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

A perfect program for those seeking to immerse themselves in a foreign culture while being surrounded of diverse kind of activities and environments. Bali is probably the number 1 spot for travelers visiting South East Asia and more often than not the preferred one, and there's a reason for that; the island holds multiple scenarios ranging from volcanoes, jungle to beautiful beaches -and it is big enough to get escape the touristic culture whenever you feel like to. The program itself is located in the "highlands" of Bali, in Ubud -the cultural capital of the island; volunteers can expect a green environment, local culture and lots of temples! the center, while touristic, is one of the few places that remains touristic and it is not the place where the program is hold. Concentrating efforts in helping those that haven't really benefit from external capital, the local agency distributes volunteers to relatively near places to Ubud (normally within 45min) and transport is provided. In construction specifically, volunteers meet at the general office -refer to the booklet- and then head to work from 1-5pm; you can expect hard team work and some breaks during the journey (beverages are provided). If the team exceeds 15 people it is most likely for the agency to distribute volunteers in two different projects to increase productivity, be aware of this and try to help where they need you the most. Both our teams were lucky as we were able to contribute in the end-process of 2 kindergartens, providing small communities a space that they did not have before -this was really rewarding for us.

Housing? fear not! the community in which the program is held is known as "Penestanang" and is just 5min away from Ubud, it is more authentic and provided with all the services you will need. Volunteers are distributed in around 5 or more Houses that lay close to each other, normally two floors high and separating men from women -yeah you can still gather, it's cool! Houses are safe and the cleaning staff shows up every day during the morning, be polite to them as they often don't speak English very well. Here, your main preoccupation should be how to get the bed with the best lightning and the best breeze, if not, make sure to get yourself a fan -there are plenty at the house. Be organized and make sure not to loose your stuff; with so many people coming and going the house feels up with old memories and it becomes easy to loose things and think that someone "stole" it from you -remember Bali practices Hinduism and stealing is bad karma.

In terms of activities there's a clear routine that volunteers in Penestenang follow and it goes like this; Mondays, Wednesdays is movie night -starts at 8pm and ends at 10pm at Kopi Desa, a place run by Made a genuine Local and where people often meet whenever they have free time -try the Nasi Goreng Ayam, a local dish! For boys, these are the days and time where Football will most likely find place, talk to Jeffrey! he is one of the organizers and makes sure to rent the football place -located just 8min away from the Cafeteria. Tuesdays and Thursdays is both Cupid and CP Launge night, Cupid an open bar-restaurant was built upon a river and it's the starting point of the night -head there around 8.30 pm, most of the volunteers will do so; expect live music and a great service provided by the local-owner Leo, a great guy that often performs live as well. Later on, and as Cupid prepares to close, volunteers head to Ubud center, to CP Launge. As one of the few places that offer night scene in Ubud, CP Launge is the perfect place to grab some drinks, play pool and dance to world-wide rhythms -bare in mind that Thursdays is a bit more busy than Tuesdays and that volunteers may often go only during this days but other travelers, expats etc will be there. Organize your mornings or afternoons as there is a lot to do next to Ubud, feel free to visit one of the many infinity pools, UNESCO rice terraces or waterfalls; use your weekends to travel to more remote places, go to a volcano, visit the beach, spent the night in a world class club -you pick the program.

