International Student Volunteers

In January 2012 I travelled with International Student Volunteer to South Africa to be involved in a 2 week conservation volunteer project followed by a 2 week adventure tour around South Africa. I’ve always been very passionate about animals and working with them (as I am a vet student) and ISV the perfect opportunity for this. For our project we were working and living in Lapalala Game Reserve, an environment fill with wild exotic animals such as zebra, wilder beast, giraffes, rhino, leopards and impala just to name a few. Our mission was to carry out field work in the reserve, which the reserve’s scientists could then use to assess whether elephants and lions could be re-introduced into the area. Working amongst these animals and seeing them wild in their natural environment was truly amazing and an experience I will never forget. Knowing that wild rhinos walked around the camp at night and coming out of your cabin in the morning to see a family of warthogs at your door was surreal. We also had the experience to meet the critically endangered black rhinos that were to be released in the park, it was spectacular. This volunteer work left me with such a feeling of pride and accomplishment and further sparked my passion for wildlife. ISV projects were amazing as I could have confidence that the volunteer projects were sustainable and of great importance to South Africa. Not only did the experience benefit South Africa’s conservation programs but also changed my life and perspective of the world. I loved this project so much that I didn’t want to leave!! Then however we were off on our 2 week adventure tour of South Africa!!!! This was another truly unforgettable experience and we were lucky enough to do activities such as kloofing in the middle of the largest green canyon in the world, a night drive in Kruger National Park where we came face to face with wild lions, tree-top canopy tours in famous yellow-wood forests and dolphin and fur-seal watching. My favourite day however was when we got to abseil of Table Mountain in Cape Town!!! Crazy experience. I met the most amazing people on my trip who I will keep as lifetime friends. This was the most amazing experience of my life and it has truly changed me forever.

I travelled to Australia this year and had the best month of my life. I got to volunteer in Walkabout Wildlife Park when I got to built a new pond for the dingoes and got up close and personal with wallabees, kangaroos and koalas. The adventure tour was incredible! We go to go white water rafting, snorkelling at the Great Barrier Reef, abseiling in the Blue Mountains and sea kayaking with the dolphins. And to top it all off I've made some friends for life while doing it.

On January 19 2013, I travelled with International Student Volunteers to South Africa for what was undoubtedly the most amazing, rewarding month of my life! I chose to undertake a conservation project - I worked with 19 other students, 2 amazing ISV leaders and 3 incredible members of the host organisation WEI (Wildlife Ecological Investments) at Masebe Nature Reserve. Here, we stayed at the local 'Telekishi' community in traditional huts. During the morning, we would wake up nice and early to do bird counts out in the field (by the end of the two weeks we were all expert bird spotters, and could even mimic some of the native bird calls!). After the bird counts, we conducted transects - we essentially measured the vegetation to help WEI identify if the land is suitable for use as a game park again. Driving to each site we saw an array of animals including kudu, impala and giraffes! We went for hikes up the nearby cliffs for spectacular views of the area whilst learning about the history of the area by a member of the Telekishi community. Additionally, we visited the local school – this was so much fun, and incredibly rewarding! We taught the children about the water cycle, and the importance of keeping our waterways clean and unpolluted! Also, we were involved in meetings with adult community members that taught them the importance of caring for the environment. After two weeks of volunteering, we had to say goodbye to Teleskishi :( - and hello to the adventure tour! We started off in Jeffrey’s Bay, Port Elizabeth - here, we stayed in awesome beachfront accommodation! This place had a really cool vibe about it; here we had surfing lessons and explored the surf shops. Then we headed to Tsitsikamma National park, where we went ziplining, hiked along the coast to a brilliant open waterfall, and those of us who were keen bungy jumped off Bloukrans Bridge (216m high - the worlds highest bungy jump – this was amazing!). 
 Then we headed along the spectacular garden route to Cape Town. Here, we spent 5 days doing activities such as going up table mountain, visiting Langa township, visiting the local markets, going to a 25m long buffet with African entertainment and face-painting, visiting seal and penguin colonies, and on our free day some of us went shark cage diving! Then we flew up to Johannesburg and drove to Blyde River Canyon; just after we unpacked, we walked outside our accommodation to find kudu walking around, and then sat and watched monkeys playing as the sun went down! Here we went canyoning in the worlds largest green canyon, went river tubing, and relaxed in the pool in our free time. Our last stop was the amazing Kruger National Park – we went on a night drive and a full day game drive – on both occasions we saw animals such as giraffes, elephants, buffalo, jackals, lions and zebra, among others! The worst part of the trip was coming home – I’ll definitely be visiting South Africa again!

