The best thing I have ever done!

I can honestly say that the three months I spent in Nepal were some of the best months of my life.

Firstly, the support from Oyster Worldwide was incredible - right from my first email enquiring about the trip 'til weeks after I returned home, the staff were clearly dedicated to ensuring that I was always safe and happy. They are a small company but this adds to their charm, as they know each of their volunteers individually and remain in contact with you throughout your trip. Whilst you are in Nepal your independence is promoted as you are living in a village with a Nepali family - however Oyster's in country representative (a man named Basant, who was absolutely wonderful) is based in the capital city of Kathmandu, which is a brilliant 'Safety Net' if ever you have a problem. Basant is contactable basically 24/7, which keeps you feeling safe at all times. Furthermore, Basant (who has his own company based in Kathmandu) and his staff are incredibly welcoming, and I considered them friends by the time I left.

Secondly, living with my host family was such a wonderful experience. They welcomed me into their life in every way and treated my as if I was really their daughter - I would consider them a second family now! They cook an amazing breakfast and dinner for you each day (our Nepali mother actually brought us tea in bed each morning!), and are eager to make you feel at home. Joining in with family traditions such as the twice-annual potato harvest, or gathering around the fire in the evenings, preparing dinner, or even watching Nepali TV is an unbeatable way to get the most out of the experience. This also extends to spending time in the rest of the village - going for walks allowed us to make some great friends in other parts of our village (Godawari), and allowed us to enjoy events such as Holi (the festival of colour) as much as possible.

What makes this trip really stand out is the trips that are included in the main price. Whilst in Nepal I took part in a seven-day trek in the Himalayas (something I thought I would never be able to do but ended up being one of the most incredible things I have ever done - and I am so proud of myself for doing it!), a jungle Safari (in which I found myself stood two metres from a wild rhino, whilst feeling completely safe), white-water rafting, and an eight day tour of Tibet (which was truly fascinating). The trip to Tibet even included a day spent visiting Mt. Everest Base Camp! These trips are incredible for so many reasons, and allow you to spent a lot of time with the other volunteers completing the same project.

Finally, the teaching was really the heart and soul of the time I spent in Nepal. The children you are teaching are wonderful - so polite and so eager to be friends with you, it's nothing but a pleasure to be teaching them each day. Before arriving in Nepal I wondered how I would teach English to children who didn't speak the language at all - how very wrong I was to worry! The children's english is, for the most part, very, very good. I found that their vocabulary was excellent - however, it was teaching them to use it properly that was the challenge. It was incredible to see the children slowly adopting the things I was teaching them, and I left at the end of my three months feeling like I had really made a difference.

Now that I have returned home from my trip I find myself wishing I was back there more frequently than I would have ever expected before I went away. I have promised my host family that I will be back to visit them in a few years, and I truly intend on keeping that promise!

To sum up, I honestly could not recommend this project enough; I had the absolute time of my life!