the team finally complete we headed off to see the sights of Chinatown and find somewhere we could have a well deserved feast – we definitely weren’t disappointed! With full belly’s and plenty of leftovers our travellers headed back for a much needed rest and recharge ready for the adventures that awaited them next…

Monday 7th August

Wonders of Windermere.

A fun-filled morning in London, we were filled with a full breakfast consisting of continental to an English feast.
Lucky we did as we started our adventure on some of the greatest sights of London! We headed over to a few shops for some essentials and then to Buckingham palace! We were thrilled that there was even a Royal Escort when we got there! So all of the horses and guards paraded back into the palace. We then moved over to Big Ben, watched the clock strike and walked on.
We headed back over to Euston for some lunch from many delicious places, but not before collecting some essentials for our days forward.
We were then on our way to get our train! Chop choo, all aboard the train to Windermere!
When we arrived we had some decadent kebabs all round, yum yum.
We took a scenic taxi journey to get to our destination, through all the country rodes, up and down hills; to finally reach our wonderful yurts! We couldn’t believe the beautiful scenery behind us.
In the evening we all made fires to keep us warm and headed to bed. Ready for the next morning.
Over and out.
Ps the grasshopper is called Jim, he is a friend.

The yurts are a dream that satisfies a part of me I never knew I needed.

Max 2023

Tuesday 8th August

Day Trip to Edinburgh

After a refreshing sleep in our new home at the yurts, intrepid explorers woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed. To start off the day we filled our boots with a delightful continental breakfast picked out by the campers consisting of everything from cornflakes through to chocolatines. After filling their boots with food and a refreshing shower our travellers felt ready to take on the day! Todays mission: A day trip to Edinburgh.

We packed our bags and got ready for the train journey up north to good old Scotland to see the sights. Before we even arrived at any attractions the team saw a truly Scottish site – a group of men in kilts. Upon our arrival at Waverley station we set out on our first priority: finding some good lunch! After we all refuelled after the journey we split into two groups. One group would take on the hike up to the worlds famous Arthur’s seat while the other group went to explore the beautiful Holyrood palace!

Our team of adventures were lucky enough to have the Sun on our side which made the hike up to Arthur’s seat very pleasant, if it wasn’t for the wind the weather would’ve been almost too perfect! With breathtakingly scenic views to be seen at the top we felt that our mission had been very successful and headed back to meet with the rest of our friends who had an incredible time in the palace, exploring the pristine palace gardens as well as Mary Queen of Scots chamber where many of our teens claim they saw the original blood stains of David Rizzio that are still left on the floor of her supper room from all the way back in 1566.

After a long and busy day we all headed back on the train to treat ourselves to one of the teams favourites – a Chinese takeaway! Laughs were shared and stories were told until our bellies were full and we were all ready to collapse into bed and rest up ready for what tomorrow would bring us…

Over and out!

Wednesday 9th & Thursday 10th August

Summer scrambles and kick back and relax

Morning morning from the Lake District.
We started our epic mornings in the best kinda way with a slap up breakfast, consisting of sausages, bacon and for some black pudding and a look into the beautiful countryside among us.
After this we set our sights ahead on a super scrambling session!! We hopped in our taxis, admired the scenery along the way until being led to the most magnificent ghyll and met our instructor for the mission ahead. We headed down into the river and were climbing across the great boulders, up the giant waterfalls and swimming in all the pools! We had an amazing afternoon and this made us incredibly tired, so we ended our day on an early dinner in the local pub! We had fish and chips galore, pies, pastas! You name it, we had it! We then headed back to out glorious yurts for an early night, ready for the next day.
We woke up the next morning to enjoy a very relaxing day, enjoying each others company, playing some games and having our last day in the yurts before moving on.

Today it was pancake day on teen travel! We had stacks upon stacks, filled with honey and chocolate spread for breakfast. We then sat around together and enjoyed some card games! Tensions were high when it came to kemps, but the teams kept it together and gave signals so their member knew when to shout KEMPS! After the morning, we enjoyed some grilled cheese sandwiches all round! Cooked by the very own chef Cam, we devoured about 15 of them as a group, which filled us for an active afternoon. We got the football out and enjoyed some games of penalty shootout, whoop whoop! Followed by several more card games. By the time it was evening we set up our fabulous BBQ station, we had chef Sam on the steaks and chef Cam on the pasta section. We all chipped in to create some delicious food, which we all enjoyed together under the sun.

After we had cleared away we finished up with toasting some marshmallows around the fire and telling stories. BUT the evening was not over; on our yurt sight we had wonderful-wood fired hot tubs which we lit up and enjoyed under the stars, to end our spectacular time in our yurts.
We now move onto our next stop Manchester!
Over and out.

Friday 11th August

Journey to Manchester!

Getting up early can always be difficult, but knowing that we were awaking to clean and leave the yurts it was particularly hard. With heavy hearts we emptied out the ash from our fires and BBQs and by 10am we were on the road again back to Windermere train station for the last time. When we arrived we bought some hot lunch from the local shop to fill us up ready for the journey ahead. After a few bumps in the road with delayed trains and one of our connections being cancelled our travellers improvised, adapted and overcame to finally arrive at our next destination – Salford (Manchester)!

After a quick walk to our Air BnB, we all got settled in to our home for the next couple of days and then headed out to explore! A trip to Salford shopping centre saw many different shops that are only found in the UK. Once our travellers had finished exploring and buying souvenirs we headed over to the local supermarket to buy ingredients for our decadent dinner of steak and chicken stir fry! We all ate until we were ready to pop and surprisingly enough we managed to finish both massive bowls cooked by our master chefs Cam and Sam.

After we’d had time to recover from our food comas we ended the day with a brilliant game of sardines that seemed to get harder and harder each round with our teens finding more and more creative ways to hide themselves. With so much happening in one day it’s safe to say we were all ready for bed. I’m sure everyone can agree that after 3 wonderful days in our Yurts, staying in our new house will feel like sleeping in a palace!

Over and out!