This was a totally awesome experience. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to do something that no tourist will probably ever do. Go for it. You will have the time of your life!

I've learned more through my experience here than I could in 4 years of college! The most incredible experience of my lifetime! I enjoyed being able to be part of the family and learn about the culture. I loved being rewarded after hard work with the Adventure Tour and seeing the many wonders of Costa Rica, I definitely will do it again.

ISV really opened up my eyes to the world outside of my own. In January 2012 I headed off to Africa with ISV. I got to really experience not only the culture of Africa but also really understand the hardship that the people there go through. It was so rewarding to give back to such an amazing community and see how appreciative the people were of our hard work. I now appreciate my home country and everything I have so much more. Another positive that came out of ISV was that I was always too scared to travel to Africa by myself and none of my friends wanted to come with me. When I heard of ISV, I thought it would be an easy and safe way to travel. Turns out, I was 100% correct. In fact, so correct, that I extended my trip another 4 weeks and continued to travel around Africa by myself. If it weren't for ISV, I probably never would have ended up going to Africa. The ISV staff really looked after us and made me feel safe the whole time. There was not one moment in the 4 week ISV program that I felt unsafe or in trouble. I would definitely do another trip with ISV and recommend ISV to everyone as you get to have the best adventures, make some awesome new friends from all over the world and also make a difference in the world, even if it may only be a small contribution - every little bit of help counts. ISV is the best thing I've ever done out of all of my travels.

