ISV (International Student Volunteers) Reviews

My day to day experiences in Thailand for the volunteer experience included learning about organic farming, and helping to plant a variety of fruit in order to help encourage the development of sustainable farming in the area. We met some different tribes, and also went to a local school where we taught the children some english, as well as played games with them.
The following two weeks was the adventure part, and my favourite part of that included the island hopping. The scenery is amazing, the most beautiful I have ever seen, memories of Railay beach are still so vibrant in my mind.
The people I met were also awesome, I had never travelled by myself before and our group was made up of such chill people, we all got along so well.
Definitely an amazing experience for what it teaches you about the world and yourself.

Planting native rain forest species on remote Motuihe Island with spectacular views of Auckland by day. Sharing card games, life stories, meals and conservation theories with 7 incredible people from around the world by night. This rustic immersion into the New Zealand native rain forest left me inspired to change my college degree, and 7 years later it leaves a sweet taste in my mouth.

My experience as an ISV student volunteer is an unforgettable one, I highly recommend anyone to try it out. The volunteering in the community or animal conservation, the exploration, meeting people form around the world is irreplaceable.

Participating in the ISV Costa Rica program was the best volunteer opportunity I have ever had. You learn a lot about yourself when your taken out of your comfort zone to volunteer in a foreign country. You'll enjoy making new friends, learning about the local culture and customs and leaving a positive impact on the community. You will however face challenges such as language barrier, mosquitoes and constant rain keeping you indoors when you want to explore. Keeping the above in mind I would recommend this opportunity to anyone who can afford it. Get out there and make a positive impact on the local community and the environment. It will be worth it.

International Student Volunteer's South Africa program was pretty much flawless. Everything was very well organized and had no problems with the travels, planning, or my time spent in Africa. During my time across seas, I not only met some of the most amazing people, but the experience itself changed my whole outlook on life. After coming back home after this amazing trip, I was already looking into what trip I wanted to go on next, preferable through ISV. I wouldn't change a single thing and I encourage everyone to explore the world and make a difference. ISV is the perfect place to start.

This was the best vacation I had ever had. I am so thankful I chose to stay for the adventure tour, because I would not have seen/done as much if I went on my own. I won't soon forget the incredible experiences I had volunteering with the elephant nature park, the unique experiences I gained, and how much I learned! Not many can say they bathed, fed, treated, and even were kissed by an elephant, and I hope prospective employers (I'm a zoologist) with recognize that.
The hill tribe village was an other experience entirely. My experience there so was extraordinary, I can barely put it into words. The feeling you get when the shy children begin to trust you, then become so comfortable with you that they take pictures on your camera, play with your hair, and demand piggy back rides, even when you can't verbally communicate, is incredible.

I would not take back my experiences with ISV for anything. The money is totally worth every penny. I made so many amazing friends and irreplaceable and unforgettable memories. ISV changed my entire outlook on life. I now have a great appreciation for other cultures and especially an appreciation for the community of Ostional, Costa Rica. The Olive Ridley Turtle will always have a special place in my heart because of this trip, as will Costa Rica. I was sad to leave and I hope I get to return one day.

The best part of my ISV experience was watching the sea turtles lay eggs, we saw mostly Olive Ridley and also a few green turtles, being so close to a creature that was continuing the circle of life was truly amazing. when they would lay eggs they would go into a trance and you were able to get so close and even feel them, they would leg dozens of eggs and a time than would bury them and go back into the ocean. In my particular program you had to walk up a mountain for two hours to get to the camp site, this was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life but i learned a lot about my self in doing it, and the support from our supervisors and other volunteers was incredible. I'll never forget the day we were leaving, our cook, Olga, who must of been at around 50 years old raced down the mountain faster than any of us in our early 20's, we were all shocked while she yelled at us jokingly in Spanish how slow we all were. I will never forget this experience, i would do anything to be back at Nancite Beach, Costa Rica.

I had a great experience helping to restore this nature preserve after some wildfires. The staff was great and took time to show us beautiful areas of the park during breaks. We stayed in Canberra and had plenty of time to explore the area when not working.

This was my first big trip out of the US and also where I officially caught the travel bug. There's something almost magical about seeing a new country and a new culture, and it's even more amazing when you get to fully immerse yourself in it for longer than a week. This volunteer program was incredible. We spent a week in Santiago, living with host families and taking Spanish classes while easing into the Dominican lifestyle, then for the next two weeks we worked on volunteer projects in a little rural village, bonding with the kids and the people around us. Overall a life-changing experience which led to close friendships and lasting memories.