Hosted by International Volunteer HQ - IVHQ

Laos Volunteer Programs from $21/day | Most Affordable & Trusted

Name: Laos Volunteer Programs from $21/day | Most Affordable & Trusted
Brand: International Volunteer HQ - IVHQ
SKU: 52905
Rating: 4.86 (21 reviews)

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4.86 Rating

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Location

Laos

Length

1 to 12 weeks

Project Types

Childcare Building Projects Education Teaching

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Program Details

Language

English

Timeframe

Short Term Spring Break Summer Winter Year Round

Housing

Guesthouse

Groups

Small Group (1-15)

Travel Type

Budget Family Older Travelers Solo Women

Pricing

Starting Price

285

Price Details

Fully hosted experience from only $285 for 1 week - this includes accommodation, meals, airport pick-up, orientation and 24/7 in-country support.

What's Included

Accommodation Some Activities Airport Transfers Meals

What's Not Included

Airfare Travel Insurance Visa

Last Updated: May 01, 2024

Last Reviewed: Feb 13, 2024

Wish List

7 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Trusted by 136,000+ volunteers, IVHQ offers the world's #1 rated volunteer programs in Laos and 50+ destinations worldwide.

For the past 6 years, we've won the "Top Volunteer Abroad Provider Award" from GoOverseas, so you can trust that you're in the safest hands with IVHQ in Laos.

Our affordable projects start from $21/day for your accommodation, meals, airport pick-up, project placement and local support. Projects run year-round, with durations from 1-12 weeks. Choose from 3 projects, including Teaching, Childcare and Construction and Renovation in Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Center in northern Laos. Plus, you’ll stay with other like-minded, impact-focused travelers from around the world (private room options available).

With IVHQ’s superior pre-departure support services, you’ll gain exclusive access to your own Volunteer Travel Specialist, comprehensive preparation tools and volunteer training before you leave home.

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Affordable Volunteer Programs in Laos from $270

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Program Highlights

Cheapest volunteer programs from $21/day for your accommodation, meals, airport pick-up, project placement & local support.
Volunteer for 1-12 weeks, year round start dates most Mondays.
15+ years experience & only B Corp certified volunteer travel organization.
Get free changes up to 14 days before you start with our flexible booking policy.
Affordable way to earn college credit - gain 5 credits for only US$500!

Popular Programs

Childcare Volunteer in Luang Prabang, Laos

Join our Childcare volunteer program in Luang Prabang, Laos and help provide care, attention and education to local children. As a volunteer, you'll assist with daily jobs, arrange games and activities, teach English and discuss hygiene and Laotian traditions. Get involved in creative activities like painting, drawing, origami or dancing and even organize visits to the river or local villages.

Construction and Renovation Volunteer in Laos

Volunteer in Laos to help maintain community services such as schools, medical and childcare centers. Your role will include light construction, renovation and maintenance tasks to make these services functional and attractive. Duties may include building, renovating, painting, carpentry, restoration and landscaping. Be flexible and adaptable to the priorities of the local community.

Teaching English Volunteer in Luang Prabang, Laos

Volunteer as an English teacher in Laos and make a meaningful impact on the lives of disadvantaged students. Teach at monasteries or local high schools and help them improve their language skills. Get involved in the school curriculum and spend time preparing your lessons.

Program Reviews

4.86 Rating

based on 21 reviews

Leave a Review

Rating Spread Volunteer

5 rating 85.71%
4 rating 14.29%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Impact 4.65
Support 4.95
Fun 4.75
Value 4.7
Safety 4.85

Good for Solo Travelers, Students, Couples

Showing 1 - 8 of 21 reviews

The volunteer program was an ethical, engaging and family-friendly experience. It was so rewarding to be a part of the program, engage with students and teachers, learn more about their culture, and have a sense of contributing to the community. My family including a young child were able to witness the positive impact that volunteering has on communities.

The program has gone so well and has exceeded my expectations in many ways.

The teaching itself was not as challenging as I had imagined. The students at various levels were conversational, and willing to make mistakes, so the classroom was a fun and rewarding place to be!

The local team were so welcoming, accommodating and generous with their time, supporting the volunteers around the clock.

My time volunteering in Laos was absolutely fantastic. The local team were really friendly and helpful, they made sure you were comfortable with everything from the program to accommodation. The program was very enjoyable, I absolutely loved joining in and helping the kids with all their activities through out the day. Seeing their smiles and excitement when you walked into the room was lovely.
I also participated in the adventure week which was an amazing way too
immerse your self into the Lao culture.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?

The most surprising thing I saw was the Kuang Si waterfalls. Nothing can prepare you for how absolutely stunning it is.

Pros

The local team
It’s very safe
Helping the community

There was tremendous support from the beginning starting from when I first registered through to my arrival at my volunteer project. I was also impressed with the communication between IVHQ and the local team working on behalf of IVHQ. All information I received was clear and accurate such that there were no surprises on my arrival in Laos where I was volunteering. Even during my time in Laos, the local coordinator continued to be in contact with me regarding my situation. It was all very reassuring.

Pros

Very satisfactory food and accommodation
Being close to the local culture
Establishing friendships with local coordinators and other volunteers

Cons

Spotty internet

What an experience! I volunteer for 3 weeks in Luang Prabang, Laos, and it was for sure one of my top 3 life experiences! Everything went super well, starting with all the IVHQ support team to the local team in Luang Prabang. I did a Childcare program and I it was amazing. The kids were great and all the team made me feel super welcome. There's no words to describe the time we spent in school with the kids, teaching and also learning with them. They'll be forever in my hearth and I will never forget the time I had when volunteering,

Pros

I learn with the kids more than I expected.
I truely had a local experience.
I met great people.