Saturday 12th August

Salford lads & Peak District

Well, well, well… the success of Salford was unbelievable. We conquered many missions, visited as much as possible and had the best time.
We started our full day in Manchester with a wonderful breakfast, some hot bacon and eggs, also many bagels and cereal…the best! This energy was much needed as we travelled far and wide to find, the one, the only Salford Lads Club!!!! Home to The History of Manchester and Salford, facts about how people from the 1900s lived and worked and of course the music room with so much information about Morrissey and The Smiths, which our group loved. (one of Golden Tickets!) We learnt so much new information from our amazing tour guide Leslie, so thank you for showing us around this amazing place.
We then ventured to Manchester Piccadilly, for some much needed lunch. We were met with various cuisines and most settled on the iconic Burger King!
After this we hopped on a train to Edale (in the Peak District National Park) for some much needed outdoor time. We collected a map from the visitors centre and we were off! We searched long and far for our green hiking path. Luckily our Teens were there as they managed to find it for us! We hiked over bridges, through fields, through farms and many pathways.
When we returned to Salford, Cam and Sam were treated by the Teens to a homemade carbonara and garlic bread and it was delicious! We were amazed how well they cooked everything.
We ended our evening with full bellies and a movie. Next stop Cardiff.

Over and out.

Sunday 14th & Monday 15th August

Cardiff & Brighton (Written by Max)

As we awoke in our massive Airbnb to the smell of pancakes Max’s sleep schedule failed to account for, we sprinted out of the house to catch our train! Arriving at the train station with minimal massive catastrophes on the way, we boarded a train to Brighton and half of us promptly fell right back into unconsciousness.
At the behest of certain members of the group, our glorious leaders ordered an Uber to take us to our new accommodations, failing to find it along the way several times, until we eventually found it sitting above a pub.
Our transcendent tutors escorted us to the pier, specifically the “Brighton Palace Pier” where we indulged in glorious amounts of sugar in the form of churros and crepes, before heading into the Fairground… well our enlightened adults did something, probably!
Riding on the one scary ride which some found scary, some found humorous, and some stood outside holding bags, and nearly all of us revelling in the delights of bumper cars (or “Dogems” as the British seem to call them).
Meeting back up with our magnificent masters, we treated ourselves to incredible fish and chips, before, full of food and incredibly exhausted, we trudged back to our accommodations. Everyone was way too tired to heed Max’s advice to play poker with the chips provided by the room.

Over and out.

Tuesday 15th August

Old Sarum (Written by Pietro)

Happy Ferragosto to everybody!

At first the group woke up to a revitalizing british sea air in sunny old Brighton. While having breakfast they fiddled with the poker chips and ate some tasty english cereals.
After getting ready they briskly headed to the Brighton station . On the way they could admire the beauty of the stunning coastline that this land presents. It was so captivating that everybody decided to spend half an hour on the beach and some travellers also had the guts to proceed into the cold british waters.
Then we all got the train and after a few hours we found ourselves in Salisbury, a very cosy town with a majestic gothic cathedral which dominated the land.
After advancing between the narrow english roads we found shelter in a cosy hostel in the countryside near Stonehenge.
We got into one of the many rooms and had a very fun evening singing songs and playing stunning games.
Cam presented a top notch performance of “I will survive” and Pietro rapped Zingarello by Ghali. After that we were able to convince Yogev to sing the Israeli national anthem. When it started to get late we listened to the interesting story telling confered by Max. Then all the travellers fell asleep and some people say that I snored very loudly but I don’t want to believe them.

Over and out.

Wednesday 16th & Thursday 17th August

Stonehenge & Educating Oxford!

We woke up in the Stonehenge hostel and had a delicious breakfast on the floor. We then waited for a taxi to go to Stonehenge. We walked through the museum and took the bus that brought to one of the seven wonders of the world. We were able to enjoy our time thanks to the great weather and we spent much time touching the ground feeling the stonehenge energy. After a quick trip to the gift shop and ice cream for some, we headed back to the hostel to check out and waited for yet another taxi. We went to the train station vibing to Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift, got lunch for the road and hopped in our train to Oxford !!!!! Travellers killed time with some intense chess games and intense naps. Arrived in Oxford, we were absolutely stunned by our mind-boggling house. Cam and Sam went to the shops to buy stuff for our world food night !!!!!Wooooo!! Every traveller made a traditional meal from their country. The italians fed us some delicious mini pizzas, James made the infamous american Burger, Sam and Cam made some great toad in the hole with gravy, Roan baked a fabulous egg tart and everyone was impressed with Yogev’s cooking skills: he made chicken shawarma with only one hand!!! But the best dish by far was Lily’s exquisite crepes that were unfortunately massacred by James who dipped them in gravy. After this legendary meal, we decided to watch a not so legendary movie but it was still fun. After this long eventful day the travellers were absolutely knackered and went sleep. The End.

PS: Cam is a Master chef we love and worship her and everything she cooks.

Friday 18th August

London & Churchill

Our day started with a delicious breakfast of everything we had including all the cereal one could need, loaded scrambled eggs with ham and cheese; a delicious way to start the day! We got our stuff together and headed to London, for our final last day as a whole group.
We made it to the train where we had many fun chats and lots of naps! When we got to London we quickly took a bus and checked in to our hotel rooms! After this we sped over to the Churchill War Rooms as a final stop before home time.
We saw lots of interesting things and learnt loads of new facts about the places where Churchill was based during the war. He had many of his own security living in his base, cooks and cleaners and he also loved his bath as a very specific 94F!
The group really enjoyed this final venture, as one.
After our lovely afternoon we headed back to our hotel, where Cam and Sam ordered us all a lovely curry which we all enjoyed together, before heading to bed for some much-needed sleep for the busy airport day ahead!
On a final note, Cam and Sam would like everyone, especially the group to know how much we appreciated them. They have been amazing throughout these 2 weeks, with the travel itself, the laughs and friendships that were made. These are things that make our trips authentic and the best they can be. We just want you to know we are happy to have met each and every one of you and maybe see you again some time.
For a final time.
Over and out.

Teen Travel UK Tour Group #1

Sunday 25th June

6 Nationalities, 1 Trip

What a first day!
6 nationalities become one group.
Cam and Kenny were roaming the streets of London in search of their group.
We came together on a Teen Travel mission to explore the UK.