International Student Volunteers offers the opportunity to volunteer on a range of different projects focused on grassroots community development and conservation initiatives around the world. I have always wanted to volunteer abroad and when I was given the opportunity to participate in a unique volunteer program half-way across the world with ISV I knew that I was in for the ultimate once in a life-time experience. Comparatively, I have been fortunate enough to live a reasonable lifestyle, joining ISV to volunteer in Costa Rica seemed like the perfect opportunity to not only give back. I was in Costa Rica for a total of two months and worked on two different volunteer projects - Proyecto Carey (conservation) and Caza Al Revez (community) and this is my story. During our first week in Costa Rica, we were housed within local host families and attended school where we were to learn some basic Spanish before being released into the volunteer communities. During my first week in Heredia I found myself immersed in the Costa Rican culture, I ate like a local, explored like a local and tried to speak like one with the little spanish I had learnt from friends and hearing Dora in the background around home. Our initial week was packed with lots of fun activities that included samba and cooking lessons, excursions around the capital and of course local 'tico' lessons from guides in the area. The wider ISV group consisted of around 30 - 40 volunteers and the volunteer subgroups had approximately 10 people per project. The volunteer groups I was part of were very outgoing and like-minded people having come from different countries attitudes, backgrounds, cultures and beliefs, despite that it was clear from the outset that we had all come together for a common cause: wanting to impact the world we live in. After our first week we had all become very close and were prepared to set off on our new journey to the volunteer projects in the selected communities. My first project led me to the doorstep of Casa Al Revez in the small rural town of Copey De Dota 1600 metres above sea-level amongst the mountains and forest. When we arrived we were introduced to our new host family, the project, had an orientation and quickly settled in before exploring the surrounding areas. We were all very excited about the project and keen to get straight in. During the project we worked alongside community leaders and local organisations which focus on creating sustainable initiatives to improve education, income and community living standards. Our main tasks involved working with children trying to develop sustainable ways of living in rural communities using a variety of art programs that are fun, creative and educational. We were able to combine theatre, art and environmental conservation concerns to create workshops, performances and expositions using mostly recycled or reusable materials. Through the use of human expression in almost any art form as a tool for social function we worked towards improving the quality of life, experiences, and freedom of expression for those children whom we had contact with. The biggest challenge we had was communicating with the children but we quickly learnt that through enthusiasm, a positive attitude and high energy it could easily be achieved. The project allowed me to invest in assisting communities in need while gaining a broader awareness of environmental concerns and other cultures while furthering my leadership skills. I was also able to learn about how creative approaches can be used to solve common problems presented in small communities, such as those that were present in Copey that included environmental degradation, human development and loss of family values. Promoting interactions between people from different countries allowed everyone to see that art is more than entertainment and that it has the ability to bring people together to raise awareness on important topics, like rural sustainable tourism, human development and environment. While on project as a group we were able to achieve the following: - paint murals at Rio Blanco school - present plays at the local schools - set up a eco-rally - paint informative signs for the community - raise environmental awareness to children in fun interact ways - build a bio-garden - organise a 4-day kids camp on sustainability - foster sustainable tourism opportunities as a source of income - Total hours worked 560 As the project came to an end I found I had developed strong connections with my host family, the community and especially the children we worked with. We achieved a lot in the small amount of time that we were in Copey and we all felt part of the community the hardest thing for us was definitely having to leave the project and our new family behind. The second project I participated in was based south west of Costa Rica on the beachside of Las Caletas on the Osa Peninsula. This project focused on research and monitoring of ecological processes involving various native animals and tree species over a long-term. Our task was to assist in locating, monitoring and recording feeding behaviours of frugivores such as toucans, monkeys, macaws and other species. Other tasks included constructing and monitoring seed traps, mapping and sampling two species of nutmeg tree seedling in old growth rainforest, and data entry. We lived in a very small community that consisted of six houses all owned by members of the one family that lived there. The host families were amazing they made us feel like we were part of the family, we shared christmas, new years and birthdays together, memories I will cherish for the rest of my life. The area where they lived was absolute paradise, the lifestyle they lived was carefree and inspiring as family and the environment is what matters. Our work would usually start at 6am and end around 1pm and consisted of hikes, setting canopy traps, collecting seeds, data entry and group discussions. Afternoon activities included beach sweeps, planting trees, discussions and free-time at the beach. During the project I learnt about the meaning and value of sustainability within the context of economy, society and environment. I also learnt a lot about biodiversity, indicators of ecosystem health, and ecology and population dynamics of forest wildlife and conservation efforts. I was trained on tree productive ecology and seed dispersal by various animal species, data collection techniques for conducting research on ecology, behaviour and interactions with plants, and how to link that knowledge to address human disturbance in forest ecosystems, including management and conservation efforts. The project is something that hasn't been studied before and once completed it will ultimately be presented to many different governing bodies to promote the preservation of rain forests and has the potential to inform environmental policies around the world. While on project as a group we were able to achieve the following: - Hikes = 27kms, 54 hours - Cachimbos (fruit seed collection) = 244 plots, 81 hours, 1362 fruit - Canopy traps = 22 traps, 54 hours - Beach bottle collection = 30kgs, 14 hours - Ecobricks = 10 bricks, 10 hours, 20kg plastic - Filled bags of soil = 258bags - Seed collection = 417, 28 hours - Data Entry = 592 lines, 6 hours - Total hours worked 322 Endangered animals we saw: - Grison (callictis Uttata) - Macaw (Ara Macao) - Spider Monkey (Ateles geottroyi) - Tinamou (Tinamor Major) - Crested Guan (Penelope Pupuracea) - Pavon Curasow (Crax Rubra) After the volunteer projects we ventured off on an all inclusive adventure tour which topped all the hard work off. We spent two weeks discovering the wonders of Costa Rica which proved to be amazing, we really uncovered all the riches the country had to offer. In just a fortnight we were able to cover the whole country and enjoy fun-filled activities that was suited for anyone from extreme adrenaline junkies to bubbled kids. Throughout the whole program we stayed with the most generous host families. Whilst these people didn't have much, they welcomed us into their homes and their families and the generosity and care that they showed us is something that I will never forget. The connections, relationships, friends and families I have made during this journey are lifelong, not only did we work together and support each other to achieve more than we could have ever expected but together we shared laughs, tears and an experience that could never be forgotten. 
Of course there were times that were hard. The language barrier was at times frustrating, the different lifestyle, funding the trip, food and culture all pushed our comfort zones, but the support received throughout the whole process made it that much more manageable. The ISV projects have definitely changed the way I see the world and my attitudes and beliefs about living in a sustainable manner, I now think about the impacts we as individuals have on the environment and try to minimise my foot print. For me it doesn't end here, I must take what I have learnt and share it with others, whether it be through Facebook, blogs, chatting to friends and family, presenting at forums or even lobby government, for me theres lots that can be done. I would like to thank everyone who was involved in supporting me through this journey my family, friends, ISV and The University of Auckland.

