Hannah is currently on VentureCo’s Himalaya Venture in India and Nepal. The 12 week Venture includes a development project in a village in Rajasthan, as well as an expedition, involving camel treks, tiger safaris, deserted beaches, mountain biking, rafting and the Everest Base Camp trek.

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Diary of a Himalayan adventure: Update Five Hannah May writes... "So, I made it into Nepal! After several bumpy Jeep rides and a night at the border, we found ourselves in Chitwan National Park. It was very hot, very beautiful and very empty. We were practically the only tourists we saw while we were there as many people are still fearful of coming back. That suited us fine as we didn't have to queue for anything and had the whole place to ourselves. The night we arrived started with a quick talk of the animals of the park, also known as; a simple guide to the vast array of things that want to kill or maim you. Only last week the guide who spoke to us had been chased up a tree by a rhino and attacked by a bear! We went to bed full of confidence and awoke early the next morning. feeling even better when we realised our guides were armed against the marauding wildlife, with a big stick. Not ones to run from danger, we started the day in with a walking safari. We took a canoe down the river, with our guide telling us how crocodiles aren't generally seen at this time of year. Then we paddled past a five foot Gahrial croc, eyeing us up from the reeds. From there we wandered into the park, surrounded on each side by six feet of elephant grass and way too many rustling noises! Just as we were starting to relax, we heard a splash, a snap and a kind of growl. We pushed through the grass just in time to see a marsh mugger slip from the bank (where it had made a half hearted attempt to eat our guide) back into the water. This was all quite exciting until we realised we actually had to walk a cross the river on a precarious log. Whilst I was walking across I could see bubbles coming up from the bottom of the water. We all survived without seeing the marsh mugger again and continued into the forest just in time to see a rhino disappear into the grass! Bethan missed this as she was with our other guide who was throwing pebbles at the previously mentioned crocodile. It resurfaced and snapped at them before swimming away, allowing us all to have a minor nervous beakdown. The rest of the walk passed without event or death and we got back to the hotel just in time to get changed ready to bathe an elephant! We rode it down to the river (no mean feat, when there isn't a saddle) where it got in, sat down and we all fell off. Not content with getting us wet that way it also squirted itself, and us in the process, before settling down for a wash. We got to scrub the beast (not everyday you can say you have exfoliated an elephant) before walking back home again. I can safely say that it was just about the most fun I have ever had and we enjoyed it so much we went back the next day. In the afternoon we did a safari... by elephant! We trogged around in the grassland and saw two rhinos chilling in a pond; we got about two or three metres away from them! They are really funny looking, all big, fat, armoured and scary with two hairy little ears sticking directly out of the top of their heads. To be honest, before I saw one I don't think I actually appreciated that they looked that odd. When you see a photo of them, they look a bit made up! Next day we got to go to the elephant breeding centre and fed them biscuits. They are really funny, one had an itchy eye so scratched it with her trunk! They are kept locked away at night but get to roam the forest in the day because they need to get the huge amount of grass and 200 litres of water they need to drink a day from somewhere. However, in order to make them come back at night they basically make them addicted to salt! They can't resist it so come back every night for their fix. In the evening we found our way to the local bar (they extended happy hour for us!) and we all got drunk on Monkey Glands and Jungle Smiles. The barman rang all of his friends who turned up and we yet again started a disco, like we do everywhere else. We didn't go to bed until 2am, a decision we all regretted when we were up at 5.30am the next morning to watch birds. I don't even like birds, but still we all enjoyed it and managed to have a quick nap before visiting the crocodile breeding centre (which also oddly housed a man eating tiger) and having a bit of a Jeep safari. We again spotted two rhinos, but our guide seemed more intent on pointing out the spotted pigeon in the tree above it! In between all of this, we managed to squeeze in a spot of shopping, as usual. I bought more souvenirs than was strictly necessary and learnt to play Bagh Chal (a Nepalese board game) from a bored local. All in all I had a brilliant time and was very sad to leave for Kathmandu, where we are now. Having said that, it's pretty cool here and it means we are leaving for a trek soon!" Click here >> for arriving in India Click here >> for taking part in Hoil and renovating classrooms Click here >> for camel trekking Click here >> for trekking in the mountains Click here >> for elephant riding in Chitwan National Park Click here >> for Everest Base Camp Click here >> for bungy jumping, white-water rafting and home Name: VentureCo Address: The Ironyard, 64-66 The Market Place, Warwick Click here >> for details of this placement Click here >> to see all of VentureCo's placements Click here >> to email VentureCo Tel: 0845 344 7523