Greenheart Reviews

This summer I got to live and study in Florence, Italy and it was the most amazing two weeks of my life. If you are looking for an experience that will teach, challenge, and inspire you all at the same time then this is definitely the one. To call what happened a 'trip' doesn't do it justice. With Greenheart Travel, you get an adventure. Every minute was jam-packed with fun activities and friends.

Greenheart Travel's homestay program is incredible! I did my program in Spain. My host family lived right outside of Madrid. My favorite part of my experience was when I went with my family to a little village called Ríofrio to spend the weekend there. My host moms grandparents used to live there and have a house right in the plaza. It's the smallest, cutest, most peaceful little village I have ever seen! It was so special to see such a unique part of Spain and to hear stories from my family about the village and the people that live there.

My time in Costa Rica was extremely beneficial in regards to gaining a broader global perspective, gaining valuable language skills, and for experiencing things I had never done before. The Greenheart and Maximo Nivel staff were all super helpful and a joy to work with. The language camp had the perfect balance between classes and fun activities, and it was all done in an atmosphere that promoted the development and enhancement of my language skills. I would recommend this trip to anyone who is interested in developing their Spanish language skills, gaining a deeper understanding of Costa Rican culture, and acting on their sense of adventure by participating in activities such as surfing and zip lining! Overall, this trip was very beneficial and really fun!

When I first arrived, I was nervous and way too on guard. Everyone involved in the program was friendly and helpful, and allowed me to trust everything in this program. Within my first few days, I felt completely at home, and was adjusted to the culture. Everyone was super friendly, and we had a lot of free time to explore and spend time with the family and friends we had. I really felt like i was making a difference at the animal shelter, which was awesome. Over the weekends, there is an opportunity to go on excursions and explore the city. I hiked, kayaked, and visited hot springs. This experience is what made the trip so unforgettable, but it would have been helpful to know the prices and details of these excursions beforehand. Overall great trip, and I would definitely go back.

One of the biggest concerns someone might have about getting into this program is what the family will be like that you are set up with. I was really quite surprised at how perfect of a match my family was with our style and things we liked to do. We were both laid back and loved to travel and keep active. My family was a husband and wife where the husband was retired and the wife still worked. The student was just the husband as his wife actually was already fluent in English. Both were very active and we would travel somewhere every weekend and they loved sharing places with me. One of my favorite travels with them was when they took me to Spain to go canyoning. I was actually not familiar with it and it's when you literally jump off different areas of a canyon into flowing rivers. It was so much fun!

During the work week, the husband and I would take the dog for walks or go on bike rides and then I would come back to do lesson planning, do the lessons and that would then flow into appertifs before dinner and a long dinner where we would all just converse to get to know each other more or about current events, it was great! I did not turn on a single TV once the entire time I was there.

The lesson planning was what I found most challenging and tried to get creative. I found that games really helped enforce the lessons and were the most fun part of the lessons so I always tried to end the lesson with that.

My participating in the program was probably in a little more unconventional as I'm in the middle of a career break and changing careers. I'm not moving into any teaching profession but I thought this was be an incredibly unique way to really dive into another culture as travel is such a large passion of mine. I've done quite a bit of international travel so I also did not experience any culture shocks other than not finding all my ingredients in the grocery store to make dinner with :)

I still keep in touch with the family and I'm sure I will visit them again sometime in the future as I consider them wonderful friends and my french family.

I really enjoyed going to Japan with the Greenheart Travel program. I've always wanted to go to Japan ever since I started getting into anime as well as learning the Japanese language at my school. Through the Greenheart Travel program, I was able to experience new things that I wouldn't have the opportunity to experience. I met many new people from all over world, not just the United States, but from Turkey, Taiwan, China, Australia, etc. We still keep in touch till today!

The highlight of my trip to Japan was being able to learn the Japanese language a lot more than I did in my school's Japanese class. For example, my teacher at my school told me to use "Anata" as "you", but when I said it to my teacher in Japan, she said that it was an informal use of "you" and that there are others ways of saying you in different sentences. I wouldn't have learned this in my school in Hawaii. Being able to learn a language where its the primary language of the country is a totally different experience than learning it at home.

Another highlight of my trip to Japan was being able to go to different places to truly understand the culture, the people, and it's history. I was able to explore different places that I normally wouldn't have visited. Such as an onsen, shrines, temples, and other places of interests. I also became very comfortable using public transportation whereas at home, I never even caught the bus.

Overall, I truly enjoyed my time and experience in Japan. I would recommend this program for anyone interested in learning a country's culture and it's language.