My time in Bali with IVHQ was just amazing. I spent 7 weeks volunteering in the kindergarten program in Ubud.
The first week is the orientation week and we did a lot of activities with the local staff like visiting temples and palaces in ubud, having a tour of the rice fields, cooking classes and an introduction to our volunteer projects.
In the kindergarten program we have to wake up really early because we start teaching at arround 8am. So we normally woke up at 7 and went to breakfeast and then at 7.30 a car would take us to our school/kindergarten.
Each class has between 15 and 30 students, mine had 27. And there are 2 and sometimes 3 volunteers per class. In the school there is always a local staff and the teacher is in the class to help you translate things to the kids.
The kids were amazing and super funny, always laughing and wanting to learn. We had to make it fun by singing songs and playing games for them to be interested and participate. The main thing is that you have to be creative and find fun ways to teach them some words and sentences and get them used to english. If you cant make it fun they will just lose interest and be bored.
We normally stop teaching at arround 11.30 and go back to the volunteer placement to have lunch. In the afternoon we have to prepare the class for the next day and for that we have a house with papers, pens, computers and printers, everything you need to prep a great and fun class.
There are a few volunteer houses all in the same street and a canteen where we all meet to have our meals. The food is great, some days you have more western food and in other days you have traditional balinese food wich is delicious. The accomodation is great, 6 people per room with a bathroom. I met volunteers for all around the world and made really good friends.
During your free time in week days we would normally go to ubud center where you can shop in the market (train your bargain skills) and go to really nice cafes and restaurants. In the weekends we travelled all around the island and also went to the gili islands and lembongan island wich are just a piece of paradise, visited amazing beaches, watterfalls and partied during the night.
The only advice i have for future volunteers is to have an open mind, have a lot of fun and enjoy your time because it will go so fast.

I have traveled overseas for volunteer work before. It was about 5 years ago, and I traveled to Uganda for 2 weeks of volunteer work. It was my first big trip going without friends or family but I was confident with the long flight because I would be meeting with 12 other volunteers the day of our flight from Newark airport. This time was different though. I was ready to venture and travel the world again.This time I would be doing the flight by myself and landing in a different country half way across the world. I was nervous, I was excited, and I was overwhelmed with empowerment that I was actually doing this. I would be in Bali for two weeks, volunteering to teach health education to 5th graders. The experience that I had during my stay was beyond what I had imagined. The overall love and culture of Bali is amazing. The first week of orientation we experienced so much of the culture, religion and beauty of Bali thanks to our Green Lion staff. We visited sacred and holy temples, learned about the importance of the religion and participated in a holy water tradition. We were able to learn the art of Batik painting and became mini artists for the day, painting our own. We learned about the Bali language and the history behind it so that we could interact with Ubud villagers. We walked through town, experienced a traditional Balinese dance, and did so much that we were all overwhelmed with gratitude and joy each day we returned to our volunteer house. I had the opportunity we live 15 other volunteers. Each girl with a story of her own and from a different part of the world. We created a bond that will last us a lifetime and we found a place we fell in love with that will be a part of us forever. I could not have asked for a better stay and experience in Bali and can not wait to return one day. So much gratitude and love for those who have made this kind of volunteering available.

As a woman in her mid 30's embarking on her first solo trip to go take a crack at the volunteer world out there....I was a nervous wreck! From the time I arrived in Bali and was greeted by my driver, I had an instant sense of relief. From that moment on, I had a team of young, yet very dedicated and organized Coordinators ensuring all went smoothly for myself and the 100+ other volunteers. Orientation week was packed with events to give you a sneak peak at the local culture. It was a great way to get to know all the new volunteers.
The volunteer week in the School was emotional and amazing all in one little package of fun. You are given free range to teach as you please while following a guideline/plan set out by all the previous volunteers and local teachers. The kids eagerness to learn, their love of life and simplicity was amazing to be a part of.
When we first arrived, the kids were able to count to 10, by the end of the week, they were counting to 15 on their own. Seeing their enthusiasm towards their progress throughout the week was so fulfilling.
The goodbye's were a little hard and promises to return were made!
Great job IVHQ! Keep on making a difference, one program at a time!

