Program Reviews

At a certain point in our trip, we had to go to Dharamsala to hike in the Himalayas: my favorite part!
The small and cosy village offers a wonderful view on the mountains. Imagine yourself surronded by huge and colourful mountains, with the nicest people on earth and fresh air everywhere! My face shines by the memory of the hiking part, 5 hours throught the climbing but totally worth it. You wouldn't be disappointed!

Vietnam was probably my shortest stint in volunteering with Vol Sol- 1 week. It was however a great one week away from home. The accommodation was located in District 7, away from the hustle and bustle. Over there I met so many great locals and enjoyed just chilling at the local bar, karaokeing with them- language was not an issue at all somehow!

The one day of orientation taught me a lot about the Vietnamese culture, and allowed me to meet likeminded individuals. We volunteered at a day care located within the vicinity of the hospital. The only set back however was the number of volunteers to the number of kids.

Galle,Sri Lanka is definitely a place for travelers looking for some quiet time away from the hustle and bustle in the city. The orphanage was very much different from all my other travel volunteering experience primarily because of their very strict regulations, imposed on both volunteers and the children there. Once you get past that, you'd have an enjoyable time. Social scene was not as great as the other asian countries. Accommodation was pretty close to the beach, which gave me plenty of time to reflect and rejuvenate. Great experience nonetheless, but only if you're okay to be in the quiet.

When I was on my way to the voluntary house, I got chills down down my spine because I had no idea what awaited me, no idea what the real India looks like except from the pictures and movies that are popular in my country.

India is not for the weak, that's what people always said, it's famous for the dogs, beggar, trash scattered on the ground and all the negative things that I believe you already heard about India. It's true, well some of it, but WAIT don't suddenly packed up your bag, reschedule your ticket and flew back home to your country yet just after only a day and you think that you had enough. That's a big mistake, a really big one. Give it a chance, let yourself immerse in the hustle and bustle of Indian life. Because I will promise you that it will be one of the best trip in your life that you will never forget.

I was volunteering as a couple for Street Children program and it was such an amazing experience for us, the kids were so lovely, and we were amazed on how good they are in english despite their circumstances. The days went by full of joys and happiness. We taught them drawing and english and in return they taught us how to sing and dance.

The staff were also very nice and friendly, they made us feel like home, surrounded by family. But, indeed they are our new family. And we will never forget them.

I had the chance to start my 2014 year in Nepal doing good!

It was my first experience in volunteering abroad, the children were amazing, our host house was perfect. The orphanage was chocking at first but we managed to spend time with the children trying to create some activities and help them out with their homework. The accommodation was very clean and very well equipped to host volunteers from different places n the world. Tt was extremely cold though, temperature was sometimes 0C at night.

overall it was a great experience getting to know local people and help as much as possible. I was fascinated with the level of spirituality in the country, people are so zen and helpful. My girlfriends and I were so happy with this holistic experience.

To volunteer; is to contribute your goodness and works to humanity unselfishly, without seeking any rewards. It was worth spending the holidays with these angels.

Promise that you’ll be well looked after, like I was in my volunteering stint here. Just to give you a feel of what to expect: The airport pickup will ensure that you get to your accommodation safely, you’ll probably meet some other volunteers at the airport at well- and in most instances, you’ll probably end up spending the rest of your time volunteering with them, and even plan trip to the other areas as well.

The full introductory day will teach you about the Cambodian culture, specific dos and don’ts, you’ll also get to visit interesting places such as the Stadium where you’ll see Cambodians actively working out, the Killing Fields and of course the barbeque welcome dinner where you’ll meet the programme coordinators and all the other volunteers as well.

I’d also recommend visiting the Daughters of Cambodia café which sells beautiful handicraft to raise money against women trafficking in Cambodia. When you’re in Cambodia, I’d also recommend reading ‘First they killed my father’ which you may easily purchase for USD$5 at their local markets, to really immerse yourself in the Cambodian culture, as well as understand the history behind the country.

I made very close friends while on this trip in India. I loved the elephants and seeing the magnificent sights. The children in Delhi were adorable, lovable, and thankful. The group leaders were orderly and I felt extremely safe! I think it was definitely worth the visit.

I just graduated from school this year so this trip was my first time traveling alone for such along time.
12 weeks sounds like forever but at the end it really showed me how time flies...

To be honest, my first week was the worst. On one hand I was so overwhelmed from all the new experiences but on the other hand very exhausted from meeting so many new people and finding my place in the hostel. I was laying in my bed and was asking my self how I should survive three month in Capetown.

