GVI

If you’re considering volunteering in Cambodia at all, my advice would be to go for it!

I was fortunate enough to have some free time between finishing university and starting on the next chapter of my life. I’d never been on a long haul flight or outside of Europe before and even after signing up to the Cambodia program, the idea of doing it all by myself was definitely quite daunting. However, from the moment I stepped foot in Siem Reap I was greeted with a smile and I never looked back.

The GVI Cambodia team are exceptional and made settling into the base so easy. Within only a few days, we were one big family of volunteers. I only stayed for a month, but I made some of my favourite memories in Siem Reap and hope to remember them forever. The GVI base was very comfortable and had everything you could need (including a swimming pool which is a huge bonus in the heat).

Teaching at the primary school and the community classes was also an amazing and refreshing experience. The children were so keen to learn and after only a month there, you could start to see a real difference in their English skills. The GVI Cambodia team work hard to ensure their relationships with partner organisations are sustainable and this was evident throughout my time there.

So, do it. Book the trip! I can’t recommend GVI Cambodia enough.

GVI Ghana has been absolutely incredible. The staff are so amazing at what they do and have an amazing balance between professional and friendly. It really feels like you are part of a family and the atmosphere on base makes you really feel at home. The work itself has been so rewarding. The students at the partner schools are all so bright and such a joy to teach. As an intern you have the freedom to create lesson plans alongside other inters, with the help of volunteers. This means you can really cater what you teach, to what the students need most at the time. It has been clear from the day I arrived that the team at GVI Ghana are having a long lasting positive impact on the community. Seeing how much respect locals have for GVI and hearing how much they appreciate having them around has been amazing. It really feels like you are doing something which will contribute to good in the long run. It is clear that GVI Ghana's aim is to not be needed in the future. They care so much about the sustainable long term change and you can see how much this is the root of their work. The base itself and the staff there are amazing. I felt so safe and at home for the duration of my stay and the staff really work to make such a welcoming environment. You also get so many opportunities to get involved in fun activities and see so much of the country, its culture and the amazing Ghanian people. All in all, I couldn't recommend GVI Ghana more!

I absolutely loved my trip with GVI!!! I got to do so many amazing things and meet so many amazing people. From tracking and camera trapping wildlife in the South African bush, to helping at a local community project, it was a brilliant and rewarding experience. As a minor travelling alone for the first time, I was very stressed about everything but GVI was great and extremely helpful, allowing me to stop stressing and really enjoy the trip. I loved every second of it. Truly 2 of the best weeks of my life.

I spent six weeks volunteering in the whale and dolphin conservation Tenerife in November/ December 2023.

I had an amazing time and enjoyed every day. The daily activities felt meaningful and professional while still being fun. On the boat trips, we saw many pilot whales and were lucky enough to encounter bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic spotted and striped dolphins, a hammerhead shark and some curious turtles as well as flying fish.

Tenerife's landscape is beautiful, there are so many different things to do in your free time and the organized experiences are great too.

The staff members on the base are truly amazing. Very understanding, fun and you can feel the love that they have for their job. We were even offered great help when organizing trips in our free time. Occurring problems (Calima, short-term lack of water, minor injuries...) were handled quickly and professionally.
Of course, Tiny the cat deserves an honorable mention.
There are a couple of rules that need to be followed but I found these rules to be reasonable and meant to keep the participants safe.

Originally, I booked for four weeks but decided to extend my stay. It was super easy to do so, the e-mail support was great and everything was cleared for me to stay longer the day after I made the decision.

I got to know so many great people from all over the world, some of whom became good friends. It also helped me to improve my English.

There are only two little weaknesses in my eyes. One is the cost of the project. It is not easily affordable for young people. But you do know the prices from the beginning and there are good offers every now and then.
The second thing is that for me, it would've been great to start the project on a Sunday and also leave on a Sunday. I felt a little lost on my first two days as the weekends are free and we didn't quite know what to do yet. I also think it would be nice to have a last free day before leaving. On the other hand, I understand that starting on Saturday gives more time for people to settle, especially for people with e.g. long flights and possibly jet lags.

I had one of the best times of my life volunteering in the Canary Islands. This project made me want to pursue a career in conversation, especially marine biology. I am already looking into booking my next GVI experience.

The entire experience that GVI provided was amazing. It started with me being picked up by taxi from a long journey on the aeroplane, which was incredibly exciting. I am very privileged to be able to have gone on this trip and experience everything that I did. From tropical and close to extinct animals like the green macaw, to lovely exotic fruits and foods, I was enamoured by every second spent in Costa Rica. We started our week as the itinerary detailed. We learned how to make tamales, went swimming in the lagoon and made a bench out of ecobricks. At night we went on turtle patrols from 8pm - midnight to make sure poachers stayed away from turtle nests. One of the most amazing moments I experienced was when we saw a turtle laying eggs in the night. The sand was also magical as it seemed to glow, quite literally, underneath our feet as we walked, as a result of the live microcreatures in the sand. We also went to Sepeque where we interacted and stayed with a local Bribri tribe who showed us their way of life and hunting. On the return from this lovely community, we went on a day long hike through the beautiful rainforest where we say camens, iguanas, sloths and many many ants. In reflection, as I was dropped off at the airport, I was sad to see it all go and return to the boring UK. But I took comfort in the memories that I made and friends that I got to keep. Overall a 5/5 would recommend experience. Super!