ISV (International Student Volunteers) Reviews

I know it sounds cliche, but I had the best time of my life in Australia by traveling with ISV. I'm a very shy person and was originally terrified of travelling alone and spending four weeks with strangers. However, I was amazed to discover that the 10 people in my volunteer became close friends that I still talk to even a year later. On the adventure tour, I met even more people and challenged myself to do extreme activities such as surfing, snorkeling, absailing and white water rafting. ISV gave me the opportunities to better myself as a person and the people that they paired me with gave me the courage to go through with them. Sure, it is cliche, but ISV honestly gave me one of the best experiences of my life that I will cherish for the rest of my life and shaped the person that I am today.

We did a ton of cool stuff, travelling the entire length of NZ and stopping in various places known only by the locals, and doing stuff like hiking up Franz Josef Glacier, white water rafting (down a 6 m waterfall, btw), black water rafting (the river is inside a cave!), zorbing, riding the world's longest flying fox, skiing Cardrona, ATVing across mountains, seeing rare kiwi birds, and riding the Shotover Jet in 4 inches of water! Some people went bungee jumping where it was first invented, and skydiving on their free time. Every ISV program has 5 awesome activities included, but you're going to need to pay for an 'Optional Activity Package' (OAP) for an additional 5 programs (about $350 last year), and yes, you do want it, literally everyone had it on my trip. The activities vary depending on the country but its always fun.

However, the most memorable and fulfilling part of ISV is the first two weeks. Yes, rafting and all that was exciting, and that takes place in the adventure tour part of the trip. Before exploring the country, you have to go to work. Depending on the country you choose, it will either be helping people or helping the environment. NZ is a developed country, but it also has a very fragile ecosystem. Before humans came along, there were absolutely no mammals around, no poisonous plants, and no grass. Birds, like the Pukeko and Kiwi, have taken to the ground. But with the people came dogs, possums, snakes, weeds, etc... Ridding the entire country of this stuff in one go is impossible, so they've started with islands. That way, its harder for the invading species to repopulate cleared areas. In any case, their methods work, and we got to see the difference student volunteers are making. It is really rewarding to know that your effort isn't for nothing. Our location was on Motuihe Island (mow-two-ee-hey for the native Maori people, or mow-tuh-hee for the locals). We were told about its history, from Maori legends, to escaped fugitives in the 1800s, to a WW2 lookout point. We were taught Maori words, how to identify native birds and fauna, and how to talk like the locals (Kia Ora = hello , Sweet as = Cool , etc). I can't even begin to describe everything, but it was really cool. But of course, we were there to work too. Every morning we wake each other up at 7:30, prepare breakfast and head out by 8:30. The entire morning, we are doing one thing, be it planting trees, weeding (ramnus [a type of weed] became a swear word, it was so annoying), digging up fences, beach cleaning, nursery work (potting and weeding) on the really windy days, and other stuff. We break an hour for lunch, then resume with something else until 5:30. By that time, you're tired, some are sore, and everyone's asleep by 9:00, literally. But you're doing all this with 8 other students from around the world, a project leader from ISV who is usually a crazy enthusiastic local, and someone from the local volunteer organization who helps. These guys become like family. Its really hard to convey in words just how much fun we had on the island.

When you're done the volunteer portion, and travelling around the country, people will ask what brings you to their country. When you tell them about everything you did, you might be shocked to hear a very sincere 'Thank you'.

I went to Costa Rica with ISV for 5 weeks over Jan-Feb. WE spent 1 week learning Spanish, this was a good chance to meet everyone on the tour (64 People). We split into groups of 12-13 people to volunteer for 2 weeks, I worked with dolphins and frog to make the area a national park. We spent the last 2 weeks in a group of 30 people (half the group) doing an adventure program. ISV ran this section really well making sure you never repeated any activities.

I met some great friends on this trip and enjoyed all 5 weeks. I can't wait to do it again. Thanks ISV.

ISV is a great way to combine tourism and volunteering in a compacted, busy and meaningful way. I saw parts of South Africa and Swaziland I would never have though of seeing with ISV and really enjoyed my experience. ISV encourages active participation in sustainable tourism and contributing to a community. I would encourage everyone and anyone to take the opportunity to experience this gorgeous country with the local ISV leaders and have a meaningful and fulfilling holiday!

The only difficulties I had were with the taste of the water and apparent lack of meat hygiene! I never got sick and this has more to do with the area than the tour company. I could honestly say it was up there with, if not the best, month of my life. The host organisation is amazing and such a good resource for learning about the sad history of South Africa.
Some would say it's too expensive and I was inclined to think the same before I went, but it is worth it to have everything done, a perfect balance of fun and more meaningful work.

Volunteering in Costa Rica through ISV has been the most rewarding and amazing experience of my life so far. In 5 weeks I was able to participate in a range of activities across the country. The first week involved a homestay and language program in Heredia, where I was able to practice my Spanish with my mama tica, learn more about the country and culture (including the national phrase Pura Vida! or, Pure Life) and explore the city - including one day where we went in search of a panaderia (bakery), got a little lost and had fun walking through markets and shops making our way back. I then spent 2 weeks living in a very remote area of the rainforest in the Osa Peninsula where I assisted in collecting data about tree reproduction and how animals and birds are important - also living with a family during this time and learning the different customs and ways of life. During this two weeks I had the opportunity to see a number of Scarlett Macaws and Toucans every day! In the final two weeks of the program we travelled to a different 'tourist' location every 2 days- visiting volcanos, going to mud spas and hot springs, doing nature walks to search for animals/birds, and participating in fun adventure activities like zip-lining, white-water rafting, horse riding, and jumping off many many rocks into different rivers!

