Program Reviews

I spent the last 6 weeks volunteering at VP Bali and it was the best decision I ever made. My only regret was not staying longer. My experience exceeded my expectations in every way possible. There are so many amazing parts of the program that set it apart from other volunteering programs so I will try to break it down:

Accommodation:
At VP Bali all of the volunteers stay at the same homestay with the most welcoming, friendly local family. The homestay is located in central Ubud, on the most charming street. Everything you could ever want is in walking distance- Indonesian restaurants, western restaurants, yoga studios (including yoga barn) the Ubud art market, boutiques, spas (full body massage for under $10 usd!) The fact that the homestay is right in town is so important. I met people who were volunteering with other programs and were 20 minutes outside of town and had to take a car every time they wanted to eat or explore. The homestay truly feels like home and after going away to different parts of Bali on the weekend I always loved coming back to my little home in Ubud.

Teaching:
The teaching takes place in the afternoons which leaves your mornings open for exploring Ubud- waterfalls, epic Bali swings, rice terraces, etc. Also enough time to sleep in, go to yoga or the gym, or spend the morning at a pool before school. You only teach Monday- Thursday which leaves 3 day weekends to travel around Bali- so awesome!!! However, you end up missing the kids and look forward to seeing them on mondays! You teach two classes at school, starting with the younger class and and older class after. The kids are amazing- They have so much energy and are so eager to learn. The teaching style is upbeat and different every day and the students love learning with games. The founder, Kim, is at the school every day and is so involved and hands on- she’s also one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met and truly leaves an impression on you! It’s true what they say- you are teaching the students but in return you learn so much more from them. I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to teach and meet all of them.

Overall experience:
I can’t say enough how much of a positive impact this program has had on my life. Living with a local family in a homestay really allows you to immerse yourself in the culture and see Bali from a different perspective. All of the volunteers quickly become family and you make life long friends from all over the world. Bali is such a special place and everyone who comes understands. I 100% recommend this program and wish I could explain more but you won’t know until you try it yourself!

Coming to Bali for three months was a big decision in my life. In the beginning I didn’t know what to expect. Turns out I had the best three months in my life. I met several different people from all around the world. We were able to travel around Bali in order to experience the different cultures and seeing many spots. I stayed for three months and I think it was the best length of time that I could’ve done. You really get to know your own students, students from other classes and especially get a bond with the children. The kids are lovely and very motivated to learn new things. They truly are amazing and I was able to see improvements in their English. Vp Bali’s staff was amazing, whenever you needed anything you were able to go up to them and they were able to find a solution for you. Overall the past three months were amazing. I can only recommend Vp Bali to anyone who wants to bring something good and volunteer somewhere. What the children gave me is irreplaceable. Thank you so much Vp Bali for this unforgettable time.

My month spent volunteering at VP Bali was one of the best in my life. Being my first time to Indonesia and traveling completely alone, I had the typical fears many experience, but the moment I arrived all of those fears were wiped away. Everyone I came across at Vp Bali, whether it be volunteers, helpers and staff were beyond friendly and quickly became like family. Teaching the students is a constant indescribable feeling of excitement- they are so friendly and eager to learn. Through this program you truly feel immersed in the balinese culture by living with a balinese family and even learning just as much (if not more) from your students as they teach you. I can’t emphasize enough how quickly one month flies and that I wish I could have stayed longer. Every aspect of this experience, from living in Ubud, to meeting volunteers from all over the world, to teaching, and learning from the staff and Kimberly (the founder) has amazed me. Every day in Bali was better than the last. VP Bali is truly an incredible organization and experience.

My experience in vpbali separated in different sectors!
★TIME
I stayed here for 1 month. In the beginning I thought that 1 month is enough to live the experience of teaching the kids and explore Bali.Well it wasn't! Yes I saw a lot of things but you need more time if you want to make the most of it. If I could, I would love to stay more. So if you have free time the more you stay the better!
★Kids at school
I can't really express with words what you gain from this experience. All the kids of all ages are so giving and loving! In the begining I was afraid what to tell them, how to teach and how to get close to them. You don't have to be because everything comes so naturally. At the end it's so diffficult to say goodbye cause you feel as though they are family.
★Founder and staff
They will become your friends from the very first moment. I have a lot of funny and moving moments with everyone! Also they are so well organised that they inform you about everything(school,culture of Bali, rules etc.) and they answer all of your questions!
★Friends!
The most common fear that may some of us have is that we will be alone! YOU ARE NEVER ALONE unless you want to be😋! From the first day you meet with all the volunteers and you organise your weekends together to explore bali and small trips within the week! For sure you will make friends and if you are lucky maybe you will make friends for life!!
★Visa
If you are not sure for how long you want to stay don't forget to pay for your visa at the airport. For one month is free but then you cannot extend unless you travel to Singapore(closest country) in order to come back to Bali again.
★Tip!
Be yourself, be open to new people and ideas and make the most of your time. It is worth to live this experience! Enjoy!!!!

