IVHQ Globe

International Volunteer HQ - IVHQ

Why choose 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 the past 6 years, we've won the "Top Volunteer Abroad Provider Award" from GoOverseas, so you can trust that you're in good hands! With over 17 years of experience, IVHQ provides safe, impactful and affordable fully-hosted volunteer experiences. Our multi-layered support network and flexible booking policy means you can volunteer abroad with confidence.

Our programs range from 1 to 24 weeks across premier destinations in Africa, Asia, South America, Central America, North America, Europe, the Caribbean, the Middle East and the Pacific.

Join 130,000+ IVHQ travellers who have spent over 8 million hours supporting local communities.

Reviews

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

Tanzania 🇹🇿

Everything about this experience is truly amazing! The placement, the accommodation, the food, the local team, the excursions and the friends you make for life! I’ve been home 1 day and already wishing I had done longer and hoping I get the opportunity to go back one day. If you’re thinking about doing it then do it it’s so worth it, It was even better than expected, I was abit worried going but I felt so safe during my stay with ivhq and onwards! Tanzania really has the most friendliest of people

What was your funniest moment?
There are too many funniest moments, the whole program from start to finish was amazing and had so much laughs but I really laughed while being in my placement playing with the children
Pros
  • Different culture
  • Making friends for life
  • Enjoying yourself
Cons
  • Not staying longer!
Default avatar
Cynthia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Making an impact no matter how small

I chose community service, and I couldn't be happier to find out I was to help prepare meals for disadvantaged refugees and families in Athens. It felt so rewarding to be able to help in the smallest but most impactful ways. I only regret coming for a short period. I am grateful I got to do my first volunteering abroad with IVHQ, and for all the people I met along the way. I was able to make an impact no matter how small, but also got to enjoy Athens after my shifts. I can't wait to do it again!

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

Volunteering in Tanzania

I had the honor and opportunity to volunteer in Tanzania, in the childcare program for three weeks and it was the best experience of my life. The local team made me feel at home. this experience has allowed me to make new friends and grow. I learned a lot, especially to appreciate the little things around me and it stirred up new positive emotions. I came into contact with different cultures, but very close at the same time to my own, and I loved everything! I would like to thank the local team and coordinators for their helpfulness, support, and presence was crucial during this trip It was a great experience, one to do at least once in a lifetime, which I recommend to anyone!

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
One of the typical foods in Tanzania: Chipsi Mayai. Potatoes and eggs with vegetables and ketchup. When I saw it, I thought "what is that?" But in reality it was a pleasant discovery, I fell in love with it! It's really good!
Pros
  • Getting in touch with a culture different from my own
  • The proximity of the volunteer house to our school
  • The food cooked was very good
Cons
  • The too little time, I was there three weeks but I should have stayed longer
  • The volunteer house I was in may have been too big, too many people
  • Some mosquito nets had holes in them
Default avatar
Ghiya
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Incredible Experience

My experience was Incredible. The team was very responsive and I felt more than prepared before traveling. My preparation tasks were clear and organized. The local team that accommodated me was friendly and welcoming. I was always accompanied by one of the coordinators to ensure my safety and comfort. the volunteer experience (Childcare) was extremely rewarding. I made some amazing memories and felt like I left a lasting effect by volunteering.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Be open to new things and try to live the experience like a local!
Pros
  • Discovering a new country
  • Meeting new people from around the world
  • Volunteering and making a positive impact
Cons
  • Na
  • Na
  • Na
Default avatar
Lucia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

3 months in Bali

I learned many lessons during the 3 months that I spent in Bali. Everyone was amazing from day one. It is great how you can meet people who have the same values as you and share a lot of qualities. I teached English in Ubud for 3 months and I learned just what I needed to. The locals in Bali have the best energy, always smiling and greeting you with the best attitude. I never felt unsafe on my stay. The food is pretty good. I made longtime friends that I know will last forever. The staff is incredible at green Lion and the rooms are more than clean. Truly the best experience.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Do not feel scared of little details or questions we often overthink like: Is it okay if I go alone? Where will I sleep? Will I meet new people? Just simply DO IT!
Pros
  • Learning other situations in life and being grateful with what you have
  • Meeting amazing new people and staff, feeling a lot of freedom
  • Finding yourself
Cons
  • The food can be repetitive
  • The weather can be too hot

