Volunteering Journeys

I'm extremely satisfied to have been part of this great program helping children, their future and the future of the country. Accommodation - I was very happy and comfortable in a clean and pleasant environment. Food was always delicious, transport was always good, and cleaning was perfect. Staff were very kind and friendly with very good support; I was always able to reach them. I enjoyed every experience. Thank you so much for everything.

I thought the project was wonderful. All of the ladies were so nice to me and made me feel welcomed. I liked that I got the opportunity to plan lessons myself and lead the group. The homestead was always kept clean and lights and fan switches were clearly labeled. There was always tea and fruit and I liked the location of the building too. Everything was always clean in the house! The kitchen staff were so friendly and even paid attention to the portions of what I normally eat and adjusted it accordingly. Everything was delicious. My driver to the airport was on time and friendly. The driver for Munnar trip was so well-informed, and great at knowing the good spots as well as making me feel safe while traveling. The staff support was the best part about the program. I ended up alone in the program and they were always telling me the best spots to go and even helped plan my time here! Munnar was SO fun! Highly recommend to anyone who comes here. The Spite garden was the best. i liked the yoga classes and shopping around town. The tuktuk drivers were a little annoying to me and drive me places I didn't want to go but the Holi celebration was so enjoyable!

I enjoyed being part of the teaching program very much. Teaching English to year 3&4 was challenging at times but also a lot of fun. Receiving an email 2 weeks before arriving regarding school, classes would have been good. Emphasising the need for a laptop for lesson planning would have helped. I was very satisfied with accommodation; beds and pillows were comfortable, though upgrading to aircon was needed. Having 2 people in hot climate was better than three. Food was excellent and fresh with a great selection of meals all prepared by lovely, helpful staff. Having the occasional chicken meal was welcomed. Enjoyed experiencing Kerala food. We didn't need transport and the room was cleaned once a week & bathroom a few times each week. No complaints. All the staff were incredibly helpful, answering many questions. Working with Reshma was great both in and out of the classroom. She was extermely supportive when doing lesson planning & her help in the classroom with translation & classroom management was fantastic. Staff knew where various yoga places were always willing to suggest places to visit. Great suggestion by Shamla for cooking lesson and Kathkali.

From the preparation till my farewell at the share house the experience was amazing. Organisation was good, facilities excellent, camaraderie fantastic but the opportunity to do something worthwhile while one experienced another culture was the best part.

I’m very satisfied with the program and would love to volunteer again but next stay longer. The accommodation was spacious. Very humble and quiet. All my expectations have been met. The food was exceptional and was very pleased with the staff.

Very satisfied - lots of information and support. Very welcomed and the schools were friendly. Reshhia was a great support in the lesson planning and in class. The house was comfortable and had everything we needed. We were given a tour and told clearly where everything was. The food is delicious! Light and tasty with a good range of dishes and perfect portion sizes! One of the highlights! The schools were easily accessible via tuktuk or walking. Reshma made transpo very easy and always made sure we got where we needed to be.

I have loved volunteering on this programme. Honey has been an excellent and supportive teacher. The students have been wonderful to teach. I would not improve anything on the programme as it has been great. Accommodation has been comfortable and clean. I have enjoyed staying here. Food has been excellent and have been provided with lots of different things. The ladies who work here have been very friendly and always ensuring we have eaten :). All transport has been great

Everything was perfect. We loved the kids. We forgot to give our gifts to the teachers so it would be great if you could distribute our chalk and markers. The accommodation was very good. The actual accommodation was much nicer than what the information on the website made us think. The food was basic but good food. The best payasam we had and the biryanis were incredible. The transportation was very good. It is a bit pricey when you book it through IVHQ.

The women’s programme is a fantastic project evident by the women’s enthusiasm and love of the attendings. The accommodation was lovely and clean. At times very hot if lots of people in one flat. The food was incredible. Some of the best food I have eaten in Kerala was made here at the volunteer house. The Transportation was fine.

The project was very satisfying lessons are organized in a flexible way, so that you can adapt day by day. Lovely accommodation with all the indispensable comfort. And Baby is a very good chef. All the food was good!