We set off on our journey exploring with a blast! Views from Big Ben, turbulent tubes and trains galore! London is a great place to sight-see!
After a fun-filled afternoon we ended our evening on a trip to Piccadilly and China Town! We enjoyed a Chinese banquet, enough food fit for a king or queen!
As the sun descends for the day, so do we to sleep.
In a final statement
‘Today we conquer London, tomorrow we are in search of the brightest beaches of Brighton’.
Over and out.

Monday 26th June

Brighton conquered.

We started off our day with decadent doughnuts, perfect perfects and coffees to go. Desperately needed for the dash of the 10:24 train to wivelsfield, only to change and head for sunny Brighton. On this occasion it was also quite windy.
We left our bags and set our sights on the famous Brighton Pier, where was arcades for all, rides for the thrill seekers and a class beach fish and chips for lunch. Some say beware of seagulls as we found out ourselves.
Some of the highlights of the day were dipping our toes into the crisp sea, visiting the famous Royal Pavillion and enjoying an ice cream of a lifetime!!
We ended our evening with a scrumptious meal made by our travel mentors and some traveller assistants, one who made a chocolate cake to die for, yum yum.
Topped off with an English breakfast tea, for all to try, before heading to bed in sights of the busy day ahead.
Cardiff you’ll be seeing us very soon.
Over and out.

Tuesday, 28th June

Chasing Cardiff

Bacon, sausage, pancakes
A splendid way to feel awake
A dash for the train
Thankfully no rain
But still feeling yesterdays aches

Oh what a scenic coach ride
Passed Cam’s love and pride
Bristol ya know
Lunch on the go
Onto Cardiff we stride

Shopping around the town
Visiting the stores all around
Lots of Welsh gifts
And a lovely thrift
Welsh castle on stony ground

Crazy golf was a shout
Fun is what it’s all about
Curry was bliss
A game of sardines not to miss

Over and out

Wednesday, 28th June

Bring me to Birmingham!

Today we set our sights high on heading to Birmingham, so we did.
But not before a quick stop to the national museum of Wales where we learnt some great Welsh history.
Did you know the corgi dog originates from Wales?
Another scenic Trainline, led to the bustling city of Birmingham, were some shopping til they dropped.
After our fun-filled morning and afternoon we became detectives taking on new challenges within some escape rooms, Dr Watsons office and Time Travelling, solving clues and riddles to escape the room
One group escaped the other were very close, but they were great fun!
After all this, we enjoyed a lovely take away from the amazing Birmingham Chinatown where we all sat together and spoke about the highlights of our day!
We now head to bed to go in the morning to enhance literary interests in the place of Stratford-upon-Avon to learn all about the origins of Shakespeare.
Over and out.

Thursday to Saturday, 29th June to 1st July

Land of Lake District

Our courageous journey to the Lake District started with a historical tour in the beautiful town of Stratford-upon-Avon. Our teens were engulfed with knowledge regarding the years of Shakespeare; where he was born, grew up, wrote his fantastic books and plays and eventually died. This was a once in a lifetime experience for us all! We greatly enjoyed the learning experience.

After this, we carried on with your journey to wild Windermere, we got there in the evening and enjoyed a British classic of kebabs and some pizzas. Delicious!
We were collected by a lovely taxi driver who drove us to the wilderness of our yurts. We were truly inspired and in awe of the nature that surrounded us in this beautiful area.
In the evening we grouped together and the teens collected materials and make us a group campfire! Where we enjoyed roasting marshmallows and making delicious s’mores, yum yum.
After this we ended our evening with some campfire songs, several national anthems and a little bit of Taylor Swift.

We awoke the next morning full of energy and excitement for…. SCRAMBLING! We ate our breakfast and headed into town where we had an explore and collected some lunch.
Before we knew it we were at Stickle Ghyll, greeted by our lovely guide David who assisted us in completing the scrambling mission.
We all successfully climbed waterfalls, swam around and some of us even managed to get through some tight spaces! It was the best fun!
We then relaxed in the bar with lemonades all round, before heading back to town for a delicious meal.
We ventured into a lovely English pub where we enjoyed many dishes for our dinner like burgers, chicken wings and even traditional fish and chips.
We ended this evening like every other, with group games! We played heads up, successfully guessing what was on each others heads and some games of “if I were to go camping what would I take”.

The last full day in the Lake District.
We had an epic day, exploring the city of Windermere, playing in the amusements; attempting to win prizes. Some of us visited the Beatrix Potter museum, which was quite enchanting! We finished our evening with a group bbq, making a wood fire, grilling steaks, sausages and all the sides you can think of!
We then played some games outside like tag, baseball and an ultimate bottle flip competition.

We now set our sights to the city of Edinburgh. We shall update you soon.

Over and out

Sunday 2nd & Monday 3rd July

Enchantment of Edinburgh

We had our expectations set high! And they were not diminished!
Our first stop after off loading our luggage was the Edinburgh castle, we were amazing by its beauty and charm. There was so many interesting artefacts dating back 100s of years. We saw King Arthurs’ crown; full of diamonds and ruby’s, dungeons and prisons which held 1000s of prisoners at one time and ancient weapons which were really cool! The view from the castle was amazing, we could see right into the city.
We then had some free time to explore the city and its tourist shops buying souvenirs to take home.
A beautiful sunset hike to Arthur’s Seat, the highest point and a movie night capped off a wonderful first day.
We started our second day with a visit to the National museum where we learnt about science, animals, fashion, and Scotland. Our eyes were then set and deceived by the illusions in Camera Obscura & World of Illusions. Finally, we learnt all about the underworld of Edinburgh, exploring vaults and dungeons whilst learning about the supernatural on a ghost walking tour. A scary end to our enchanting visit to Edinburgh.

Over and out.

Tuesday 4th July

Manic in Manchester

Theatre of Dreams
Old Trafford tour in sight
The time of our lives

Mammoth shopping mall
In Selfridges, we unite
A walker’s delight

Hot dogs, Mac n Cheese
Bowling Alley and Dodgems
The 4th of July

Over and out.