I'm currently sitting at the airport having arrived back from South Africa and honestly I already miss it. Going on the Masebe conservative project was one of the moztamazing experiences of my entire life; never before have I felt before the kind of passion and dedication that I have witnessed on project and on tour. Meeting all these new like mindedpeople and sharing such an incredible four weeks with them was just amazing and if your the kind of person who likes getting involved and getting your hands dirty, then you should definitely check out the ISV site and pick a programme thats right for you. Get out there, experience the world at its finest and go home knowing that not only have you had an awesome time but you've made a difference to the world around you!

My trip to South Africa was the most eye opening and heart warming thing I have ever done! The things I experienced and the things that I saw while I was there will live within my memory and my heart forever! I would highly recommend travelling to study, volunteer and adventure to anyone and everyone. Trust me if I can do it any one can! All you have to do is dream and believe! Hands down the best thing I have ever done and I will definitely be doing it again soon.

ISV’s motto is ‘Impact you world’ and they offer students the chance to make difference in developing countries. The truth is though, if one participates in any of the ISV programs then chances are the culture that you immerse yourself in will have a greater impact on your personality than you could ever imagine. I participated in their 2013 summer season on a 4 week program in South Africa focussing on projects based on community development and it was genuinely a life changing experience. A group of 14 volunteers worked in the township of Dunoon, approximately half an hour out of Cape Town, where our goal was to build a shade roof outside the community centre. The community centre runs a crèche for the young children as well as a communal gathering area and so the shade cloth was to give them a place to shelter whenever the sun if it got too hot. Priscilla, a local woman took it upon herself to run her own crèche about 10 minutes away from the town centre and here we worked putting up a new fence to keep the kids safe instead of the patchwork of rotting wood palings, torn tarpaulin that was being held together by a countless amount of bent, rusty nails. The work was gruelling at times but we encouraged each other to keep at it and whenever you put the tools down there would always be kids that would throw themselves at you to be carried, take photos with or just to kick a ball around. By the end of our 2 weeks we had achieved all we set out to do and had a little party with the kids. Seeing their joy and knowing this was the last time you’d rub thumbs and say ‘sharp! Sharp!’ was bittersweet to appreciate the simple joys of life was one of the greatest lessons that the people of Dunoon could have taught me. The next 2 weeks consisted of a tour of South Africa which saw us travel from Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and finishing in Kruger national Park. It was a whirlwind tour that saw friendships develop whilst doing a variety of activities such as kloofing (canyoning), abseiling, learning how to surf in Jeffrey’s Bay and encouraging others to face their fear of heights at Bloukrans Bridge Bungy; the world’s Highest bridge bungy. Now to truly make this a South African tour we were taken on safari drives one in the evening and a full day drive in Kruger National park where we saw zebras, lions, rhinos and elephants however the leopard stayed true to its character and remained elusive as ever, which really isn’t a bad thing as it gives me more incentive to go back to such a wonderfully diverse country. From the leaders they have on project and tour to the way they shape the program what ISV ultimately does is reward students who participate with irreplaceable memories and new friendships and return home with a greater perspective on life and their impact on their world. For more information check out the website http://www.isvolunteers.org/

Last Wednesday I got back from my trip to Costa Rica and it wasn't until my last Saturday there, when I was in Samara, that I actually felt like coming home. Up until then I wanted to stay because I absolutely loved it there and didn't want to leave. Particularly the people and the town I did my project in, San Pedro. It was through ISV that I had the opportunity to go, have the time of my life and meet some amazing people. During my project, my group and I were in San Pedro working to help the community by building an eco house for their coffee season so that they could store their materials and tools for when they were planting coffee plants and we were also making eco bricks to make a small bridge for the community to use. During the two weeks we were there, not only did we become close as a group and become friends but we also became quite close with our host families and really come to feel at home there and like we were part of the community. And it is just an amazing feeling knowing that my group and I helped build something that the community needed and will be there for a while. The town and the people who live there were so wonderful in welcoming us and making us feel at home that towards the end of our project, when we were driving back into town the day after our second day off it felt like we were coming back home from a camping trip or something—we really felt like we were at home there. After the project, we rejoined a lot of the people who also went to Costa Rica and went on a two week adventure tour around Costa Rica and again had an amazing time. I met new people and formed new/more friendships with them and had a great time travelling around visiting new towns, staying in beautiful hotels- some of which were surrounded by equally beautiful scenery and natural surroundings- and the activities were so much fun- I honestly don’t know if I would have considered zip lining if I hadn’t gone to Costa Rica but it was honestly my favourite thing that we did there. Being able to have this experience was amazing! I had the best time and it was honestly the best experience I have ever had. I learned a lot- not only about the environment and being more conscious of how I use things back home- but also about myself and different living is over there and how easy it is over here. Coming home to Australia and not waking up in Costa Rica and seeing all the friends that I made there everyday seemed like a strange idea at first and unreal the night before we flew out of Costa Rica and it slowly got more real as we all started going our separate ways- whether we were going back to Australia or New Zealand or whether we were going travelling somewhere else- the things we did and saw and the friends we made, made that more special because no one else will know what it was like for us or know how much fun we had. I am honestly looking forward to going back one day.