Cons

The weather was not that good. I would rather go in other time of the year.

My time volunteering in Laos was absolutely incredible! The program was so well organised! From the moment I expressed my interest in volunteering, I was provided with the support that I needed to take the next steps to go abroad. Once I was in Laos, the local team gave me so much support and guidance about the country, the program, and places to explore.
The volunteering program I completed was Teaching English in one of the local schools. What was so great about this program is that the teachers and students genuinely needed the help of volunteers and were so grateful that we were there. This was so impactful as I knew my contribution was actually making a difference on the lives of others.

Pros

Incredible support from local team
Volunteering program had a meaningful impact on the lives of others
Laos is an incredibly beautiful country

Cons

Pre-depature costs with IVHQ can add up

I was looking to volunteer my time while traveling abroad but was pretty flexible with my dates and type of program. IVHQ provided structure giving me ideas of how long I should volunteer for, where, and what to do in order to have the biggest impact. Once choosing the program they helped coordinate everything with the local organization and answered all my questions promptly. I had a life changing experience volunteering and having things like accomodations, food, and transportation all figured out for me allowed me to focus on volunteering. I highly recommend doing this, you won't regret it for a second!

Pros

Connecting with students
Food

Cons

Paying extra for a room vs dorm style

I have always wanted to volunteer abroad and finally “just did it”. I chose to go to Luang Prabang, Laos, to teach English. The school, the teachers and the children were absolutely wonderful and so grateful for my help. I fell in love with every Laos child, so polite, respectful and keen to learn. The location was perfect and I loved the culture of Luang Prabang and it’s people. I felt very welcome and very safe and there was so much to do outside of school hours, I spent a total of 4 days seeing the sights and enjoying my visit. I can’t recommend this project highly enough, such a rewarding and special experience.

Pros

Learning about a new culture and helping others.
Spending time with such beautiful children.
It’s very rewarding helping the children to learn English.

Cons

Not being able to help every single child.
Seeing some children miss out on going to school.
Seeing how little these people have and how hard they work.

I volunteered in Laos for two weeks. I wish I could have stayed longer! Laos is a beautiful country that has so much to offer. The Green Lion Team is extremely nice and always willing to help you with any problem you encounter. From riding a bicycle to school to teaching the lovely kids at school or hanging out with other volunteers at the bonfire, everyday was extremely enjoyable. This experience was really enriching and exceeded my expectations. I can't wait to volunteer again in the future. =)

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

Be sure to visit the COPE Centre and learn about Laos history!

Questions & Answers

I notice that most volunteers are young; I am retired.

Hello! not exactly a retiree here though i am a mid-career finance professional in my early 30s. I first started volunteering overseas when I turned 30 (probably considered a late-starter) and there were indeed lots of volunteers still studying or just graduated from university, most of them are 18 to 24 year olds. It did take me a while to get over the fact that I'm at least a decade older than...

By Jingying Chan on August 10, 2016

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

I chose IVHQ as suggested by a Portuguese friend who went on the same program in Bali. I chose the childcare program because I reckoned that helping kids build up their English skills is really important for their future. Also, the children are really sweet and cute!

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

They helped by giving me a lot of information about the necessary documents as well as the kind of clothes I had to bring. They also had been really efficient in answering my e-mails. They organized my pick-up from the airport of Ventiane to the accommodation. On my own, I had to organize the documents, the vaccinations, and the flights.

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What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

My suggestion is to be open to everything Laos has to offer – kind and smiling people, tasty food, amazing green landscapes, and the calm and the willingness of enjoying life. It's a third world country full of happy people who appreciate the little things. Be spontaneous, and the kids will adore you. Teach them with fun as they are always enthusiastic to learn something new. Let go, and don't be afraid of being judged because the volunteers are going to look forward to enjoy time with you and to know a bit of your story.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

During the week, you have a fixed timetable. Every morning is a good morning because you are welcomed by the kids once you arrive at school. I always had fun in my class, playing games and thinking of different activities. Preparing the activities doesn't take a lot of time; I used to do it every day after dinner (and dinner was at 5 PM so I had the time to prepare lesson and to chill). Once a week, there's a trip in the afternoon to Ventiane where you can have dinner with the other volunteers. In the weekend, there's the possibility to organize trips around the country with them.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

I had just two fears: the one and a half-hour of lesson that we were supposed to prepare (I had no experience with kids and teaching!) and the bugs. However, after half a day of the program, the first fear was gone because my heart just melted seeing all the children’s cute faces; teaching became really spontaneous, thanks to the other volunteers.

There were bugs and many other insects, but I was overwhelmed by so many amazing things and people that I didn't care that much about those bugs anymore. This experience had been so incredible that I also dealt with insects!

Will I have to do most things on my own?

If you are thinking of travelling on your own, don't be scared. You're not going to be alone except for your last flight. You are going to share a wonderful experience with the helpful staff and people who will become your friends. I'm of the view that the experiences that you start on your own are the ones that enrich you the most. If you have no experience, don't worry. There’s always a first time for everyone!

Shirley Roberts

2016 Alum

Jingying Chan

2016 Alum

Karina McCowan

2015 Alum

Location

Location:

Laos

Currency:

Laotian Kip

Laos is typically not regarded as touristy, especially in comparison to its highly touristy neighboring countries of Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia; however, this is slowly changing as people now associate Laos with a laid back style of living.

About International Volunteer HQ - IVHQ

International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ) brings people together from all walks of life to make a difference on the adventure of a lifetime. We offer the world’s #1 rated and largest range of volunteer programs with 300+ projects across 40+ countries - from teaching and working with children to medical missions, conservation and wildlife volunteering. For...