Where do I start?! From my first day in Bali, everyone was so nice and helpful. The staff, and other volunteers were very welcoming. The staff at The Green Lion were always available for support with anything we needed, from random inquiries to emergency situations (not that we ever had to deal with any). I really enjoyed our introduction week, because they showed us around the area and then taught us how to do traditional Balinese things that I probably would not have had the opportunity to do if I were traveling around on my own. It was a great introduction to Bali. The placements were chosen very well, as they gave us the option to request teaching partners and age levels to work with. My program was teaching english, and although it was challenging at times, I really did enjoy it. The children were so excited to learn and if we hit a stump where they really did not understand us, we could ask a coordinator to help us to translate. This was my first trip on my own, and I was never really alone. Between my house mates and the other people in my group, there was always someone to do things with and plan excursions with. Although Bali is totally different from my home town, it was so cool to see how people in Bali live, and it was very eye-opening to see how different the schools are, in comparison to home.
As far as excursions, I was able to do so much in my time there, although I could have done much more if I had stayed longer. One weekend a bunch of us did a trip to Gili T island, which was gorgeous and had amazing sunsets. If you have ever seen sunset pictures with the swing in the ocean, this is on Gili T. The following weekend we climbed Mount Batur, which is an active volcano that people hike up to watch the sunset. For someone like me who is not too physically active, it was a challenge, but it was worth it once I got to the top. It really was an amazing experience. The volcano takes about two hours to climb up. The following day we went to the famous Tegenungan Waterfall, and toured around that area. Later on we visited the Elephant Safari Park & Lodge, which was also a great experience. I fell in love with the elephants instantly.
For my first solo trip, I'll admit it was a bit of a challenge because I did not know exactly what to expect, but I really did enjoy it. I also really enjoyed seeing the architecture in Bali and learning about the religious renditions.
As far as food - I enjoyed every meal that was served at the canteen. They always had a vegetarian/vegan option and they were very good with being cautious of allergies.
I would recommend this trip to others, without a doubt.

The two weeks volunteering was extremely fun and rewarding. I met so many nice people from all over the world. Ubud (volunteer location) was in a perfect location for travelling on the weekends. We went on sunrise hikes up volcanoes and scuba diving in the gili islands. Ubud itself is a great town with lots to do, in our spare time we chilled at the comfy homestay or explored the markets and surround areas. Bali is amazing, do not hesitate to go.

I recently returned from the IVHQ Bali trip and already wish that I could go back. I signed up alone, not knowing a single soul on the trip and managed to make great friends with the other volunteers. It is extremely common for volunteers to travel alone so if you cannot find someone to go with don't let that hold you back! The volunteers were super friendly and staff was very accommodating. The first night there were two lizards on the wall of our room and not knowing that they were completely harmless, we called Green Lion Staff to help get them out. Within 15 minutes two staff members arrived and helped us clear our room of the lizards. The lizards are harmless, just think of them as wall decorations, but they defiantly are around. The sleeping arrangements are spacious but very hot. My villa did not have a window but it had a fan, which helped tremendously! After you get used to the sweating it is not so bad, so by the last night it did not bother any of us but the first couple nights you might wish you brought an extra fan. The location of where the volunteers stay is about 2 kilometers away from Ubud center and it is a really nice walk. There is a lot to do on the weekends for volunteers, so do not worry about being bored, in fact I do not remember a single minute that I was. I felt safe the entire time I was in Ubud, granted I never wandered off by myself and always stuck with a buddy. Ubud center has a lot of shops and great places to eat. The program food itself is very good also. I was surprised with how accommodating the Green Lion Staff was to all food diets and allergies. Now onto the program itself; the orientation was very much enjoyable. The instructors are very kind and activities are fun. The only complaint I can think of is how hot it was during some of the sessions, but that is to expect when you are in a tropical destination. For my program I volunteered at a school about twenty minutes away and taught environmental education. It was by far my favorite part of my trip. Even though the kids spoke minimal English (which I was not informed of before) they were excited to learn about whatever was being taught. My partner and I brought stickers one day and the children’s faces just lit up. It was the cutest thing I had ever seen. Some of the students have English-Bahasa dictionary to try to communicate with the volunteers better, it really was the sweetest thing.

From teaching kids how to recognize their body parts to playing soccer in the field with them, volunteering in Bali has been such a wonderful experience for me. Although I stayed for one week and was able to volunteer for a mere 2 days, these students have taught me the value of education. We Americans take our education system for granted while these kids have to open and close their own class rooms. They have no permanent teachers and yet they are so eager to learn. The distribution of enthusiasm for learning is so vast when comparing these Bali students to students of America which makes me really wonder who deserves to learn. I hope to return to my students someday.