Thailand being my second trip travelling with ISV, I had high expectations. Could anything top a month travelling in Swaziland and South Africa? I realised as soon as we arrived at the Elephant Nature Park, Chiang Mai that this was something completely different and I couldn't even begin to compare the two experiences because they were both so different and amazing in their own ways. Two years after my first trip, I still have ties with the people I travelled with, despite being from all over Australia. This time around I had the pleasure of joining a specialised volunteer project for pre-vet students, working with shelter dogs and rescued elephants, so when I get back to uni I get to see everyone again! Our volunteer project was amazing, I still can't believe that for two weeks I could just go a few metres and be standing next to one of the biggest and most incredible creatures in the world, and not only that but I was able to assist vets in doing treatments on these elephants- eye medication and treating landmine wounds. Absolutely surreal. This trip definately met my expectations and then some!

South Africa. After two weeks in its rugged and beautiful wilderness, followed by another two weeks of touring its bounty of adventure spots and natural wonders, I have never been so grateful for any month of my life. Years before I signed up for this trip, I knew that I wanted to go to Africa. I have some family heritage there, I’ve always been fascinated by the various cultures and I have immense passion for the natural world and I knew that Africa was an unparalleled hub for natural beauty. When the opportunity to travel with ISV came up, I was a little apprehensive. Did I really want to go for a whole month? And with a bunch of complete strangers? My excitement trumped my doubt, and I have never been so thankful for it. If my journey had been any shorter than a month, I would’ve blinked and missed all the opportunities that unfolded before me, I wouldn’t have got to know the people around me as a new circle of friends to share this life-changing experience with and, most importantly, my adventure would have ended before I knew it had even started. I volunteered in conservation, analysing vegetation in a nature reserve in South Africa’s north-eastern region – and plants weren’t all that we saw – the animals were the purpose behind our work, and the animals, ranging from monkeys to antelope to giraffes, were curious to see what we were up to as well. In that first fortnight, I learnt so much about the local culture, animals, plant life and history. At the same time, I got to know the people that surrounded me – volunteers, staff and locals alike – we all had a lot to learn from each other and our various walks of life. But the South African experience, for most of us, was far from over. The next two weeks were about adventure, fun times and pushing our limits with our newfound friends. From Kruger to Jeffrey’s Bay, Tsitsikamma to Cape Town and everywhere in between, we had a phenomenal journey set out for us. Kloofing, surfing, bungee-jumping, shark-diving and exotic dining wasn’t even half of what we got up to. I did far more than I had expected to do, and I know my African escapades are far from over.

My travels with ISV to South Africa has opened my eyes, my heart and my mind to a wider world. ISV gave me the opportunity to be apart of an Environmental Management program in Swaziland where i was in my ultimate. Following this was 2 very touristy weeks with a group of people who will now be life long friends!!! With ISV i learnt so much about the culture and way of life in Africa, which only intrigues me and makes me want to return. A huge thank you to my Project leader and my Tour leader for being so great and making my travels with ISV and my trip to South Africa such a memorable one. South Africa is a stunning country as is Africa a beautiful continent, and with so much to offer, it just grabs a hold of your heart and you know you’ll be back. If you a looking at traveling, meeting new people and making a difference in the world, ISV is the way to go.

