Program Reviews

This past July (2016) I traveled to Chiang Mai Thailand with International Students Volunteer (ISV) to volunteer at Ran Tong Elephant Sanctuary. While we were there we lived with the elephants for two weeks! Never in my life did I think this itself was a possibility!! I knew I would be volunteering with elephants (which itself is amazing and a dream come true), but I had no idea that every morning I would wake up to a view of twenty elephants roaming around enjoying their new life Ran Tong provided for them. During the day we made a fence for the sanctuary, helped WASH ELEPHANTS, feed elephants, clean up after them, tend to the baby elephants, and learn about the daily routines the caretakers have to go through to provide the elephants with a safe and happy life. Most of the elephants were saved from the logging or tourist industry. The best part was that you feel like you are making a difference for these amazing creatures and that they appreciate your hard work. While I was there I made so many friends. Not just from my group, but the people who lived in Thailand as well. One friend I made that had a lasting impression was Adam. He worked at the sanctuary and helped us along the way. He help translate for us and helped us get the things we needed. He was so friendly and immediately became our friend. Another man I met was Gaga. Gaga lived near the sanctuary and would drive us to locations like the market or into the jungle to cut down food for the elephants. He was the nicest man I ever met. He even introduced us to his young son, who we played with many days when we were there! Gaga reminded me of Indiana Jones! I wish I could explain how nice the people there are! They would give you the shirt off their back even if they did not know you.

One of my favorite memories from my trip was bathing the elephants. We made soap out of bark and brought the elephants to a watering hole to wash them. My elephant was named Maku, she was 37 years old and the most gentle giant! We went in to about our chest and the elephants sat down in the water. We rubbed the soap on them and used buckets to rinse them off. The coolest part was the elephants could eat the soap. Maku knew this and tried to steal the soap from me. If I didn't give her the soap she would spray me with water from her truck!! I feel like I bonded with Maku and this will forever be a lasting memory for me. The fact that I was bathing an animal that giant in a watering hole in Thailand is the most humbling feeling ever. I hope when you read this you can see how excited I am about my experience! I have many more stories, but this was my favorite!

Everyday in Thailand is an adventure and ISV made it the most memorable trip ever! This was my first trip out of the country and my first trip by myself. ISV made me feel so comfortable every step of the way. The team is very supportive and the work that they do is amazing. I can never go on vacation again! I will always make my trips about volunteering to help better our world. ISV helped me see this and makes me want to continue making a difference. ISV helps you IMPACT YOUR WORLD. I recommend this project to anyone and everyone. BEST TRIP OF MY LIFE!

I am so incredibly grateful that I found ISV to volunteer with this summer. I had been on two service trips with a different company in previous summers, which went fine, and I thought there was no way that ISV or any other company could possibly be better. But, ISV proved me wrong! I had a total blast. My group was incredible and we all meshed together really well. The projects themselves were awesome and very rewarding. ISV was significantly more well organized than the previous company that I had traveled with (which I realized once I got there and they all had everything put together for us), ultimately making the experience much more smooth. My leaders, Danyi and Pedro, were incredibly kind and very positive about the entire experience. They left each person do his/her own thing and fulfill what he/she came here to do which was a really great system. Overall, great company to travel with!

As a marine science major, I was extremely excited to be traveling to Costa Rica to work with sea turtles for two weeks. This had been a dream of mine since I was three, and ISV gave me that opportunity. Of course I was nervous to be living with a local family since I barely know Spanish, but after a day, I felt like a part of their family. I learned so much about the culture; it was a very humbling experience. The village where I lived was small, and although people didn't own much, they were happy and willing to take me and my group in. By the end of the two weeks of living with my host family, most of the village recognized me and even knew my name. It was hard to leave the family, especially the two little kids who were like siblings, but I will always remember them. As for working with the sea turtles, it was very hard and tiring work, and it was better than I could have imagined. We went on night patrols since the turtles usually lay their eggs at night, and we counted how many eggs a female would lay, measured the length and width of the shell, and tagged the flipper. On the very first night we found 26 turtles, which is way more than usual. A couple of nights later, a phenomenon known as Arribada occurred. This is the large gathering of nesting turtles in populations of Ridley Turtles. It only happens at four beaches in the world, and during about three days of the month throughout the summer. All I can say is that I was very lucky to see this! I learned so much while working with these amazing creatures, and this project confirmed my dreams of majoring in marine science.
So as I mentioned in the title, this was a month-long trip. After two weeks of working with turtles on the Pacific Coast, we met up with another group who had been doing a different project, and we spent the next two weeks traveling all over Costa Rica. In each place that we stopped, we had various activities that we could participate in, such as white water rafting, zip lining, rappelling, surfing, etc. These were all very exciting, but there were also relaxing activities such as sitting in natural hot springs and even a Thai massage on the beach. This adventure tour offered something for everyone, and the tour guide was very friendly and helpful in any situation. Even though this tour was more "touristy," I still learned a lot about the beautiful country and the different people who live there. This program was the most valuable experience of my life so far, and I will definitely continue to travel in the future.