I'm currently teaching with a British agency in Thailand. I started with Greenheart in the US. They have a Thai partner that they basically passed me off to when I arrived here. That partner did my TESOL training and got me the job with my current agency. So I've had 3 different groups overseeing my trip at the various stages. I think I made the best decision by going with Greenheart to get me started. They have have professional staff and a great support group on social media to help answer any questions. They are also culturally aware and chose a Thai partner that shares that awareness. With my current agency I met a lot of other teachers that are here for the wrong reasons and completely unprepared. Greenheart's Thai partner provided us with Thai language, culture, history lessons, and more, all with great staff. Additionally, the group I was with was filled with pretty great people.

I do think that there was some misinformation upfront about some details (like what you should bring, for example), but it was nothing serious and can be attributed to 1) the Thai way of life which involves misinformation or last minute information and 2) English teachers are in high demand so all of these entities are struggling to keep up with the workload so details can get compromised. Fortunately, there is a great support system online where you can ask virtually anything and someone will offer insight. I definitely recommend Greenheart over the others.

Moving to the other side of the globe can be both daunting and extremely stressful. Greenheart took all that stress away and made the entire process easy so that instead of worrying about the nitty gritty details of getting my visa and preparing all the forms and documents needed for my life in Thailand, I was able to focus more on mentally preparing myself for the journey. Sara was great, she always answered my emails the day of and had answers for both the big and small questions. Also, the Facebook community was incredibly useful and answered all the questions I had from what immunizations to get to what kind of bag to pack. Greenheart made the transition truly smooth and easy. Although it is a little pricey, it is absolutely worth it to go with a reputable company that makes the process stress free! I would 100% go Greenheart again and recommend it HIGHLY to anyone thinking of making the jump abroad! just do it!!!

My homestay experience in China was the experience of a lifetime. Although my stay was only for a month, it offered me actual first-hand experience and a wonderful glimpse into the lives of Beijingers. I was able to delve into Chinese culture, customs, and cuisine. Blogging and taking photography as I traveled, I was able to document some of the best moments of living in Beijing, China. What was great about Greenheart was that they were with me every step of the way. Greenheart Representatives Megan and Jill were diligent about making sure my stay was going smoothly and that I made the most out of the experience.

I liked teaching in a homestay through Greenheart because they were able to provide me with a secure network through their partner companies and I felt safe at all times. I also was able to have constant support while abroad: no question that I had was left unanswered. China is Greenheart's least popular destination, but I do encourage travelers to go, even if it's just for the experience. It was very affordable to stay, I had amazing host family experiences and overall I am happy that I made the choice to go. The kids I tutored were just a joy.

My tutoring hours were very reasonable and I was able to explore an array of tourist attractions on my own time such as the Great Wall of China, Summer Palace, the Beijing Zoo, the Temple of Heaven and different cities in Beijing. It was all so worth it.

I encourage you to plan ahead, pack your bags, and just go! You will not regret this experience of a lifetime.

I am a 54 yr. old Seattle-area resident on a career break from the IT industry, seeking a more sustainable way of life. Through Google, I was brought to Greenheart Travel and Casita Verde, in Ibiza, Spain. I am new to the permaculture lifestyle, which is why I would also recommend it to others who are new to eco-exchange programs.

I didn't know what to expect on my 3-week visit, but was open to the adventure of going to a new country where I didn't even know the language. From the moment I was greeted at the airport by Casita Verde founder Chris Dews, my visit became a trans-formative experience.

Chris' vision is a conscious connection to the earth, and the sustainability of its health. His love for the island of Ibiza becomes infectious to all who meet him. And each week he leads a 3-hour tour of Casita Verde where he shares his passion for sustainability and permaculture techniques. He advocates cooperating and collaborating with others on the island, such as resort operators, in order to bring about incremental changes in the way we interact with the earth and its limited resources.

At the same time, you are learning about new ways of eating sustainable diets. You are meeting and working with a group of around 6-12 international volunteers, most of whom are in the 25-35 age range, but also some like me who are older. Singles or couples are welcome. And because you are all working together to make Casita Verde function as a living, breathing organism, you find that the friendships you forge are some of the best you have made.

You find yourself in educational discussions about important environmental issues impacting the world today. And you learn from others in a collaborative setting about what it means to live sustainably, and to do so with others. And you are living with an open mind as you meet others from around the world bringing their own culture with them.

Through your affiliation as a volunteer at Greenheart’s Casita Verde eco-experiental center, even if you have practically no Spanish or Catalan speaking ability, you will feel welcome at local markets, music jams, and breathtaking sunset gatherings at local beaches.

All this sets the stage for a magical, life-changing experience.