We had the BEST time whilst here! The rooms are good- clean and comfy! Thank you Sajna and Sanee. Worm telling people that their stuff may go moldy due to humidity- this is not a criticism :) The food is incredible - we absolutely love everything that the ladies cooked. My mouth is watering thinking about it. We only used Rickshaws and Ubers/taxis as transpo which were all great. George & Sebastian (the drivers for Munnar & backwaters) were Amazing!! Can’t recommend enough. The cleaning was really good and the incense smelt amazing! The staff was amazing! The girls were all really helpful whenever we needed and would go out of their way to help every day.

Such a great work within the community to help, provide women with the opportunity to connect and develop skills for employment. The food was incredible! Thank you for all the lovely dishes and the care from the team to look after us.

I couldn’t be more satisfied! Had 0 expectations before coming and they were exceeded in every way. If I could stay longer I would have. Everything was perfect and it now feels like home for me. Let me stay forever, please! Highlight was all the women passing their exams, couldn’t be prouder of them, and seeing their confidence increase over the weeks was the entire reason I came ? The accommodations were better than expected, felt super safe at all times, room was spacious and surprisingly cool - shred space was comfortable and I found the beds comfy too. The hangers weren’t really usable but the rails are perfect for storage. The food was PERFECT! So grateful to Renuka and Baby for always making delicious tasty meals. Accommodating our needs and giving us a proper taste of Kerala. I’m a little bad with textures so it took me some time to get used to not just eating toast and pasta, but so many dishes blew me away. Prawn roast and chicken biriyani specifically <3 I didn’t need any transport for my project but walked most places easily and got cheap tuk-tuks from Junchan. Ubers also very easy to get from here and Shamla was really helpful in arranging airport pick-ups and drop-offs without any hassle.

The kindergarten classes are more like teaching classrooms rather than child play. You associate with a KG in the UK. This may be a surprise for some volunteers who may expect less in terms of “lesson” preparation. The accommodation was excellent - however, I had a lovely en suite single room! The food was excellent as well - freshly prepared, authentic Indian cuisine. Transfer to and from the airport is good. Transport to program was easy and cheap.

The project is good. The handover from old volunteers to new volunteers could be handled better. Good accommodation. Very clean and we were well taken care of. The food was lovely, local and Herala. The ladies really helped when we cooked fo something special. The transport is always available and very reasonably priced.

I am very satisfied with both the women's program & gathering for Raksha Schol. Both projects have been managed exceptionally well. The women's project has proven to be highly effective & impactful while the gathering efforts have provided valuable support & enhancement for Raksha School. I am also satisfied with the accommodation arrangements, the facilities were comfortable and well maintained. The living area was comfortable and a welcoming treat, the TV provided a nice excuse for some downtime. The food was truly exceptional. A huge credit to Saneera Sagria and Raneeka. Furthermore, the food provided an insightful understanding of the rich culture in Kerala. I have also felt very inspired to replicate some of the dishes at home. THANK YOU! The transport services were reliable, timely, and cost-effective. The rooms were cleaned in timely, but thorough manner. I particularly appreciated fresh bedding on the weekends. The mattresses were very comfy. Great staff support which helped ensure I had a positive experience. All staff were readily available and approachable. The WhatsApp chat is a great way to communicate quickly. I recommend to stay two nights in Mumna. The spice garden was very disappointing, the spice tour guide was extremely rude. The tea museums was also closed which was disappointing. Yoga, swimming, cafe hopping, art galleries, museums, walking to shopping, restaurants, cooking class & indigo dying were local and amazing. Highly recommend the cooking class and dying - SUPER!

Very satisfied. I loved the women’s staff, and time in Kochi. It was absolutely amazing. Having a syllabus of vocab, grammar and literature to follow could be helpful to add continuing. The accommodation was fantastic! Staff was able to accommodate upgrading me to AC, kept my room clean, and it was overall very comfortable. Location is perfect. The cooks are incredible. The food was delicious. I loved every meal I had. They are so talented and accommodating. They were able to make my changes and take requests. Only thing that could possibly add some extra magic would be offering fresh vegetables in addition to fruit!