In January 2013 I travelled to South Africa to do a combination of two weeks volunteer work followed by a two week adventure tour. Even just in paper this idea all sounded pretty cool, but it wasn't until I entered our Telekishi camp at Masebe that I truly realised what this first two weeks would entail and just how amazing it was going to be! Out of what I thought was my city living comfort zone I was about to spend two weeks living in mud and dung huts immersed in nothing but nature and all that included. In the space of this short two weeks we completed numerous bird counts, determined the changing biodiversity within Masebe Nature Reserve, as well as taught both adults and kids but most of all myself the importance of conservation and the environment. By the end of this two weeks any preconceived ideas were gone and all that was left was my decision that I would be happy to never leave this amazing place! At first I thought backing up this amazing first two weeks with equal fun wouldn't be possible, but welcome to the world of ISV, it is always possible. Between kloofing, surfing at Jeffrey's Bay, and shark cage diving, its fair to say there was never a dull moment. This one month trip was the most incredible month of my life, I met some amazing people and it opened my eyes to so much, so all I can say is thank you, thank you, thank you ISV!!

When I began to tell others that I was going to South Africa for volunteer work, the typical reaction was, ‘Be careful. It is a very dangerous place’. This led me to have some misgivings about my choice of OE. Yet, now I can safely say these fears were completely unfounded. My journey to South Africa was unforgettable with experiences that will be hard to match. The journey was organised by International Student Volunteers (ISV), a company that arranges trips, combing a period of volunteer work, followed by an adventure tours for students from all over the world. It offers a variety of choices for both parts of the journey, and for the part of the world. For me, the country, obviously, was South Africa and my area of interest was wildlife conservation. I took part in two weeks of volunteer work, at the Ann Van Dyke Cheetah Centre in Pretoria, followed by two weeks of travelling around South Africa. This journey interested me as I have always wanted to visit South Africa and because I love working with animals. I also felt it was a good opportunity to assess my career path as I am currently studying a Bachelor of Veterinary Technology. During my volunteer work I took part, along with a group of other students, from around the world, in feeding and interacting with the Cheetahs and the many other endangered animals that the Ann Van Dyke Centre cares for. These include cheetahs, African wild dogs, vultures and hyenas. The work was not demanding and we got to hang out with the Cheetahs up close. The workers were kind and made you feel right at home. It was amazing to feel calm sitting down next to a potential killer. We assisted in preparing some cubs for Miami and Canberra Zoo and clearing enclosures for new Cheetahs. Overall the experience was surreal. To be able to feed and be so close to so many animals, reinforced my choice of career path and stimulated a special interest for large animals. Following the volunteer work, my group and the other conservation groups with ISV came together for our South Africa Tour. On tour, we such a full schedule and went to so many places that we only had one free day to do as we pleased. We started at Kruger National Park, then to Port Elizabeth and finally Cape Town, travelling mainly by bus. It was so much fun travelling with all of these new people and seeing/doing so much; kloofing (hiking, caving and cliff-jumping), tubing, safaris, zip-lining, bungy jumping and surfing. It was wonderful. Throughout the month everything I did was a unique and memorable experience, but there were a few things that stood out. Firstly, having lunch in the enclosure with the two Canberra cubs, that sat and purred while we ate. Another moment would have to be bungy jumping from 216m (the worlds highest bridge bungy). Then lastly, seeing all of the incredible animals; from a cute spider monkey to the massive endangered Black Rhino. I took nearly 2000 photos and I am struggling to decide which ones to select for my album. The sky there everyday was blue and full of sunshine and I’ve made friends I will never forget. My journey to South Africa has left me far more knowledgeable about the country and its struggles. Africa has got under my skin and I want to return to work with more of our endangered animals. Thank you ISV and I will return!