Wednesday 5th & Thursday 6th July

Oxford adventures & Thorpe park fun

Oxford was an adventure! We had one of the greatest tours of all time! Learning and experience university life, understanding there are many different campus’ within the university, some you have to apply a year and a half in advance! We loved our tour and some of our travellers may even have Oxford in their sights as an option for the future…

What can I say? We spent one of our last days soaring into the sky’s on some of the greatest roller coasters ever seen to man!
We travelled, long and far on tubes, buses and taxis in search of Thorpe park.
We arrived and we’re transfixed by the beauty of the coasters that stand before us.
We quickly headed for the gate and got into Thorpe park! We got into groups and rode as many roller coasters as possible; including the Nemisis Infernio, Saw the ride, Colossus and some of us even saw angry birds in the 4D cinema.
With all this excitement we built up an appetite having, hot dogs, chicken, burgers and lots of treats!
We carried on the afternoon fitting in as many rides as possible, even a lovely boat ride for some.
We ended our evening falling asleep in the taxi back to our beautiful house in Watford, where we ended the night with sushi and kebabs. What more could you want?
We start our very last day visiting some of the great places of London, speak soon!

Over and out.

Friday 7th July

Our final adventure in London

As it was our last day we ensured the travellers a fun-filled, packed day. Some of us visited Wembley and Chelsea stadium! We had a great tour and it was unbelievably fantastic. We then stopped over to the Tower of London and the British national museum, where we took in lots of knowledge. Some us also visited the famous abbey road! Where the Beatles took their very awesome photo!
We ended the afternoon with a trip to the famous Vivienne Westwood store to look around at all the amazing clothing and admire the store.
Of course we ended our trip with a couple of visits for the travellers to pick up some very last shopping and some important souvenirs! (Most of them were edible.
For dinner we went to Nando’s as our final group meal! Where we enjoyed chicken galore, fizzy drinks and so many sides!
As a treat for the group we went go-karting! Our final activity, some were much speedier than some of us on the course! We really enjoyed this and it was lovely to spend it all together.
As a final note, Cam and Kenny would like to thank the group for being so amazing the entire trip, we enjoyed the laughs, smiles and most importantly travel. We have had the most epic trip and we wish each and every one of our travellers the best for the future.

Over and out.

Teens need to travel without parents!

As teenagers grow and mature, they begin to develop their own interests, goals, and desires. One of the most exciting and transformative experiences that they can have is traveling without their parents. Here are some of the benefits of teenage travel without parents:

1. Independence and Responsibility: Teenagers who travel without their parents have the opportunity to be responsible for their own decisions and actions. They learn to navigate new environments and to make their own choices, which can build confidence and self-assurance. This can help them prepare for adulthood and life outside of the family home.
2. Cultural Exposure: Traveling to different parts of the world exposes teenagers to diverse cultures, languages, and ways of life. It provides a chance to see the world outside their own community and gain a broader perspective on the world. This exposure can increase empathy, tolerance, and respect for people from different backgrounds.
3. Personal Growth: Teenagers who travel without their parents are often challenged to step outside of their comfort zones. They may encounter new languages, foods, customs, and social norms. These challenges can help them develop problem-solving skills and adaptability. They also provide a chance for self-reflection and personal growth.
4. Social Skills: Traveling without parents provides a great opportunity for teenagers to develop social skills. They may meet new people and make new friends, which can help them improve their communication, teamwork, and leadership abilities.
5. Adventure: Finally, traveling without parents is often seen as an adventure for teenagers. It provides a chance to break away from routine, explore new places, and have fun. It can be an experience that they remember for the rest of their lives.

Of course, it’s important for teenagers to travel safely and responsibly…

One way to achieve this is through supervised but independent travel in groups. Here are some of the benefits of L&E Teen Travel:

1. Promotes teamwork and social skills: Group travel requires collaboration and communication skills, and it’s an opportunity to make new friends from different backgrounds. Teenagers can learn to work together, compromise, and support each other.
2. Provides safe and structured environment: With adult supervision and planned activities, group travel provides a safe and structured environment for teenagers to explore new places. It also reduces the risks associated with solo travel.
3. Understanding the value if money and budget: We all love the Bank of Mum and Dad but we can become a little bit reliant and not really appreciate how much things cost. With L&E Teen Travel there will be a daily budget so Teens are able to plan accordingly within the parameters.

Overall, supervised but independent travel in groups can be a transformative experience for teenagers, helping them develop essential life skills and broaden their horizons.

To find more about our Teen Travel Tours click below

How do I know if my teenager is ready for Teen Travel?

13 to 17 and everything in-between!

L&E Teen Travel is for 13 to 17 year olds.  However, we all know that there are many different types of 13 to 17 year olds!  This is a trip that we think every teen should experience and we want to make sure they are equipped with all the skills they need to set off on their own (not completely on their own!).  If your child has previously attended camps then this is a good start.  They have spent time away from you being independent and making their own decisions.  As they get older, teenagers will naturally want more independence.  This is a great first step to travelling without their parents but in the care of experts.  Let’s be honest, no one knows your child better than you… but if you need advice or want to talk to one of our experts then you can schedule a call with one of our experts.

Speaking the language

The common language that will be spoken is English so will your teenager be able to communicate effectively in the group?  We try to limit each nationality to ensure we are all speaking English.  Therefore your child may not be with someone who speaks their mother tongue (if not English!).  If your teenager is looking to improve their spoken English then we can think of no better immersive experience!  

What type of skills will they need?

Teen Travel is about learning new things such as budget management and how to organise an itinerary.  Each member will bring their own individual skills that will help the group.  One of the most important things the teens will have to figure out early on in the trip is what they each bring to the table.  Is there an A+ maths student in the group – they can take the lead with the expenses, does someone enjoy writing – they can assist others in writing the daily blog.  No matter what skills each teenager has, they will all have to work together as a group.  Each person’s skillset to make sure they get the most out of the trip.  

What happens if my teen gets upset or homesick?