I enjoyed working with the women English students and co-teaching with Raychelle. Honey’s orientation and ongoing support was very helpful. I enjoyed the freedom to create lessons around a topic. The students were pleasant, motivated and fun to work with. The schedule gave me time to both prep and relax and be a tourist. The accommodation was sufficiently clean. However, I was unfortunately not comfortable. The bed was a little too short and uncomfortable, and it was difficult to get adequate air flow. I would recommend getting larger beds with softer mattresses and installing more conditioners. The food was tasty. I enjoyed trying local dishes, and the cooks were very friendly. One thing that might be nice is to have masala tea with breakfast. Having transport included from their part was helpful. I found the drive right upon exiting the airport. I also appreciated having the opportunity to visit the children’s classes. And I appreciated the kind and helpful staff team.

I am extremely satisfied and extremely grateful for the opportunity given to teach. Reshma was lovely and so were the other members of staff who were friendly and made me feel at home. I felt very safe in the accommodation, with no worries at all! Very comfortable and couldn’t ask for more. The food was incredible - I loved it and was very similar to what I had at home, so did not miss home :P The transport was incredible- Das and Mukesh were great!

I loved teaching here - the women were so excited to learn and very determined to improve their English. Famidha is an asset to the program. Without her, I don’t think my teaching would have been very effective. She confronted so much and is extremely dedicated to the program, the women and the teachers :) . The accommodation was good for the most part. I don’t like that every window has bars - how would you escape in event of fire? There should be a smoke alarm and sprinkles in every room. The food was excellent! Baby cooks with heart and all of her meals were delicious. As for transportation, tuktuks are convenient + cheap. Loved the Mannar trip! Our guide “Do’s?” was amazing and made the trip so memorable. I liked him very much, he was so accommodating and friendly.

I had a fantastic time and met so many lovely ladies. I will remember my experience forever and have learnt such a lot about the culture and people’s lives. I hope I have made some difference. Also loved my time with Cecily - Palliative Care nurse. Excellent accommodation. The only improvement I can think of is a bigger bottom sheet for the bed. I have spent most nights sleeping on the orange mattress as sheet untouched as soon as I climb in <3.

I have been very satisfied - The whole house is fantastic. If any improvements, maybe it could be a better insight into what the women gain most from before you start. That way, it will be quicker to work it right. The accommodation is very spacious and clean- but could do with a little upgrade to make it more inviting. The food was really really good - and, the care for getting it right according to preference and taste so lovely <3. The transport was timely and safe!

Very satisfied. The housekeeping and cooking team are amazing, the food is delicious. Thank you Saneosa, Renuka and Sajna! Also thank you to Ridhi, Shamla, Fami and Reshma! <3 The accommodation was lovely; very clean and good location. The food was delicious, healthy, and varied. We mostly used public transport. The house is in a good location and was always nice and clean. Our drivers for our trips to Munaas and Backwaters were excellent. All the staff were very welcoming and helpful.

We have loved our time here. Everyone at the house has been great and it has been wonderful to meet all the children. A really great experience. The accommodation A/C was great! The rooms were very nice. And the food was excellent.

I am very satisfied with the project, it has been a very rewarding experience and I am looking forward to coming back. Accommodation is good, I however feel that the bunk beds itself could be better, it is slightly difficult to climb up and down. The food has been fantastic, it was lovely for them to always ask what we wanted. The transport does seem slightly expensive, so I have been finding my own transport.

The medical project was really good. I was able to change departments if I wished I was able to observe procedures and understand cases. The women’s project was incredibly inspiring. The women were so kind and generous. Only improvement would be to ensure clear communication. Accommodation was clean and enjoyable. As a tall girl, I found the beds were too short for me, but other than that it was pleasant. Food provided was amazing and very billing. The chef’s were AMAZING and we could request food if we wanted. At the medical placement, I had to buy my own lunch, which got expensive, but otherwise okay. Transport to and from airport was good. However, I had to pay for uber to and from medical placement which was an hour away, and I was not prepared to pay so much in transport.