In June 2012 I went to Costa Rica for 5 weeks with International Student Volunteers. I decided to travel with ISV because I didn't want to just see the sights, I didn't want to just be a tourist. I wanted to live there, volunteer in the community, learn and speak the language, all while doing more than a tourist does, not just seeing the sights but skydiving off them, walking through the waterfalls, kayaking to a private island, and much more. My 5 weeks started in a town called Heredia, I took classes at the local english to spanish university for a week. With 30 other ISV students we were broken up into classes with 5 students and 1 teacher based on the spanish we know. I lived in the town there with a host family closely living to the other students walking everywhere. My second and third weeks were spent with my group of 12 people up in the highest altitude in Costa Rica living in the cloud forrest atop the mountains. The first of my two weeks there were spent making an environmentally friendly manure for the farmers there who grow coffee plants. This was a very small community with less than 100 people and almost everyone was a cousin of someone else. One rural dirt road ran through several mountains and connected the town, the school, and all of the houses spread out through miles. Also during the first week we worked on five different farms throughout their small community. The second week was spent working on the dirt road pouring concreate from where the previous groups have ended and we continued. All of this was done while each of us lived in different homes, all virtually neighbors. I lived with the nicest old couple in a nice home on a farm with hens, horses, dogs, cows, etc. He was also known for being the oldest, nicest, man in the town and during the time I spent their I threw a surprise party for my couple when I found out about their 30th wedding anniversary. They told me thank you, but in their culture 30 isn't big and I needed to come back in 10 years for the 40th when the entire town will be partying. Sadly I had to leave my little home in Costa Rica, as the 12 of us headed back crying on the bus. When we got back to Heredia we met up with the other 5 volunteer projects and all 60 of us were divided in half for our adventure tour. After all going out for a fun night together we left the next morning headed out on reverse trips one started at the end and one at the beginning, sadly not meeting half way. The adventure tour was an amazing time filled with some of the best things I have ever done. Surf lessons, kayaking, massage on the beach, horseback ridding, climbing waterfalls, sea tubing, white water rafting, mud spas, and much more. It was the best 5 weeks of my life and this summer, I am going to Australia. I would recommend ISV to anyone who wants to go to Australia, South Africa, Thailand, New Zealand, Dominican Republic or of course, my Costa Rica.

I travelled with ISV this year during my summer break. I went expecting some volunteering and cool activities. I got the trip of a lifetime. We volunteered doing meaningful work planting trees, making artificial nests for native birds, and removing invasive plants. Our adventure tour included absolutely incredible activities including buggy jumping, sorbing, white water rafting, cave exploring, glacier hiking, and kayaking. I was absolutely blown away by this organization and would recommend them to anyone wanting to go on a trip thats safe, fun, and out of the ordinary for most tourists!

I travelled with ISV this year during my summer break. I went expecting some volunteering and cool activities. I got the trip of a lifetime. We volunteered doing meaningful work planting trees, making artificial nests for native birds, and removing invasive plants. Our adventure tour included absolutely incredible activities including buggy jumping, sorbing, white water rafting, cave exploring, glacier hiking, and kayaking. I was absolutely blown away by this organization and would recommend them to anyone wanting to go on a trip thats safe, fun, and out of the ordinary for most tourists!

I was a little worried when I signed up with ISV. Yet while planning my trip, they proved to be very responsive and helpful. I went to New Zealand on the 4 week program which includes 2 weeks of volunteering and 2 weeks of their adventure program. The first 2 weeks of volunteering were amazing. I met a bunch of other volunteers from across North America and now they are my best friends. The work was valuable and taught us about the environment, and the volunteer leaders were incredibly nice, helpful, and fun. The next two weeks of the adventure program blew my mind. In 14 days I met many other volunteers from New Zealand, glacier hiked, white water rafted, explored glow worm caves, went star gazing, bungy jumping, and countless other activities. This was the coolest trip I have ever been on in my life. I am definitely signing up with them again!

I travelled with ISV this summer and I have never been on a more lifechanging, breath-taking, amazing, trip in my life. Our volunteer project involved planting native trees and making artificial nests on the island where we stayed and removing invasive plants. The work we did made me feel like I really was making an impact on the environment there in a positive way. The people I volunteered with became my best friends and our volunteer leaders were fun, safe, and knowledgable. After volunteering, I got to go on a 2-week adventure tour where I met other volunteers from projects across New Zealand, bungy jumped, explored UNESCO World Heritage sites, kayaked, glacier-hiked, explored glow worm caves, and went white water rafting over amazing waterfalls. This was literally the most fun I have had in my entire life, I could not recommend this program more.