This trip could potentially be the most exciting and challenging thing your teen has ever done.  Our Travel Mentors are fully aware of this.  They will be monitoring each child throughout the trip to ensure they are happy and getting the most out of the trip.  If any teen is upset for whatever reason the Travel Mentors are there to listen and to help them.  We can safely say that 9 times out of 10 it is simply tiredness that makes someone upset.  This is easily fixed by a good nights sleep or an additional rest day.  The Travel Mentors will manage the itinerary.  If it looks like the teens are travelling too often (changing locations every day) then they will step in before anything is planned and offer some sound advice.  

Want to know more?

We can offer advice to you and your teen.  So please get in touch with us if you have any questions about Teen Travel.  You can schedule a call with one of our experts who can talk you through the trip or email teentravel@learnandexperience.com with any questions you may have.

Teen Travel really is an adventure of a lifetime – take the first step, get in touch!  

Autumn update 2022

The Big Return

2022 has been a big year for L&E.  We hadn’t been able to offer any in-person programmes since 2019 and we were desperate to get back to doing what we do best.  It has been tough time for everyone but particularly young people.  Cultural and adventurous experiences have been few and far between these past couple of years and so it was incredibly important that we were able to operate.  This year certainly wasn’t without it’s challenges but with the energy and enthusiasm of both staff and students we were able to successfully navigate a wonderful year!

World Camp UK

World Camp UK at Aysgarth School returned this summer and was a huge success.  Lots of old and new faces connecting from all over the world.  We had over 20 different nationalities from 6 continents all embracing and learning from each other.  A lot of old activities returned as well as some exciting new ones including the Open Minds course and Wilderness experience.  Our older teens were challenged to investigate and interrogate the world around them, challenge themselves creatively and consider new perspectives.  They also experienced an incredible night under the stars on their Wilderness Experience.

All our International students embraced the British culture and improved their English and our local children learnt so much about other cultures.

Soccer Camp

L&E continued the tradition of working with professional football clubs and this summer we were delighted to work with Manchester City.  Tzeachten Under 16 Girls Football Club from British Columbia, Canada were lucky enough to be coached by ex-pro and Manchester City Academy coach Ian Fitzpatrick.  The girls had elite sessions every day plus 2 matches including the Manchester City Under 17 Educational Team at Manchester Regional Arena overlooked by the Etihad Stadium.  The girls enjoyed a tour of the stadium plus a unique opportunity to see the training facilities.

Teen Travel

Teen Travel UK was also back and our tours were a triumph.  We had teens from the US, Canada, France, Thailand, Italy, Spain and UK all gain invaluable life skills and gain a love for the history and beauty of Britain.  Our travellers learnt how to manage a budget, how to negotiate and how to adapt to different situations all whilst making sold friendships along the way.

It was also the first time students were able to combine the Teen Travel and World Camp experiences which made for a unique experience.

2023

Following a successful return we are delighted to announce our 2023 schedule. 

• 25th June – 8th July, 2023: Teen Travel UK Tour, England (14-17), Scotland & Wales
• 9th July – 22nd July, 2023: World Camp UK (8-15), Aysgarth School
• 23rd July – 5th August, 2023: World Camp UK (8-15), Aysgarth School
• 6th August – 19th August, 2023: Teen Travel UK Tour (14-17), England, Scotland & Wales

All experiences are in 2 weeks blocks and our 14 and 15 year olds can combine Teen Travel & World Camps.  All transfers are included between programmes.  

A 15% Deposit is due to confirm the reservation. Payment plans are available.

Limited places

To ensure the highest quality of experience we will be strict on limiting the amount of children from any one non-English speaking country so please be aware that countries such as France, Spain, Germany and Italy will sell out very quickly.

Early Booking Discount

If families make the reservation before 1st December, 2022 they will receive a 10% discount.

UK, Canadian & U.S. Schools

During the past year we have helped many families find a suitable school for an international educational experience.  We have a thorough knowledge of UK Schools and have placed dozens of students since 2009.  Now we have an office in Vancouver we have developed relationships with a few select schools, not just in Canada but also the U.S.  

This is a free service to families who have attended an L&E programme.  We are able to offer a unique service with our personal experience of both student and school which is invaluable and beneficial to all concerned.  Consultancy can be extended to friends and family so please feel free to make referrals.

L&E back on the road

Now that we are able to travel a little more freely again we will be returning to making a few trips throughout the year visiting countries to talk to families about our programmes and services.

• Berlin: 30th October – 1st November
• London: 2nd November
• Dubai: 13th – 16th February
• New York: 15th-16th April

If your children have attended and enjoyed an L&E experience please “Spread the Word”.

Sharing this email, website link, instagram etc all helps.

We are also always happy to add locations and dates to our “Road Trip” so if you have friends and family interested in meeting with us then let us know!

Ep 16: Molly (17): Volunteering in Ghana

On the podcast this month we welcome 17 year old Molly from Newcastle in the North of England.  Molly has been selected by Project Trust to go to Ghana as a volunteer teacher in the summer of 2022.  In the meantime she has been incredibly busy fundraising for this amazing trip.  Her main goal is to bike ride 4690 miles (the distance from her home to Ghana) in her spare time.

Find out more about Molly’s Fundraising efforts…

THIS EPISODE…

Around the World in 6 Stories:

Sam, Mike and Julie visit 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Scotland 🇳🇴Norway, 🇻🇪Venezuela, 🇺🇸USA,  🇦🇹Austria and 🇲🇾Malaysia  in Around the World in 6 Stories.🌍

Youth Spotlight:

Molly G, 17 

Destination Fact or Fiction:

Newcastle, UK

Language Corner

The local Geordie dialect of Newcastle

About the Podcast

The Life Skill Adventure Experts putting a spotlight on remarkable young people and exploring the world they live in.

Join Sam, Mike and Julie with a fast paced, informative and fun show.

Perfect for Teens & Tweens wanting hear to be inspired by other young people and to learn more about the world around them.

Follow Learn & Experience:

Instagram: @learnandexperience247

Website: https://learnandexperience.com/the-podcast

Email: podcast@learnandexperience.com

Why is travel good for teenagers?

