Bali Volunteer Programs from $26/day | Most Affordable & Trusted

This was my first time volunteering abroad and I'm so glad that I got the chance to do it with IVHQ! I really loved it and I won't hesitate to go for it another time! IVHQ is a really great partner at your side throughout the whole experience: From the very first email I received from Chloe to the after-volunteering services I felt well taken care of.
Looking back, I find it important to share that the most important thing to do in order to have an outstanding volunteering experience was a proper planning before starting the program. Although most information mentioned in the interactive volunteering handbook provided by IVHQ is obvious to most of us, it was still very useful and reminded me of some things I might have forgotten to consider without reading it. Therefore, I can definitely recommend to go through it well a couple of weeks before leaving your home country.
In contrast, the best thing to do when actually being on the volunteering program is abandoning this kind of planning approach and rather engage in an more open and adventurous "let's just do it approach"! Although one might encounter several "uncomfortable" situations, I really enjoyed being outside of my usual comfort zone - teaching English to 4-years old kids was completely new to me and I had no idea how to manage it in the beginning! Thanks to being open and saying "yes" to things I usually would have said "no" to helped me to meet outstanding personalities and make unforgettable memories.
The life lesson that I took from this experience is not being afraid of possibly "uncomfortable" encounters anymore and integrating the respectful as well as peaceful Balinese lifestyle into my way of living.

First, a little bit about Bali: Bali will forever have my heart! It's cheap and safe, most people speak English, and it has amazing culture and nightlife, as well as every activity you could possibly want to do on a tropical island (snorkeling, waterfalls, surfing, volcanoes). Hands down my favorite place I visited in SE Asia.

Volunteering abroad, particularly with IVHQ, is a truly amazing experience. The program itself was affordable and well-organized, and my homestay was so cool! The compound I stayed in was absolutely beautiful, and my host family was really welcoming.

Another thing that makes this program so great is that it provides a built-in support and social network. Being able to lean on the local volunteer organization for assistance when necessary makes traveling internationally less daunting, and the program also provides a great way to make friends if you're traveling solo.

I loved being able to make a positive impact on the lives of others while also getting the chance to explore a new place and culture. Traveling around Bali on the weekends with the friends I made was probably my favorite part. I highly recommend Nusa Lembongan, Uluwatu, and Gili--truly heaven on earth!

I really enjoyed my program in Bali. The accommodation was clean, the food was great, and the staff were very helpful and kind. I heard some of the other houses, however had issues with cockroaches and bedbugs in their rooms, but I didn't have any of those in my house/room, so I'm very thankful for that.
I would suggest though, that everyone get a mosquito net for at night, because the occasional mosquito does get in, and at one point, one of my roommates woke up covered in bug bites because she didn't have a net.
My favorite memory was climbing to the top of Mount Batur, the volcano and watching the sunrise. It was so ethereal and tranquil, and there's nothing like it. It was also freezing cold and incredibly hard to go back down, but totally worth it.

On the first day of volunteering I was a bit overwhelmed by the craziness of the kindergarten students and their inability to comprehend what my fellow volunteer and I were trying to teach them. I became a bit scared that teaching them would be harder than I thought it would. But by the second day my worries completely vanished. We played games and used pictures and the whole experience became incredibly fulfilling. When it was time to say goodbye I had unexpectedly learned so much from all of the students and I of course didn't want to say goodbye.

Heading into my program I experienced a range of different emotions. I was overwhelmed with excitement, anticipation, but nervous about the experience which awaited me.

I've always had this overarching desire to travel, experience and help others. However, anxiety and fear had always stood in my way.

Fortunately I managed to convince my best friend to partake in this experience with me. And what an experience it was. I never expected to meet so many kind and compassionate people, and build such strong and relationships.

I was submerged into a totally different society and i learned about the cultural backgrounds of my fellow volunteers.

