Sri Lanka Volunteer Programs from $27/day | Most Affordable & Trusted

My time in Sri Lanka far exceeded my expectations. Support from beginning to end was first class. I did a teaching program in Kandy, which was an amazing experience, very hard to put into words how this impacted me, but I left knowing that I had made a difference. I also participated in the turtle conservation program, a totally different experience but just as enjoyable. Accomodation , all the staff, food, airport pickups were fantastic.The connections I made with fellow volunteers from all around the world were incredible.

My volunteering experience in Sri Lanka with International Volunteer was truly one of the most rewarding and enriching experiences of my life. From the very first moment I expressed interest in the program, the organization supported me step by step until my departure, making the entire process smooth, clear, and stress-free.

The team was always available to answer my questions, provide guidance, and ensure that I felt fully prepared for my journey. Their professionalism, dedication, and genuine care gave me confidence and peace of mind throughout the whole preparation phase.

The teaching project I participated in was absolutely wonderful. It was an incredible opportunity to work with enthusiastic students, immerse myself in the local culture, and make a meaningful contribution to the community. Every day was filled with learning, personal growth, and unforgettable moments.

I am extremely grateful to International Volunteer for creating such a well-organized and impactful experience. I highly recommend this organization to anyone looking for a volunteer program abroad. Their support, commitment, and the quality of the projects they offer make them an outstanding choice for volunteers.

Thank you, International Volunteer, for helping me live such an amazing adventure and for making a real difference in the lives of others while also changing my own life for the better

I got to volunteer at the Kandy Hospital in Sri Lanka, and had a wonderful time meeting new people, as well learning about the hospital. Everyone was very nice, and were very welcoming. I got to observe both the general surgery department and the obstetrics department and there was so much to learn and see. The place where I was staying, everyone was also really nice, the place was clean, and the homemade food was really good. It was also really cool to meet so many people from different countries.

The volunteering experience overseas was unique and humbling. Language and Culture being different did not pose a barrier to the volunteering activities. It was amazing that volunteers from different countries with different training backgrounds could work together to utilize the collective expertise to support the cause and also learn from each other. The opportunity for the international volunteers to travel together, join the cultural activities, and enjoy the cuisine was an enjoyable experience.
It is great that the volunteers can choose from the different available options for volunteering activities. Being able to volunteer for a cause, and travel simultaneously was an awesome experience. Highly recommend embarking on this journey of volunteering to support a cause close to your heart and explore the world.

Ashlee was superhelpful - from the moment I made contact, my enquiries were always answered properly with knowledge and care.
The support materials and user-friendly website made the whole registration and pre travel prep really easy. I had all the information I needed to plan for the trip. Upon arrival in Sri Lanka there was the flexibility to try a couple of different programs which was great. All in all I found the whole process very streamlined and supportive and would happily recommend IVHQ to others.

I had the wonderful opportunity to explore a new country that has been on my bucket list and make a wonderful impact and learn in hospital in Sri Lanka. I learned from many good doctors and made new friends both inside and outside the hospital. I was accomdated for amazingly in the volunteer house where they made you feel like family. We started with a day where they showed us around the city and it was a wonderful introduction to the city as i was worried we might be tight on time the following days.

The intro week was top notch for me and my family with 4 kids. We learned a tremendous amount about the country and customs. We were safe, comfortable, treated with respect and well informed. The volunteer week had equally kind, helpful hosts that treated us like family. Getting there was foolproof, and the experience was incredible. This was our 2nd trip and next Christmas we are going to Vietnam with IVHQ! To be able to give back in the world when we have been blessed with so much is such an important opportunity for all of us but especially the children. My kids were 9, 11, 16 and 17 at the time of travel. I wouldn't trade the chance to eat, sleep and live authentically in another culture for anything. We saw peacocks, monkeys, elephants and so much more.

This was the first time I had made a trip to volunteer for IVHQ and I chose Sri Lanka a tropical island country in the Indian Ocean next to India. I arrived in Colombo and was soon met by a smiling driver who collected two other volunteers as we drove through the tropical heartland to Kandy the cultural capital of Sri Lanka. We were soon met there by our friendly host and shown our rooms and dinner was served. The next day was orientation day where everything was fully explained and the requirements that we should meet were outplayed. The next day we had a cultural tour of Kandy. First we went to an Ayurvedic Clinic and were shown around the garden all the lovely specimens of plants where the herbal concoctions came from. Then given a chance to purchase local Ayurvedic medicines.we then were driven to a local tea producing factory and given a tour of how tea is produced.The next day it was explained to us that there were volunteers required in the coastal town of Hikkaduwa and four of us volunteer to do our time there so we drove four to Hikkaduwa where our volunteering started. I had a lovely large room with a very comfortable bed and of course ceiling fan for those warm nights. The next day we crossed the railway line and started our three week journey with 4 and 6 year olds. Every morning we would roll up and spent the morning with the children. First there was always traditional songs the children would sing and then the National Anthem and then my colleague and I would perform some dance actions to songs and the children would follow. Then the class would start and most days we would spend the mornings making craft items from recycled materials like bottles, ice cream sticks and CDS . There were lessons in numbers and basic English as well. Towards the end of the time it was Paya Day or Full Moon Day in Sri Lanka and we had an afternoon session of singing and dancing and story telling followed by a dinner of Barbecued corn potatoes and rice. We had a wonderful torchlight session where the children waved their torches in the darkness and at the end each child was given a gift in a small brown paper bag and finally fireworks ended the night. The next day was a rest day so I caught a Tuk Tuk to the town of Galle just 30 min away and had a lovely time at the Fort which was built in the 1500s by Portuguese and Dutch and I met quite a few locals as well before heading back. So everyday was full of morning classes followed by a wonderful lunch and then a free afternoon where I spent mostly in the pool at a hotel overlooking the beach which faced the sun setting over the Indian Ocean. After my swim I stopped off for a wonderful coffee made by an elderly couple at the local store and we would chat for an hour or so. Then it was the evening meal again cooked by our lovely husband and wife team. So the days melted into weeks and we had two beautiful trips away organised by our team leader. One weekend was to Yala a National Park with all the wild animals and then to Marissa a seaside town. The next weekend I went by Tuk Tuk to a coastal town to swim with the turtles that come close to the beach. A truly wonderful experience and I stayed overnight and the ocean swim in the late evening was truly therapeutic. At the end of my three weeks it was organised for me to stay four days at Ella high up in the mountains with gorgeous views and a nice day trip to two Buddhist temples one a very ancient one with a carving in the cliff and the other temple on a very high mountain newly built with golden statues of a sitting Buddha surrounding the inside of the temple. Truly beautiful. So that was my stay in Sri Lanka and I would strongly recommend it to anyone interested as you are well looked after and catered for . It is a great way to experience another culture.