Program Reviews

My name is Melanie and I volunteered with VP Bali at program village for 2 months starting in January 2015. I had a split day, spending mornings (10am-12pm) working with the special needs children and afternoons (2pm-4pm) teaching English.

First a bit about the school: It is founded and run by a man and his wife - locals from the community. For this reason, VP Bali is not the only organization that provides volunteers, which can at times create a bit of confusion. It is located in a village about a 10 minute drive from Ubud - it is very rural and quiet but lets you appreciate the REAL Bali. It is a beautiful village filled with beautiful people!

For the special needs program, there are a few local teachers who run a fairly scheduled week for the children. Most of the work in the morning is assisting in the classroom! Despite the fact that they do not speak much English, it is an incredibly rewarding job! I did not get the chance to experience much of the afternoons with the special needs kids but it was often planned and run almost entirely by the volunteers.

In the afternoons, I taught English to a group of 8-12 year olds. I was on my own for a good portion of my 2 months - I had co-teachers join me for a couple weeks a few times but my placement was much more long term than theirs. There is one local teacher that looks after the 3 classes - she will ensure you have the materials you need, but rarely actually teaches the classes. It is up to the volunteers to prepare lessons and teach either on their own or alongside another volunteer.

I believe I greatly benefitted from being at the program for 2 months. I would definitely recommend this length of time. Your first week is usually overlapping the last week of the previous volunteer so that you can get settled in, the next 2 weeks you will start to learn the kids names and a bit about them, it isn't until the 4th week that I really felt I had connected and began to feel valuable.

I encourage anyone who is considering this program to just commit and DO IT! I took a huge leap of faith when I applied and am forever grateful for the outcome!

There are really no words to describe the beauty of this experience... Seeing it for yourself is the best way to truly understand!

I recently spent the month of April volunteering in Ubud, Bali with Volunteer Programs Bali, and it was the most wonderful experience of my life!

I had never visited Asia before, and was a little nervous about flying so far alone from the U.K - I really did not know what to expect. As soon as I arrived I fell in love with the Balinese culture, people, food, landscape and of course with teaching and the students. The other volunteers were so kind and friendly, making it very easy to feel right at home.

From climbing Mount Batur to watch the Bali sunrise, to traditional music lessons, attending the Saraswati Ceremony in traditional Balinese dress, to walking through the Ubud rice fields and drinking from coconuts on the beach and walking through the rainforest -- on the weekends you are able to explore the island however you would like. There are so many different things you can do; I would also recommend hiring a moped to explore!

Teaching the children is amazing; they are so happy to learn English and also to have fun and be creative whilst learning. The staff are very kind and supportive too. The homestay in Ubud is beautiful, with a fountain and statue of Ganesha in the garden, and breakfast is served everyday in the form of banana pancakes and fruit, or omelette, toast and Balinese coffee! It is always clean and there is always the smell of incense in the air.

In the mornings you can relax or take yoga lessons, or go for walks, before arriving back at the homestay to teach during the afternoons. It is up to you!

I will never forget my time in Bali; the only reason I came back to the U.K after one month was because I had to return to university! I think I would have stayed much longer if I had the opportunity. I will never forget how vibrant and colourful Bali is, the slow pace of time, delicious food, the beautiful nature and fascinating culture, but most of all the friendly people. It is an unforgettable experience!

I'll be very honest - when I was boarding my flight to Bali I was petrified! I had never been to Asia before and I had 0 teaching experience so I was very nervous about just showing up here and entering a whole different world. But that feeling had lasted only few days and then I completely fell in love with everything around me; the kids, the food, the nature and the Balinese culture.

I have just finished my 10th week of volunteering and I have 2 more to go. My stay in Bali so far has been absolutely incredible. It is very hard to describe the experience because I feel like I've experienced so much that it would be enough to write a novel!!

The teaching may seem scary at the beginning but it is so much fun and so rewarding!! You can really see the kids are excited to come to the class and they are very eager to learn. The local staff is so lovely and always on hand to help out if needed. Most volunteers find it very hard to say goodbye at the end of their stay because you form real friendships with everyone around you!

The home stay has a very chilled and friendly atmosphere. The family is really nice and can help out with arranging transport or trips around Bali. The rooms are cleaned every week and the common areas are cleaned several times a day (Balinese people sweep a lot)!

Bali is absolutely breathtaking! I had a chance to explore most of the island during my stay and I honestly couldn't pick just one place I liked the most. The mountains and lakes are amazing when you're looking for relaxing time and if you need a little bit of party time you can just go to the south and enjoy the beaches and nightlife there.

I have met some wonderful people here who have made my stay really unforgettable. I'm really happy that I had decided to push my own boundaries and take on this adventure!

The balinese culture is very peaceful… Normally nothing gets stolen, we even leave our helmets in the scooters. Personally I feel very safe living here, I always leave my door open and have no problem in leaving important belongings outside.

If something goes wrong you can call kimberley. I never felt that need, but she is available.

During classes you have local teachers that help you if you need anything. They are very sweet and caring people, and after sometime you can really feel a friendship growing between you.

It is very easy and truly amazing to travel through the island. The best way is to enjoy a scooter ride through all the wonderful landscape! You have time to explore the island and even spend the weekend at the Gilis!