Programs

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Alumni Interviews

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

Alyn Spector

Alyn Spector is an energy sector professional who spends his free time supporting organizations dedicated to the protection of our waterways and wild spaces.
Alyn Spector with turtles

Alumni Interview

Why did you choose this program?

I chose IVHQ because it was well-reviewed online and seemed like a reliable organization. I appreciated that they were a b-corporation and that the funds that participants pay into their programs support the on-the-ground teams in their home countries meaning our volunteer tourism isn't displacing local staff.

My focus was on the Costa Rican sea turtle program because I care greatly about our waterways and the preservation and protection of marine life.

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

IVHQ provided a pretty good briefing of the program along with links to resources like travel insurance, travel medications, etc. There was also a good run-down of visa requirements by country. Program fees and payments covered travel from the airport, 3 meals at day on-site, money for bus tickets to the program site, and a decent orientation. I had to pay extra for the ride back to the airport following my stay, but that was fine. I also had to cover some short bus hops around San Jose before we got to our final location about 5 hours from the city.

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

The best advice I can give is to make sure you have at least some basic survival Spanish under your belt. I do and I was grateful because it made travel to and from the bus terminal and the five-hour trip much easier. Many folks in Costa Rica speak some English, but I wouldn't rely on that. It's important to be able to ask for directions, confirm you're going on the right bus, order food or make purchases, and ask for help in an emergency. They do pair folks together in cohorts for the travel, but I was the only person with any level of Spanish. I know I felt a lot better having it, but the more speakers, the better.

Also, on-site, you'll need to be prepared. It's hot. It's wet. You will never feel cool or dry. Pack extra socks. You will not have too many. Bring shoes that you don't mind getting wet and that dry quickly. You will be walking through water and dense mud on night patrol.

If you're someone who doesn't like working at night or pre-dawn, this isn't the program for you. Be prepared to walk anywhere from 4 to 20 miles a day. Be prepared for sudden rainstorms. Be prepared to work hard and challenge yourself.

Bring a high-quality, high-lumen flashlight. Even better, bring two. The folks running the turtle center could always use more. Bring extra-strength bug repellant. If you are sensitive to mosquito bites or tend to attract mosquitos, this may not be the program for you.

Come ready to work. Come with a passion for wildlife and ocean conservation. If you love sea turtles and nature, you'll be headed to the right place. You'll get out what you put in. It is absolutely worth it. If you are a partier, go elsewhere. This isn't a vacation spot, this is a passion project. Bring your passion and keep the liquor at home. This isn't a cheap holiday- it's someone's life's work. Respect it.

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

You will wake up around 3-3:30 am for early morning shifts walk about a mile to the beach, and then patrol for about 5-7 miles or so up and down the beach. You may be with a group that's willing to go slow and put in the work to find turtle tracks. If not, you may need to exercise patience with others who are not used to walking or have regrets about their project choice. Either way, bring a good red-light flashlight and put in the work. Be kind to others, but firm about your commitment to finding turtle tracks and eggs. During the search, you may find tracks, or you may not. You may find eggs and notify project leadership. If you find eggs, a group will join you and help you relocate them to the hatchery. You'll dig to about your shoulder to get to the nest. Then you'll carefully collect the eggs and dig another hole of the same length in a clean spot to relocate the eggs.

You'll have breakfast around 7-9 am. If you're not on morning patrol, you will likely be working at the hatchery that day and taking to visitors. You'll walk the mile from your accommodations back to the beach. Again, knowing Spanish helps, although many visitors to the beach do speak English, so not knowing the language isn't a deal breaker. Greet visitors, sell tee-shirts and merch to fundraise for the hatchery.