The ISV trip to South Africa in Feb of 2012 was one of the most fantastic trips I have ever been on. Each day brought a host of new exciting experiences and the work on the first two weeks of the tour was both extremely rewarding and interesting. My group and I (about 15 all up, comprised of people 18-22 years of age) conducted habitat assessments at Lapalala nature reserve in the Limpopo province in South Africa. We were doing these assessments to ascertain whether the reserve could once again sustain populations of lions and elephants, after they had been hunted from the park earlier in the 20th century. The work was very rewarding, and the days in the field gave me the opportunity to see some of Africa's most amazing wildlife, such as leopards, giraffe's and hippo's. The adventure tour after our volunteer work took us from Kruger national park in the northeast of the country (where record rainfall kept us in the park for almost 24 hours!) all down the eastern coast, finally ending up in Capetown. Along the way we were able to participate in amazing activities such as bungy jumping, zip-lining, shark cage diving and surfing, as well as a number of activities that could not be achieved in any other country. We were also exposed to a more, grass roots level of the African culture, gaining more appreciation of South African society than you would get in similar tours by other companies My volunteer work in South Africa was an irreplaceable trip, one where I made friends that I am still in regular contact with today, accomplished a real difference in the conservation work we undertook and had my entire outlook on life changed for the better. I would recommend anyone looking to do some volunteer work and have a great deal of fun to ISV, as their knowledgeable and extremely friendly staff made the trip infinitely better and the organisation allowed us to focus more on having a great time. 10/10.

International Student volunteers provided me with an incredible African experience. I volunteered in Swaziland, working on the government reserve with some incredible people, we interacted with the locals, and went on many game drives. The adventure tour had a lot to live up to after two weeks volunteering and it did not let us down. From kloofing to ziplining to hiking to abseiling, we had the time of our lives. With amazing, approachable and caring staff ISV would have to be one of the best travel programs out. I would do it all over in a heartbeat and recommend this program to everyone who wants to have an experience of a life time!

Rock climbing, hydro-speeding, and kayaking in Croatia was amazing. I almost can't even believe that I have done these things- they were that incredible to me, but I am so glad I was able to do them, and ISV made it possible. My group was wonderful, everyone was encouraging, kind, and just as excited to be there as I was. Volunteering at the children's camp in Romania was rewarding and heart-warming. The children were so sweet, and I learned SO MUCH from them. In addition to the easy Romanian words the little ones taught me, the older children went over Romanian culture and history with me, and I have gained a much broader and deeper understanding of how a country's people is shaped by the experiences they have shared. It seems so obvious now, but before I hadn't really thought about how different cultures have evolved to meet different needs. Also, the children were all extremely kind to us, and they would thank us profusely for coming to teach them. I felt very valued and glad to be there. Throughout the trip I never had to worry about not being prepared. ISV organized everything extremely well. We had efficient transportation everywhere, we had group leaders who were knowledgeable and warm that made our volunteer and group trip experiences wonderful. We had days jam-packed full of adventure. I couldn't imagine a better program and I can't wait to go back! ~Erica Allseitz, University of Texas at Austin

I traveled with ISV in 2008 to Costa Rica and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I worked with a sea turtle research organization for 2 weeks on the Osa Peninsula and then went on the adventure tour for the next 2 weeks. Yes, I understand it is a bit expensive when you look solely at numbers, but the experience itself is priceless. If you were to do this exact program on your own it would run you atleast a thousand dollars more, hands down. They are so helpful in creating a safe and positive learning experience. Since my trip I have had my best friend travel to the Dominican Republic to work with children, my two friends to Croatia to work at a brown bear reserve and another friend to Ecuador. They all have absolutely fallen in love with ISV. A friend I made on my trip recently signed up to travel again, this time to South Africa. I highly recommend this to everyone, there are even projects available now for highschool students. Pura Vida! :)

I traveled with New Zealand and Fiji with ISV after my sophomore year. It was one of the best experiences of my life. We not only did amazing work in New Zealand, working with Department of Conservation, but I was also able to see some of the most beautiful places in the world. I made life-long friends and participated in activities I never imagined I would like sky-diving and bungee jumping! This experience has been a great resume builder and led me to many more opportunities abroad!

This was one of the most amazing experiences of my life! I learnt so much while also being able to give back to the community! I recommend this program to anyone!

I traveled to beautiful New Zealand with ISV in 2004, and as cliché as it sounds, it was truly a life changing experience. I volunteered for two weeks with the NZ Department of Conservation in Te Kuite and then traveled NZ for two weeks white water rafting, glacier hiking, bungy jumping, and skydiving. I did more in those two weeks than many people do in a lifetime! I learned so much about myself and would not take back those four weeks for anything... it was an amazing opportunity to give back to a country through volunteer work, while enjoying everything it has to offer.

Such a life-changing experience! Volunteering and staying with a host family were the most rewarding things. The relationships built with the other volunteers and my host family are ones that are irreplaceable. I could not ask for a better mix of adrenaline and meaningful travel. ISV definitely pulled me out of my comfort zone and I'm grateful I had the opportunity to travel with them!