It was the best 5 weeks of my life!

Visiting Costa Rica with ISV is the best idea I've ever had. The first week was an optional addition - Spanish language lessons. We were at school for four hours a day, and we had the afternoons to explore. Everyone stayed with another student from ISV with a host family to practice all the Spanish we were learning, and it was a lot. There were also excursions - we went to Volcan Poas and Tortuga.
The two weeks after this are your volunteer project - and you have a choice of community or conservation. I was on a conservation project in the Rainforest down in Peninsula de la Osa, collecting data from nutmeg trees as part of the research into a biodiversity study looking at the effects of selective logging. We were hiking through the jungle for four hours a day, and we had discussion sessions in the afternoons. The rest of the time was our own, and we spent it either practising our Spanish with our 9 year old host sister, at the beach (there's only so much laughing ridicule you can take) or lying in hammocks eating frozen banana helados. The project was tons of fun, and the work we were doing is something that hasn't been studied before, and it will inform environmental policy, likely around the world, in the future.
The last two weeks were the adventure tour. In two weeks, we went kayaking, surfing, hiking, horse riding, cliff jumping, tubing, relaxed in hot springs, chilled out at a mud spa, went zip-lining across the rainforest canopy, rappelled down next to a waterfall, and climbed back up the cliff face on a cable ladder, got to meet some people from a native Costa Rican Tribe, we saw some rastafarian culture on the Caribbean coast, went for a bike ride, saw howler monkeys, spider monkeys, capuchin monkeys, and sloths, we went through level three and four white water rapids, and when we weren't going through the rapids, we were pirate boarding each others boats, throwing each other in the water, or jumping off cliffs into the river. On the day we spent at the eco lodge (only accessible by raft) we went bouldering up a creek where we got to slide down a natural rock waterslide.
And, amazing as all that was, the best part about the trip was the fantastic new friends I've made - all the volunteer students, and some amazing people from Costa Rica too.
Travelling with ISV gives you the opportunity to do some good and make a difference, to experience the culture and have a ton of fun - they organise everything for you, check the safety, make sure it's through reputable local companies to give a kick to the local economy. And they are there to look after things if anything goes wrong. Like if a monkey steals your prescription sunglasses.

Excuse the cliche, but it was honestly the most amazing trip of my life. Working at Baan Unrak (Orphanage in Sangklaburi) was incredible, even though it was hot and the work was hard e.g. farming, painting or sanding areas to be painted, hanging out with the children and the smiles on their faces when we came to the home is something no one could forget. In addition to this the adventure topped it all off and going to the Elephant Nature Park and Zip lining were two experiences that are still in my mind everyday. I will admit that not everyday is easy and everyone had their difficulties over the trip but I made a group of friends who will honestly be friends for life and we all helped each other get through the rough times - we are basically each others second family and although we don't see each other often the bond it always there. Anyone who has the opportunity to go on a volunteer program with ISV should relish the opportunity because it is one of the most fulfilling and amazing experiences anyone could have.

I went to Australia July- August of 2010 and I have to say it was the most amazing and unforgettable experience of my life. The two week volunteer project was the most fun I had doing volunteer work ever. The people I worked with and shared in this experience have become life long friends and companions in my life today. There are so many memories, pictures, and journal entries that I think back on and automatically I am there with them all again enjoying and remembering our good times. For the first two weeks I spent in Lithgow with my group was a good time working with all sorts of animals, cleaning cages,and interacting with the animals at the animal habitat. We did so many tree planting you would think you'd be sick of it, but on the other hand we actually had a lot of fun singing songs, goofing and finding a rhythm to our daily work. It was a sad day to leave our project leader Alex, but with the next two weeks ahead of all of us we were just as excited. The next two weeks were unforgettable and full of adrenaline, and just amazing views and experiences. Basically every day for the next two weeks we were in the water, be it snorkeling, white water rafting, scuba diving, ocean rafting of learning how to surf, we were always near the clear blue and beautiful water. I wouldn't ever trade my experiences that summer for anything in the world. I made a thousand memories and good friends to share a wonderful experience, and nothing can ever replace that summer.

This was a trip of a lifetime. The volunteer aspect of my trip was unforgettable. The location was great and our volunteer coordinator was a great leader and teacher about conservation. With my group and the help of the community we planted over 10,000 trees in our stay. Each night we cooked our own meals and huddled around the fireplace playing card games and learning about some of the NZ culture. At the end of our volunteer experience we truly could see the impact we made on the regional park we worked at and had made some amazing friends. The second part of the trip was the adventure tour. There are so many places to see and wild things to do in New Zealand but ISV allowed us to experience it all. We stayed in youth hostels along the way. Breakfasts were generally included and there were always close grocery stores to buy supplies to make dinners. We experienced everything NZ has to offers. I went bungee jumping in Queenstown, Skydiving in Abel Tasman National Park, spurlunking in Waitomo, and hiked the Franz Josef Glacier. Those are just the highlights of the trip but there were many more unforgettable experiences. At the end of the trip we experienced difficulties getting back to North America due to an ash cloud from an erupted volcano. Flights were not flying out of New Zealand but ISV was there to make sure all our families back home knew the troubles and that we would be taken care of. I cannot wait to go on my next ISV trip. They offer so many great programs that I cannot decide which one to go on next!