Volunteering Gap Year Programs in Laos

My gap program with Dragons in China and Southeast Asia was truly a remarkable experience. Doing homestays in Cambodia, Laos, and China are experiences that I'll remember for the rest of my life. The instructors were excellent and managed to both challenge the group and make sure that everyone was always supported and had everything they needed. I learned a lot from their instruction, but the full immersion in local culture was my favorite part.

My experience was wildly beautiful in all of the places we spent time in - from bathing elephants in the hills of Chiang Mai, trekking in the Laos wilderness, exploring the gorgeous beaches and caves of Vietnam to biking in the Cambodian countryside. It allowed me to grow through the discomfort of traveling, doing activities that I haven’t ever thought to do - such as hiking and rock climbing, and spending time in beautiful villages and guesthouses. Throughout its ups and downs, I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world.

I am so grateful to have experienced such a unique trip with an incredible group of people. Southeast Asia is one of the most incredible places from the culture, to the food, to the views! I feel as though I’ve grown so much as a person and am prepared to travel on my own all over the world. I feel that my sense of independence has grown, I’m much more confident in myself, responsible and knowledgeable about the world. This program travels a lot! which is amazing because you do so much from taking care of elephants, to visiting some of the worlds most incredible beaches, temples, and waterfalls, to a 4-day long trek, seeing incredible animals, and so much more. If I had to tell my pre-program self something it would be to soak up every moment because it is such a privilege to travel around Southeast Asia for 70 days and there is so much to take in. The program is over before you know it so go in excited, confident, and believe that you can do anything you set your mind to.

The experience I had was amazing! I feel like I have more confidence in my decisions and thoughts as a person. I feel better prepared to go to college as I feel I can better handle any stressors that it might give me. I would recommend this program, you get to see the world through experiences you otherwise might not be able to see in your lifetime.

I gained leadership skills in difficult times dealing with people who do not agree with another. The food is out of this world! Know that you went on this trip for a good reason and absolutely go for it!

This trip will help you learn about other cultures while also looking inward to learn about yourself, AND you’ll be doing this in incredible and beautiful places. This is an amazing opportunity if you’re up for adventure.

I grew into a much more confident, adventurous person. I became extremely close with everyone in my group, which helped me become comfortable with myself and be more confident. I went to all of our daily activities, some of which pushed me out of my comfort zone. Showing up each day and trying new things allowed me to discover what my passions and interests are. This program is truly everything I could have asked for and more! I would recommend it to anyone thinking about spending a semester overseas. The instructors are amazing and the program itself is so diverse! We do something new every single day— eating new food, visiting a new temple or starting a new service project. The cultural immersion this program brings is truly incredible and I will never forget the special memories I’ve created in the past ten weeks. I would reassure my pre-program self that I will make once-in-a-lifetime bonds with every single member of my group in the 10 weeks. I’d tell her that she’s going to enjoy every minute of it, even the parts she was nervous about. I’d tell her that she won’t feel homesick and instead will soak in every minute of the program. To sum up my experience in three sentences: This program brought me into the happiest time of my life. I’m extremely grateful for the special moments I’ve made with the members of my group as we’ve traveled to four different countries, immersing ourselves into different cultures and trying new things every day. This trip and the people I’ve experienced it with will always hold a special place in my heart.

I feel more prepared to take on the rest of my life. I have gained an immense amount of confidence in my ability to take care of myself and travel abroad. I would absolutely recommend this program to others. Southeast Asia is incredible and traveling with a group like this with structure and set plans but also free time to explore what you like is so great for young adults. I think I was pretty confident going into the program but I would want to tell myself to slow down and really enjoy every moment of it. In essence this program was traveling to beautiful places, having surreal experiences, and making lifelong friendships.

My experience in Southeast Asia with Pacific Discovery was definitely the trip of a lifetime. I got to explore parts of the world I did not know much about before and immerse myself in different cultures. Prior to the program start, I was very anxious about whether I would relate and connect well with my peers, but I ended up creating amazing memories and learning from everyone. Traveling is just as challenging as it is fun, but patience with yourself and openness toward new people and places is key! There are so many amazing things to embrace during and after the trip!

This program has truly changed me for the better. It helped me find a group of people, who all come from incredibly different backgrounds, that share many of the same interests. I fell in love with so many different places, foods and cultures. I was inspired to become a more environmentally conscious, self-less and low-maintenance person. This trip alone feels like a whole chapter in my life because of how much I grew and experienced in these last 10 weeks.

Do it. Even if you don’t know where you need to grow, you’re gonna grow one way or another. And so much. This trip is an overstimulation of your insanely beautiful surroundings, complex relationships, and time with self. You’re gonna have more time with yourself than you ever have. And it’s gonna be for the best.

This whole semester it seemed I was living on cloud 9. of course there were times when I was mad, or sad or just annoyed, but those are not the times I remember. The thing I remember was the long bus rides watching movies with my friends, the spontaneous adventure we would do when we got free time from the whole group, the amount of gut-wrenching laughing that occurred at all times of the day. These are the things I am going to remember, for me experiences are often not about the places, yes while Southeast Asia was definitely one of the most amazingly beautiful places I have ever seen, what made this trip so special was the incredible people who were on this journey with me. People make these places amazing for me and I was lucky enough to be surrounded by people who made our little group into a family. That is what is so special about this program is that it takes you so far out of your comfort zone that you learn how to be comfortable in your comfort. This experience has allowed me to open so many doors for myself because I am not afraid of the discomfort, in fact, I look forward to the discomfort because I know that's when I will learn and grow the most.

Costa Rica's Turtle Conservation Project was one thing I will never forget! Such an eye opening and amazing experience. The IHQV program is an amazing way to explore the world in a feasible way. Not only is it affordable but I would have never experienced anything like it! IHQV Brings so much more, more ham any guided tour, more than a resort, and more than anything you could experience on your own. They have demonstrated such strong dedication to make sure every part of the trip is a great learning exprenice while keeping it fun. One of my most memeroble moments would be seeing the indangered leather back turtle lay her eggs. Because the leather back is in such danger it is critical that her eggs are gathered and re-nested in the hatchery where they can be taken care of and monitered to keep them safe from predators. I was lucky enough to be able to personally collect her eggs and dig a new nest to place each egg carfully. It was truley an amazing experience. I wish I could go back to see them hatch! Not only was this such an amazing experience, but every single person I met on this trip through the program m, I will dearly miss. IHQV brings everyone with similar ambitions together and from all over the world. I loved to meet people from the UK, Australia and Italy. Never could I go anywhere and meet such amazing people in one single place. I would recommend this program a million times. Leaving was hard, I'll miss my friends I have made and most importantly all the work that was done everyday to help such a wonderful project!

International Volunteer HQ [IVHQ] responded to this reviewMay 21, 2018

Hi Drew, thank you for sharing your incredible experience on the Turtle Conservation project in Costa Rica! It's amazing that you were able to help in the protection of the leatherback turtles eggs as this is such an important task in the conservation of the turtles. We would love to have you join us again in the future! ^Rachel - IVHQ Costa Rica Program Manager

My time volunteering in Portugal was the most amazing experience. It gave me the comfort and growth to travel and experience new adventures on my own. The staff, locals and coordinators ensured my stay was the best possible experience.

International Volunteer HQ [IVHQ] responded to this reviewApril 09, 2018

Hi Andy - It's awesome to hear about your time on the program, and I'm so glad you enjoyed your experience in Ghana. Our local team is awesome and I'm thrilled to hear you felt supported by them in every capacity during your time on the program. I wish you all the best! ^Caroline - IVHQ Portugal Program Manager