Teach English to Monks in Laos and Volunteer with Elephants

For individuals looking to gain field experience, especially in the community working with kids and locals teaching English, I would highly recommend this programme. If you are looking for a home away from home, GVI Chiang Mai is the most amazing place where you meet people who by the end of your time there will call family.

Teaching young people with GVI Luang Luang Prabang was both rewarding and humbling. Students work so hard and are very dedicated. Volunteers are treated with the utmost of respect and are truly appreciated. Staff systems and training is provided to ensure volunteers have a clear plan of what to teach and support is given to plan lessons on a daily basis. Luang Prabang is a gem of a place to visit and a special place to be.

I remember the fear I felt when I first walked into Eco resort (the meetings place of all the new intakes) I had never traveled on my own before, only with my family. And as much as I longed to see the world, It was scary. For the first week I was constantly thinking about my choice, my choice to abandon my comfort at home and find myself studying elephants in a sparsely populated village in the middle of nowhere with a new language constantly surrounded by a group of strangers. But, the longer you stay, be it 2 weeks, 2 months or two years, you'll start to get used to this group of people, you'll start to realize the drive that led you here is rare, however shared by all of you. The longer you stay, the more this random group of people turns into a family. You'll stay at a homestay, live alongside the locals and learn all about their culture and language. It's scary. It's always gonna be scary. For the first 3 weeks, all I could say to my homestay was "hello", "how are you" and "goodbye". This is because alot is happening over the first week or two you don't get much time to learn the language and interact, but things to mellow out. Trust me, they do. You get so connected to your family, both your karen and your GVI, that two months feels like two weeks, It all goes by so fast, and you find yourself at the end of line, struggling to say goodbye. so thanks GVI for the smiles, the memories, and the experience. It was here I worried the least, partied the hardest, sweated the most, and laughed the loudest.