GIVE Volunteers Reviews

Don't overthink it; do it! I had the absolute best experience ever with GIVE's Thailand program. It may seem a bit scary to travel to the other side of the world alone, but you will meet the most incredible people and become besties within the first day (and you get travel buddies for life!). What you experience together forms a bond like no other. I am beyond grateful for this opportunity and for being able to contribute to something greater than myself! From trekking through the jungle and caves to learning and helping in reforestation at Chiang Mai University’s Forest Restoration & Research Unit (FORRU) to permaculture to teaching English in the villages of Mueang Kong to playing sports and games with the kids to playing a part in the process of building a church by shoveling dirt and bringing it up a hill, to learning about elephant conservation, to learning about Thai culture and the language, to meeting female leaders in villages and being able to learn how to do the handcrafts, they make for a living, to bamboo rafting in the middle of the jungle and EVERYTHING in between.
What a well-rounded experience. Thailand, the fantastic guides and volunteers I got to share this experience with will forever hold a special place in my heart; I am a much better person because of this experience. GIVE, thank you once again for teaching me how to be a responsible traveler/global citizen and for the privilege and opportunity to give back. I can't wait to continue to share my experience with the world, this trip has truly impacted my life, and I aim to continue to impact the world. Just experience it yourself and see it firsthand.

If you think that your trip won’t have an impact on the community or yourself you’re wrong. The people you meet and the knowledge you gain from going and continue to gain once your home is actually surprising. It was one of the best experiences of my whole life and I know have a group of life long friends that I got to do this experience with. The instructors were amazing, very fun and helpful from knowledge to getting a scrap to just having a conversation about anything with. I think if you are planning to do this there is nothing like it and you need to go and do it.

I loved this trip because it was so fun and engaging and I got more out of this trip than I thought. I love how we "spread our dollar" and communicate with so many locals! I honestly do not know how to describe how amazing it was in a few sentences, but it was well worth the price and I would 100% go back! Laos is a special place because of the interactions with all of the locals and once I left I really felt like I had an impact on this community. It is so worth the time to go and learn from these amazing people!

I had no idea what to expect coming into this program for the first time, but everything I considered was completely blown out of the water. Everyone was incredible from the very beginning. Booking was easy and staff were so helpful. Once on the island the guides were encouraging, insightful, and knowledgeable. I felt so safe the entire time, and there was always time for questions. Highlights of my trip were working with non profits, making friends, hiking a volcanic crater, and eating sea urchins.

This was the best trip ever!!! I’ve never been out of the country before and it was soooo cool to experience a new culture and meet so many amazing people. Everyone was so kind and welcoming and made this experience great. I learned so much about permaculture and felt like I actually made a difference even though we were only there for a short time. It was so great to spend time with the kids at the school: their smiles and energy made me so happy. Plus we got to eat amazing food every day and experience so many new things: from Thai boxing, to raft building to bungee jumping, this is a trip that will stay with me forever.

At first I was very hesitant to go abroad with a program I did not know much about- but I am so so glad that I did! I took a chance on this volunteer program and I think that it was the best choice I have made for myself in a very long time. The guides, both the GIVE and the Thai native ones, were amazing- I felt so connected and well informed throughout the experience. Not to mention they were just...fun! There was an equal level of "work" and "touring" involved, but both you learned and had little lessons about. In Thailand we taught English and worked on a permaculture (if you ever get the chance to get on this trip you'll be so in love with P'Dave) and you had the option on which you wanted to do so there was something for everyone. Lastly...the part that most people go on this particular GIVE trip for...the elephants. You will see elephants and you will absolutely fall in love with them. I wish the trip was longer, but I will definitely be traveling with GIVE again. I HIGHLY recommend this, I cannot explain the feeling you get so go experience it for yourself!

I traveled to Thailand with GIVE this past December and I can truthfully say it was by far my favorite trip I have done to date. The itinerary was well thought out and always executed to perfection. We had the perfect balance of work, fun, and education. I felt as though I was well immersed in Thai culture and got the most out of my experience. Every meal was absolutely delicious. Not only that, but it was a great variety of traditional Thai dishes and we were able to experience the various flavor profiles of where we were. The volunteer projects were discussed with the local teachers, farmers, and community members in order to provide the most effective service possible. We had the opportunity to go caving, tube down the river, and even learn how to build our own bamboo raft to travel down the river to a new village. And of course, we had the chance to meet elephants! We trekked through the jungle to find these amazing animals and had the chance to feed and bath them in the river. Every activity and meal had a purpose and made my time in Thailand meaningful and fun. Not to mention, the amazing guides and people that I had the opportunity to meet. Everyone was so caring and fun to be around. We were able to learn from one another and enjoy this experience together. I cannot wait till all of our paths cross again somewhere in the world!

This tour was the best experience of my life. The amazing people, culture, and landscape were just incredible, it’s hard to put it in to words how amazing this trip was. Building a school and teaching incredible people was truly life changing. I learned to not take education for granted and be grateful for what you have. I still can’t get over how amazing this trip was, I wish it never ended. I highly recommend this trip to anyone who wants to make a positive impact and make life long friends!!!

Having the opportunity to be part of a volunteering abroad program like Give was such an amazing unique experience. As a first-time solo traveler, I was a bit hesitant about traveling especially abroad, but the support given by Give throughout my journey was reassuring. Being able to immerse in the community in Jiquilillio was something that caught me off guard in the best way possible. I never thought I would bond with the community as much as I did with the program. Give volunteers did an extraordinary job reaching out to the Jiquilillio community and creating a bond with the locals to offer a well-rounded cultural experience to the volunteers.

This adventure will forever hold a special place in my heart. I learned so much from the culture and the people especially, that I hope to share for years to come.
Never in my life have I seen a community so united, so loving, so friendly, and so welcoming than in the village of Kairo. These people have next to nothing, but their energy is unmatched. They ooze a happiness that we could only dream of. When asked what I hoped to bring back to the United States, I simply responded, “I hope to keep the energy”.
Moving forward, I want to be the person that smiles brightly and energizes the space I take up. I want to show people how content and grateful I am for every little thing I have. I want to show people that they are wonderful and amazing just as they are. I want to accept and trust people from the moment I meet them. I want to create a world where everyone feels safe and loved. I want to make sure that every single person I interact with from here on out feels even just a fraction of what I felt while in Kairo.
I will forever be grateful that I was able to have this experience and that I was able to do so in a way that differs from traditional travel and tourism. GIVE taught me what it means to be a global citizen and how to be effective in voting with my dollar. Every single thing we did during our trip was intentional. Whether it be supporting the locals and their businesses, to learning how to mix cement by hand (two parts rubble, one part sand, one part cement, 5 buckets of water, & a whole lot of manual mixing), to driving 8 hours to a Safari only 90 miles away on an unpaved road to help fund its paving— we made an impact.
One of the best parts was almost everything was organized and ran by local guides, we were learning straight from the people and building friendships with them. These people were full of wisdom and laughter that always left me feeling inspired. Lastly, I want to thank all of my local guides— Khammis, Smile, Amor, Baboi, Talha, MC, Fanni, Big Head, Fruit Guy, Kennedy, and Mr. Famous for an amazing trip.