Program Reviews

Picture this... first year out of school thinking I was going to change the world, become some kind of prodigy and end up ruling the world. Haa Nope, instead I jumped from one failure to another. I hit a wall. Deprest and miserable with the slippery slop of 45 to 60 hours a week in a boring dead end job... im only 23. On a whim I started researching jobs overseas, after two months of no success and almost giving up I found Travelbud, I didnt know that a few months later I would be living in Thailand with the best job in the world. All thanx to Travelbud, every question was answered almost as soon as I asked, every issue was analysed and a solution brought to me. Documentation was no issue, from application to finalizing was stress free. Travelbud is a Game changer, I actually had to remind myself that I wasn't the only participant, I sure felt like it. But hey dont take it from me ... just see for yourself ;-)

I have been in Thailand since end of October 2016. I am currently based in Khon Kaen, Thailand and I am a English homeroom teacher. My friends from South Africa told me about the Travelbud program and what great experience they had.

The TESOL course and cultural orientation was a eye opener. Being a first time traveler, I was so scared but I met wonderful people on the course and learnt so much of the Thai culture.

If I had to pick the most difficult part of this experience I would say it's between saying goodbye to family and friends and also getting used to the culture.

The thing I enjoyed most about Travelbud is the constant feedback and help regarding Visas and everything.

All in all I have had an awesome experience in Thailand so far and I am very grateful for Travelbud for helping me to get where I am now.

Moving to any new country to go work can be terrifying and coming to Korea is no exception. I was overwhelmed with the process of getting to South Korea until I was made aware of travelbud. The company guided me every single step of the way and I was exposed to quality and personal service all along the process. Their support is also carrying one even now that I am in the country and working. I was very satisfied with their hands on approach in helping me teach abroad

I didn't know what to really expect when moving to Thailand to teach English. It was an impromptu decision and I'm very happy that I made it. Travelbud has gone above and beyond my expectations I their support and advice given before and even after completing the tefol course in Thailand.

They were able to give the inside information about Thailand, what to expect and how much one would enjoy living here, you just don't realise how much you will really love it until you get to your new home and start teaching. Working in a foreign country and teaching student's who can't speak the same language as you can be daunting at the best of times, but TravelBud has been a consistent support throughout my time here.

As I graduated from college, the idea of teaching in Thailand was something I longed for with all of my might, but making it happen seemed near possible. I began researching, but the more pages I uncovered and information I found, the more overwhelmed I felt. The idea of just hopping of a plane, alone, nervous, and unsure of my next step seemed quite daunting. As I sat on my living room floor completely absorbed with doubt, I randomly ended up on a Facebook page called TravelBud. The Universe had sent me the answer I had been waiting for. Within the next 24 hours, I was chatting with Peter over Skype, and I genuinely had the best instincts about this organization. Every aspect of me believed and truly knew that this was the right decision. From just one friendly and honest conversation, I had my mind made up. After a long chat and a night of rest, I woke up the next morning feeling sure that this was how I would find myself in Thailand within my goal of two months down the road.

I will happily inform you that I write this review from the comfort of my home in Northern Thailand, where I have been living for the past two months or so. I owe every aspect of this beautiful, challenging, life-altering experience to the crew of TravelBud. They provided me the guidance and support to let go of fear, say so long to comfort zones, and pursue what my heart longed for. I hold such a special place in my heart for this organization, because they have truly made my dreams into a reality. Cheers to you TravelBud!

Writing a review about the best decision you have ever made while trying to not get overly excited and sound completely biased is a tough ask, but here is my attempt. The first step in making the decision was when I met with Peter from TravelBud in a coffee shop in Stellenbosch on a Saturday morning.

He was off the clock, it was weekend, but he took time out of his own personal life to meet up with me and chat about moving abroad. This was even when he knew I was not completely convinced about moving abroad and that I was in contact with other agencies on top of this uncertainty. He wanted to make sure I had all the information to be informed before leaving, even if I didn’t choose his agency TravelBud. An incredible gesture considering we live in a world where profit is the bottom-line.

His stories amazed me, they were exhilarating, frightening and hilarious all at once and from this point on all I could imagine was sitting down with my future kids and grandkids and telling them my own tales. I wanted similar experiences; I was completely sold on that day. His raw honesty and enthusiasm was enough to change this eternal skeptic.

To clear up any confusion you may have, TravelBud are essentially your agents before you get to the country of your choice. They help you with the paperwork and hassle of visas, booking flights and provide you with priceless information you need before you jet off. Once you get to your destination, you’re handed over to your agency in that country. That is the norm with every agency, but TravelBud continued to provide support and information, even going as far as to place an employee within our city for the duration of an entire month while we completed our TESOL. No other agent did that, not one, but TravelBud went the extra mile and ensured that we were eased into a new culture and had some form of a support structure as we adjusted to life in our new homelands. They checked in and kept an eye out during the nervy placement process. Furthermore, they organised a fantastic group dinner, study groups, TESOL support and a number of other awesome excursions for us during our free time, which helped with meeting more likeminded people and in the end, form friendships with people from all over the globe. These come in handy when you travel around and need a place to crash in either your own new home country or further abroad!

