ISV (International Student Volunteers) Reviews

I had an amazing summer with ISV! From our wild adventures to the satisfying feeling i got when i volunteered to better the community. you will not be saddened if you go on this trip, trust me. Life just seems a whole lot broader with ISV

I could write an entire book on my experience in Australia with ISV, but since you have a thousand other stories to choose to read, I will just say this...

I have traveled internationally every summer for the past 5 years. From trips with student ambassador programs to Europe and the Galapagos Islands, to dancing at the Fringe Festival in Scotland, to just visiting a friend in France, I have truly seen just about every side of international traveling. I chose to try ISV because I wanted a volunteer experience, and Australia was somewhere I had always wanted to travel to.

I can honestly say that ISV topped every expectation I ever had. Every experience on the trip was another that left me wanting more. The volunteer experience was absolutely amazing, the trip down the coast was fun and culturally enlightening, and I took adventures I may have never taken in a lifetime.

If you have the opportunity to travel with ISV, take it. I can promise you that it will be the trip of a lifetime.

I can't even begin to explain the wonderful experiences I gained from this trip. I think about it daily, even a year after my return. I accomplished so many life goals and found some pretty great friends along the way. The volunteer work that I did during first two weeks was so exciting; I actually wasn't ready to leave and continue on to the two weeks of tourism. The two weeks of traveling was overwhelming at first. I wasn't a big fan of being with 40 new people and having to get used to a new tour leader, but I am so grateful for it. I met the greatest friends and had a blast doing different activities with them. My favorite part was snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef; I actually brag about that to everyone I talk to. By the end of the trip, I actually cried because I wasn't ready to come back to America. This trip changed my life, my outlook on life, and my career goals and I highly encourage everyone to step out of their comfort zones and take this trip!

Ive been looking for a long time to find a program that was just right, and boy did i find it! Words cannot describe how incredible and exhilarating this trip was. From the community service to the unforgettable adventures, no wonder i dream of going back nearly every night. If you're looking for a program that is kind of a start up into the volunteering groove- this is the place for you to go. Truly pleased

Enjoyed volunteering on a cheetah reserve, walking elephants, horseback riding, exploring local markets, surfing, caving, cliff jumping, and watching a cheetah-ostrich chase! Amazing people, amazing food, culture shock. Great opportunity for getting involved and making a difference you can see. Truly and experience I will never forget.

My Thailand trip was amazing. I spent two weeks volunteering at the Elephant Nature Park and two weeks touring. The cost was extremely reasonable for the amount of knowledge and experience you gain! The staff involved, cared tremendously about the work they do and they take seriously the goals they are trying to reach. The staff was extremely friendly and informative; they educate you. This was definately a learning experience. You had the option to explore the cities yourself and really get the chance to immerse yourself in the culture. I would do it all over again. I strongly recommend taking the opportunity to travel with ISV. Make sure you take extra money. I took $500 US and in a month it was gone. I was able to stretch it until the very end but having $600 US probably would've helped. Take bug bite markers and lots of bug spray. I cannot recall the actual name, but it helps with scarring. Hiking boots, tall socks and windbreaker pants that can be converted to shorts really help as well. Do not forget to hydrate! I hope this review helps and gets you pumped! You won't regret it at all. You make life long friends as well. I love keeping up with the Park, my Tour guides and friends I made on the trip.

There is so much to be said for travelling to a new country and experiencing another culture. To immerse oneself in another way of life expands your views on life as well as provides the opportunity to make life-long friends.

When people think of travelling to new and exciting destinations I don't think they often count volunteer missions among their travel options. In New Zealand in winter it was often difficult, cold, and wet work but the reward of being able to make a difference and experience life exactly as the Kiwi people live it was a phenomenal gift. There is no better way to familiarize yourself with a culture.

For my project I was located in the small village of Punakaiki on the west coast of the south island home to the world famous Pancake Rocks. The scenery here is so stunningly beautiful that it is impossible to put into words. For the first two weeks of our trip our small group of volunteers worked at an abandoned open mine site to restore the natural vegetation and remove and invasive species. Every day was an incredible adventure seeing local species of plants and animals, learning about the history of the area, getting to know the locals (especially at the pub!), traversing through the dense bush having sunset fires on the beach, exploring local forests, walking paths, and caverns. But more than that, knowing that I was actively making a difference to preserve such a wonderful and beautiful place.

The following two weeks of adventure travel were entirely mind-blowing. Skydiving, black water rafting, zorbing, Lord of the Rings tours, pub crawls, local museums, basking in geothermal springs... So many wonderful experiences with amazing people that it can't really even be described.

I would recommend this trip to anyone who loves adventure, amazing people, beautiful scenery, incredible history, and making a difference in the natural world.
I truly can't wait until the day I get to return to New Zealand.

Before this program I had not traveled overseas and although I was nervous I found that ISV was a great way for me to begin travelling and to experience other cultures. From the moment my application was approved to the moment I returned home ISV constantly ensured that I was enjoying my experience and that any questions, issues or concerns that I had were dealt with promptly.

I found that during my travels I met so many like minded people that made my experience even better.

I volunteered at Mae Kok Foundation which not only does amazing work for the community but also looks absolutely stunning! I was so excited to work with the children in the local community and found that playing with them and sharing knowledge was the most rewarding part of the whole experience.

We did work on physical projects like building a flood wall however the work was not too hard and as long as you give it a go you can still make a difference. along we this we visited local hill tribes, taught at "English camp" (a local college), played games with the children at Mae Kok and visited a local primary school.

Along with this we were spoiled by stunning views, yummy meals, mocha cake, fruit, natural hot spares, waterfalls, Buddhist temples and so much more. I was expecting to be exhausted and out of my comfort one but found I was in a kind of paradise.

a truly amazing first travelling experience.

i was involved in the costa rica community rehabilitation project, based in providencia. it was an amazingly authentic experience as we got to live with the locals, and so we got to live like a local.

for the first week we learned about organic farming and assisted in the process of fertilising coffee farms. for the second we concreted a large stretch of hill road. both these projects were decided to be of importance by the providencia locals themselves, giving them the respect that they knew what was best for their own community. our project leader, jonathan cerdas, is without doubt one of the single most inspirational people i have ever had the privilege of meeting. he was so passionate and enthusiastic about his work that it instantly made us feel exactly the same.

it was by far the single most humbling and humanising experience of my life, and i hope to continue doing a whole lot more of it.

The program cost was around $4000, though total cost (incl req'd gear and flights) came close to $10 000. That said, no regrets. If I'd known, I would have done more fundraising.

Word to the wise, plan to do the optional excursion pack. I was the only person in our group of 30 to not, and ended up spending the money while over there to keep from being on my own (safety first).

You will meet amazing, like-minded people on this trip. You'll learn so much and experience more than the itinerary can describe. And the food. Dear sweet baby jesus, the food. You'll fall in love with every aspect of this trip. Unexpected bonus: the bugs weren't even that bad!