International Volunteer HQ - IVHQ

Life changing experience! IVHQ was there from start to finish making sure I knew what to expect and what was needed. They followed up with me throughout my entire stay. The local placement also exceeded expectations with accommodation and knowledge. My only regret is not having stayed longer in Victoria Falls. The food, adventures, volunteer work and scenery make this a trip of a lifetime. This was my first overseas trip as a solo traveler, and I always felt safe and in good hands. I'm already planning my next volunteer program abroad!

Amazing experience! I volunteered with Oceans2Earth in Cairns, Australia. The hostel where we stayed was lovely and lively. The program was super informative, fun, and valuable. All of the people were wonderful. I cannot recommend it enough!

The program run in one week increments between 1-6 weeks. Our typical day involved making breakfast in the hostel (food provided), walking down to the marina, and catching a boat to an island. We would then spend a few hours snorkeling, doing coral health surveys and marine life data collection. Lunch was also provided (and impressively good!). We would then get the rest of the day free.

This wolf conservation program was a fantastic experience I would never miss a chance to do again. The accommodation provided was a cosy wooden cabin in the middle of the forest, surrounded by the enclosures of the nine Iberian wolves we were conserving. The staff were incredible, and working with them, and my fellow volunteers was an absolute joy. Meeting amazing people with the same passion for protecting wildlife as I do was such a wonder. Everyone was extremely friendly, and the scenery around us was always breathtaking. We were surrounded by 16 acres of woodland, allowing for lovely hikes in our free time. I feel so lucky to have been able to feed and observe such beautiful creatures and capture such footage in camera traps and on our personal phones. The work experience included a lot of manual labour, such as cutting up the meat for the wolves, clearing up leaves and twigs on the forest floor, removing unwanted weeds, and working with cement to reconstruct the enclosures. It was demanding work, but it was well worth it. The friendships and memories with the wonderful people I met will never leave my side.

My first time leaving my home country I went to Bali for the turtle conservation for 2 weeks. The volunteer work was so rewarding and being able to see and experience their culture was incredible. The coordinator support was excellent, they will take you wherever you need to go, they make sure youre okay when your sick and take you to the hospital if theres concern because they care about your safety and health. They become a huge experience during your trip and become part of your volunteer family, they are friendly, kind and they will laugh and joke with you. The people you meet there from all over the world are incredibly kind and youll make friends for life. As a young person whose graduated highschool and is going into or is in university this is a great way to spread your wings, make a difference, and make friends with people around your age.

It was one of the most amazing things I have ever done. The teaching, the meeting new people, the culture, ... everything was great. I would definitely do it again.

I went to Thailand alone as an 18-year-old. I was looking forward to it immensely. When I finally arrived, there were almost no volunteers. Of course, it was already super late and I went straight to sleep. The next day was actually the "official arrival day" and there were so many new people. I was really relieved because there were so many different nationalities. This is where everything started.