Program Reviews

It was the most amazing trip I have ever been on. I decided to go in may of 2023 and started my trip in July. I met so many people during my time in zambia. I have kept in touch with almost everyone I met whilst there. I will planning a trip back to Zambia in 2024. I cannot say one bad thing about my time there I loved every minute of it. I got to go on a safari whilst I was over in Zambia , got to see the Victoria falls waterfall. There is so much to do in Livingstone it’s the most amazing country I have been too.

I volunteered for a week in Guatemala doing the animal rights project!!! This project was helping take care of exotic animals and helping them rehabilitate to then be re-released back into the wild. Working with the animals was beyond special! I enjoyed being able to practice and utilize my Spanish, meet new people from all over the world, enjoy new and delicious foods, while traveling and exploring Guatemala as well. You will be uncomfortable at times, but this is where the real growth happens and where your character develops. Be open, and trust that this is an experience that you will not regret!

I had a great level of support and communication not only with IVHQ but also the local team that I worked with. They were all so nice and friendly and conscientious of wanting the volunteers to have a good experience. IVHQ staff also has a great level of familiarity with their local teams and make trips to see them and get to know them. This was great to keep in mind as I communicated with the staff, they also held meetings so volunteers had a way to ask questions and know what they are getting into. I had a great experience and I had a lot of time and opportunities to get to know the country I was in. Above all, I got to meet so many local people and get to know their lives which was a really valuable experience. The accommodations were lovely and the food was great. I was really happy to have chosen this company.

IVHQ made volunteering overseas for the first time an extremely enjoyable experience. The pre-departure information and communication from the IVHQ team were excellent. I felt as though I was fully equipped for my time abroad. I would absolutely book another volunteering experience through IVHQ and have already recommended it to friends and family. Unfortunately, the private accommodation upgrade was not as advertised however the team on the ground was very helpful in communicating with hotel staff on my behalf and working to resolve any issues that arose.

I went to the turtle program on Nusa Penida for 2 weeks, will never regret it! It’s good for family, solo travelers, couples and group of friends. The food is local and good and the accommodation is also good with air conditioning. It’s possible to make a difference and you helping the a lot to the program. The staff is really sweet and helpful. It’s also good if you will increase your cv. It’s all the money worth. Just go and do it, you won’t regret it! The island is pretty small, but that makes the experience more authentic and in the weekend have you time to see Bali and the other islands

I absolutely loved volunteering on the Elephant Conservation project! The accommodation at a local hotel was comfortable and the staff there was very friendly and helpful. The project itself is hard work, but it is very rewarding. Most of the time there is spent cleaning the barn and cutting and planting elephant grass, rice, and sugarcane. It was awesome to be around the elephants every day and to see the direct impact the volunteers make on the two elephants in the sanctuary, as well as some other elephants in the village. The food was delicious and they always made sure you had enough to eat. There are also plenty of places in the village to eat at too. The staff at orientation and at the project were all very accommodating, during and after my volunteering. I would highly recommend this project!

This was the best experience and opportunity I ever had, this company helped me make this happen, made me feel safe and I feel like this definitely made me grow so much as a person. I've met so many people who have also taught me a lot, we have made friendships for life and we saw many great places and did activities such as horse riding in safari which was an incredible experience, bungee jumping, swimming with sharks etc. And i feel like i've made an impact and helped those children i was working with.

This was an incredibly wonderful program. Everything was smooth sailing from the application process, up until my last day at my program. I stayed for five weeks in Barcelona to volunteer at a soup kitchen. This kitchen was incredibly clean, organized, and well maintained. Each local volunteer was incredibly friendly and welcoming. The program coordinators also provided me with all of the help, support, and resources I needed to feel comfortable. I initially decided to travel in order to explore my future endeavors as a humanitarian worker of sorts and could not be happier with my decision. I can only suggest you partake in this program, if not this location. Barcelona is an incredibly beautiful place to not only experience but give back to.

This was my first ever volunteering experience abroad and I loved it! The local team were very helpful in making our volunteering experience smooth and memorable. They even went an extra mile to recommend places for us to visit around the city and even taking their free time to go with us. They were always there for our questions and helped us understand the culture and the language of the country and most importantly how to stay safe which made the experience great. I loved cooking new recipes and learn how to accommodate myself in new areas and talking with elderly.

My experience in Sri Lanka, my most recent volunteer project with IVHQ, was both exiting and valuable. Apart from spending time and being with pre-school children and also teaching English to older children in my placement, I had the most interesting and educational visits, such as the ‘Lion’s Rock’, seeing, being, feeding and learning about elephants, Buddhist temples, markets and tea manufacturing venues and a culture show.
I cannot say anything negative about the program in this country because embracing the culture and being open minded about differences and the new make such an experience amazing and worthwhile!