After I was over my first and last down in my hole time in Capetown there was no space for beeing homesick anymore.
I've started to enjoy every moment of my trip.
The city is amazing! One of the most exiting and interesting cities in the world. I found some lovely friend who I will keep in touch with.
Everything was going to be easier from one day to another. In the hostel because you finally found friend but also in your project. After the first few days you know the rules in the class, you start to remember nearly every name and you know the personalities. It was one of the most amazing feelings to be part of the hole school life.
The only thing that was very hard for me to understand was the fact that you are not there to change the hole country even if you want to. I met a lot of volunteers who felt nearly the same way, useless.
It took me a while to understand to learn how to be proud of the small things I achieved. A smiling child that has a fun time because of me or a child that can finally understands how to solve easy maths stuff, is more imported than the big things. At the end three month is only a short period of time in my life and in the life of the kids. I cannot change the circumstances the kids have to live in or the way their parents treat them but I can help to built a save place at school where the kids can learn and play. After I learned that lesson it was much easier to be happy, working in my project.

I can recommend a project like this to everyone who wants to combine doing something good with having great experiances with the people in the hostel and all the great stuff you can do in Capetown. The organisation want you to also have a lot of free time so this is perfect for everyone who loves traveling and for everyone who is open minded and for everyone who thinks that he or she can handle also bad and hard experiances, but they will also change your view on life completly.

As my first travelling experience i was so nervious. Fortunately the staff helped me with all my doubts even I was already situated in the volunteer house.
I loved getting involved in culture and language. I learned a lot of this country and the custom.
The most important thing that I save from the volunteering is the orphanege where i work with.
The kids are really amazing. The lack of everything that they have is regrettable. But that is why I want to go back again as many times as I can. I fell in love with the kids. They need help and love.
Since the first time I saw them i knew that something in me would change.
My intention to go on this experience was to cheer their hearts, but they stole mine.

When I decided that I wanted to travel to Thailand, I did hours worth of research to find the perfect program. When I found Volunteering Solutions, I realized that they offered trips during my timeline, were affordable, and had a variety of different trip experiences to choose from.

I decided on the Summer Special, which is 3 weeks of volunteering and traveling throughout Thailand and added an extra "beach week" at the end of my trip.

I am fortunate to have traveled to many different countries throughout my lifetime with many different programs and I admit, I was a little skeptical about this program at first because I had never met anyone who had traveled through them before. My best friend and I decided to go to Thailand together, just in case things didn't go as planned, so that we could go off and travel on our own if need be.

I am happy to say that our trip to Thailand was everything we hoped it would be and more.

We spent time on Khao San Road (the backpackers hub), toured famous temples in Bangkok, and taught students at the Wat Pho Temple. We traveled to Surin by 7 hour train ride, bathed elephants in the river, and cut down sugar cane and palm fronds to feed them. We had the chance to experience Buddhist Lent in Surin, which educated us so much about Thai culture and beliefs. We volunteered at a preschool in Surin where we taught children in the mornings and completed various school improvement projects in the afternoon.

On a free weekend, many members of our group traveled to Angkor Wat Temples in Cambodia. It was an absolutely breathtaking addition to our trip and our Thai guides helped us plan our excursion so it was both safe and affordable.

We trekked through Khao Yai National Park where we saw exotic wildlife and were truly immersed in the jungle. For those of us who stayed for the beach extension, we stayed at a beach side resort with private beach bungalows and a private beach and pool. We explored multiple islands during our stay including Koh Phangan, Koh Nang Yuan, and Koh Tao. We hiked, snorkeled, and lounged on the beach. We went to a Black Moon Party where we enjoyed bumping music, neon body paint, and delicious food.

This trip literally encompassed almost everything that Thailand has to offer. Our Thai guide was extremely knowledgeable about everywhere we traveled and all the experiences we took part in. The trip was very organized and I felt safe at all times.

Another part of the program that I really enjoyed was that it included volunteers from the US, Canada, and Europe. Having diversity among our travel partners made our exploration of Thailand more fun and always allowed for interesting conversations and opinions. By the end of the trip, we were like family and it was so difficult to leave each other after an entire month of bonding experiences.

Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend volunteering and traveling through Volunteering Solutions, especially to Thailand on the Summer Special. My best friend and I who traveled together enjoyed the program so much that we are already looking at trips for next year through VolSol.

If you are questioning whether or not to take the next step of traveling, I say go for it. Educating yourself through travel is one of the best life decisions you could ever make! :)