We worked on several houses in the community, and there was a house that we built completely from scratch. On the last few days of the project, three groups were working on that house while one group was teaching in the community school. We couldn't tell how shocked and upset we were when we first saw how small, shitty, and torn-apart the house was, and it was definitely not waterproof in rainy days. Everyone working on the same house, the final project felt extremely bonded and supported, that each of us was a very part of something special, together to make an impact to the community people! We formed a line when we were transporting buckets of sand and cement along the slope, and passing those buckets hand to hand made us great evil for such a collaborative and lovely group and excited to see the chances we will keep making in the future!

Definitely the best experience of my life. This is my second time with ISV so obviously loved it so much I did it again. Adventure tour was incredible and safe. Really loved and miss my project. The staff was very friendly and well organized. Only issue I had with ISV is I found them really expensive but I thought it was worth it. Like I looked up the flight prices individually and they are a lot cheaper if you book them on your own than with the group flight. The volunteer portion is over priced but the adventure tour is reasonable. Highly recommend the four week program. You will regret it!

I didn't know what to expect when I applied for this program. These days, young people traveling is very common. Family vacations or road trips with friends or even simple day trips to the town over. But there's something about volunteer projects that are different. Putting your entire soul into something bigger than yourself is one of the most rewarding and life-changing experiences. Seeing the world in a whole new light!

By the end of my junior year, I felt the strong urge to just pack up and leave. The staff at ISV made sure to make the application process as easy as possible. I don't think there was ever a day where I had tried to call the office and wasn't able to reach them. While on the trip, I never once feared for my safety or feared that I would be misguided. ISV knows exactly what they're doing. Put your trust in them!

When I had finally gotten to Costa Rica in July 2016, I was assigned to the project Nancite Beach Sea Turtle Conservation. Let me tell you, Nancite Beach is an amazing place and I'm only saying "amazing" because there are absolutely no words to describe the way I felt being here. Not many people can say they've been to this beach because it's closed off to everyone except researchers and student volunteers. For about two weeks, there were 17 of us on an isolated beach, in the middle of the dry rainforest, working very closely with olive-ridley sea turtles. Our group alone was able to take a variety of statistics on about 27 grown sea turtles and released around 440 baby sea turtle hatchlings into the ocean. The first time we saw the baby turtles, we rejoiced! New life, right in front of our eyes! It was so beautiful that it even brought some to tears. We even went as far as to name them and call them OUR babies, creating an even bigger incentive for ocean conservation.

It wasn't just about the project that made this experience great. The people who I was surrounded with were so full of life and positive energy that made the project as amazing as it was. Being able to connect with people on a new level without phones or service and internet or even hot water was an incredibly different experience. These people helped me grow and learn so much about myself, others, and the world around me. Our project leaders, Esteban, Wilberth, and Michael, were some of the most passionate people I've met. They turned our entire volunteer project into something better and bigger than just "work". Spanish became fun, cooking became easy, and dancing became carefree and light.

Costa Rica has been an experience like no other. This trip has changed my mindset and view of the world. My heart is forever changed. PURA VIDA. I love you, Costa Rica.

I did the 5 week program with ISV and I don't regret signing up for it. I don't want to sugar coat this trip too much but the fact is that this trip is an experience of a lifetime. I'm not much of an outdoor person, nor do I like to socialize much, however, doing this trip has gotten me out of my comfort zone and has allowed me to meet new people from around the world.
Volunteering at the Ann Van Dyke Cheetah Center was a lot of hard labor. We had to paint, clear out enclosures for the animals, clean the hospital, etc. It was a fulfilling 2 weeks and you learn a lot at the center.
Tour and Excursion are optional, but you will regret not signing up for it.
Tour was awesome we went to so many places and did many activities. Magaliesberg, Swaziland, Mozambique were all great places to visit. Some of the accommodations were interesting to say the least. Living in huts in Swaziland to a nice resort in Mozambique was an experience. Chill activities like gamedrives in Kruger, elephant encounter, or just learning about the culture were fun, but the adrenaline activities were next level fun. Kloofing and caving was really fun and it allows you to support and cheer on other people and it brings the group closer together.
Excursion was the best week out of this whole trip. It was more chill than tour. My excursion group was way smaller than on project or on tour and it lets you connect with these people more. We got to do more gamedrives and white water river rafting. Which I think is an activity you must experience. There are also other optional activities that you can pay for like Micro Light Flights or Bungee Jumping. If you are planning on entering the photo competition, going on excursion will definitely give you the edge to win the competition.
The entire experience was really fun and I wish it didn't have to end. ISV is a great organization and I highly recommend this trip and organization.