I volunteered for two weeks - the shortest possible time. I definitely regret only staying for two weeks as I was having so much fun in the program. All of the other volunteers were so welcoming and interesting and I immediately had 20 new friends from day one. Working with the students was such a great experience. They are the most loving and hilarious kids and I looked forward to teaching every single time. The students genuinely wanted to learn and were very respectful to the volunteers. I found that it was a great way to learn about and experience the Balinese culture and the program itself did a good job with orienting new volunteers about Bali and the surrounding areas.

This program also gave me the opportunity to see other parts of Bali (not just Ubud where the program is). On the weekends, all the volunteers venture out to different cities, islands, and even countries to explore before coming back to town for school on Monday. It was so fun making weekend trips with my new friends from all around the world and learning about their cultures too.

I definitely recommend this program and to stay at least 4 weeks if not longer!

I voulnteered for 6 weeks and truly enjoyed giving something more to those kids, this project is not only about learning, but also about sharing and simply giving, about being present and opening your heart. Since I was staying for six weeks, it really gave me opportunity to get to know kids better and my binding to them. And they vould make bonding with me - that opened up also their willingness to losten and learn even more. The program also gave the volunteers chance ti learn local culture through dance and language. It is fun and very special because it all happens at school, together with kids. It was wonderful experience, full of joy, laughter, learning and being present in the moment. My personal biggest lesson was to be there, to be open, to have fun and to understand more without words.

I volunteered for 12 weeks at VP Bali and I know for sure that was the best decision I’ve ever made. I really wish I could extend or stay here forever.
The kids captivated me in a way no one else had ever done. I met a lot of people and got to make the best friends from all around the world including Mexico (my country). I came here to teach and ended up learning a lot of things like how the Balinise culture works and a little bit of their language.
I couldn’t be more thankful with the staff, the helpers and obviously, Kimberly (the founder). Everyone was nice to me since day 1 and I highly recommend this program. It totally fullfils your life and it’s an amazing volunteering experience.
I got to be in room 1 (which are the kids with the lowest English level) and I feel like we really helped. When I first got here, they didn’t know the shapes and colors, and at the final quiz they had almost every answer correct. The feeling I had after that is something I can’t even explain with words. I’d never felt more regarded than after this three months at VP. The last thing I can say is that as soon as I get the chance to come back, I’d definitively do.

Staying for 6 weeks at VP Bali was the best decision I could have made. I am traveling for 7 months in total so it was really nice to have a home away from home for some time. It was so much fun meeting a lot of people from all over the world, going on trips over the weekend and of course spending a lot of time with the kids.

At first it wasn't easy for me to get in touch with my students, because I was in classroom 1 and there are a lot of kids. But after some time I really recognize that they appreciate everything we do for them, that we created a bond and that you really have an impact on them, because you can see the progress they made (even if it's little).

The staff at VP Bali is very friendly and can help you with problems you may have during your stay. Also you don't need any previous experiences in teaching, because you will learn really fast what to do with the kids.

All in all I'm really happy that I choose VP Bali. It's such a nice organization where you can learn a lot about yourself, other people and for sure the balinese culture but in the same time you also give back a lot of your own knowledge to help getting in touch with the language.

I stayed with VP Bali for 4 weeks, and I wished I had more time! Initially I thought that these 4 weeks were a really long time, and I had my concerns about being able to meet people, but time flew by and by the end I made lots of friends!
I really enjoyed working with the kids, the staff and the fellow volunteers. This experience was very rewarding and I wished I had more time in the school, because I really wanted to see the children’s progress. In general, I feel like staying 4 weeks is the minimum, the more time you spend with VP Bali, the more you enjoy it!
I would definitely recommend the program, because they are one of the most transparent NGO‘s you will find on Bali, and you will leave feeling like you really made an impact on the children‘s life.

Taking part in the program is a nice way to get in contact to people all over the world. Also you get to know about how Balinese people really live since you’ll live in a family that gives you the feeling of being welcome here. Something that I wouldn’t do is going here for only two weeks - it takes time to get to know the kids and the other volunteers! In addition it is unhelpful and counterproductive to change the teacher of the kids every 2 weeks.
I do have a lot of respect for all those that make VP Bali happen and I’d recommend taking part, but make sure to go here for more than just 2 weeks and you’ll love it! The people you’ll meet here will soon become close friends and the memories you’ll make not only in the school but also on the weekends will stay forever.