Our teen travel expert, Julie explains 5 different factors why travel is so good for teens and how L&E Teen Travel trips give young people the life skills for future journeys…

Experiencing other cultures

In this day in age it is vastly important for young adults to be in touch with a global world and they can do this by discovering other cultures and customs.  Learning about other cultures helps foster understanding and helps us recognise and respect that there is more than one way of ‘being’.  Travel is the best way to experience a different perspective and to also recognise how much we all have in common.

Understanding how to budget money…

By giving teenagers financial responsibility they will learn the true cost of things and not be so frivolous with their spending.  They may make some mistakes, but it is better to learn the hard way when the amounts are small and the repercussions are light.  By creating things like spreadsheets the teens will be able to track incomings and outgoings which will help them manage their spending to make sure they have enough money for the whole trip!

The ability to communicate effectively in a group…

The art of verbal communication is such a vital skill, from asking for directions to job interviews. Teenagers will need to learn to speak for themselves and have the confidence to do so.  When thrust into a group of strangers it is sometimes difficult to get your point across, but when there is a common goal that is fun, teenagers are more inclined to try and exercise their creative muscles.

The importance of good time management…

Learning how to manage your time effectively whilst still being a teenager will set you up for adult life where being late or delaying deadlines are not acceptable. Whilst travelling, time management is key as turning up to a large train station with 5 minutes to spare will not give you enough time to find your platform, go to the toilet and get much needed snacks for the journey!  This skill is also a sure way to keep stress levels down.

Understand the process of building an itinerary…

This is one of the most difficult tasks as it will require all the other skills we have mentioned.  Not only will the teenager have to communicate effectively they will also have to have a good grasp of the financial aspects of the trip and most importantly how to best schedule everything.  This is no easy task!  Even in small groups there will be differences in opinion about where to go, how to get there and how much it should cost.  The teens who are able to learn how to compromise, problem solve and manage conflict will have more success in planning a trip.

Want to know more?

We can offer advice to you and your teen.  So please get in touch with us if you have any questions about Teen Travel.  You can schedule a call with one of our experts who can talk you through the trip or email teentravel@learnandexperience.com with any questions you may have.

Teen Travel really is an adventure of a lifetime – take the first step, get in touch!  

Teen Travel UK Tour Blog

Saturday -Tuesday

We are eleven  people from all around Europe:

Lukas – 15, from Sweden.

Emily – 16, from Holland.

Paul – 16, from Germany.

Serafina – 15, from Germany.

Beatrice – 16, from Germany.

Maria – 16, from Spain.

Marianne – 15, from France.

Gaia – 16, from Italy.

Sam – 15, from England.

Connie – Travel Mentor, England

Julie – Travel Mentor, Scotland

Apart from Sam we all arrived in Manchester airport at various times on Saturday. From there we drove to L&E North camp to plan our trip and get to know each other better. We decided to depart the next day but before we left we all watched the final match for the World Cup and ate at he barbecue with the rest of the camp. After the barbecue big Sam drove us to our first stop in Grassmere where we stayed for one night in a hostel and we all went to the park in the town and we unanimously agreed that we all slept better there than at the camp.

The next day we had breakfast in the self serve kitchen of the hostel and Sam and Lukas made dough balls in the oven. We then took a bus to Brokehole where we went on a treetop trek which ended in a triple zip wire that was 200 meters long! “It was exciting!” – Gaia. Connie had to have her shoe taped onto her foot because it kept almost falling off.

We then took the same bus with a different bus driver who wasn’t as nice to Windermere where we had lunch which was pleasurable. After that we booked the accommodation for Glasgow the night after, furthermore we found a train connection from Kendal to Glasgow that was also affordable for the next day. We then took the bus to Kendal where it then started to rain on our walk to the hostel we were next staying in. After a break we went to Booths to buy food for tonight and the next morning. Sam and Gaia cooked a delicious meal for dinner – pasta with cheese sauce.  Lukas told some ghost stories (not that scary) and we all sat and chatted until bed time. 

Tuesday – Thursday

After a lovely breakfast in Kendal we took the train to Glasgow. It was a long journey and we had to stop and change the train – at the intermediate station Julie had to pretend to be a dog because of a dare!

Since this morning a fun game had started ,where everyone has to “kill” someone else in a specific place and way, two people were already killed.

We arrived at the hostel around 5 o’clock and we ate at Wetherspoon. The evening was full of talks and bonding and we also started to see Shrek

Deaths of the day:

1. Connie – singing the national anthem on a train, in the morning.
2. Marianne – smelling something in a shop, in the morning.

Wednesday 18th

The next day started slowly. We woke up at around 10 am and after a good breakfast we took the bus to Glasgow centre. After a short trip to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and the park everybody was allowed to go of in groups of at least and discover Glasgow on their own. Most of us went to a burger and than make a short shopping trip.

Back (in at) the hostel Marianne started making crêpes – Sam as chef in training. We than went to bed “in time” because the next day would start very early.

Deaths of the day:

1)  Paul – reading a book on a playground, at midday

2)  Beatrice – singing the national anthem (german) in the bathroom, at lunchtime

Thursday 19th

To day we had to get up at 6.30 am to get the bus to Loch Ness at 7 am. Because of the early time we didn’t eat breakfast, so we had packed (a lot of) (many) snacks for the bus. The bus trip to loch ness took us about four hours but we had a few stops at beautiful places to make pictures and get a pass from the sitting.

When we arrived at Loch Ness we had two options. We could either go and see the castle and than make a cruise on the Loch or only do the cruise. 

• Spent the day in Glasgow (shopping, eating, a pigeon poop on Lukas…)
• Tastes good
• Take bus (discover scottland)
• loch ness
• Take the bus back (strange songs)

Friday…

In the morning we arrived in Edinburgh. Making our way through the streets in the rain, we found a bus to take us to the hostel, not far from the city centre. Sam was in charge of directions and we followed him (cautiously) down several side streets off the main road. Despite a slightly scary looking front door,

we walked through into a travellers paradise; a ping-pong table, PlayStation, comfy sofas and relaxed, friendly staff awaited. The hostel was made up of converted shipping containers, neatly arranged with every amenity. We felt at home right away. 