Costa Rica is an incredible country and ISV was a great program to introduce first-time travelers to a new environment. The program centered around sustainability and community development and did a fantastic job of challenging participants to think differently and try new things. I especially appreciated this program because while there was plenty of guidance, we had opportunities to create our own memories specific to our own interests. Staying with a host family was a fascinating way to learn new spanish words and phrases and really see how Costa Ricans live-purely and with a huge emphasis on community and family. I would highly recommend this program as it showed me how to challenge myself and create relationships by finding common ground with new people.

Going into my first year of college I knew for a fact I wanted to study abroad and immerse myself into a completely different country, but I never knew where, when, for what, and how.

One day while sitting in my psychology class, a random young lady handed out a flyer about ISV and gave a brief explanation of what the program is before class and where we meetings are held to learn more information. I always have enjoyed volunteering in my communities, but never thought about volunteering abroad or even knew there was such thing for busy students like me. I decided to go to the information session and fell in love with what ISV had to offer. My major is very specific: athletic training, and I am trying to pursue a minor in Spanish, but my whole life I have been interested in marine life and exotic ecosystems. For 5 weeks I would be spending a week learning Spanish (perfect for dipping my toes into what a full language abroad program would be like), spend 2 weeks conserving either wildlife or the endangered rain forests, and for the last 2 weeks traveling to multiple beautiful cities in the country engaging in activities some people will never be able to do in their lifetime. This trip sounded like a once in a lifetime experience, and it reached above and beyond my expectations once I set foot in Costa Rica.

In just a short amount of time I practiced and learned Spanish skills I will continue to use in my future, volunteered in the Osa Peninsula by measuring the diameter of trees and counting seeds all throughout the gorgeous rain forest, spent two weeks traveling across the country, and of course make friendships that may be all over the world, but last a forever. Traveling with ISV was one of the best decisions I have ever made because I know I have made an impact in the world, and the world has made an impact on me. Every experience we encounter shapes us to who we are today, and this will be an experience I will never forget.

When my friends ask me about my South Africa summer adventure, the first thing I tell them is that it was one of the best decisions of my life. Volunteering overseas has always been a bucket list item for me, and ISV helped me do that while also having the time of my life. The trip I did consisted of two weeks volunteering, and two weeks of traveling around South Africa, Swaziland, and Mozambique. ISV also offers a variety of different volunteer projects to ensure that everyone can help out in the most enjoyable way for that individual.
In the community development project that I volunteered in (Izizwe projects), our group helped out in a township by gardening, painting daycare centers, and organizing activities for the kids. In those two weeks, the entire community welcomed us with open arms, making it easy to feel at home, and difficult to say goodbye. The volunteer work was so humbling, as we were able to teach the skills that are often taken for granted. For example, we showed kids how to brush their teeth and taught literacy classes for adults. As much as I loved doing the activities with the kids all day, I also loved that we did different volunteer work everyday. The schedule was pretty flexible in that if there was something one of us wanted to do or see, it was easily fitted into the schedule. I also learned so much on this trip about sustainability and climate change that completely changed my perspective on everything and inspired me to live more sustainably. On top of that, we were given several options for weekend activities, including going to the nearby Elephant National Park, bungee jumping, zip lining, and hiking!
The two-week adventure tour traveling around were filled with activities and culture, as we were able to go cliff jumping, interact with wild elephants, visit a Swazi orphanage, take surf lessons, see wild animals in Kruger National Park, and so much more. Although the volunteering was probably my favorite part of the trip, I'm so glad I did the two-week adventure tour because it gave me unforgettable experiences that I will always cherish.
As a student and young adult, one of the best things about the ISV trip was sharing the experience with other young adults who have the same passion for traveling and volunteering. I am so grateful to have met all these amazing people and the experience would not have been the same without any of them.