Ubud, Bali- Exceeded my expectations

I'd never payed to volunteer abroad somewhere before so was quite unsure about the whole thing and I had no idea what I was getting myself into... but the application process of IVHQ was so easy and the abundance of information provided/ support offered made me more at ease.
I initially wanted to volunteer to help with the turtle conservation however due to the locations I ended up volunteering to teach English to kids in Ubud, Bali. Teaching English to kids who don't speak a word of your language doesn't sound easy... and it wasn't... especially as the kids were just crazy. But despite the language barrier, I really loved spending time with the kids who were surprisingly really eager to learn and they are always so happy to see you. I would highly recommend that if you are staying in Indonesia before hand then learning a bit of Bahasa Indonesian would be very useful.
In addition, the accommodation was far nicer than I was expecting (there's a pool!) and I had the most amazing experience getting to know so many young travellers from all over, with all sorts of great personalities. Initially, I was not keen on the idea of a whole week of orientation, but it was so fun and full of laughs, and its not often you get such a good chance to get to know other people in a fun, relaxed environment.
Ubud is such a beautiful area and the people there are all so kind and friendly. I have so much admiration for the Balinese culture. Bali also has so much to explore, and other than the hours you have off volunteering everyday, the weekends are the time that EVERYONE leaves the campus for a trip elsewhere.
In a nutshell, I had one of the best experiences in my life.
(This is a legitimate review :)) )