I found the project to be extremely rewarding and gave me real insight into the Indian culture and opportunities to connect with local women in the community. I was a little surprised by the amount of work required to prepare each lesson and would have loved a bit more proactive suggestions of how I could have prepared prior to my arrival in India. The house was very clean and comfortable. Wifi was a bit spotty but overall ok! I would love some hand soap in the bathrooms next time. The food was amazing! So good to try all types of authentic Kerala food and was so yummy. I’m sure the next batch of volunteers would be interested in learning more about the food, perhaps even a cooking class? The transport to/from the project was great and easily explained by the coordinator. I’d suggest adding a general pricelist somewhere in the house to let new volunteers know what prices to expect and what is reasonable.

I really enjoyed the project. The children were amazing. The staff were very supportive. Maybe a bit more information earlier in regards to what the lesson plans are I had these one week before, but couldn’t download them until 2 days before. I was very happy with the accommodation, no issues. I liked the lock situation. The food was good. The cooks are amazing very good, really enjoyed the food very reliable always on time, and very helpful and friendly.

I went to Kerala, South India for a month to do volunteering “women’s empowerment”. It was best experience ever! Staff in the house were super lovely, friendly and helpful! I felt so welcoming! Missing everyone already! I highly recommend it!

Personal limits I think the programme is very good because it helped me test and move some of my personal limits especially through trekking and bungy jump. I like the very social aspect of the group but I do not see our contribution to the local community unless we choose to do volunteering work.

I had joined in Nepal as a volunteer a few months ago for teaching and absolutely loved my experience. The local team is fantatic and I can not recommend this program enough. I would definately apply to Volunteering Journeys! Thank you Anish and team for a fantastic time..

The project was amazing the school and the staff I think volunteers should be given an hour or 2 to do activities that they plan each day. This would require communication from VHQ staff to the school due to minimal English. The accommodation had comfy beds and clean areas in the house. Staff always around cleaning Food is lovely, it's nice to my preference foods. Sometimes small portions due to others eating more or miscommunication to who's eating and who isn't. Good transport, quite expensive compared to an Uber, But more reliable. Friendly drivers.

I absolutely loved this project. I was worried that I was lacked with the teaching skills, however Honeywas so supportive - providing ideas, materials and feedback to help me improve! Getting to know the women was so wonderful - mey came so open-minded and ready to . They made me smile everyday. Facilities were fantastic - everything I could ever need and more! All staff went above and beyond to make adjustments to people's needs. I really appreciated thei understanding. I loved the food! I loved every Kerala dish - I really like spice so this way the only thing I missed but I thought it was very lovely that they adjusted the food when people normally were upset. I enjoyed every meal and will miss the food! The taxi to the accommodation was great - he helped me and was friendly & showed me to the room, very helpful!

I'm very satisfied with this project. It gave me a great perspective and lots of knowledge in how Kerala manages health in citizens. Accommodation was great. Food was excellent, always hot and ready when needed. The trasport was also nice.

I was very much satisfied with the project I chose. I got to see new ways to treat patients (pt) while also getting to know the culture around here. I will miss being here. The room, beds, bathrooms and common areas were wonderful. Couldn't ask for a better place to have stayed. Unfortunately, I only ate breakfast in the house, but I can say that It was delicious. The taxi driver was friendly, plus tuktuks and Uber were lifesavers.

Being here across de globe, doing what I love the most, was by far the best experience of my life. Life support truly brought out a best part of me, and I am forever grateful for this opportunity. Hope I made some lives better! I think everyone should have an experience like this.. There is nothing like getting out of our comfort zone, exploring new places, meeting new people.... Discovering ourselves!! If you are reading this and you're still not sure about it.. just don't think twice and book it. Pura Vida, Matilde Carvalho, Portugal

It was a unique experience. It was a month of full new experiences, new culture, new people, new faces and smiles! I had an amazing staff and other volunteers that always had made this experience even more pleasant!

Wonderful experience with Life Support Ambulance Services. Great medical office, educational and warm experience from start to finish. The staff was always helpful and kind. They ensured I had an understanding of the diagnosis and follow-up. I am so glad I chose Life Support with Maximo Nivel and would highly recommend to anyone!

