GIVE Nepal Volunteer Excursion in the Himalayas

"Namaste" translating to "the light in me sees the light in you", is the Nepal way of saying hello. This is a beautiful preface to what you will receive by doing a GIVE trip. With adventure packed fun and immersing yourself into a new culture, you will meet your best friends who support you and push you out of your comfort zone until you hit growth. The food is amazing and guides make you feel safe the entire way along. The locals will show you love and respect like you've never encountered. On the safari day we saw elephants and rhinos, and walked through the tallest grass I've ever seen- it felt like I was in a scene from Planet Earth. My only advice to anyone considering on going on a GIVE trip is to just do it. Take a leap of faith. My trips have shaped me into the best version of myself. I now have connections and smiling faces all over the US from people I met from GIVE. #GOODVIBES

Deciding to go to Nepal with GIVE was easy, I've been on multiple trips and have loved every single one. But I wasn't quite ready for the impact this place would have on me. After arriving and heading to Gorkha with the rest of the GIVErs, we began our project of helping the residents of Paslang village rebuild their homes. It was such a moving experience to hear about what they went through during the earthquake in 2015 and how it completely changed their lives. What resilient people. After sweating it out in Paslang with the locals and GIVErs, we rafted down a river for 2 days, which was an absolute blast, and headed on a safari down south in the jungles of southern Nepal. By the end of two weeks it was hard to say goodbye to all my new friends, but we still talk all the time! I also chose to continue on with a small group and hike up to Everest Base Camp. The EBC hike was one of my favorite parts of my time in Nepal. It was amazing to hike everyday with the team of Sherpas and Yaks and other GIVErs to finally reach Base Camp.

I went on the Nepal Volunteer trip with the added base camp excursion, and it was the best spontaneous decision of my life.

I have always been a crazy adventure nut, and I was tired of the routine lull. I saw a flyer for GIVE and signed up for it without reading more than the one of these online reviews. I was excited to volunteer and hopefully help improve the lives of the people I worked with (with awesome adventure) not realizing my life was and will continue to be changed by the people and experiences there. Being immersed in the rugged beauty of Nepal and working alongside and spending time with the most tenderhearted people, it wasn't long before it felt like I was part of a family.

After volunteering for a week, the trip ended with a bang. Paragliding and white water rafting for two days then onto the Everest Base Camp excursion.

Before you get caught up in my crazy EBC experience, you should know it is one of the most amazing adventures of a lifetime and I will be going back to do it again even after what happened to me.

I started trekking with a bad cold (would not recommend) thinking I would be fine. I ended up having to be medically evacuated by helicopter with a final diagnosis of High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) with URTI. The people who work for GIVE and the CSA travel insurance bent over backwards to make sure I was properly cared for. I cannot emphasize enough how safe and under control I felt despite the worst case scenario playing out before me. The GIVE team was fantastic and CSA insurance that GIVE recommended was absolutely worth it, they reimbursed me without a fight. I also had purchased GeoBlue insurance on my own just in case I came to be in the situation where I needed to go the hospital and that insurance reimbursed me for the helicopter evacuation and the hospital stay.

I would like to thank GIVE; the amazing guides, the sherpas and everyone who played a part in organizing my unexpected evacuation. I will never forget this experience and I can't wait to go volunteer with GIVE in the future.

We spent 2 weeks in Nepal; one week was spent rebuilding a village in Gorkha destroyed by an earthquake from 2015, and the second week was spent adventuring. I'd never been outside of the USA before, and I didn't want to take some generic touristy vacation, visiting a bunch of landmarks, I wanted to make it my OWN adventure, to see what it was like actually LIVING in a third-world country, and GIVE made this possible. And best of all, I got to meet and share this amazing experience with 20 other awesome volunteers, who i'm still friends with today :) Our entire itinerary was planned out for us every day ahead of time, including our meals and transportation. We got to raft down a river for two days (which was amazing), see some temples in Bhaktapur, visit shops in Kathmandu, and see elephants then go on a safari in Chitwan. The work wasn't always easy; it was back-breaking sometimes, and the food was pretty minimal, but that's what I expected and what I signed up for volunteering in a third world country. Fortunately no one in our group got sick at all, which is what I was worried about.

Amazing experience! GIVE does a great job allowing its volunteers to immerse themselves in the community they work in and by doing so you are able to learn and appreciate the Nepali culture in a way you cant experience any other way.

For you adventure lovers and thrill seekers, GIVE also takes you along on these spectacular and exciting excursions which included a safari trek through the beautiful Chittwan, home to some of the world's most exotic animals, white water rafting through gorgeous landscapes and of course the constant breathtaking trek up to EBC.

