GIVE Volunteers Reviews

Traveling to Nepal was my second trip with GIVE, and it was beyond incredible. We trekked through the Himalayas for several days, during which I learned so much about both myself and the world. Upon arriving to Langtang, we were greeted with nothing but hugs and smiles. There is great devastation within this community, yet you would never know based on the love and gratitude you are showered with. From the people you meet, food you eat, and beautiful places you see, this is a life changing experience you do not want to miss.

This trip with GIVE was a defining memory in my life thus far. Being exposed to the wonderful cultures in Nepal and the Tibetan frontier was amazing, and GIVE made the entire experience fun and seamlessly integrated.
The group leaders are experienced and do an excellent job of creating a feeling of community within the group, which is especially important for adjusting to a very different environment.
The landscape was beautiful, the volunteering was impactful, and the trip was fun! I will certainly be returning to Nepal before too long, hopefully with GIVE.

GIVE delivers on the experiences they describe; if you are authentically compassionate and open-minded you will leave this program with invaluable insights, friendships, and memories.

Although there's no way to guarantee your satisfaction with every detail of the trip, the volunteers, interns, employees, and leadership of Growth International Volunteer Excursions are visibly committed to creating meaningful, memorable settings for personalized experiential learning and development.

You'll be with good people.

I went on the GIVE Tibetan Frontier trip in summer of 2019. If you are a prospective traveler, know that the hiking here can be intense, there is a day that involves hours of uphill, and you will be doing some form of hiking for some period of time basically every day of the trip. While sometimes this was exhausting, it was also rewarding. I would definitely do some cardio exercise before going on this trip. I absolutely loved the Nepali people, especially our guides. They will tell you their stories and welcome you like family. They will make sure you are cared for on hikes and be amazing DJs and dance party hosts. Life is a small Nepali village is incredibly different, and getting to experience a traditional family home, a yak farm, and spend time with the community members is a great part of this trip. In our group, a lot of people only got to do education and work with the kids once or twice. Unless something changes with the program, I think this is important to know so that if this is something you're really interested in, you will likely not get to spend a lot of time with the kids. The time that I spent with the school kids was a lot of fun, and they are really cool and sweet and taught me a lot. The Nepali atomsphere is very laid back and I always felt safe in the village. There were times during transportation by car where I felt anxious about safety. If you have any issues with riding on the edge of a mountain, this is something to be aware of. I'm from a very flat and low elevation, but I did not have any trouble with adjusting to the altitude. The volunteer work was labor intensive. We carried sand bags uphill. We chiseled rocks and mixed cement and built walls for a school. I recommend helping build the wall because it's very satisfying work. There were also some paint jobs available, which was also enjoyable. Overall, this is a trip to go on if you really want to connect with young Nepali people, and work alongside them to make a difference in the kids lives in this area. The kids here often have to leave their families to get an education, so helping to build a school is something that is really valuable and amazing for these people, and that is the motivation that will get you up the mountain!

In 2017 I traveled abroad for the first time through GIVE to Tanzania and words can not describe the time I had in the community on Zanzibar Island. My one regret on that trip was not doing the add on to hike Kilimanjaro, so id be lying if I said I hadn't been eyeing the Nepal and Everest Base Camp trek when it was first announced. In a last minute spontaneous decision I booked the trip to Nepal and the rest is history!

From the moment we landed it felt like I had known our group for years. I could not have asked for better guides to help us feel welcome and at home during our time in Gorkha as well as on the trek, our head guide on the trek quickly received the nickname "Dad" because of his kindhearted and caring personality. The trek to EBC while challenging, was a highlight of the trip. Throughout the trek our group continued to grow closer helping each other along the way telling stories and singing god awful commercial jingles. Our EBC legs and EBC bodies did not fail, while I might not have made it to EBC (one trek short, yak milk got the best of me) I have no regrets! I only wish I could go back to spend more time in such a special place.

I hadn't heard of GIVE volunteers until I saw a flyer on my desk one day at school. From there I researched GIVE's website and, despite still not knowing much about the company, decided to sign up for a trip to Nepal. It was without a doubt one of the best decisions I've ever made. I was incredibly impressed with the relationship GIVE had built with the local communities in Nepal and how well all of the trip logistics were planned.

I'm so glad I got to experience both volunteering in the Gorkha district as well as the Everest Base Camp trek, as both of these experiences allowed me to see two completely different sides of the same beautiful country. Everyone we met along the way was extremely welcoming and friendly, in fact we even referred to our lead guide for the EBC trek fondly as "dad" because of his extremely caring nature. Being back home now just makes me realize how special the trip was and how badly I want to go back!

I came on this trip as the only British citizen in the entire group - being an American based thing, which for some people might be scary. But for me, I thrived on this difference.
On this trip, I met some fantastic people ranging from the GIVE staff who supported me during my worst moments on the trip to the amazing locals who inspired us with their harrowing stories of the 2015 earthquake.
With GIVE, it feels like you are re-born as an entirely different person, which is fitting given that the Buddha was born here! The food was incredible, the accomodation the entire trek was welcoming, and the views along the way were honestly awe-inspiring!
I would thoroughly recommend coming to Nepal and volunteering with GIVE. And the points stated above, are the reasons that I am very much considering coming back to do the Tibetan Frontier (again), Everest Base Camp, or both!

I had no idea what to expect when I first arrived in Kathmandu. I had traveled abroad before, but never to this extent, so obviously I was nervous. However, upon landing and meeting with my GIVE group, those nerves were all but gone. The staff was very friendly, helpful, and I can happily say I've made some lifelong friends with my fellow volunteers. For all of it's beauty, the people of Nepal were what truly made the country special. They invited us, total strangers to them, into their lives and homes, fed us and treated us like family. I will never forget them, or this trip and I recommend it to anyone and everyone with a passing interest in travel.

I had an experience in Nepal that will always be a part of me! The staff were very nice and supportive and the Nepal people were very nice. The kids were amazing so fun and cute. If your looking for a change, something new to do and something to be proud of try this excursion! If you love nature, exploring or hiking this is perfect! But anyone can do it! Not going to lie if you never hiked Before or have asthma then you may get very tired easily! But that did not stop me! I still was able to do it and I'm so proud of myself for that! It's definitely a once in a life time experience!

Joining the Give family was the best decision I ever made. This really was immersive travel at its finest. Meeting the beautiful local people and working alongside them, eating with them, staying with them and getting to know them was a real privilege that I am forever grateful for.

One of the biggest things I got from this trip was how much I learnt about being a global citizen and how a few simple changes can make all the difference, but also it really highlighted the effects that we have on the planet just by how we live our lives day-to-day. I now make more conscious decisions about where I'm shopping, what I'm buying and the impacts my life is having on the world and the people who inhabit it. You cannot go on a trip like this and come home unchanged.

This trip really allowed me to challenge myself and get out of my comfort zone, it was unlike any trip I'd been on before. I don't do much hiking, we don't have any mountains nearby so the first mountain I ever climbed was a Himalayan peak!! I overcame so many challenges that I never ever thought I'd be able to do, but I did. None of this would have been possible without the support of my group and our amazing guides.

This was a trip unlike any other and I would go back and do it all again in a heartbeat.