This is my first time teaching and you shouldn't have any concerns! You are here to enjoy being with the kids. Children have school during the morning and we teach them extra classes. Of course you have to feel like they are learning something with you but it is very important to feel like they are having fun. The kids really enjoy coming to class and learning.

I am loving this experience and I definitely feel like I am taking so much form it. You learn about so many cultures, you share time with so many people that come from all over the world and you get to travel around a beautiful mystical country.

As for packing, bring sunscreen, aftersun and mosquito repellent!!

Hope you enjoy !!

I had a wonderful time with Volunteer programs Bali! I have never teached before and on my first day I was a bit scared! I was with a girl who stayed 6 month and she was a really good teacher and had a lot if experience. I was afraid that I could never teach like her and I thought that the children will never like me that much. When I look back to my three months of teaching I can say, that you grow with every lesson. You gain selfconfidence , you always push yourselfe to your own limit to make the children smile, you get creative and think about funny new games, you get more relaxed in front of a lot of people and you learn how to make them laugh..... Sometimes I think I leaned more in the program than I actually teached! But this is just one aspect! The second is, that you meet all this wonderful people. I became friends with the other volunteers , Kimberly, our local teacher Komang and of course with all the lovey children! They are so sweet and write nice things on the board, write letters to you, or make you little presents on your last day! My three month stay with VP Bali brought me new friends, new experience, 100 of amazing moments....... I hope I can come back one day!

I have just spent 3 months volunteering in the program for children with disabilities and it was the most amazing experience. I Have learnt so much during my time here and have really grown as a person. In September I will be going to university to become a drama therapist in special needs school, and this program has given me the opportunity to grow as a teacher and use my creativity to the best of my ability. In class I support the children in the morning with their learning and in the afternoons I am able to do art, dance, yoga, anything which I feel will benefit them and follows the idea of 'Play and Learn.'
The support that you receive from the VP Bali team is such a comfort and especially as this was my first time away from home. On the orientation day teaches you so much and allows you to get to know the other volunteers. The fact that they provide you with a sim card is amazing as it makes life so much easier whilst your here so you can phone taxis, call Kimberly and the other volunteers. Times when I have emailed Kimberly about a problem she has phoned me back straight away, making me feel so supported.
In the home stay, the family made me feel very welcome and I always felt safe. This was a huge comfort to my family, knowing that I was being looked after looked after so well. Kutut and Nyoman were very helpful when I wanted to plan weekends away and go out of their way to make sure you have an enjoyable time.
This program has been amazing and I can't wait to come back.

I have done a 20-week internship at VP Bali (in both Ubud programs) and I have had the best time. Teaching the kids was amazing, you get attached to them so fast! They are so eager to learn and energetic, so it's a 100% worth your time.
Especially when you're going for a long time (couple of months), you can see them grow so much. One of the highlights of my stay was definitely seeing two of my favorite boys going from being really shy and not understanding a word of English to being really happy and even making sentences.
The staff is absolutely great too! After being there for so long, they started to feel like family and I can't wait to go back.

I arrived in Ubud at the beginning of February 2015 to start my volunteer work with VP bali not knowing what to expect. I felt excited and nervous. As soon as i walked into my home stay i was greeted by the amazing Kimberley Vanderheyden and a bunch of smiling strangers who came from different places all over the world.
It was quite surprising how quickly i felt at home. We had all sorts of personalities among us, with some of us staying for only a few weeks, others for months. My first day of volunteering was a treat. In the twenty minute drive from our home stay to the school i got to see a different part of Ubud that i hadn't seen before. Beautiful nature and rice fields, local families outside their balinese homes/shopfronts and although these people had near to nothing, their smiling faces said otherwise. Arriving at the school was a real eye opener to how little these children had. I hadn't seen a classroom like this before with one whiteboard and a small cupboard filled with donated stationary and books, it surprised me that in these conditions there were so many eager children willing to learn and excited to meet me. I volunteered for a month and without a doubt could've stayed on longer. This experience has made me realise you need to stay open minded in your everyday life accepting everything that comes your way, the positive and the negative. Thank you VP Bali, I miss everything about this program and will treasure the memories and friends i have made forever.

My stay in Ubud with VP Bali was unbelievable. I made friends with beautiful people from all over the world and really felt like I was making a difference to the students I was teaching. Having weekends free meant I could travel throughout Bali and surrounding islands with my new friends which just made my time there even more memorable. It's so hard to explain just how much I treasure my memories and experiences with Vp Bali, the coordinators are passionate and devoted to their work and its so inspiring to see them constantly trying to give more to the students and the program. I highly recommend VP Bali if you're looking to volunteer, you will have one of the best times of your life - especially if you stay for a month or longer, that way you really get to know your students and the locals. I stayed for a month and I really wish I'd stayed longer because I was only really getting to know my students well before it was time to leave.

I really enjoyed my time here. After two weeks I am not ready to leave and would love to stay another two weeks at least. The schools and kids in the program are so dedicated and an absolute pleasure to work with. I'm sorry I only got to spend such a short time with them. The whole experience of being here has been welcoming and it is amazing how quickly you feel at home.