Teaching Monks in Nepal or Sri Lanka

We were really happy with this project and the way it turned out. It has taught us a lot and we hope to do something like this again. The accommodation was great, very comfortable stay. For future however, there is leakage in bathroom in sink, water hose and the sink is clogged. The cleaning though was very well done. The food was really good and the transportation was very well organized. The staff support was excellent; thank you all very much.

I was very satisfied with the project and loved teaching the kids. I liked the first school better (kindergarten) as there were more kids to teach. There was a 2 hour gap between the two classes which I felt was too long however. I loved the accommodation and the staff- Ceetha, Radhi, Sheetal, Aishwanya etc. were all helpful and made changes if we need to. I liked the food as it was freshly made and it was local keralan food which is the best. There was always fresh fruit being served with the meals which was nice. The rickshaws were nearby so transport wasn't a problem. Sakeer was also very helpful and was very kind and introduced us to Kochi on the first day. I felt the rooms were cleaned regularly, however the laundry was a bit expensive and they didn't always wash my clothes properly and left some stains. The staff here was great and always helped us with anything and recommended the best places to go for tours. The tours were well planned and e.g. with train tickets, things got booked quickly however some could only book 4 tickets a day which was a problem. For activities, I went to yoga, the Kathakal; centre which was great.

Very satisfied with the project. House staff were friendly, helpful and welcoming. I found that perhaps the morning classes were too long for the kids? Their attention span is generally 1 hour - 1 hour and a half; but otherwise it as an amazing experience. The accommodation, literally no complaints! House is so comfortable, sad and welcoming. I love it here. The food was absolutely outstanding!! The breakfast portions were maybe a little small, maybe need to stick milk and the food could be spicier but otherwise it was bloody incredible. 100/10. The driver was so lovely! Made all of us girls feel safe, comfortable and happy. Would recommend using him again! Thank you all so much for everything. You have all made me feel warm and welcome. You are all so sweet and I'll for sure miss your smiling faces and good banter.

I was very satisfied with the project. It was a rewarding experience to teach the kids and they were very eager to learn. I wish I had more time to teach them, as it was so rewarding. The accommodation was very clean, only complaint is there is no A/C. The room as cleaned frequently as well. The food was very good local food. I appreciate how extra care was taken for hygiene. The transport was very convenient especially the airport pickup. The staff was excellent, all of them were very friendly and helpful. The staff also helped organize the tours.

Volunteering Journeys is not a charity or NGO but a business run for commercial purposes. There is nothing wrong with this, but volunteers should have a clear understanding about the organisation before committing. The owners capitalise on their volunteers’ desire to make a difference in order to generate profit. What is not mentioned in the glossy marketing materials is the cost-cutting on the ground. We paid well-over £3,000 for our two weeks and received: - One small room containing three bunk beds. After one week I expressed disappointment and they moved us to a small two bedroom apartment with no air conditioning or furniture (other than three beds). - The meals are very basic. Last night we were given only bread with papaya (again). - During our stay the accommodation regularly ran out of toilet paper/soap/milk. These wouldn’t be a problem if the business was clear in it’s marketing brochures that it was providing low budget facilities. For around £250/day that was not my expectation. Nor would this be a problem if we were making a valid contribution to the local community. That was, after all, our primary motivation. However the volunteering programmes are poorly designed and structured. The result is that we were left frustrated, demotivated and cynical about volunteering organisations. I’m genuinely concerned this experience will put my children off from volunteering in the future. The turtle hatchery was over-subscribed with volunteers from a range of different sources. This is a good situation for the turtles, but meant we had little meaningful contribution to make. In the end we stopped going because it seemed a waste of our time. The English teaching “programmes” were similarly meaningless. There is no structured programme but a series of ad hoc intrusions into schools. We were not given any information on the children’s English ability or previous experience or teaching materials. This prevented any preparation or effective lesson planning. We were left unsupported in the classrooms from the outset. It is particularly concerning (and possibly illegal?) that we were left unsupervised with young children despite NOT being asked to present our Police Record Check (which fortunately both my wife and I have). Fellow volunteers on the medical “programme” reported a similarly unrewarding experience (although I didn’t witness first-hand). They were not allowed to get involved in activities in the medical facilities and so unable to make a contribution. I would NOT recommend this business to organise your volunteering experience in Sri Lanka.

