Camps International Reviews

Name: Camps International
Address: Unit 10 Kingfisher Park Headlands Business ParkSalisbury Road, Ringwood
Rating: 4.10

4.1 Rating 612 Reviews

78 %

of reviewers recommend Camps International

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About Camps International:

Camps International are experts in sustainable student travel, offering life-changing school expeditions in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

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Phone:

01425 485390

Email:

info@campsinternational.com

Location:

Unit 10 Kingfisher Park Headlands Business ParkSalisbury Road
Ringwood
BH24 3NX

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Camps International 5 star review on 7th January 2025

Joshua Rowlands

Charlotte Thompson

Amy Warren

119

Anonymous

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

Sort by: Most Recent Most Recent Highest Rated Filter: None None 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Stars Helpful

“Do not waste your money!! This company is refusing to repay all the children who can’t travel this year. There is no guarantee that any further trips will go ahead this year or next and if you do sign up and the trip doesn’t goes ahead you could find yourself loosing everything you contributed.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi James, thank you for getting in contact. The absence of clear guidance has created an extremely challenging operating environment for us and a worrying and stressful time for some of our travellers. We will continue in our efforts to be fair and consistent and adhere to our legal responsibilities under the PTR’s whilst also ensuring that we can continue to deliver exceptional experiences to the thousands of young people still booked on future expeditions with us. If you have any further queries please email operations@campsinternational.co.uk. All the best, The Camps Crew

Posted 3 years ago

“No insurance for Covid 19, no adherence to Dept for Education official guidance, no care for the safety and well being of the students involved, no care for the mental health of the parents. They want your money and will lie every step of the way to squeeze every last penny out of you. The government are saying no foreign trips without very good reason. The DfE are saying no school trips, but Camps are calling it a “disinclination to travel” and are refusing to refund. Do NOT trust this conpany.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi, thank you for getting in touch. We can assure you that we are following guidance from the Government and the FCDO for the proposed expedition dates and we will not be sending our travellers on expedition if it is deemed unsafe by either of these bodies. We have also been working with schools to eliminate any need for further planning and the decision to cancel or defer the expedition is currently with the school. We hope this help clears up any confusion but if you would like more clarification, please contact operations@campsinternational.co.uk and we will be able to explain our process further. All the best, The Camps Crew

Posted 3 years ago

“A genuinely careless attitude to our children. No regard for their safety. Willing to send unvaccinated teenagers to Peru, a red flagged country with one of the lowest vaccination rates in South America, even against current DfE advice. When this was discussed with the company few weeks ago in a meeting organised by the school, they choose to ignore all parents and steamed rolled with their plans, booking flights and demanding further payments or all money last. Appalling behaviour, callous and careless, only one thing in their mind. Your Money.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi Jon, thanks for getting in contact. We would like to assure you that the safety and wellbeing of our travellers is our number one priority and we have been following the guidance from the Government and the FCDO throughout the pandemic. We have been in close contact with all schools to give them the opportunity to cancel or defer the trip, and alleviate any need for further payments and planning. If you haven't heard the decision already, please contact your school for an update. If you feel we are better placed to help, please email operations@campsinternational.co.uk and one of our team will be available to help. All the best, The Camps Crew

Posted 3 years ago

“You talk to schools, you organise through schools and then when we want to cancel as this is a school trip and under the government guidance it says school trips can’t go ahead - all of a sudden it’s not a school trip! Absolute joke!!! Your peace of mind policy, is not worth developer cost to write the html.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi, thank you for getting in touch. We're sorry you are unhappy with our pre-expedition process. As the expedition is a school trip, the decision to cancel or defer is currently sitting with your school. We recommend you contact them for an update, otherwise please contact operations@campsinternational.co.uk and we will do our best to help. All the best, The Camps Crew

Posted 3 years ago

“A bunch of con artists..took our children’s fundraising and their Savings for a trip that was never going to take place. They hide behind their Terms and conditions taking thousands of £ off us and other families! Return our money!!’”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi Joanne, thanks for getting in touch again. We understand your frustration surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic and know that you are currently in contact with our team to resolve this matter. Please contact operations@campsinternational.co.uk if you have any further queries. Thank you, The Camps Crew

