This was an amazing experience of a lifetime and nothing like anything else. I really enjoyed sharing a room and meeting so many nice people from different countries and will probably see them again. The staff and locals were very nice and supportive and very encouraging. The program fees may seem expensive but is definitely worth every cent. I would definitely come back to Bali or some of the other amazing locations and other projects. I have learnt so much in the introduction and from the placement that you can't learn from reading books. This is definitely the best experience of my life.

Spending a month in Bali changed me as a person. Or I should say, bettered me. Working in a completely new place where the culture is so different, I thought would be overwhelming and scary, but it was the best thing I have ever done. Bali is such a beautiful place and the people are so kind and welcoming and they want to know all about you and where you are from. As I walked through the city streets of Ubud at night, I didn't at all feel in any type of danger because Bali is so safe. Teaching kindergarten the children were so eager to learn from me and it was so rewarding teaching them something and them catching on and using it everyday. Being emursed into their culture and classroom was an eye and mind opening experience. Through the IVHQ Bali kindergarten project I realized that I was so happy working and teaching these children that I have decided to go to school and become an elementary school teacher. I went on this month-long trip because I was feeling stuck at home in my everyday life. By going on this life changing trip, i realized my true passion and have started on my new life path and I will be forever grateful for that.

Leaving home and travelling to the other side of the world was one of the scariest things I've done... Until I arrived in Bali.

As soon as I arrived every worry that I had went away. Not only is Bali absolutely stunning but so are the people; they're the friendliest people ever.

The local staff are very nice and helpful. Kadek from Teblin (Sudi) House became family to me, she is so amazing and always there to help as well as great company when you want to sit out in the sun for a few hours and talk. Plus her little 3 year old daughter is a gem!

The staff at Green Lion were really helpful also. The coordinators showed us around, took us on trips, stayed in touch at all times to help with anything we needed and helped us fit into their culture.

The location of the accommodation is perfect because it is close enough to everything but still remains natural and cultured; unlike tourist areas. It makes it easier to socialise with locals and get the real Balinese living experience. Instantly Ubud became home to me.

The orientation was very well thought out and there is so much put into it. From the Bahasa language lessons, Batik painting class and Monkey Forest to the Balinese dance shows and group walks through the amazingly beautiful rice fields, the team tried to make us all have an amazing experience and they succeeded in my opinion.

Volunteering in the kindergarten was the most rewarding experience ever, the only downfall is that I didn't stay longer. Everyone is so welcoming and supportive and the children are amazing and so so precious! Their eagerness to learn is inspiring and their fun and free positive attitudes is infectious! I feel like they taught me so much and changed my life completely just as much as I helped them learn English. Forever grateful.

If that wasn't all great already, I met the best people who were also volunteers and create lifelong friendships with people from all over the world and I couldn't be more grateful.

I have already recommended IVHQ, especially Bali, to everyone that will listen and will continue to recommend this experience. It's the best thing I've done in my entire life and given the chance I would definitely volunteer with IVHQ again. Thank you IVHQ, Green Lion and the amazing people of Bali.

I was a part of the Kindergarten project in Ubud, Bali. The local staff are so nice, and do their best to help out when they can. Bali is a gorgeous place, and there are so many sites to see. Being in this program, I felt like I was truly immersed in the local culture. I was in Ubud during Galangan and Kunigan, a very special celebration in Bali. During this time cools were closed, so we worked on renovating a local school rather than teaching. It was a difficult but fulfilling experience. I appreciated IVHQ coordinating with Green Lion to make the volunteer process extremely easy. Any sort of issue the volunteers had, the IVHQ team immediately tried to work with local staff to help the situation. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone looking to travel with meaning, and to really experience the culture.

I had a great one week experience in Ubud Bali teaching kids English. Though short, it was very memorable. The kids in my class were really sweet. They appreciated their teachers and were well-behaved for their age. It was also a challenge and learning experience for me because teaching is not within my comfort zone.
The orientation was a lot of fun. We visited some of the tourist destinations and were introduced to the culture and some languages by our local guides. The Batik painting was a lot of fun, and we were able to make ourselves meaningful souvenirs. This was the type of traveling that was more impactful for me, which was what I had expected.
I think IVHQ does a good job at prepping the volunteers and making them feel secure both before and during the program, with a personal volunteer page, pre-departure training, and information provided. Their choice of local partner in Bali (Green Lion) is also good. I would volunteer with IVHQ again and try to do a longer program.

Coming to Bali on my own was the scariest thing I ever decided to. I had never traveled internationally, but I kept reminding myself that we only grow when we push our comfort zones! I was pushed to my limits by dealing with the cultural and language barrier. But the best experiences I had while in Bali, was when I chose to go even further! I had the opportunity to climb Mt. Batur and Mt. Agung. These two hikes challenged me physically and mentally, but when we reached the top, the view was SO worth it. Within my time volunteering, I chose to wake up early everyday and go see something new on the amazing island, before returning to the homestay, and going to teach in the afternoon!
More importantly than pushing myself however, was learning to relax and enjoy when there was nothing to do. When the lesson plans were all finished and maybe there was nothing to do, or like in my last week, I had seen everything I wanted to see, I had the opportunity to spend my mornings doing absolutely nothing. Some mornings I took a yoga class, others I laid by a nearby pool.
This trip taught me a lot about polarities. Traveling alone and with a group. Living in very cramped quarters and feeling very alone. Being busy and rushed and having nothing to do. now that I am back home I look forward to pushing myself to continually improve, and also give myself time to take a breath!

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.