Both the locals and the volunteers forever have a place in my heart. This is truly a life changing trip and one that brings good to individuals around the world along the way. Highly recommend!

I went to Nepal in May of 2018. I have traveled with GIVE before to Tanzania and had already known the type of trip I was getting myself into. Although this trip impacted me more than my travels to Africa had in the previous years. This was the first summer GIVE had taken on rebuilding the community in Gorkha, Nepal. This small community had faced serious damages from the 2015 earthquake and still was having issues recovering. As a volunteer we spent our mornings mixing cement, laying bricks and trying to learn as much Nepalese as we could so that we could speak to natives. When you are volunteering with GIVE, you work alongside the locals everyday. You get to see first hand how these people are effected by the work you are doing. When you see the smiles after a long day of work, or once a roof can be put onto a house, you stop and really thing about the blessing in your life. The people in Gorkha gave a great lesson on how to be humble, and give even when you have nothing to give. Everyday the villagers would cook us lunch and you could just see appreciative they were when they handed you that plate of rice and lentils. They never stopped thanking you and asking you take second! Along with the volunteering you also get to embark on some once in a lifetime adventure activities, such as a safari, white water rafting, playing soccer with locals, exploring ancient cities and so much more. This trip will open your eyes to so much beauty and love that Nepal has to offer. I would encourage anyone to take the plunge and embark on this journey.

This trip to Nepal completely upended my previous thoughts about Asia and the people that live there. I received firsthand experience interacting with community members, learning about their lives and how impacted they were by not only the 7.8 earthquake but also by countries, such as the US, that has so much more influence than them. I befriended locals my age, helped rebuild homes for families that worked alongside me, taught English to children with a passion to learn. I don't see these people as simply from Nepal, but as humans who have the same interests and needs as I do. I've definitely had a perspective change since my time in Nepal.

Not only did I have amazing connections with local communities, but I also got to explore the beautiful country and what Nepal has to offer. I went on safari, a 2-day white water rafting trip, and explored Kathmandu. I got to trek to Everest Base camp with my new volunteer friends which is one of the best things I've ever done. The Himalayas are beautiful and there is simply no place like them anywhere else on the planet. I visited temples and hiked through hillside villages with my Sherpa guides.

I spent a month in Nepal and that wasn't enough. One day I plan to go back and explore more of this country. Doing this trip with GIVE really opened my eyes to the best type of travel, one that not only allows exploration of beautiful places, but connection with beautiful people.

Coming into this trip I felt I had a firm grasp on what I was going to experience - scenic nature, rewarding volunteer work, and many hours of personal reflection. Although I did experience these things (and many more), the true depth of these experiences far out weighted my expectations and any photo/video that Give Volunteers could post on their website.

I consider myself ambitious, but I was still quite nervous as this trip was going to be my first introduction to international travel. Of course, the great logistical work of the team in Nepal was relieving, but what truly made me feel comfortable halfway around the world was the people. Our lead guide Amy was the perfect leader to stimulate friendships among 17 strangers, yet her touch was slight as our relationships formed naturally. Not to spoil the ending, but these 17 strangers became some of my best friends following the trip and we have already planned some trips for the future.

If there was one thing I would urge you to do if you are nervous about taking the leap and signing up for a Give trip is to simply talk to a past volunteer or team member. The people affiliated with Give, myself included, are addicted to the organization and cannot stop talking and posting about how awesome their experiences have been with Give. As we concluded our Nepal trip and discussed the trip, there was one quote that consistently was spoken by my fellow volunteers: "this was my first trip, but definitely not my last".

But there are a ton of Give trips, WHY NEPAL you may ask, so let's dive into it. First off, Nepal was recently (2015) devastated by an earthquake, and you are first-hand bringing the community you are working in out of the depths of despair from this horrifying earthquake. To make matters worse, the Nepali government threatens to blacklist citizens who do not meet the deadline for rebuilding their home. Thus, you are essentially racing against the clock to save Nepali citizens from this horrifying notion of a blacklist. It's quite easy to see your progress physically, but what was much more impactful was when the chief of the village gave a speech thanking us volunteers and concluded with tears in his eyes. You are truly making a difference on this trip. Paired with rewarding volunteer work, the fun activities outside of the volunteering are amazing too. From exploring one of the largest caves in Asia to white water rafting, the activities are perfectly planned to not only showcase the beauty of Nepal but to also build the already strong friendships between the volunteers.

What I am trying to say is Nepal is so awesome!! I cannot recommend it enough for anyone who wants to make a difference, travel abroad, or find a new family in Give. I am confident in saying it is going to change your life in every way possible.