Posted 3 years ago

“I have helped my granddaughter raise funds for this amazing trip that she was so looking forward to.....however, as a family we have been very worried in the past months that Camps continued to say the trips would still go ahead! My granddaughter is only 15 and the thought of her in a country under the strain of covid and the thought of maybe her having to quarantine in Kenya was making me very anxious..... I cannot believe what Camps have put my family through with all the stress and worry and then to top it off because the school deemed to say that they felt it was unsafe Camps cancelled the whole school off the trip and they have all lost their deposits of over £2000 each !! It’s absolutely disgusting and Camps International should not be allowed to provide these trips to schools in the future! They should be ashamed of themselves!”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi, thank you for getting in touch. We are obviously deeply disappointed that your granddaughter will not be visiting our Camps this year and we have no doubt that she is too. However, as you mentioned your school has considered the current circumstances and challenges faced by both them and yourselves and has made this difficult decision, with your best interests in mind. We will be supporting them through the cancellation process to help minimise the financial impact to travellers and their families. If we can help you further, please email us at operations@campsinternational.co.uk and one of our team will do their best to help. Kind regards, The Camps Crew

Posted 3 years ago

“From the “sales pitch” by a Camps International representative right through to online zoom meetings in the months leading up to expedition, Camps International will claim that the safety of their students - our children - is of paramount importance to the staff, management and owners of Camps International. If there is anything that shows the safety of their students - our children - could be compromised in any way, the trip will be cancelled and refunds given. Earlier this week, the department of education set out a recommendation that international trips for schools do not go ahead during this academic year. That in itself sows an element of doubt over the safety of their trips. Is this enough for Camps International to cancel their trips and to refund the students that have raised thousands of pounds in fundraising to go on expedition? NO! Are Camps International cancelling trips - organised by and for schools - on the basis of a recommendation by the Department of Education? NO! Is this an organisation that you should trust the life of your child with? NO! Is this an organisation that you should trust with upto £5000 of your money with? NO! Now, do you want to travel on an expedition organised by Camps International? I didn’t think so.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi, thank you for getting in contact again. We can assure you that the safety and wellbeing of our travellers is our number one priority and we have been closely following the advice of the Government and the FDCO. We have also been working with schools to create several options that alleviate any need for further payments and planning. If you have any queries then we encourage you to contact your school otherwise please feel free to contact us and we'll do our best to update you on the schools decision. All the best, The Camps Crew

Posted 3 years ago

“Signed up to trip of a lifetime before covid hit. Now in the horrible situation where having to wait to the wire 7/14days before travel (travelling 6thJuly )to know if the trip is going ahead and potentially vaccinating our children unnessarily, in the hope the correct decision is made and the trip is cancelled and funds refunded . My 18yr old has had the most disrupted 18months since signing up to this 'trip of a life time as has her fellow travellers. These kids deserve a break and to know sooner rather than later what on earth is happening so they can plan for the rest of their future.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi, thank you for getting in touch. We can assure you that the safety and wellbeing of our travellers is our number one priority and we have been working with schools on several different expedition options that minimise the financial impact on families and eliminate the need for further planning by travellers. This decision to cancel or defer is currently sitting with the school and we encourage you to contact them for an update on where the expedition currently stands. If you feel we are better placed to help, please contact us at operations@campsinternational.co.uk and we will be able to update you. Kind Regards, The Camps Crew

Posted 3 years ago

“The lack of consideration to the physical and mental health of our young people is astounding. In one zoom meeting a parent reported the impact on her family of a close friend dying from Covid... minimal acknowledgement from the CI rep and back to fundraising! There seems to be complete disregard for the local Kenyan communities that they visit too. How can our children enter Kenya safely without Covid vaccinations.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi Emma, thanks for getting in contact. We can assure you that the mental and physical wellbeing of our travellers is our number one priority and we have been working closely with schools to minimise the financial impact to families and eliminate any further need for pre-expedition preparation. The decision to cancel or defer still currently stands with the school and we encourage you to contact them for an update. If you feel we are better placed to help, please don't hesitate to get in contact with us via operations@campsinternational.co.uk. All the best, The Camps Crew

Posted 3 years ago

“Don’t book with this company. They are refusing to cancel our child’s trip to Kenya this summer despite. Kenya and the backup location Tanzania are both red list countries, Camps International will not cancel until 6 weeks before the trip but expect us to pay out additional sums on a visa and vaccinations which need to be done eight weeks before travel - shame on you. Appalling service and a complete lack care and concern for the welfare of our children. Our school will not be using them again and I suspect many parents and schools will feel exactly the same.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi, thanks for getting in contact. We would like to assure you that the safety of our travellers is our number one priority and we have been closely following the guidance of the Government and the FCDO. We will not be sending anyone on expedition if it is deemed unsafe and we have been keeping close communications with schools regarding this. If you would like an update on where your school expedition currently stands, we encourage you to contact the school. If you feel we are best placed to help, please email us at operations@campsinternational.co.uk and one of our team will do their best to help. Kind Regards, The Camps Crew