No time to relax though; we dropped our bags and went straight into town to explore. We picked up some lunch on-the-go, and made a beeline for the Royal Mile. It was hard to miss the incredible architecture as we wound through the streets; the National Gallery of Scotland and the Castle were particularly impressive. Reaching ‘Camera Obscura’ – a museum of oddities, illusions and mind games – we were were happy to get out of the drizzle. It full of bizarre, interactive activities and we emerged later on, giggling on to the streets. Straight on to a restaurant for food, we then just had time for a quick walk up to Calton Hill for the sunset. It did not take much persuading to get everyone to sleep back at the hostel after such a jam-packed day.

We awoke to a sunny day ~ yes, the sun does shine in Scotland! We all headed to the motorbike and music festival we had booked a few days ago, it was on the same side of the city as us which was good. It was very cool – lots of different styles of motorbikes, we even got to sit on some of them!!  We also had a shot on a theme park ride – Sam has been on so many his facial expression didn’t change at all but all of the girls hair was going round and round and round!  

After we got back to the hostel we collected our bags and headed back into town to try and get some onesies for the bus journey. Unfortunately we couldn’t find any we liked so we bought some blankets and some neck pillows which turned out to be invaluable. We went to a restaurant to get some food and to also make a plan for the next part of our trip. Our big map came in handy – it’s good to have a visual of the UK to see how far away each place is from the other. We all worked very hard to plan the next part of our trip – we were getting very tired which was good as we knew we were about to spend the next 9hours on the overnight bus to London. 

The bus station wasn’t far from the restaurant which was great as we were all quite tired and ready to try and sleep. Although the bus was a little cold we did manage to get some sleep. Next stop – LONDON!!!!!!!

North Camp, Week 3, 2018

Monday, 23rd July

A little poem written by Harriet (& Paul) to start off Week 3…

Week three began
with crumpets and jam
and a lively game of dodgeball.
Campers old and new
they dodged and they threw
soft balls in the great sports hall.

Much fun was had
playing capture the flag
in adventure this Monday morning.
Sports was lacrosse
origami was boss
and none of the children were yawning.

The afternoon came
football was the game
while our artists got messy with paint.
The adventurers built dens
whilst making new friends
and behaviour was that of a saint.

The afternoon sun
Brought out more fun
With our sumo suits and water slide.
Slipping and sliding
the campers went flying
down the hill they did glide.

Icebreakers began
we thought and we ran
through a range of unusual games.
We tried fancy dress
and did our best to impress
as we learned all new faces and names.

As night time adorned
our campers all yawned
with hot chocolate our nice evening treat.
We looked to tomorrow
with excitement not sorrow
today’s fun we’ll be sure to repeat.

Click for Monday’s Photos

Tuesday, 24th July

Tuesday morning started with a delicious breakfast of eggs on toast and there was a huge buzz for SCUBA, SCUBA! The campers got to test their skills in the pool as the ducked and dived for pool toys and played underwater frisbee.

The rest of the campers warmed up with dodgeball, which got incredibly competitive as the tutors tried to claw back a game, from their numerous defeats this week. This morning the campers had a choice of beachball and netball or friendship bracelets and stop motion videos.

Bench-ball was fierce as the ball whizzed from one end of the court to the next with campers running after it. The two teams fought hard, and enjoyed the competitiveness of the game. After the break they tried their skills at netball and Tutor Bonnie shared her interception skills with the children. It was a great morning for them and they arrived at lunch with red faces, full of energy.

In creative it was a much calmer affair as the children moved whole from one gap in their card to another to create some lovely friendship bracelets and others moulded clay into wonderful characters and creatures.

The English group ventured into Bedale to buy the ingredients for Harriet’s birthday cake. They found the recipe online and had to decipher the instructions to make sure it was fit for their English teacher.

Lunch was curry to refuel before this afternoons activities.

In the afternoon SCUBA continued, with the addition of whittling, miniature gardens and indoor hockey.

Indoor hockey was great fun, first they learnt some skills of passing and after that did a tournament with 3 teams. Ion creative the children scavenged for decorative nature materials to design their own miniature garden and the adventurers spent their afternoon by the campfire whittling pieces of wood into different shapes.

It was campfire this evening and it would have to go down as one of the best in L&E history. There were some incredible singalongs and some individual performances by both staff and students. The all important toasting of marshmallows occurred and then it was time for hot chocolate and bed. With warm tummies and big smiles on their faces, the campers went to bed, excited for what Wednesday will bring.

Click for Tuesdays Photos

Wednesday, 25th July

It’s the middle of the week and our campers have had a fun filled day of activities! We started off the day with a simple breakfast of toast but our campers were ready and rearing to go for the morning activities.

Our sport option was an exciting game of Ultimate Frisbee played on the large cricket green; just as well, considering we had just received our newest purchase of awesome frisbees! The sun was shining and spirits were incredibly high. Unfortunately one of our tutors was a bit TOO excited during ultimate frisbee and managed to injure his ankle when taking an action dive to catch the frisbee…
For those creative creatures amongst us we had a wonderful session of music video making. All of our campers dressed up in our endless array of fancy dress costumes and made up dance routines to George Ezra’s popular song ‘Shotgun’. The clips for this will be displayed in our week recap video during Oscars night on Friday.
The adventure option for today was a firm favourite; canoeing. The campers have the opportunity to travel off-campus to Ellerton park to take part in many fun team building actives on the water as well as the opportunity to canoe in their teams on the beautiful lake in the sun.

Lunch was a great old British summer favourite of burgers and chips, accompanied by a plentiful supply of salads… So not to worry, they are all getting their 5-a-day! After lunch the next set of adventure campers went canoeing, whilst the sporting campers were treated to a lovely session of tennis on the tennis courts at the front of the school; enjoying the sun and even teaching some of our tutors how to play tennis as well as them! The creative campers were feeling musical again after lunch and took part in some karaoke in the theatre. There was an array of singing abilities… but everyone had a great time working in their teams to put on a performance to remember.

After a dinner of pizza, the evening activity was a relaxed movie night in the theatre. Blankets, pillows and even some sweets were brought down and the campers were able to watch a newly released movie ‘Jumangi rebooted’ which was enjoyed by everyone. Some of our tutors might have even enjoyed it more than the campers!

