Program Reviews

My experience with GVI was beyond amazing. It was my first time flying alone on a long haul flight but as soon as I arrived in the airport I saw the friendly GVI staff and felt comfortable and excited to start my trip. The itinerary was very well planned- the first week focused heavily on the volunteering aspect of the trip which gave me a sense of satisfaction knowing I helped out a bit in the community. The second week was more focused on showing us the beautiful country of Thailand- which was super fun and I learnt so much about thai culture. Overall all the counsellors were very nice and helpful and wanted us to enjoy our trip to the max. The accommodation was good the whole way through and we were moving around a lot in the second week. I would 100% recommend this trip.

I did the U18s Tenerife volunteering which was such a great experience and I will definitely do it again! It was lovely meeting new people and making friends and the staff are very welcoming and fun. It had the perfect mix of relaxing and having fun while also doing the work required and exploring the Island. It’s definitely an experience you won’t regret and I still miss it. However, if you’re not into hiking and walking up a lot of hills then this might not be for you but it still adds to the experience!

GVI was one of the best experiences of my life, i was a participant on the U18 costa rica trip! This program allowed me to interact with new people and make lifelong friendships but also i was able to experience new cultures and be up close to a wide range of wildlife. If you are reading this and having doubts about booking, my advice is YOLO! Also do not let anxiety control your actions when choosing to book a trip, the day i left home to come to costa rica was one of the scariest and uncomfortable feeling, but once your out here travelling it is so worth it all!!!

When I signed up to GVI Costa Rica I was excited to see and work with the exotic animals in the rainforest. What I was not expecting was they amazing people that I would be working with, from making close friendships with the other participants, to lifetime bonds with the staff members themselves. This made the experience that much more rewarding and made it a joy to go out on surveys every morning and night to look at wonderful snakes and frogs, with equally amazing people. I would 100% recommend this to anyone considering a role in conservation, or anyone like myself who was simply looking to break the monotony of work life.

I loved my experience with GVI Madagascar! I spent 4 weeks on the island of Nosy Be Madagascar with the conservation program. At the Nosy Be program the conservation team and the community team are located at the same base so it was fun to see what the community team did too. For conservation we did lemur surveys, herp (reptiles and amphibians) surveys, and bird surveys. We also worked with Park Rangers in Lokobe National Park to help them develop their English speaking skills to provide more efficient tours to English speaking park visitors. During our weekends there was so much to do and see both on Nosy Be and other near by islands. We snorkeled with sea turtles (at Nosy Sakatia and Nosy Tanikely), visited lemur island (Nosy Komba), and saw some beautiful beaches (Nosy Iranja). I've been home 2 days now and am thinking about what GVI program I want to do next, with a longer stay next time. I highly recommend GVI to anyone interested in immersing themselves in culture while volunteering for the community or conservation.

The most incredible time of my life. I feel so lucky to have experienced all that is Nosy Be, Madagascar.
I chose GVI because they are so impact driven, and during my time in Madagascar that was the evident.
Being able to immerse myself into such vibrant and joyful community was a remarkable opportunity. From base life to weekend fun, everything about this trip was wonderful. The students, the staff, the locals, the volunteers, the nature, the wildlife, the music…everything about it. Meeting the students and going into schools was so much fun and I am so glad to have met such exceptional people. If you are reading this review unsure whether or not to do a program with GVI, this is your sign to book it…right now. You will not regret it.

GVI Ghana was the start of my gap year after completing senior. It was so far from home and I was very nervous and scared when I first arrived. As soon as I met my fellow volunteers my fears quickly evaporated. The team were all so welcoming and we had so much fun on base. There’s always someone to have a chat and a laugh with. I went as an intern and worked across 6 schools. I was also in charge of my own projects including sexual reproductive health , girl guides, free being me & Rosies world. The experience was both rewarding & eye opening. The work GVI do in Kokrobrite is incredible and they’re very respected by the community. Ghanaians are such warm and welcoming people it’s impossible not to love being in their company. We also saw a lot a bit of the country on our time off. Beautiful & rich in culture & history.
I met people from all across the globe and have made friends for life. If you’re on the fence about volunteering with GVI Ghana my advice is to just jump in. You’ll love it!!

Gained valuable hands-on experience on collecting data on cetaceans (mainly short-finned pilot whales), sea turtles, and dolphins sometimes during boat survey! We also conducted meaning land surveys and rewarding beach/community clean-ups. The hub we stayed was clean, comfortable and spacious, with a pool right outside the house. I was also so lucky to have met a bunch of interesting people from different backgrounds and age groups. So far I enjoyed my time in Tenerife so much and wish I could stay longer!

My experience with GVI was absolutely amazing! Being given the opportunity to make a difference from afar and seeing the impact my efforts make in wildlife conservation was an incredible experience (and one I will surely not forget anytime soon!) I cannot recommend GVI more, from the community feel, to the dedication of the people there willing to offer input into any questions you may have, it is truly such a lovely environment. The learning material is also very direct and easy to follow while still offering valuable information in regards to the program. I would highly, highly recommend their program and will surely be taking another adventure soon! Thank you tons!

I joined the GVI Ghana Community Development Internship Programme in February 2024. I had a fantastic experience and enjoyed the programme so much that I arranged a 2 week extension, meaning I spent 10 weeks in total with GVI Ghana.

As part of my programme, I worked in local schools delivering lessons in areas such as the environment, JEDI (justice, education diversity and inclusion) and comparing Ghanaian culture to other cultures from around the world. Working in the schools was a wonderful experience as the teachers and students alike were enthusiastic and engaged. There is a wealth of knowledge on all these topics available on base to all volunteers/interns, meaning lesson plans are of a high standard and easy to teach to students.

Overall, I could not recommend GVI Ghana more highly. The staff on base make the transition to life in Ghana as smooth as possible. Every aspect of GVI Ghana is well organised; from the transport to and from the airport to the accommodation on base. There is also sufficient free time to explore the local area and really immerse yourself into Ghanaian culture. GVI is hugely respected in the community due to the hard work of volunteers and interns and the culture created by the staff members on base.