Location
  • Ecuador
    • Quito
    • Amazon
Length
1 to 6 weeks

Program Details

Language
English
Age Min.
17
Timeframe
Year Round
Housing
Apartment
Groups
Small Group (1-15) Medium Group (16-30) Large Group (31+)
Travel Type
Budget Family Solo Women

Pricing

Starting Price
389
Price Details
Love Volunteers registration fee, plus program fees from US$389 for 1 week.

Program fees cover airport pick up, orientation, accommodation, program coordination and support.

The Love Volunteers registration fee covers lifetime alumni membership
What's Included
Accommodation Airport Transfers
What's Not Included
Meals Transportation Travel Insurance Visa
Sep 20, 2023
Jun 27, 2012
2 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Join Love Volunteers in Ecuador for the volunteer experience of a lifetime! Ecuador is known for the diverse wildlife and natures. Love Volunteers works with local partner organizations to ensure that volunteers are helping the local communities where they need it the most.

Projects are located in many different settings - from the capital city Quito to the Amazon and Cloud Forest - volunteers are able to give back while exploring this beautiful and exotic country. Check out the Love Volunteers website for more details!

Current Love Volunteers Programs in Ecuador:
Childcare & Development
Disabilities & Special Needs
Medical Internship
Animal Therapy
Teaching English
Amazon Animal Conservation
Cloud Forest Environmental Protection

Program Reviews

5.00 Rating
based on 3 reviews
  • 5 rating 100%
  • 4 rating 0%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Impact 4.7
  • Support 5
  • Fun 4.35
  • Value 5
  • Safety 4.35
Showing 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Default avatar
OBara
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Volunteer in Ecuador with Love Volunteers

Through the great help and support of Love Volunteers, I went to Ecuador to do my volunteering service at a children daycare/rehabilitation clinic. I enjoyed my site, because I had hands-on experiences with the children and I felt that my service was needed/appreciated. Everyday, three-times a day, I helped with the feeding of the children (breakfast, snack and lunch). Some of the children need help being fed (example - spoon feeding). I also helped the teachers with teaching and helped the children play with toys and other activities. I had an worthwhile experience with my volunteering. I had an amazing time at my site and at Ecuador.

Ecuador is an amazing and fun place. I honestly felt safe and taken care of over there. The people are very friendly. There are many things that you can do over there such as shopping. My sister and I did a lot of shopping. During the weekend, I had the opportunity to make trips to other exciting places (i.e. the Equator line, Banos, the Beach, Mindo-Cloud Forest, Otavalo the indigenous market, Cotopaxi Volcano) at affordable prices.

Overall Ecuador was amazing. My experience was great due to the help of Love Volunteers. I recommend using Love Volunteers if anyone wants to volunteering, because they will make sure that wherever you go volunteer, you will be take care of.

47 people found this review helpful.
Response from Love Volunteers

Hi OBara,
Hats off to you for putting so much into your volunteering experience - and therefore getting the most out of it. That's what it's all about!
Thanks for being such a great volunteer, we'd love to have you back on the team again in the future.
The Team @ Love Volunteers

Default avatar
unclejim100
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

San Cristobal was amazing

I can honestly say I loved almost every minute of this experience. Everyone involved with the program was extremely helpful and kind with all of my questions, needs, and concerns, as were the staff on-site at the station on San Cristobal. Come to think of it, almost everyone I dealt with in Ecuador was helpful and kind, from hostel managers, to tour guides, to doctors that I and others (unfortunately) had to get help from. The support staff from Love Volunteers and their partner were excellent at addressing any safety concerns I had, so I never felt once that I was in any danger or put in a situation involving any extreme safety risks.

The shared accommodations at the station were rustic and rugged as advertised, so I wasn't surprised there at all. While a few others complained a little about the food, I found it to be quite good and a good way to experience some authentic Ecuadorian cooking. I think living in a much simpler way was a great character-building experience, and it was always nice to know that on weekends we could go into town to get a hot shower, some A/C, and enjoy the fantastic animal life and landscapes that the Galapagos islands have to offer. This combination of experiences made it a most unique, and most enjoyable way to spend time away from home.

The work itself was also quite rewarding. At first I thought I would be spending all day, every day cutting down invasive species, but that was far from the case. The staff at the station have a variety of activities that they vary for the volunteers, and doing so gives the volunteers a number of ways to actually contribute to the local community. This also provided a number of ways to experience the islands and see things in ways that other tourists may not get a chance to.

Socially, this experience was excellent. Everyone I met at the station (including staff were positive, generous, helpful, fun, and interesting people. I met a few people that I'm sure will become life-long contacts, if not friends. I regret that my Spanish skills weren't all that strong since it would have been nice to get to know the staff better, but enough people there spoke enough Spanish that we were always able to communicate well. My only other tiny regret was packing and bringing rubber boots: this particular station has a room full of them that other volunteers have left behind, but I suppose it would be risky to assume that the station would definitely have a fitting pair.

All-in-all this was an awesome experience for me, and I would recommend it to many of my friends... or at least the ones who are willing to be tough enough to live with the very basics while at the station.

52 people found this review helpful.
Response from Love Volunteers

Hi there,
What a pleasure to read a review such as yours and hear how well you coped with unfamiliar accommodations, food and language. An open mind is often one of the most important attributes a volunteer can have!
Wishing you all the best,
The Team @ Love Volunteers

Read my full story
Default avatar
Edward
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

One of the best things I've done

From the half dozen or so volunteer placements offered, I chose to work at a domestic violence shelter in Quito. Once there, the shelter staff decided to have me work with the children because of my teaching experience. It was frequently difficult work, but it wasn't hard to see how valuable it was for the children and the shelter as a whole. I really formed some relationships with the kids there. It was hard to leave.

The local volunteer foundation in Ecuador also offers a lot of fun opportunities to the volunteers, e.g. salsa classes (free), weekend excursions to different cities (reasonable fee), etc.

Quito is dangerous if you don't take sensible precautions, but it's a great city. And Ecuador as a whole is a beautiful country.

51 people found this review helpful.
Response from Love Volunteers

Hi Edward,
Thanks for sharing your experience and advice.
We're proud to hear our local team in Quito met your needs and were able to arrange activities to help you enjoy the local culture.
Thanks also for highlighting the need for volunteers to be sensible of their surroundings, use their common sense and follow the advice of the local team.
All the best for the future,
The Team @ Love Volunteers

Read my full story

Questions & Answers

Hi Colin, Here are the prerequisites from their website -- - Volunteers must be at least 18 years old at the start of their placement. - Knowledge of basic Spanish is also a pre-requisite, a more advanced knowledge is preferred for medical placements. Hope that helps! - Some experience in the field in which they are volunteering is also helpful, as is a responsible, enthusiastic, positive and...