Posted 3 years ago

“Just No! Abysmal communication, they expected us to pay the final balance despite not providing details on their insurance, risk assessments, or clarify responsibility for quarantine and PCR tests. They are a money pit, and unfortunately it seems to line the pockets of the owners, not the charities that they market themselves off. They are delusional, the staff towing the line saying the trips may still happen up to a week before departure. Do they not realise the stress and mental issues this causes their 15/16 year old clients, many who are also going through their gcse’s! A long rant, so going back to my original statement - JUST NO!”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi Sarah, thanks for getting in touch. We are sorry that you feel our communication has been inadequate. We can assure you that we have been doing our best to update parents where we can via our website. The Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly had a significant impact on every single one of us, but for some, especially in developing countries, the social and economic impact is hugely magnified. Please rest assured we are continuing to support our local crew and partner communities globally throughout this time. If you have any further queries, please email us at operations@campsinternational.co.uk and one of our team will be happy to discuss this further. All the best, The Camps Crew

Posted 3 years ago

“Poor service. Poor communication. No support whatsoever in this Pandemic. Thinking about their money more than the welfare of our children going on their expeditions.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi Stephanie, thanks for getting in contact. We are sorry to hear that you are unhappy with our communication. We would like to assure you that the safety of our travellers is our number one priority and we have been closely following the guidance of the Government and the FCDO. We will not be sending anyone on expedition if it is deemed unsafe and we have been keeping close communications with schools regarding this. If you would like an update on where your expedition currently stands, we encourage you to contact your school in the first instance otherwise please email us at operations@campsinternational.co.uk if you feel we are better placed to help. Kind regards, The Camps Crew

Posted 3 years ago

“Sadly there is not an option to leave zero stars. Disgusted that CI refused to do the right thing and take the decision to cancel our trip to Kenya, instead insisting they feel the trip can go ahead safely. If things change they will cancel the trip 2 weeks before the departure date, after our children have had vaccinations, started malaria treatments and purchased expensive clothing and equipment, all of which will be useless. They refuse to provide proof of covid related insurance or any risk assessments, and will instead be keeping £2000 of my hard earned money. Awful company with disgusting morals, no interest in our children’s safety, just hiding behind their cancellation policy. Will never book with them again.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi Claire, thank you for getting in touch. We understand that this matter has now been resolved and you have already received a refund. If there is anything further we can do to help, please contact operations@campsinternational.co.uk. All the best, The Camps Crew

Posted 3 years ago

“This company is disreputable & dishonest. My 15 yr old goddaughter was due to travel to Kenya this year. She has saved birthday/Xmas money & did a lot of fundraising to help fund the adventure of a lifetime. Due to Covid & Kenya being on the red list(& the fact that her school withdrew teachers to travel as custodians) it is clearly unsafe for children to travel. There are so many potentially dangerous situations (such as quarantine in a strange country) that make the trip untenable for a teenager. Camps International has refused to communicate with worried parents - and refuses to refund deposits paid claiming that anyone not sending their child has demonstrated ‘disinclination’ to travel. Their safeguarding is non existent & their only compromise is to defer travel to next year. As most of the young people across the UK planning trips this year will have left school by then - CI know that this is not a viable alternative. There are parents across the country trying to claim refunds. CI have lied about flights being booked etc & are clearly just ripping people off to the tune of £ thousands (average losses between £2 -£5k). Do not trust your child’s welfare to this company. They are clearly far more interested in money than child safety, and their insurances etc just don’t stack up! Beware.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi, thank you for getting in contact. We are unable to comment on individual travellers situations however we can assure you that we have been closely following the advice of the Government and FCDO and would never send anyone on expedition if it was deemed unsafe by these governing bodies. The safety and wellbeing of our travellers is our number 1 priority and we have been working with schools on several different expedition options that minimise the financial impact on families. The Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly had a significant impact on every single one of us, but for some, especially in developing countries, the social and economic impact is hugely magnified. Please rest assured we are continuing to support our local crew and partner communities globally throughout this time and long into the future. Stay safe, The Camps Crew

Posted 3 years ago

“They don’t even deserve the 1 star. Emails not replied to asking for updated risk assessments and insurance policy documents, but sending email reminders regarding the the final payment deadline, when all of the countries this company deal with are either on the amber or red list. And then to top it off after doing my research, flights didn’t even exist that they claimed they booked last December!!!! This company has no morals and no integrity towards the safety of our children and are more than willing to risk their health knowing full well that children will not have been vaccinated against covid when due to travel, and it being highly likely that the people our children were going to help will also not have been vaccinated. This contract was entered into prior to the pandemic therefore i strongly suggest all parents, schools and anybody else who is aware of the appalling way this company is run, that they look into a frustration of contract, meaning the pandemic was unforeseeable by either party and should therefore make the contract null and void and our children’s money that they have worked so hard to fundraise be refunded back to them so that they can give back to the people that have helped in their fundraising efforts or be able to donate to other charitable causes, not be pocketed by this company. They are an absolute disgrace.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi Mrs Breckenridge, thanks for getting in contact. We understand that this matter is currently being handled by the school and we can assure you that we will be supporting them throughout their insurance claim. If you would like an update on how it is progressing, we advise that you contact the school for more information. If you feel we are better placed to help, please contact us at operations@campsinternational.co.uk and one of our team will be able to help. All the best, The Camps Crew

