Meet the Team – here’s Gemma!

Gemma joined the Global Action ops team last summer with a wealth of experience in educational school travel (and netball!)

After a hectic few months getting her feet under her desk, and on a few planes/beaches/jungles, we asked Gemma what she thought about her time in Zanzibar and Costa Rica with some of our Global Action school teams.

What were your expectations of Costa Rica and Zanzibar before you went?

I’d never been to Costa Rica or Zanzibar before and kept a pretty open mind about what to expect. Costa Rica is renowned for it’s wildlife but I was trying not to build my hopes up too much as I know nothing is ever guaranteed! The closest I had been to Zanzibar before was Kenya (which neighbours mainland Tanzania) so I guess I was expecting it to be a little similar in some respects…but other than the language, it was quite different.

What was the highlight of each trip for you?

It’s so hard to pick one specific thing…we were lucky enough to see a sloth hanging out in the wild and also baby turtles taking their first dip in the sea! But a real ‘wow, I really am in Costa Rica’ moment was waking up early on a misty morning in Monteverde to an excited student banging on the window telling me to look outside – she’d spotted a huge toucan sat in a tree right outside! It was a beautiful sight and so wonderful to see the student absolutely embracing the experience and appreciating the incredible nature surrounding her.

In Zanzibar, the snorkelling sessions and boat trips were so much fun, and I loved the accommodation in Paje where it felt like you were just living on the beach! One thing that I always looked forward to though, was at the end of the day in Stone Town when everyone was heading back to their rooms after dinner and the city was getting a little quieter…and then the call to prayer would start echoing through the streets from all the different mosques, with the calls all merging into one creating a soothing melody. I could sit and listen to that for hours!

What was the steepest learning curve?

My steepest learning curve was in Zanzibar – I’ve not done much snorkelling in the past as I have always struggled with the sensation of breathing underwater! I was pretty nervous about getting involved in the snorkelling sessions but felt it was important for me to get a proper idea of what the students were experiencing across the different reefs, to help me plan for future itineraries. Plus, wouldn’t I be crazy to turn down the opportunity to snorkel off one of the most beautiful islands in the world!?

Do you want to go back and why?

Yes, both please!! 😅

I’d love to go back to Costa Rica and spend some more time in Monteverde, as cloud forests are one of my favourite ecosystems. It would also be great to see even more wildlife as the country is absolutely teeming with it.

I felt really at home in Zanzibar and would love to return to soak up more of the fascinating culture and of course, spend some more time exploring the tropical waters and paradisiacal beaches.

What do you think makes a Global Action trip different?

The number of activities and experiences packed into a trip and the opportunity to learn about really interesting and important global topics in such an adventurous way!