Program Reviews

I am so happy with my decision to choose TravelBud to help me on my journey in becoming an English teacher in Thailand! I have always wanted to travel the world, but that is obviously easier said than done. In truth, uprooting your life and moving halfway across the world is a daunting task! With the help of TravelBud, though, the process has gone incredibly smoothly, and I have been enjoying my wonderful and amazing time in Thailand.

TravelBud is there for you to provide support and assistance both in preparation for your journey, and all throughout your time abroad. Any problem or concern you could possibly have, they will help you with it. They have put my mind at ease by making a difficult and worrisome process go smoothly and easily. I would definitely recommend TravelBud to anyone who wants to teach abroad, but isn't quite sure how to go about it or where to begin.

TravelBud is literally like having an extremely reliable, efficient, helpful and knowledgeable group of friends to travel with (you're probs thinking 'duh Didi, that's maybe why it's called TravelBUD'...yeah, me too).

It's made up of people that basically help you organize your traveling existence. They are not only amazing at their jobs, but they are also magical people who actually care about your peace of mind and easing your anxiety regarding the organisation and eventual fruition of your travel and ESL teaching experience. And the best part is-these awesome people have physically experienced the places you are thinking of going to, so they are equipped to help you out with first hand knowledge (instead of just relying on Uncle Google and his cyberspace mates).

So there really is no reason not to pop them an email, pvt message, visit their website, send a carrier pigeon or whatever! Really, just get in touch with TravelBud (they reply ASAPtually, no jokes) if you have questions or if you want to get started on a global adventure you'll never stop babbling about!

Light and good vibes

I always loved the idea of packing up my life in Cape Town and traveling the world. I had a vision of an independent traveller in my head that could just arrive at a new place, instantly have a place to live and attract different groups of friends from all over the world.
But I am not that person. People scare me and I always leave my socks on the floor; so I'm sure no one in a hostel would want to be friends with me. I've barely just wrapped my head around my cellphone contract back home, how could I ever figure that out in Thai.

Luckily, I found a program that took care of all these things that scared me. Travelbud offered me the training wheels I needed to embark on the biggest adventure of my life. Every single aspect that seems daunting is explained in the most basic steps to take all the fear and uncertainty out, from applying for your visa and getting your insurance to packing your bags and knowing how many pairs of jeans are too many.
And for any questions that aren't explained, there is a team of incredibly friendly staff just an email away that are always happy and ready to answer.

The value of doing the TESOL course in-class and having the cultural orientation in Hua Hin can not be quantified. Those four weeks are everything you need to acclimatize yourself to a new culture, a new language, new food and a new transport system. It also gives you the most important thing you could need in a foreign country, a support system.
More than just a roommate who's socks joined mine on the floor, I was given a whole family of like-minded travelers who are now my closest support system here in Thailand.

Travelbud provided the training wheels I needed to take the leap and come to Thailand and they have supported me every step of the way, I could not recommend them more.

Am i really doing this? This question crossed my mind over and over as i started my journey to Thailand. Travel Bud only made the decision to come undeniable and provided so much predeparture support such as, visa information, budget and dress code, all things you don't realize the importance until you get here. Their support did not end there. Two of their amazing staff members accompanied us during the month of our TESOL course making things feel a little bit closer to home. They took us on excursions on the weekends, making our time in Hua Hin so much more memorable than it would have been. I cannot thank TravelBud enough for their ongoing support, friendship and guidance through this scary but incredible journey. I am half way through my first month in my new town and life is great!

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.