Fantastic time doing Construction in BALI

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Ubud, Bali, with IVHQ. Although only taking part in a 2 week stay, this experience exposed me to an entirely different culture and way of life, and enabled me to visit fantastic places and meet some great people. The orientation week prior to beginning the volunteering scheme was fascinating, I was able to go to some main attractions in the local area, as well as learn about the local culture, language, and food. This week was very well organised by the coordinators who all ensured each volunteer experienced as much as they could. My week of volunteering was doing construction and renovation for the community centre in Pejeng Kaja, the village in which we were based. The program was well organised, and the volunteers worked with a coordinator for the project as well as one local construction worker. Hard work was encouraged, and despite only being on site for one week, some fantastic progress was made. This volunteering opened by eyes to the tangible difference that can be made, and by doing construction in particular it was brilliant to know I could make a physical difference to the community, and give back to the people of the village. This whole experience, made possible by the brilliant organisation of IVHQ, has made me not only want to volunteer again, but to travel further afield post-university - it has given me an opportunity to experience and do something different from the monotonous activities back home - and made me more open-minded and aware of the different cultures and customs that exist around the world. If you are looking for a beautiful place to go, with genuinely humble and friendly locals, exotic attractions and a safe and warming environment whilst making a difference for the community, Ubud is fantastic, and with IVHQ you are in safe hands in terms of accommodation and organisation.