My time volunteering abroad was absolutely amazing. It was so great to meet other volunteers and live with a host family. It was a great way to travel while also being able to get patient care experience and to help those who appreciate it.

Dear all of you wonderful people who make volunteering journeys so special... Thank you thank you thank you. This has felt like my my home and you have become like my Indian family! I will never forget the happy times with my lovely, energetic, adorable, sassy kids at the school and my week with the wauen-watching then blossom with confidence. I'll cherish these memories of fun, laughter, and lots of tears (sorry! haha) I love you all!

In the beginning it was really hard for me because I'm the only not native speaker. And to switch the classroom and also volunteers during the day is not easy. It always feels like the third wheel. Basically the ideas for the afternoon group was always from me but they used the ideas for the morning group as well, which is fine. I really liked the accommodation but had the feeling it was the loudest room due to the water tanks. Always in the morning and late at night I woke up when someone turned on the water pump because the tank was empty. The food was wonderful and great, sometimes a little bit too spicy for me but that's fine. The transport was really good as well.

To Geetha, Sheeral, Milha, Aiswasya! Thank you soooo much for everything, you ladies really and truely are amazing and you all deserve so much praise and appreciation for all the amazing work you do here and for all the volunteers in this house. This house is so homely and I have really felt I can trust you all with anything and if I ever had a problem you were always all there to help! I wish you all well for the future and would like to thank you for how much knowledge and experience I have gained from living here with you all and from my project. Lots and lots of love!

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.

The project is going really well, I think! Please encourage future volunteers to ask ladies to speak English as much as possible (even just a few sentences every lesson). The schoolroom: if maing house, a quiet room will help to make listening activities easier and more effective. Also, some nails in the wall to allow hanging up of whiteboards would be very useful. If moving house, somewhere with 24-hr water supply would be wonderful! The food was delicious and great for vegetarians - keep it up! The staff support was excellent- extremely helpful and understanding staff. Thank you!! I just went to yoga, cooking and kadhakali dancing for activities and all of them were great experiences!

It was great working with the different schools and seeing the differences in how they run their schools and the differences between SA and Kerala's system. It's really hard to see that some of the kids at DBha School don't have people that are trained to work with them. Every school was welcoming and grateful for what we were doing for the children. I enjoyed every moment and hoped it helped in some way. The accommodation was sufficient, It has everything we needed. The cleaning was fine, a lot of the time it was just volunteers being untidy and needing to clean up after themselves. The food was interesting and different to what I am used to. Very wholesome and fresh, spicy at times but really good. For transportation, I still need to learn to clap to call a tuk tuk. But overall good experience and seeing the none tourist areas when going to the schools was great too. The staff support was super duper fantastic... always willing to go the extra mile! Tours and excursions were really amazing. (Backwaters and Toddy excursions). I loved the yoga here and ayuverda massage, it was an experience I won't forget. The yoga - I learnt a lot.

To everyone at Volunteering Journeys, You're a real star! Many thanks for a wonderful time and meeting such a great team and lovely women's group members. I will remember my time fondly!

Dear ladies, This has truly been an incredible experience getting to know you and spend time with you. I can't thank you enough for welcoming me in with such kindness an dI am so lucky to have met all of you. I hope this is not goodbye forever that I will see you all again some day. Thank you for the memories, thank you for making me feel at home, and thank you for everything else as well. P.S. It has been such an honor to work with the students teachers. I love their beautiful brains and hearts. I've included a small donation (wish I could give more but its all I have left and I would love a copy of their magazine to see what wonderful things they do if its not too much trouble.

Dear Geetha, Ridhi, Aiswarya, Anju and Sheetal, Thank you for this great experience. I think you have an amazing program here, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to take a small part in it. I really appreciate all your support in the project, as well as your help and recommendations for our free time activities. I had a great time here and hopefully I'll come back someday. I wish you all the best.

