PMGY - Volunteer in Nepal from $375

The volunteer handbook and the pre departure support was good. However, I was not fully aware of where I was going to in Nepal or what sort of school I would be in. When I was in Nepal i was looked after very well and after asking lots of questions managed to find out some more information about where I was going. However, I was only made aware that I was the only volunteer going to Chitwan when I was in Nepal. Due to the time of year that I went (late Dec to early Jan) there was likely to be less volunteers but emails and the handbook hinted there would be other volunteers too. This was not a problem in the end but it would have been nice to be aware of it before hand as it was not easy coming into something very new and different on my own.

The family I stayed with were so lovely and made me feel very welcome, the Nepalese are such good natured, kind people.

Furthermore, the school was also so welcoming, both students and staff were lovely. However, I assumed I would be teaching basic English, but I was put into a secondary school where their English speaking and writing was of a very high standard. I know I was only there two weeks but I did not have any structure to my day, I was certainly thrown into the deep end. Although I tried to plan lessons it was difficult to know what they wanted me to teach. But it was enjoyable to be able to help them with their English pronunciation and teaching them about England.

Chitwan is a lovely place and I asked to go there as I had previously visited Pokara and Kathmandu before and wanted to visit somewhere new. The national park there is very interesting and the area is quite busy. However, I would say Pokara and Kathmandu are much more lively and Pokara is a very beautiful place which I would highly recommend!

My advice would be to definitely do some volunteer teaching, but do it for longer than I did and ask more question before you leave about the school or situation. It is definitely all part of the adventure not knowing everything however so don't worry too much!

In August I went on the Real Nepal Experience where I volunteered in the Chitwan orphanage. It was a truly amazing experience that I would recommend to anyone thinking of doing any volunteering or travelling, as the Nepal Experience gives a perfect combination of the two.
PMGY and all the contacts and guides in Nepal were great in organising the trip, and are very accommodating to your needs. Especially given how cheap the trip is relative to other similar organisations, the service PMGY provide is brilliant. PMGY provide more than enough information beforehand in their handbooks, and through webinars, as well as via email should you have questions.
The accommodation in Nepal was relatively basic, but a lot better than what I was expecting given how poor the country is. Food in the orphanage was great, the dal bhat was the best we'd had anywhere in Nepal.
My advice to anyone thinking of doing this trip would be to book it straight away - the only bad part of the trip was how quickly it went!

I had a wonderful trip to Nepal last March, I will never forget it! Everything was perfectly organised, I felt safe and supported at all times. I travelled solo as a career break and met many wonderful people also, with whom I'm still in contact with. This was my first trip to Asia, the culture shock hit me at first and I wanted to go back home after the first couple of days but I stayed and when the time came, I didn't want to leave! I absolutely fell in love with Nepalese culture and people. I want to go back and thinking of my next trip already! Thank you for giving me this opportunity to visit such beautiful country and people.

I've recently enjoyed one of the best months of my life thanks to PMGY. I experienced the real Nepal with the company and have made memories and friends that will last a lift-time. Booking the experience was absolutely no hassle and the company were super organised in ensuring that we knew what to expect once we arrived in the country. Once I received confirmation of my place on The Real Nepal Experience programme I was sent a volunteer handbook which contained all the necessary information, from contact numbers, to financial advise, to dress code. Once I arrived in the country, I was collected from the airport by (friendly) members of the PMGY team with no problems at all. During the experience we stayed at various hotels, with a Nepali family, and in Guest houses in the Himalayas. All accommodation met our basic needs, and the hotels were comfortable to stay at. Experiencing life with a Nepali family was an amazing opportunity, and one that I will appreciate and remember for life. During my time in Nepal, I was fortunate to be able to volunteer at a school in the Kindergarten class. Again, this was an experience of a life-time. I generally assisted the teacher in any way I could, played with the children, helped them with aspects of their work and taught them some nursery rhymes. As the children were only 5 years of age, communicating with them wasn't the easiest, but after a couple of days we got used to each other and I could interact better. All in all, I had the experience of a life-time and am glad that I decided to experience Nepal with the help and guidance of PMGY.
My advice to potential volunteers would be to keep an open mind. The countries you're volunteering in are not fully developed and their culture is completely different. Respect this, embrace this, and you'll have an amazing time.