Posted 3 years ago

“Took our money and refused to refund it despite being fully aware they would not be able to offer the trip”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi Suky, thanks for getting in touch. We are obviously deeply disappointed that your child will not be visiting our Camps this year and we have no doubt that you are too. However, your school has considered the current circumstances and challenges faced by both them and yourselves and has made this difficult decision, with your best interests in mind. We encourage you to speak directly with them regarding their decision to cancel the expedition. If you feel we are better placed to help, please email operations@campsinternational.co.uk and one of our team will discuss this further with you. All the best, The Camps Crew

Posted 3 years ago

“Dreadful despicable company! They happily wait for schools to cancel so they do not have to pay the young people all of the money back they have raised and paid in advance for the trip. I hope after seeing all of these negative posts, others will be put off from getting involved with this company!”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi, thank you for getting in touch. We understand that this matter has now been resolved and you have already received a refund. If there is anything further we can do to help, please do get in contact with us. Kind Regards, The Camps Crew

Posted 3 years ago

“We signed up two years ago for a trip to Kenya in 2021. I wish I had done more due diligence on the company at that stage. They claim to be philanthropic and charitable but in fact they have been shown to be completely immoral in the way they have treated families and children who have saved for trips which clearly cannot happen. To claim that 50% of costs have been incurred and are non-refundable simply could not be true. We should not have to ask our hard up schools to refund this money to us. Their accounts show that the highest paid director earned £233k in 2019 - wonder what his earnings will be in 2020 or 2021? I do not trust this company and would never recommend booking with them.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi, thank you for getting in touch, We understand that this matter has now been resolved with the school and we are obviously deeply disappointed that you will not be visiting our Camps this year. If there is anything else we can do to help, please don't hesitate to get in contact with us. Stay safe, The Camps Crew

Posted 3 years ago

“It is clear that Camps have a strong history of leading amazing expeditions. That was clear from the quality of previous reviews and the experience of participants. However they have not behaved openly or responsibly during this pandemic. How can anyone think it is reasonable to force children into making payments/ paying for vaccines, kit etc to go on a trip that is not safe. How can they justify not producing insurance documents/ itineraries etc. How can they justify putting flights on the traveller gateway and telling students they have paid for these flights - when these flights DO NOT exist. There has been poor leadership here - and the impact this will have on the very communities that camps is meant to support is likely to be devastating. Camps really missed a trick here They have upset so many schools and parents, likely affecting their future partnerships with schools. With better communication, support, flexibility and understanding they could have worked with families to cancel trips and to look at ways people could fundraise or pay into the charitable side of the organisation instead of making all their customers feel like they have simply stolen their money.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi, thank you for getting in touch. Throughout the pandemic we have been working closely with each school to establish several different options that minimise the financial impact to families and eliminates any need for further planning. These options are sitting with the school and we advise you to contact them to discuss the expedition if you haven't already received an update. In regards to the communities we work with, please rest assured that we are continuing to support our local crew and partner communities globally throughout this time and long into the future. If you have any further queries, please contact us at operations@campsinternational.co.uk and we'll do our best to help. All the best, The Camps Crew

Posted 3 years ago

“Do not use this company- they have behaved disgustingly and cannot be trusted! They know parents will not send their children to a red list country and so continue to press for final payments and be inflexible with their original ( pre pandemic) T&C’s! They cannot provide the correct documentation and so parents and schools are being forced to cancel losing the monies paid- Camps international getting rich on our children’s hard earned fundraising money and charitable donations - absolutely beyond belief they should not be allowed to trade in the educational travel sector!”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi, thank you for getting in touch. We are sorry you are disappointed with us and we can understand your frustration surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic. We would like to assure that we have been closely following all guidance given from the Government and the FCDO and all our safety procedures and documentation are up to date and complete. The Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly had a significant impact on every single one of us, but for some, especially in developing countries, the social and economic impact is hugely magnified. Please rest assured we are continuing to support our local crew and partner communities globally throughout this time. If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact us at operations@campsinternational.co.uk. All the best, The Camps Crew

Posted 3 years ago

Camps International is rated 4.1 based on 612 reviews