International Volunteer HQ [IVHQ]

The staff who helped me prepare for this trip and those who assisted me during my stay were nothing but kind and enthusiastic to help. The cultural experiences offered and suggested made me feel truly immersed in the local community. The volunteer work felt quite impactful and everything was quite organized. The food and accommodations were beyond what I could have expected. All in all, it was a trip that impacted my life for the better.

As seasoned travelers and retirees, this was our 17th volunteer program, 14 of which have been with IVHQ. As we tell anyone that asks, we feel IVHQ does an EXCELLENT job communicating both up front and during the application, pre and during the volunteer process, vetting their diverse projects in over 50 countries. Their local team partners work seamlessly, so that the experience is smoothe. We have just finished our first Eco-Agriculture project, where we picked coffee, worked in the gardens, mushroom farm and saw the impact of our efforts first-hand. Working side by side younger volunteers is always rewarding as we mutually share experiences and travel highlights. Oh, and although there is an application fee in addition to modest room and board costs, we feel these are reasonable and provide great value in exchange for volunteering, meeting diverse people, and experiencing the local culture, while providing balance to what otherwise, would "just" be traveling. Anyone can do this! The structure is there, you simply need to be flexible, embrace the opportunity and give it a try.

My volunteer experience with IVHQ in Manuel Antonio was fabulous. As a young retireree, my goal is to travel with a purpose and this experience was what I hoped for. I felt that IVHQ prepared me well to go to a developing country and the warm and respectful welcome of the Costaricains exceeded my expectations. Pura Vida!