Travellers Worldwide

Scenically Knysna, or in fact South Africa, is outstanding. Around every corner you would be met by a postcard image. Even in this winter season, the weather was great, sunny and warm. Because the pollution is at a much lower level in Knysna than back home, the sunsets and stars at night were so much more spectacular!!

Just a quick note to say that I am having a wonderful time here.  The volunteer programme here is just what I was after plenty of hands-on activities, working closely with animals and helping in the conservation of a species.  There are 5 volunteers here at present (there were 7 until this morning) but there is plenty of work for everyone.  The work is varied and enjoyable, and the staff here are very friendly.

We plan on going to Victoria Falls tomorrow and maybe do some activity there this weekend. Our wildlife sighting has consisted of two lizards and the residential cats that roam the hostel and we are so anxious to see some elephants.

My time at the school was wonderful. I enjoyed every minute of the children and the teachers. I actually didn't want to come back here to the US. Two weeks was definitely not enough time. Kenya was beautiful and everyone is overly friendly. Before I left, the children wrote me letters and pictures and brought a tear to my eye. I have made so many memories and I'm so glad there is a program such as yours Travellers that allowed me to make these memories. You go there expecting to help them and change their life, but what I discovered is that they had changed my life more than I could ever explain!! LOVE the UK support staff. Everyone was very helpful on the phone. Even when I had issues with a delayed flight, it went well. Thanks!

The area is beautiful and travelling is easy. The house we stay in is lovely and the Travellers workers are such kind, loving people which really makes it feel like a home away from home. What with all the other volunteers and the Travellers staff, it really does feel like our own little family... well, our own very big family, I suppose!!

I'm absolutely loving it so far! Mendoza, the people, the magazine, my family - all fantastic.

The first thing to say is that this country is everything I hoped it to be and more. The people are exceptionally friendly, the food truly remarkable and the prices well, you know they're good. My host family is very accommodating, although for the first few days communication was difficult. However my Spanish is improving quite quickly. Quicker than I'd expected in fact. I've just about reached the point of holding a conversation, which is quite satisfying. Just meeting the people here is enough. My 'new family' have made me feel very welcome and I am actually starting to feel quite attached to them. The whole concept is something I believe you should encourage prospective volunteers to do. It's not enough just to stay in a youth hostel and be a Spanish speaker for a quarter of the day, total immersion is the only way if you are serious about speaking Spanish. I am really feeling part of the scenery here, although the blue eyes are a dead give away of my nationality. Gracias dios por mi pelo marron! I feel a kind of fraternity with the people here, give me Argentina ahead of the USA any day. In terms of safety I can't speak highly enough of Argentina. As long as you exercise a degree of self-restraint and common sense then you are quite safe here. There is also a sense of community and family that we have sadly lost in the UK. It is quite normal for my family to have a meal with family and guests, whereas in the UK we reserve this for special occasions. It seems that everyday here is a special occasion. This country is already beginning to feel like home. El instituto is a very good place to learn Spanish. The quality of teaching is high. As you know I am a student teacher and unlike most students I have a keen appreciation of what it takes to teach. The class sizes are good and the interaction is one to one when it needs to be or group work when it needs to be. In terms of the activities, I have done two so far - a tour of the city and a trip to the mountains. The tours are well managed and thorough in terms of their content. I can't speak highly enough of my experience so far. It has been difficult in terms of the language but then Ive not been here long. But now I am interacting. Everywhere I go I am speaking Spanish, about a variety of subjects. This is the advantage of here over Spain, you cant get away with speaking English anywhere! Viva Argentina!!! Y vivo la vida latina!!!! Last Wednesday we went on a tour of the Bodegas. Much Vino was tried. A good time was had by all. I bought a bottle a bottle of the finest they had for the princely sum of 15 Pesos, which is less than 3 Pounds. Unfortunately it won't be sampled by the folks back home. Hard to keep the cork on a good bottle of vino tinto here. The Malbec here, specifically in Mendoza is some of the best in the world and I can honestly say (having lived in France) that the local produce here really is exemplary.

After a month of lessons I feel able to communicate effectively with locals and understand more than I can speak. This has allowed me to experience the culture of Latin America more keenly and broaden my horizons on the career front.