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

My experience in the IVHQ Bali Project has been unsurpassable, I started my adventure as a solo traveller but it was very easy to make new friends since most of the people there are also solo travelers with adventurous soul and friendly character.

I lived in a dorm with 4 other volunteers and even thought the room wasn't very big we managed to make it work out. We had our meals at the canteen and the food was delicious!!

I got to know a bit of their culture during the first week since we had a very complete orientation, where we visited the most important places in Ubud as well as learned bahasa, how to cook balinese traditional food, created traditional art… but the most part of what i learned about the balinese culture was shown by the local people and kids I teach, the people there are always smiling and willing to help you if you need anything.

During the teaching program my partner and I had to prepare the clases in a teaching center to make sure we found the best way to teach the basic english the kids were learning, since they are very energetic we always used games to catch their attention rather than normal clases where they had to just listen and write, and they enjoyed that lots!! As the days were passing by I notice how they respected, liked us more, in fact they would wait for us at the school door and welcome us with huge smiles and hugs. Those moments every day were just magic, and made me realize how worth it was, and how our little labor there meant so much to them.

Every weekend I would go on a little trip to some city, I had 3 weekends, so I spend one in Uluwatu which is a beach town where people from all over the world went to surf, once more it was very easy to get to know new people and my friends and I had so much fun there going to the beach to swim, tan and party. I spent my second weekend in Lovina, where we chose a relaxing plan, we did some snorkeling and hiking, and of course we couldn’t leave the city without a boat ride during the sunrise accompanied by dolphins. I chose Gili T to be my final destination, which is a small raw island where no cars or mopeds are allowed, and where amazing sunsets can be seen from its amazing beaches.

To be honest, this has been the best travel I have ever done, it made me realize how lucky I am to have what I have and how a little help can be so appreciated. I was a whole new person on my way back, much happier!! I loved it!

My volunteer trip to Bali was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. The views around the island are unbelievable and the locals are very friendly and accommodating to us. Despite being sick for most of my trip, I really enjoyed myself and being able to meet people from all over the world. I met people from Canada, France, the Netherlands, Ireland, Lebanon, and many other countries! But best of all, my students stole my heart. I was able to teach 5th and 6th graders different subjects of health such as types of fruits and veggies, how to brush your teeth, how to stretch, and more. Even though the language barrier was tough, we always had a coordinator to translate for us and the kids were eager to learn English but also teach us some of their language too. We had lots of time throughout the day to prepare our lessons but also tour the main city. I will never forget this place and the friends I made.

Volunteering in Bali - Ubud with IVHQ changed my life. I know that sounds cliche, but it's so true. I never expected to fall completely in love with EVERYTHING around me - the people, the culture, the language, the landscape, even the weather! Making the decision to volunteer for six weeks on the Environmental Education project was one of the best decisions of my life. I feel I really made a difference in the community by teaching my students how to care for their environment (as well as teaching them English). We picked up trash and recycled it appropriately, planted flowers, learned about animal habitats and how to care for them, and learned about how to conserve electricity and water. I can't wait to go back!

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.