If you are in two minds, you need only speak to one of the amazing team members and hear about their priceless memories and experiences. I recommend TravelBud as your choice to lead you into your new life, they have the perfect balance of professionalism and fun/friendly/warm that you need, a mould you can use for your own approach as a teacher. Take the plunge, you really won't regret it.

Teaching in Thailand with TravelBud was one of the best decisions I have ever made! When I signed up to the programme I was unsure whether this was the right thing to do, and the months leading up to my departure I was so nervous that I had made the wrong decision. But I was so wrong to have had any worries, TravelBud were great in assisting me with everything I needed, and they were so quick to reply to my emails.
The TESOL course in Hua Hin was such a great way to make new friends and experience new things. Not only was I prepared for teaching English as a foreign language, but I was also taught how to teach in a Thai classroom, and what to expect when teaching Thai students. I felt fully prepared on my first day at my school in Krabi.
Teaching here has completely exceeded my expectations, my Thai school is amazing and I love my students. My fellow Thai teachers have been so welcoming and they are always trying to involve me in school activities. It felt a little overwhelming at first, but I quickly settled in and now I don't ever want to leave!

For those who are considering teaching in Thailand, I would absolutely recommend going through TravelBud, they offer a fantastic programme! The only thing I could fault is that during the TESOL course there were various costs I felt unprepared for, and I did end up spending a fair bit on teaching materials as they are not provided for you. But if you are willing to save the money, then go through this programme, you definitely won't regret it!

I was so impressed with TravelBud! As I was completing the course, they were right there supporting me in every way I could imagine! Our TravelBud representative in Thailand planned weekend excursions for us which was so helpful! They also were there to celebrate our birthdays, assist us with our course, or give useful tips for Thai culture or just getting around! Their professionalism was unparalleled and I met others who wish they went through TravelBud after seeing how well they treated us! It is hard to trust your time, money, and future with any organization, but I would trust TravelBud with mine again in a heartbeat! They were truly the BEST organization to go through and I am so happy and thankful that I researched and found them!

This review is entirely written to put your mind at ease and to briefly explain to anyone wanting to leave your comfort zone and work in another country of the incredibly informative and reliable service offered by TravelBud.

When I decided to teach English abroad, I was faced, as we all are, with the very real concern of scammers. My first dealings with TravelBud were extremely pleasant and I could see right away that this was the real deal. There were no tell-tale signs of fraudulent activity and the company appeared far too organised to be a hoax. Keep in mind that I was only 22 at the time and a valid concern of my parents was that I did not know enough about the world to be really sure. So, as parents do, they fired-away with every single question you could possibly think of in order to achieve piece of mind, often to my moans and groans of "come on mom what else do you need to know".

TravelBud helped me understand where I was going, what I was going to be doing, who I was going to be doing it with and most importantly, exactly why choosing to trust in their system would be beneficial for me and my future in my new home/country. Every single bit of prep work (visa's, airplane tickets, etc) that needed to get done before I stepped on the plane was done with the help of their extremely understanding team members. They made sure that I was all set and ready to go with complete confidence in the fact that I was going to have the time of my life.

The help didn't stop there (and still hasn't). TravelBud followed up with constant contact from their side and really made the effort to make sure everything on my side was still going smoothly.

That is why I am writing this review. Truthfully, I wouldn't normally do this sort of thing but because I felt as though they really had a huge part to play in me being properly prepared for my time here I felt it only fair to repay them in this form. TravelBud do very well and I wish you, whoever is reading this, all of the very best for your future and I urge you to trust in them the same way I did.

I'm having the time of my life.

To anyone interested in teaching overseas in Thailand, or a number of other foreign countries, I would highly recommend going through TravelBud! From the first day of getting contact with the team over 6 months ago, to today, where I am currently teaching in Thailand, TravelBud has been with me attentively throughout the whole process.

My decision to go though TravelBud from a friend who had gone through the program the previous year and only had extremely positive feedback. Now I can see why!

Knowing that the TravelBud company is not based in the US, where I was currently residing, made me a bit uneasy for fear of complicated or minimal communication. However, this was not an issue at all. Even with the major time difference, a member of the TravelBud always responded to e-mails within 24 hours and even made themselves available for phone and Skype chats to answer my questions and concerns.

After deciding on teaching in Thailand, the TravelBud team gave me a lot of insight on what what the culture and teaching life would be like once I moved over. They gave advice on pros and cons of different cities/towns and helped me get a rough estimate on average salary and living expenses.

When it came close to moving time, TravelBud was on top of their game with reminding me of deadlines and documents that needed submitting. They even had an agent who found me the cheapest flight option and booked my flight for me!

Since arriving in Thailand, members of the TravelBud team have kept in touch and are very much still hands-on to help me in any way. I am EXTREMELY satisfied with my choice of choosing TravelBud and would definitely recommend them to people looking at moving overseas!