Lunch follows hatchery work.

Following that you may be given field work. That may include engaging in a "bucket brigade" transporting sand from an empty nest in the hatchery and replacing the nesting spot with clean sand. You'll be digging down to about 5 feet or so for this. You'll be working in a team to haul sand. You may do some training demonstrations for visitors on how to find sea turtle eggs make demo turtle tracks and bury ping pong balls as sample eggs. That's a lot of fun.

Also, you'll be sent on garbage clean-up patrols along the beach. Some of your fellow volunteers may use this as an excuse to hide away and go swimming. Try to be patient and go clean up with or without them. Remember, this is a turtle nesting spot and you are making their home safe from toxins and plastics by cleaning up their nesting areas. It is worth it.

Following that is dinner time and another mile walk each way to your homestay and back.

In the evening you may get an 8 pm or 11 pm night patrol. Sometimes tourists will join you on the beach. Sometimes you may encounter poachers, but they will probably leave you alone since they're more worried about getting in trouble. Occasionally there will be a turtle hatching. This may happen any time in the day or night. If it's during the day, the community will be invited to join the volunteers and help release the baby turtles into the sea. It is an amazing experience.

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 was a bit concerned if I could handle the heat and intensive work, but I was surprised by my endurance. I think part of that came from drinking lots of water and pacing myself. Part of it came from an earnest desire to push myself and do the hard work. Also, frankly, all the walking and hydration and avoidance of between-meal snacking was actually incredibly good for me. I think I'll take those habits with me now that I'm back in the US.

Is there a particular type of person that would most enjoy this project?

I think this project is good for anyone who has the physical capacity and endurance to tolerate the heat and exertion. The most successful volunteers I saw during my trip were the ones who were reliable and dedicated to the project. There were folks in their late teens who had the maturity and resolve that far exceeded those of their much older fellow participants. I think at the end of the day it comes down to intention and attitude rather than any other factor.

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Why did you choose this program?

The IVHQ program seemed to offer all that I was looking for: destination, available projects, affordability, plus the fact that it not simply an adventure travel company. Their programs were dedicated to helping communities in need. The schools where we worked had all been built by volunteers, and we provided materials and labor to renovate and build toilet facilities for the children. A few weeks of work by a few people eventually build a school.

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

IVHQ assists with everything: flight information, visa and health requirements, airport pick up, travel to placement, orientation, daily visits to the worksites, and regular meetings at our residence to discuss any issue.

The website provides most of this information in advance, but it's reassuring to meet "face to face" with the organizers. On our own, we have to arrange emergency travel health insurance, criminal background report, vaccinations, and visa requirements if required.

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

In Africa, bring as few clothes as possible, and nothing with long sleeves and long pants. Clothes can be washed daily if necessary. Insect repellents are only required at night, as they simply wash away in the daytime by the heat. Bring anti-malaria medication and personal toiletries, and a small first aid kit.

My advice: DO NOT WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING! You will be with an outstanding group of people and you will have a fantastic adventure.

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

Because of the heat in Ghana, all 10 of us only worked in the mornings.

In construction, we left for our 30-minute walk to the site around 6:30 am and it was an enjoyable walk, as everybody waved and greeted us. We returned to our compound around noon on motorbikes.

The childcare group prepared breakfast and lunch for the school children and were finished by 1 pm. Their school was only a 5-minute walk. Afternoons and evenings were spent reading, playing games, interacting with the children.

Weekends were for sightseeing, usually gone for 2 days (at our expense).

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 no fears, no concerns. The website provides all the information that you need about your program. The country website (tourism) provides the rest.

As for safety, always remember that you are in a group. There are no safety concerns at the placement site, and we traveled on weekends in groups for 8 or more. Local people are very hospitable and helpful. You will soon discover that you have no worries.

Enjoy your stay.

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