Program Reviews

One of the best memories I have was watching the sunset over the rice fields, 2 silhouettes of boys chasing a fire lantern along the little green paths, with elephants munching next to us, with the best friends I could have found on a trip, in the middle of rural Thailand. It couldn't get much better. Thanks to Volunteering Solutions I experienced almost all of a country I have always wanted to visit; we saw city, countryside, rural, urban, beach, mountain, National Park... the list goes on. If anyone is wavering about going, just go! Yes, despite being one of the cheaper ones on the market, it is a lot of money, but so worth it. Skip spending on the expensive handbags/shoes etc and save, I had the best 3 weeks ever! My favourite place was definitely the elephant village, but experiencing another city, seeing Thai wildlife and meeting locals (and eating scorpions) was all part of the fun too. To top it off we had such a great guide - JJ, who organised so much for us and without him, would have never had done so much. Cheers to another adventure soon!

Ali and Jihane are awesome and treated me like family. I met a lot of new friends and learned so much, i would definitely recommend.

I learned about the culture and food in Morocco. Ali and Jihane also helped us to explore other cities if you wanted to. People in Morocco are also very nice and friendly. I found Rabat to be much safer then they described on the website, however many locals do not speak English.

my experience in Arusha has been awesome. I have enjoyed a lot with all the volunteers, staff, and local people. i will always recomend this program, although i think that it is a bit expensive.
Also the extra activities during the weekend were amazing, and the location was too good.
the work at the hospital Levelosi was wonderful, because we could learn a lot and also do many kinds of different things.
At Arusha i met a lot of people and also did some incredible plans: with some friends we did an Spanish omelette at a local tanzanite home. Also we went party with some medical students of Arusha,(with whom i am still in contact). Despite the fact that i worked at the hospital, i visited an orphanage: flowers orphanage, and that was an unforgettable experience. The way the children looked at you, the way they laughed without material things... it was fantastic.
The volunteers became my second family, and the local people was amazing.

Everything has been perfect. I wish i could come back, because it has been one of the most wonderful experiences in my whole life. Thank you a lot!!

Volunteering in Arusha is the best decision I've ever made.
I thought that I was going to be the teacher in the orphanage, and so it was, but for my surprise, the kids teached me much more. Teaching them, playing with them, listening to them helped me to grow and made such a enriching and positive experience.
Also, I had the great opportunity to meet local people, go on day trips with them, walking around the city and visit non touristic places and live the city in a local way.

I've been in the program for 2 weeks. The accomodation is basic but it really makes you feel in Thailand :). It was nice to be in a house with all the other people volunteering. The schools were amazing. The children where nice. The teaching was a great experience. You really try to connect with the children and make them pronounce the words. The older classes can speak and read Englisch very well. You get an inside look in the culture of Thailand. How children are raised. We did al lot of activities with the group like exploring the Island, beachparty,half moon party, BBQ etc.

I just want to start by saying that my 4 weeks here in Bangkok flew by so fast, I did not want to leave! The friendships and interactions that you experience on a trip like this are those that will stay with you forever! Seeing the people of Thailand live their lives was absolutely amazing. The medical Internship definitely left me with more knowledge and it was sweet to see the differences and similarities between here and America in the health care field. The staff was so welcoming and everyday their faces lit uo when we would walk through the door! They always welcomed up with drinks and snacks, very caring and giving! My whole time here I've felt so happy, I can't help but constantly smile! The staff here at volunteering solutions who set up my whole trip did a fantastic job and I would recommend going through this company to anyone! Every day I would get emails from the staff at volsol checking in on me and they still continue to do so even though my program has ended. They honestly made sure my trip was perfect and all of my expectations have been met and I can not thank them enough! This is an amazing program not only to volunteer but to experience life in a new culture, this journey has opened my eyes and has given me a great appreciation, these memories that have been made will stay with me forever and I would not trade that for anything!
Lindsey Cignarale

If you are considering doing this program in Thailand, my advice to you would be to stop thinking and do it! When I initially signed up, I was nervous because I was going as a solo traveler. However, as soon as I arrived at the airport, I was met with a coordinator and 3 of the 19 volunteers I would be sharing this month with. This particular program was a great mix of volunteering experience and free time to explore on your own. The volunteering part included teaching English in a temple and in an orphanage, doing renovation work (planting, painting murals, making a concrete garbage pit), and, my favorite part, caring for elephants in a truly unique setting. The itinerary gives a great, basic outline with what you will be doing everyday but the wonderful program leaders planned so many voluntary excursions for us that enriched this program so much more. We were constantly on the go and saw so much in the month abroad. Whether you are going solo, or with a group of friends, this is an experience you will love!

I didn't know what to expected coming here in Morocco. I've been volunteering before in schools but I've never be a volunteer in a NGO and I was a little bit scared cause I don't know arabic and I speak just a little bit of french. Thank to our coordinator and my colleagues I did it, I enjoined my experience and I'm bringing back home so many memories. It was interesting working in Rabat and it was amazing travelling during the weekends with the other volunteers, wonderful people that shared with me this experience.
Thank you for this experience, for having helped me when the things were hard and for having shared with me those beautiful moments.

Two weeks already since I came back to my country from Thailand. I knew it was going to be a great experience, but honest truth, was much better than I expected.
At the beginning, I was quite concerned about the security over there, if I was going to have problems, because I was travelling on my own. Finally I booked it and I can not be happier. We got the best guides, they helped us any time.
I have no doubt that it was the best experencie ever. I already miss it! I am looking forward to coming back again.
I leave behind me amazing people, stunning places, an incredible country. A culture and traditions completly different to our life-style, which makes this program so special.
I strongly recommend it, it will change your life and mindset for ever. Go for it!

I was in Cambodia for a month on summer and those were the best weeks in my life so far. I was teaching English to children in a school located in Phnom Penh. I chose to stay at a guesthouse and it was really fun there: I shared room with 5 other volunteers who were in different programs so it was great to come back home from the school and hear about the other volunteers' stories. The first day we got the Orientation day, where the staff explained some History, Religion and Cultural information about Cambodia to us and we also got to know the other new volunteers, which was great. Also we had a meeting dinner and we discovered khmer cuisine! The second day there was a City tour, where you visit the highlights of Phnom Penh in a bus and with a guide who can answer your questions. The first day at your placement a person from the local staff comes with you to help you through the first minutes and then you will feel home there, because cambodian people are very helpful and will make your mission there so much enjoyable. On weekends you have plenty of time to explore rural Cambodia and have a bath with elephants in Mundulkiri Province, discover the beaches of Sihanoukville or see the sunrise in Angkor Wat. Be careful with the monkeys there, one of them stole my breakfast! :) It's easy to get around Cambodia with buses and tuk-tuks in the cities, and by staying in the guesthouse you will always find someone to travel with if you want! Also the local staff are always there to help you if you have some problem and sometimes they set weekend trips to some places in Cambodia.