Everything is great. I loved the clinic but wanted a more hands on experience and the staff did a great job by making my dreams come true. I actually got to educate children about dental health thanks to them :) The accommodation was great, but would be better if there was air conditions. Our rooms were always getting cleaned so that's great. The food was also very very good! I loved it so much. The transportation was easy to the clinic options to take ferry and bus and the transfer from the airport - house was nice and well organized. The staff is always there for you. I don't want to call them staff, more like family. The tours and excursions was so nice, the staff helps you with everything so its safe and well organized. I went out to cafes, walks, shopping and hanging out with friends as well as boat tours when I stayed in the country.

Thank you so much to all of you! You made me feel at home right from the start and helped me turn my time in India into unforgettable memories. You are the kindest people I have ever met. I enjoyed every single day and wI will keep you in my heart. Lots of love! - Nadine

I was very satisfied with the program especially with teaching in cardiology. The NICU was very helpful. Learnt a lot and also the differences between healthcare systems. Palliative care day was amazing. I have no complaints with the accommodations and the food was delicious! Thank you. I also had no issues with the transport. The bus and uber to the site and home each day.

To the amazing team at Volunteering Journeys (Chechi's & Zakeer too), Words cannot really express the gratitude I feel for my time here in Fort Kichi. You have played a huge role in fulfilling a long awaited dream and for that reason, all of you; this house, and this city, will forever be etched into my heart. All of my memories of this time will be fond ones - even when I think abut the heat! Thank you for your kindness, generosity, care, love and helpfulness, it not only touched my life, but I can see how it is touching the lives in this community ( and of all those who come to volunteer). You are doing incredible work here, and I am so lucky that I could be a part of it, even if only short while. 5 weeks doesn't seem like a long time in the grand scheme of things, but I think these 5 weeks have impacted my life in ways that will echo on into the far future. My heart aches to leave, because this place ha some to feel like home in so many ways that will echo on into the far future. My heart aches to leave, because this place has come to feel like home in so many ways - coming back after a weekend trip felt like I was coming home! I will miss everything about this place, the beach, the food, the sunsets, the masala chai, the teaching, the women, how everything tastes like coconut... but MOST of all, I will miss each one of you. You all have a home in South Africa should you ever want to visit! All of my love, admiration and adoration, Page Lotze

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.

I had an incredible experience volunteering in India. I learned a lot about the special education system and what it is like to live with a disability in India, and the VJ staff was super supportive and helpful in creating effective lesson plans. I am so grateful for this experience. The house was beautiful and provided everything I needed while in India! The food was delicious. I actually don't think I ate anything that I didn't like :) I don't know how I'll survive at home without potato curry and kerala bread. I got to placement quickly and efficiently by tuktuk, however, I wish that transportation was included in the program cost (even if this means increasing the cost). When I was going to placement alone both morning and afternoon, my transportation cost was Ro: 140 per day. The cleaning was perfect, no complaints!. The staff was helpful with all issues, project related or not :) It was easy and affordable to arrange weekend trips! I loved the toddy bar experience. Everything was great and easy to arrange with the staff! Thank you!

I really really enjoyed the women's program. It is clear that they love having conversations and improving their English. It seemed that sometimes the language was a bit too technical for them and confused them a little. Things like modal verbs were a bit challenging. I think more conversations together would be really great, whether that is around women's issues or their customs or whatever. I have found both the old and new house really lovely. Much more comfortable than I was expecting for volunteer accommodation. I also don't have any complaints with the cleanliness of the rooms. I have really quite enjoyed the food at the house. I don't like food to be very spicy and I was a bit worried about this but it has been very mild! The only thing I might perhaps change is the amount of it. There isn't very much so we are quite hungry and we have been out of food multiple times before so not everyone got dinner. But I have been happy with the taste definitely! The only transport I really used was the car from the airport and that was absolutely fine. I really appreciated how early he got there for me! For staff support, Aiswanya has been wonderful for women's empowerment. Her advice is so valuable and it has been great joking around and laughing with her a lot. Makes everything a lot of fun! I only really went to Athirapilly waterfalls which were beautiful but I definitely recommend telling people (especially women) not to go by themselves as I was approached by a lot of men and made to feel very uncomfortable. Obviously that is no way your fault! Just may be something to pass on to others. It would have been awesome to do some activities together as a group. That afternoon when all the wonderful staff took us for tea and fried banana at that little local place was definitely one of my best memories! More things like that together with your local knowledge could have been fun. But that is totally not a negative at all. I had an amazing time!

