Program Reviews

This was one of the most amazing experiences of my life!! But I think that without the people involved in my group, it would have been close to the same experience. I loved exploring Lithgow and Australia and being able to just be myself in this amazing country. Lana Austin was my project leader and she has already changed my life for the better. She opened up my eyes to things that I would have never thought about doing to save the environment and was always happy to help with anything whenever anyone needed it. I would have given anything to have been able to stay longer and ISV did an amazing job giving me the opportunity of a lifetime.

This program was amazing! The days all had a schedule, that we stuck to, which allowed us to be excited and prepared for each day's work. When the end of the total five week trip was coming to a near, I was not at all ready to leave. At the end of the program we had a debriefing that really laid out just how much of an impact we had on the community. I enjoyed the debriefing since while you are physically cementing the floor or working with the kids everything seems so minuscule as if you could be doing so much more. As for the ISV staff-I cannot even describe how excellent they were! The project leader single-handedly made my experience 100 times better. We also got to interact with the country coordinator- he was not just some name you see in emails of someone you wouldn't ever meet. Overall ISV is an amazing organization! They were the cheapest international volunteer agency I have come across and I feel like I got so much more out of this program than I would have any other.

Serving at Ran Tong Elephant Save and Rescue Center was the most rewarding and amazing experience. I learned about myself, my faith, the elephants, Thailand's culture and language, and made friends with the locals. My group was fortunate enough to work along side some of the local villagers who taught us how to say things in Thai and picked fruits off of the trees for us to try. We were fully immersed and engaged with Thai culture. They took us on adventures that we would not have experienced had we been typical tourists. Hiking to the waterfalls and hunting for Earth Star mushrooms were unlike anything I've ever done before. We made friends with the men from the village and in return, we were given special blessings and gifts to bring home with us.

My month in New Zealand changed the way I will think and act for the rest of my life! Not only did I learn so much about environmental, economic, and social sustainability, but I also had the chance to live with and learn from the Maori people. The educative opportunities I had during the first two weeks have provided me with a new outlook and a new idea of what I want in life. The love and respect I felt from the hosts, leaders, and my group will always remain with me and the bond that I have with them is irreplaceable. Kaitoki NZ is a life changing place!
The adventure tour provided me with even more incredible memories and experiences! By constantly pushing myself outside of my comfort zone, I have never felt stronger or more alive. And being able to do it all with new friends was great!

The moments that will stick with me most from my experience in Thailand will definitely be from the two weeks I spent at Ran Tong Save and Rescue Elephant Centre. Every day we were immersed into the lives of the elephants and shown that there is no need to be afraid of these gentle giants. We were able to build relationships with them, especially the newest member of the Ran Tong family, the four month old baby named Harry Potter. Now, don't take "baby" the wrong way, he is more like a 400 pound puppy. While trying to clean his pen he would try and play with us by pushing us around and trying to take our tools and hats. He would grab our hands with his little trunk and teethe on them gently.
Not only did we get to experience the elephant's world, but we got to experience the villager's world. During our project we had the mayor of the village, the head of the village, and the former head of the village, helping us the entire time with our construction. They were incredibly kind and welcoming and taught us as much Thai as they could considering their English was quite poor.

I can't say I knew exactly what to expect when signing up for this experience. What I did know was this: 1. I wanted to travel and experience a completely different culture and 2. I wanted to volunteer and make an impact somewhere or on someone who needed it. Boy, did I ever get both and more.

You always hear about people travelling and coming home a "changed" person and I can honestly vouch and say they are probably telling the truth. My month in South Africa not only gave me an insight and new found appreciation for the beautiful country, culture, and people; but also humbled me as a person, giving me new perspectives and lessons on life which I find myself continuing to implement here at home.

I am so grateful I found ISV to guide me on this journey, especially being a first time solo traveller. They truly did a fantastic job balancing humbling volunteer work with adventure/ travel, all whilst evoking the TRUE South African spirit and culture.

I will never forget the kindness and joy of the local people (despite some having such misfortune), the breathtaking landscapes, the unique wild life interactions, and of course my amazing fellow volunteers and leaders I am glad to call friends.

If you're looking for a one of a kind, humbling, adventure filled, true South African experience that you will never forget then this is the program to sign up for.

This trip was the best thing that I've done in my life so far. As a biomedical student, I learned so much about environmental science as well as how everything and everyone on Earth are connected. The volunteer work we did was very fulfilling and my friendships with my group mates grew even stronger during the travel tour. The money it takes to do this trip may seem daunting, but it is 100% worth it! No regrets at all!!

I heard about volunteering abroad through ISV from a student that came into my class and just explained her experience. I love traveling so the second I heard her talk about the opportunities ISV had to offer, I knew my mind was set and I had to go. I have traveled before with groups so I had some experience with traveling like this before I came, but this trip was nothing like my previous ones. Going to Costa Rica and living in a community environment was refreshing. We woke up early, showered with cold water, slept in bunk beds, was drenched in sweat every second of every day and so on, and I would 100% choose to do this again then stay at a 5 star resort that had AC. Not only was volunteering with sea turtles and planting mangroves absolutely rewarding, but there comes an extra appreciation for the Costa Rican culture when you are living among families that live like this on a daily basis.

The first two weeks of volunteering was incredible; it changed my values, how I view the world, made me realize how much I impact the world every day, and allowed me to build friendships with people I would have never met otherwise. I also chose to do the two week adventure tour, and it was nothing less than amazing. You change places every two or three days so you get to experience as much of Costa Rica as you can in only two weeks while doing incredible activities along the way such as: white water rafting, zip lining, rappelling down a waterfall, watching an indigenous tribe give a presentation, surfing, and so much more. This trip was truly a once in a lifetime experience, and I wouldn't change a single thing about it!

Do not take it lightly when I say that my time spent in South Africa with ISV was the best month of my life in every way possible. I could talk about the positive and sustainable contributions we made volunteering at the Ann Van Dyke Cheetah Center, of which there are many, or I could tell you about what an absolute blast I had on the adventure tour doing activities from kloofing (so much fun) to caving (even more fun), but that's not what made the trip so special. What sticks with me, and the aspect that I miss the most beyond a shadow of a doubt are the people. I have never in my life been exposed and surrounded by so many unique and positive people. Absolutely every person I met, from locals, to staff at the cheetah center, to project leaders, to tour leaders, to activity guides and especially fellow volunteers, were among the most caring people I have met in my life, and they made the experience nothing short of extraordinary. Everybody is there because they simply want to make the world a better place and that's something that we don't see enough of in this world anymore. They will inspire you and bring out the best in you, and I can honestly tell you that I am a better person because of them. ISV's slogan is "impact your world", and after traveling with them for a month, I know that they have impacted mine.

I have been to other countries before, but this by far was the best trip. With the first two weeks being spent in one place, and our project leaders be people who currently live in New Zealand, I was able to learn so much about the culture and land. We spend most of our volunteer days working with different plants, and by the end I was able to name plants, know where they grow best, and what the native people used them for. I know more about plants in New Zealand rather than my own country! The project leaders were very knowledgeable and were able to express a lot of native words that were jun to pick up on. During the next two weeks we got to really see New Zealand and all of its breathtaking landscapes, by traveling up from the bottom of the south island to the north island. We got to experience so many amazing things such as skydiving, hiking, white water rafting, (my favorite) black water rafting, Hobbiton, and so much more! You finally understand why it is considered middle earth, by how beautiful it all is. I had 7 other college kids in my group, and we all had a great time together. I know I have made some life-long friendships through it. If you want to travel, this is a great way to do it!