So now everyone is off to bed, excited and ready for tomorrow. The sun is on course to be shining as brightly as today followed by our famous L&E theme night tomorrow evening… stay tuned!

Click for Wednesday’s Photos

Thursday, 26th July

Then morning kicked off with a breakfast of crumpets and toast and cereal to fuel the day of activities. The sports activity for the morning involved the traditional British sport of croquet with a small number of keen and dedicated players. Morning adventure on campus took on the exciting challenge of archery learning basic archery skills and honing these on two targets. At the end of the session commencing a rapid fired competitive round involving tow teams with one shot per member. The delicious task for the creative morning group was the baking of muffins. Specifically these were iced with a time old favourite chocolate.

The off camp adventure option that spanned the day was rock climbing in the old quarry groups taking the challenge of four ropes. These ranging in difficulty from following cracks to grasping onto finger and toe holds to surmount the challenges. Many campers 


The afternoon session sport activities initially began with a intense match of rounders both teams sending it far and fast and far into the outfield. Though one team did have breakaway before the afternoon break. The other option voted unanimously by campers was a free swim session to escaped the oppressive heat of the day. The creative option for the afternoon involved optical illusions drawn on paper and created from cardboard for mind bending effects enjoyed to much delight to the campers.

With Thursday comes theme night and on this night we had a Disney murder mystery. Initially beginning with a fake Oscars with special guests from multiple Disney movies , but the as the introductions came to a close a scream and Mickey the Mouse had been murdered. Each the campers where given the task to commence a investigation into the motives and alibis of the Disney guests. Each of the Disney characters spread across the camp and were interview giving many stories and contradicting evidence and hints while offering campers activities. Bobbing for apples with snow white, pool noodle fights with general Chang and Giraffe stretching with Rafiki. While the rest of the characters where located around campus. The finale culminated in the interrogations and extra evidence presented by Sherlock Holmes. The the murder weapon being poisoned hair spray. Each character was voted against form the campers to who was the murder the prime suspect being Captain Jack Sparrow followed by prince charming. Though through DNA testing the true culprit was found to be Prince Charming himself wanting the Disney throne. Campers seized him as he tried to run and justice was served.

With the mystery solved and hot chocolate drunk all collapsed into bed after a eventful and enjoyable day.

Click for Thursday’s Photos

Friday, 27th July

Fridays at L&E can only mean two things, triathlon and the Oscars!!! Today began with a filling breakfast, which in turn pumped the campers up for their final dodgeball game of the week. To this date, the tutors have not yet managed to win in the classic dodgeball game of ‘tutors vs campers’, but there is still hope for the final week at north camp, fingers crossed!
Water polo proved to be the most popular activity this morning, as almost half the camp opted to play and prove their amazing water polo skills. The campers were dedicated to the game to the extent that they chose to play throughout their break, and in the end, following a tense stand-off of a 20-20 score, the game concluded with a decisive golden goal.
The creative session this morning was extremely successful as the campers drew portraits and in turn embraced their inner ‘Leonardo da Vinci’s’. The activity was enjoyed by all of those who took part, and hopefully we will be seeing some of the campers’ artwork in museums or galleries in the future!
Friday morning also witnessed the apparent arrival of Cupid, as there was love in the air in the English class. The campers took part in ‘Speed Dating’, which proved to be an excellent opportunity for them to get to know their fellow campers, but also to practice their English skills.
The main event of the afternoon was without a doubt the traditional L&E triathlon, where all the campers threw themselves into each activity. They split themselves into teams of three, where each person would either swim, complete the obstacle course or run laps of the field. The campers all completed the triathlon out of breath but with huge smiles on their faces, which is what we like to see!
Ultimately, the night concluded with the highlight of the week – the Oscars!! It was wonderful being able to acknowledge the success of the week as well as how amazing all the campers have been! After the awards ceremony, the campers danced the night away in a disco filled with excellent tunes before enjoying their hot chocolate and going to bed in high spirits.

Click for Friday’s Photos

Staff Catch-up

 At this time of year it’s always nice to catch up with friends and find out what everyone is up to.  It seems like everyone is off adventuring far and wide!  

Vicky

Vikky who worked this year at our Madrid Camp and North Camp is currently wandering the forests of New Zealand looking for the biggest fern tree she can find!

Julie-Ann

Another staff member off adventuring is Julie-Anne who is teaching in Thailand.  Fortunately she still manages to get some time off to explore the jungle or the islands!

Harriet

Harriet who has worked for us for a few years now is off in S.E Asia doing some travelling.

Hayley

Another one of our new recruits at camp this year has also been very busy since camp!  A massive congrats to Hayley who is now a fully qualified Pilates teacher and is currently working towards her Yoga teaching training qualification too.  She is still saving the world one dance party at a time!

Ollie & Tom

Our boys seem to have been in the wars….  Ollie had nose surgery after camp and Tom had to get foot surgery.  They are both all healed up and fighting fit you’ll be glad to know.

Matt, Ollie & Will

Now look who our Kenyan boys Matt and Ollie ran into in Zanzibar…..only Will Smith!!!   Such a small world!!!

Paul

Paul, one of our English teachers at camp is enjoying his first year at Lancaster University studying Economics.

Jade & Sammey

Another girl who is off adventuring is Jade who worked with us at the South Camp.  She is the deputy head of boarding at a school in sunny southern Spain!  Lucky for some!!  A bit closer to home Ashleigh is working hard in her first year of teaching…..head in the books it seems!   Sammey who was also a new recruit is back from travelling in New Zealand and is enjoying teaching Yoga in the West of Wales.

Wilson

Another new recruit this year was the lovely Wilson.  After some cancelled flights and a last minute change of airport he is now happily in Courchevel (French Alps ski resort) where he is working for Esprit as a snow ranger (child care) for the next 5 months.  Not a bad place to spend Christmas and New Year!

Sarah

Our very own Sarah is working hard in her day job and making sure her pupils know all about L&E – good work Sarah!

Here at L&E we are so lucky to have such amazing staff who come back each summer to work at camp.  We have such an amazing mix of individuals who bring a vast amount of experience and creatively to our camps.  A lot of our staff come back to camp year after year and some describe it as their happy place.