As we arrived at our volunteer house we really weren't sure what we had gotten ourselves into. We had set expectations. Do not set expectations. Expectations can often lead to disappointment if your experience doesn't turn out to be what you were expecting. This is a really significant piece of advice that I can give to any person not only considering volunteering, but in day to day life. It's about staying in the moment as often as you can. It was only my first day into the program and I had already had my first learning experience.

The next morning we met our orientation group and began our volunteer adventure. I had already made tons of new friends, which were soon to be life long friends. The orientation week was phenomenal.
Overall, my volunteering experience in Ubud, Bali was like nothing I had ever experienced. It was

I had gone into this experience stressing about the 'what ifs.' What if I don't make friends? What if I'm not good at my project? What if I don't have a good experience?

I have to admit that some regret exists in my every trip, however, what surprise me is that this trip to Bali is totally awesome.
First of all, the arrangement is more than appropriate. During the first week, all the activities we had is for us to fit in. The orientation gets us to know about each other. Actually, you can make quite a few friends after this week. Among all the classes we had, I suppose one, the Bahasa Indonesia class, is really unique as well as useful. It contains basic Bahasa Indonesia words and expressions which makes it a lot easier for us to communicate with our students in the next week. And when I asked about my friends who also volunteered overseas, they wished they had such arrangement. In my view, if you go overseas, a language class helps most and gives you something to take back home.
When teaching week came, every two people took charge of one grade. That's pretty good. Also, the staff gave us some information on teaching feedback from earlier volunteers. We made our teaching plan basing on the feedback. We were teaching the second grade, and those kids had the big passion for English learning. Honestly, some of them were quick learners. So, teaching is not that hard, and pretty interesting as well.
Moreover, the school starts at 2pm in summer, so you can explore the island in the morning. Like the girls in next dormitory took one morning to see the dolphins. Also, you can go to some islands on weekends to learning surfing, as there can be too many people in Kuta. I went to Bali with six friends, thus we spent two relaxing days in Lembongan.

I have never thought about the great change this program brought to me.It was the first time I went abroad and met different people all over the world.This program gave me the chance to learn about different culture and experience a different life.After this activity,I became brave to try new things.

I really recommend you to come with your friends,especially to the person who like experience the new things.

IVHQ is definitely a responsible organization,it helped me solve all my problems in preparation with amazing efficiency!Besides,they offer all volunteers good conditions of service.The airport transfers,daily trips transfers ,educational advice and culture introduction,all of these make me feel safe and warm.I was made to feel at home.
Teaching kindergarten kids was fun and rewarding.Singing with them,drawing pictures with them,playing outside with them,all these activities made me energetic and cheerful.Even though it was difficult for them to focus and memorize,it was completely worth it to see the look of joy on the kids faces when they can write down the numbers and the words.It was a little difficult to let all of them focus on your teaching but by asking them questions one by one I still overcame the it.Being a teacher in kindergarten makes me patient and outgoing.
The activities with other volunteers helped deepen friendship among us,and I feel so grateful to meet these amazing guys!All the volunteers got together at the beach with candles and drinks,playing games and talking about our hometown.The memory was precious.
This was my first volunteer experience through IVHQ and won’t be the last.Thanks for my great decision to start the unforgettable journey!
TIPS (Before)
1.Book your airline tickets as early as possible as the tickets will be ample and cheep.I booked 3 months before my program.
2.Review your route and confirm it with your local guide.Like ask him or her about the time of the airport transfer.
3.Check the web page termly.Make yourself clear about the materials that you need to be prepared in addition.Like the criminal background.
4.Prepare some gifts for your students and the volunteers there.
5.Check the weather condition and prepare proper clothes and shoes.
6.Buy a phone card online before your program in your own country.
7.Bring your own toiletries like toothbrush,toothpaste, towal and so on.
(During the program)
8.Be fully prepared for your lesson next day in case that your kids get bored.
9.Games always come first!Mix your education plan with games!Make them cheerful while learning things.
10.Step by step,repeat again and again!Kids in kindergarten are too young to memorize so many things as once is not enough.
11.Give them reward for good behavior.Small gifts will cheer them up.Candies,stickers and paper planes are all useful.