Program Reviews

This experience was my first time for me in India and the first time volunteering. It was a great and amazing experience; I stayed for 6 weeks.

During my time in Rishikesh and in Jaipur, I spent time with children (teaching, playing, socials talks...) and with animals (take care of them, feeding, cleaning, improve the enclosure...). I worked with a wonderful team, since the beginning until the end, all the staff is available if you need anything. You can also leave for an excursion during the week-end to discover the country. Accommodations are really comfortable and the meals are delicious. You will also live with other volunteers from all over the world. It was for me the best experience I have ever lived.

I really advise you to come to discover this magical place.

Although I am Indian, I have never really lived here. I was born in the US and came to visit Delhi only a few times where my relatives stayed. When I decided I wanted to spend my summer break exploring my home country, I wanted to stay in a place away from the crowded cities, somewhere quiet where I could get the true essence of my home country. I found this place in Rishikesh with its beautiful valley and friendly people. It is like a small town with everything at a walking distance! I was hosted by Ramesh and worked at a small school run for poor children. Teaching them Maths and English was like therapeutic for me. Rishikesh will always hold a very special space in my heart and I will always remember it in my heart. Really thankful for TTW for giving me such an amazing opportunity.

I would’ve never thought that I would ever travel to India. I had often thought about travelling abroad after school but it had always ended with thoughts of partying in Europe. I would have never thought that I would go for a volunteering program in India and I am really glad that I did. The things that I learned through this experience were immense. Humility, understanding, respect for other religions, cultures - the list just goes on and on. I learned to respect the things that I had taken for granted for life. The children I worked with in the school didn’t even have a quarter of what I often took for granted and were still so happy, always enjoying life. Even after facing so many hardships they harboured no resentment or hate. They just spread love wherever they went. It was really a life changing experience and I will look back to these weeks in India even when I grow old. A huge thanks to Ramesh, my host during my stay in Rishikesh. You are a really amazing person and I hope you stay blessed. Also appreciate all the effort put in by TTW to make sure my project went smoothly and I never faced any issue from my arrival to departure.

It was such a crazy and memorable experience. India is a beautiful country. My project was in Rishikesh but I spend my weekends travelling to all corners of Uttrakhand, Delhi and Rajasthan. There is so much to see that I think it will take me a lifetime to explore the whole India. There are so many things to see and to do. I could just go on and on and on. It might sound crazy but you will have to actually visit this country to find out the real beauty about it. There is no other way about it at all. Once you arrive in this beautiful country only then will you understand what I am talking about. There is so much to do and try that you will never get have to repeat the same activity twice. Things such as trekking, rafting, kayaking, camping etc are in abundance in Rishikesh. The place is also known for its yoga, being hosts to the Beetles and a lot more.

I have been to India twice before having been to a yoga course and for a music festival in Goa. This time I wanted to do something very different. I spend 4 weeks in Jaipur which is Rajasthan. I had heard a lot about Rajasthan before with its beautiful cities, forts, sand dunes and handicrafts. The tales were much less than what I saw, The culture that I experienced during my volunteer work and travel in this state was amazing. Huge, century old forts, the most beautiful and creative handicrafts, delicious food, friendly people. This state is probably the most varied and beautiful place in the world. I visited a lot of cities including Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Ajmer while I was hosted in Jaipur where I undertook volunteering work. Overall it was an amazing experience and even better than how I envisioned it. Lots of thanks to everyone in the ttw team and the friends I made who made this experience so good.

From the very start to the end my volunteering project was very smooth. On sending an enquiry I got a response within an hour and by the end of the day I was already having a Skype call with Aryen who was my coordinator all through the application process and during my stay in India. On arrival I was picked up from the airport and transferred to Rishikesh which is a beautiful hill station. Opposite of what India is considered as noisy, it is such a quite little hill station with a beautiful river and so many fun things to do. During my stay here I did rafting, bungee jumping, camping, trekking, basic yoga classes and so much shopping. I was hosted in a school in Rishikesh itself where I taught children drawing. All the kids aged 5-12 were really sweet and funny. They would be playful all the time, always running around and very energetic. Overall as I said my trip was very smooth and anyone who comes to India, I would recommend either going for the Rishikesh program or at least staying there for a few days.

The TTW program in Delhi was just amazing! The staff was really helpful and sweet! The orientation was very interesting and informative. I really ended up using the tips and guidelines they told me about there. I made so many friends from all over the world whom I will never forget. My only regret is that I could only come for two weeks. I was almost in tears when I left India because I had to say bye to my amazing host, new friends and the sweet little angels I was teaching in the school. I’m happy I choose TTW and India for my travel abroad. I will definitely come back to them again very very soon.
I would recommend this project to anyone who want to travel to India but has a very low budget but does not want to compromise on safety and quality. The amount they charged was really very less as compared to some of the other programs that I had looked up while looking for a project in India.

I cannot state how much I loved my experience here in India. It was one of the most overwhelming experiences of my life. I travelled to so many cities and seeing so many different places. The experiences and memories that I am taking back with me are immeasurable. India has such a bad reputation infront of the world with people claiming thugs and cheats. It is totally the opposite. There are friendly people everywhere, obviously there are bad people everywhere but with the support of my hosts and coordinators, I don’t think I faced any problem ever. I did everything imaginable from rafting, elephant rides, cooking and so much more. It was really a rollercoaster experience and I would recommend it to anyone planning on visiting India for a gap year.

Initially before coming to India, I was very scared. I had never been out of my country and on a spontaneous decision decided to go on a solo trip to another country. When I arrived in India, it was a totally different case. After a tiring flight, I was received by Aman who was my coordinator. He treated me to a yummy Indian meal and then dropped me at my homestay. I was staying with one of the teachers in the school I was volunteering in. She was an amazing host and showed me around the entire city. Even in the school I was met with a very friendly environment with very cute children always coming up to me asking questions about my country. Overall, I feel India is a part of me now and I have a family with ttw and my host Miss Dipti whenever I go back to India again.

My two week in Delhi were really amazing. I met so many people and made so many friends. We went on a weekend trip to Kasol which was amazing. It was such an adventure. Would definitely recommend everyone who visits Delhi to go Kasol.
Also when you are in Delhi, don't forget to try Butter Chicken. Delhi is famous for this dish and it is literally the best thing that you can have.
There is so much to do and so many things to see. Travelling to India is a must!