Beautiful Buddhism, soak up the happiness and embrace a vibrant culture leaving you wanting to stay longer!

Ratings
Overall
5
Impact: 5
Support: 5
Fun: 5
Value: 5
Safety: 5
Review

Step into another world and experience a completely new culture and you'll learn so much more about yourself that you probably thought you never would... Yet you are just in another country, with the most welcoming and kind hearted people who want to joke around and laugh with you, but most importantly they want to share their experiences with you and get to know you. But don't forget you're there to volunteer and teach! Teaching English to Novice Buddhist Monks in Luang Prabang, Laos in 2017 was my 3rd time volunteering abroad and of my international experiences the one I’ve taken the most away from. From start to finish the whole GVI team were there to assist in every way possible. Settling in during the first day was easy, everyone was so happy to be there and willing to jump right in and start planning for the weeks to come. The GVI team assist with everything for the lesson planning and organising so all the volunteers feel confident to begin class the following days. The journey to the temple on day one was full of excitement and the moment you see the Novice Monks dressed traditionally the eyes light up around the bus, I distinctly remember this day when the Novices ran over and wanted to know all about us, our names and where we were from etc. A typical day after classes at the temple led us to the library in the township where we would teach smaller classes of teenage Novice Monks, these smiling Novices were a barrel of laughs and were so much fun to teach! The evening was for classes at the Mekong English Centre, not just teaching Novice Monks but also local students wishing to learn English too. The whole experience from arrival to leaving Laos was incredible and I would go back any day. Next stop volunteering with GVI in Nepal!

Would you recommend this program?
Yes, I would
Year Completed
2017
Media
Photos