great experience! it was my first time with IVHQ and not the last one! I recommand! All was nice, people, mission, house center, food, accomodations.. very very beautiful trip! ❤️

I was solo traveller and it was very safe. I met couples, friends.. all’s in safety, mission vas interesting, I had free time during afternoon, we could do what we want, solo or with people. There was taxi, or accomodations to go until city, there was variety of local food, IVHQ team was very available, nice. Not the last experience for me!

Life changing experience, honored and truly gratifying for the experience, nothing in my life apart from my children and grandchildren exceeds this beautiful experience.

Our loving and supporting team enjoyed all aspects of the program, meeting people from different countries and cultures will be remembered by me and my family for the rest of my life.

Life time memories forever.

Beautiful hardworking Thai people opened my eyes and appreciating what we have here in New Zealand.

Absolute joy

Meaningful program - we got to teach at different schools daily. We also received a translator in the classroom and co-taught each class among 3 volunteers.

Supportive coordinators from the local team (The Green Lion) - activities such as cooking class, Thai language class, visiting Hua Hin Market Village and checking out the night markets were organized weekly. There are also coordinators on site to assist with any issues.

Amazing food - a wide range of food choices that differs on a daily basis. Any specific dietary requirements were also considered.

Highly recommend!

It wasn't my first experience on a volunteering trip, and it certainly wouldn't be my last. I thought I was prepared for what was to come based on past experiences but my time at Hua Hin proved to be a whole new adventure - in the best way...

I embarked on this project as a trial as I was considering a career switch in teaching English. The experience I gained and the lessons I learned were priceless! Through this project, I am now more assured than ever that this is the right step for me. This wasn't just a break from the mundane back home, this was an important step for my growth.

Additionally, I never expected to form such strong bonds and attachments to the beautiful volunteers I met during my 2 weeks in Hua Hin. We may have parted ways for now but I believe for some, we will meet again in the near future.

I highly recommend anyone considering this project. It will not always be easy but I promise you, it will be worth it.

It was one of the most amazing things I have ever done. The teaching, the meeting new people, the culture, ... everything was great. I would definitely do it again.

I went to Thailand alone as an 18-year-old. I was looking forward to it immensely. When I finally arrived, there were almost no volunteers. Of course, it was already super late and I went straight to sleep. The next day was actually the "official arrival day" and there were so many new people. I was really relieved because there were so many different nationalities. This is where everything started.

As part of my project, and unique to date with IVHQ, I get the option for a 24 hour homestay visit over the weekend and take it along with fellow teaching volunteer, John! Aaron goes into Chiang Rai for evening overnight in hotel. This is an opportunity to see local culture up close and personal, and the best, I soon observe, is it's totally unfiltered. The family we are placed with, just go about doing their thing. No frills, no acting for tourists. We are just two more mouths to feed.

I'm shown my mattress on the floor and will share a room with the gals of the house. John gets his own room. Perhaps the most interesting, is his reaction. As an urban Chinese kid, he's never been to a village like this and asks me "what is a homestay" followed by, once he sees his room and the kitchen, "when do we leave"? Fortunately, I downloaded Google translate - Thai - to use off line and get to chat with the ladies in the kitchen. Food is fantastic. They have everything they need and yet, it's so simple. Actually, elegant in a way..... Rooster 🐓 hourly wake up every hour after midnight is another story!?!?! In case you are wondering, no stove, toilet, shower except what you see in pic, but yes, internet and electricity!

The following day, a guide meets us for a bamboo forest hike to waterfalls, followed by a BBQ lunch all made from or cooked in bamboo! I take my annual birthday waterfall plunge while John marvels at his ability to hike (says he's not in shape) and our guide's skill cooking with bamboo. He no longer is asking when he can leave, but how long can we stay! Great to share 👍

My experience in The Mirror was amazing. I got much more than I was expecting.
I decided to join this adventure 3 weeks before it started, so I didn’t have much time to organize my own trip. So, I decided to look for a platform that could help me be more efficient with my time. A friend of mine told me about IVHQ and how easy was to volunteer with them, because they provide almost all the information you need to just GO.
I never traveled alone, so I was looking for a safe country that could give me something new. I read a lot about the culture of Asian countries and, as my first time in Asia, I choose Thailand because it is safe, cheap and is so beautiful.
I followed all the steps in IVHQ training guide and I’m glad I did it because I felt that I was well prepared to participate in the program. I didn’t feel that anything was missing, and I didn’t bring unnecessary things. I had the help I needed before going and after being there.
When I arrived, there were some intern volunteer girls waiting for me. They welcomed me like I was family. The girls (that’s what I called them at the beginning… at the end they were “My Girls, My Daughters, My Friends”) were so excited to meet the new volunteers that they were giggling and jumping around like they knew me. I absorbed they excitement with joy. It was so good to feel welcome.
Two other volunteers came to The Mirror Foundation with me and everyone received us very well. They show us around and accommodate us. At night the intern volunteers made a big fire and we had a chance to get to know each other better.
On next day we met all the coordinators and we had the welcome session, explaining all of The Mirror’s work to the community and sensitizing us for the importance of our work.
In Outdoor program we learned about cleaning, construction, agriculture, gardening, landscaping, painting, repair and maintenance of buildings, construction and repair of roads. But it was not extensive because in such a short time they used the “Learning by doing” technique.
But our coordinators gave us the most important lesson of all, that it’s how important volunteering is, and they did such a good job mentoring us. They create such a good bond with the volunteers that we really made the effort to not disappointing them. Their knowledge of the tasks, their explanation of the purpose of the job and their awareness of our abilities, transmitted us confidence, commitment and gratitude for doing them. Best of all was their sense of humor, I laughed so much during the work hours, that time just passed by flying.
I felt that I learned and really enjoyed myself during all volunteering program. Three weeks was too short and if I knew that I would try to stay longer.
I will never forget this experience.

I did my volunteering in Thailand - Hua Hin, Hill Tribe Support. It was a great experience teaching kids English, and learning Thai from them at the same time. I enjoyed how to program is designed for many other things (i.e. hiking activities, going to the local market), and not only teaching. It was a very enjoyable experience getting to know other volunteers from around the world and getting to learn tons of the things about Thai culture, and Karen tribe culture as well. It was my first time volunteering abroad and it is definitely not the last.