Although things got off to a tough start in Colombo, you managed to solve the problem right away, and I am so grateful for that. You and Indiani welcomed me into your beautiful home, and made me feel right at home the entire time. There has always been so much food, including delicious mangos and my new favourite =, mangosteen! All the teachers at the school have been so welcoming and kind to me. The children, although they can be a handful with a bit too much energy, are always so lively and keen to speak English with me. There’s something really great about showing up at school each morning to their bright and smiling faces. Our trip to Kanay, Dambulla, Sigirya, and Kaudulla was unforgettable. Thank you so much for showing me around and being such a wonderful tour guide. Such an experience to climb Siginya first thing in the morning, then to watch the elephants from so close up. Thank you also for being such a good driver! When anyone else was driving, I did feel like I might die at any moment but always felt like I was in safe hands with you behind the wheel! Such a funny sigh here to see the dogs and cows crossing the road everywhere - I am very impressed with their skills of not being hit! I also managed to learn so much from Dr. Sumal and the nurses at the clinic. I really appreciate you arranging this for me. All in all, I loved my time here in Sri Lanka, and will definitely be back. So many more places to see and I can’t wait to stay in your garden! Hopefully next time will be a longer visit, and you will not be able to get rid of me. Thank you for everything - to you and your family. See you again soon!

What can I say about this experience? It has been one of the most amazing, enlightening and overwhelming adventures I've ever had. Starting with the host family, not only did they make me feel at home, but part of them as well, with the great amount of care and attention, I never felt as an outsider. They had an exceptional sense of hospitality and I really admired it. Likewise at the school where I was volunteering, the teachers were wonderful and helped whenever I needed, and the principal welcomed me with opened arms and heart, and tried to make my work there as comfortable as possible. Couldn't have asked for more! As for the teaching experience, I could only say it definitely was overwhelming as I learned from the students as much as I taught them. And the amount of love I was receiving made the teaching a lot better and more interesting! Another part of my volunteering journey was at the tsunami camp, and despite the fact that I was going there few times a week to simply hand out milkshakes and biscuits for the kids, the excitement and big smiles that I got whenever I came by made this small act feel a lot more, something that every person that shares the same passion, the passion of helping people, should experience. One last event that I had the honor of being part of, despite the very short period, was to help young monks with their English. Spending time with them was absolutely astonishing; they are really friendly and devoted people who are eager to learn English and would love nothing more than to get to know every person that comes to meet them. It was enlightening to get to know them on a personal level. Regarding the country, Sri Lanka is, without doubt, one of the most beautiful countries I've ever seen. I had the opportunity to visit so many places such as Kandy, Matale, Dambulla, Sigiriya, Nuwara Eliya, Adam's Peak, and many other places, and the amount of green seen is indescribable. Living there gives a person the benefit of living both in the nature far from all the turbulence, so that one can attain a certain level of connection to the surrounding as well as inner peace and serenity, but also to be part of the city where everything is available. The country has also an extremely rich history and culture, two things that drew me even deeper into Sri Lanka. What also made this experience better are the friendly people who constantly helped whenever needed and offered companionship. Sri Lankans not only love to lend a helping hand but are also very interested in meeting and conversing with travelers. The one thing that shouldn't be forgotten is the food, rich and delicious with so many flavors that burst in the mouth with every bite. I definitely loved it here, especially that I'm a huge fan of spicy food! Finally, a big thanks to Mr. Charley, who if it weren't for him, nothing of this would have ever happened. One of the nicest and most helpful people I've ever met, he made all of this possible. Not only was he like a father, but like a brother and a friend. I'm more than happy and honored, to say the least, to be part of this experience. It is something that I would gladly do again, for sure. And for those interested in volunteering, I'd say there's no better place than to start right here, in Sri Lanka!