Dear Ridhi, Geetha, Anju, Aiswarya, and Sheetai, it is difficult to put into words what my four weeks here and all of you have meant to me. Before coming to Kerala, I could not have predicted that I would learn, how much I would grow as a person, all of the delicious food that I would eat, and all of the wonderful people I would meet. I feel so blessed to be supported and led by such a badass team of beautiful women though it all. I can't thank you enough for everything you do to keep programs running smoothly and for making Rainbow House a home away from home for all of us. I can't believe how fast my time here has gone, but I will go home with so many memories of this beautiful place to treasure. I am so grateful for you all and hope that we get to cross paths again.

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.

My trip to India was so eyeopening. Being able to experience life in a developing country and see how much different it is from life in the United States was an amazing opportunity that I will never forget. While volunteering in a clinic located in the slums, I was able to check vitals and collect symptoms. While the language barrier was difficult, I was able to learn a lot from the local doctors and gain more patient care experience. I also got to travel in the afternoon and on the weekends, which was super nice because I definitely feel like I was able to make the most out of my trip to India. I was able to meet other volunteers and interact with the locals too, which was fun! I would definitely take another trip through IVHQ!

Hi my name is Will Le Heuze,a 17 year old student who had just finished his first year of A-levels, and I decided to do some volunteering overseas. I had had quite a few assemblies at school with different volunteer companies but volunteering journeys stood out the most for what I want to do. So I booked everything and was put in touch with Geetha, we exchanged a few emails, about how I was getting to the hostel from the airport and what I should wear, which was very comforting especially as I was young of age and hadn't traveled alone before. After landing down in Kochi airport, I was getting a little nervous, but after getting through security and collecting my bag, there was a man with a sigh saying my name and volunteering journeys, which was a relieve. He took me straight to the hostel for my first encounter Geetha and her team. They totally understood the condition I was in and just showed me room and let me go to sleep. Once I woke up, around 3pm there time, they had prepared some food for me and Geetha sat me down with another new volunteer and gave us an introduction presentation, she then gave some suggestions on what we should do on our day off to make the most of our time I time in India. So Lucy (the other new volunteer) and I found ourselves on a river boat in the back waters of Kochi, the following day. Geetha also booked us in for a trip to Munnar tea plantation which was stunning. During my time volunteering in Kerela I switched from the pre-medical programme to the teaching English programme, which again Geetha and her team were very supportive and helped as much as they could. The overall accommodation as been great with breakfast and lunch included (even if they were a little spicy), nice western style rooms and great communal area to just chill out with the other volunteers. However there has been a few negatives in the terms that that the showers were cold and the beds hard, but if all the negatives I can say about my trip to Kerela I believe I can safely say I have had a wonderful trip and would thoroughly recommend to anyone willing to volunteer abroad.

My 3-week stay at Sri Lanka has flown by in a blink of an eye, and the whole experience as made unforgettable thanks to you, my host family, Hirantha, Rakitha, nurses and doctors at Colombo East Base and the rest of the people I met along the journey. I really do appreciate your attentiveness ranging from hospital experience to the quality of meals I was receiving ( where, by the way, were superb). I am grateful to have received the opportunity to explore the Sri Lankan healthcare system considering the lack of qualifications from my side. The wonderful weekend trips to Yala, Mirissa, Galle, Sigoriga, and Kandy exposed me to the multitude of faces Sri Lanka has to offer - which, I realized upon travelling, was too many for my length of stay here. Maybe one day I will return to Sri Lanka again to further explore the beautiful country and maybe with skill sets that will truly make a positive impact by medical volunteering once again, thank you Charley, Hirantha Kasun and everybody here in Ceylon. Come visit Hong Kong/ Japan/ Norway/ Sweden!

Thank you for having allowed us to live this unique experience who was very important to do for us during our studies. Your welcome and the welcome from the family was so great. You had an exceptional sense of hospitality. During the training we were able to discover a different health system and new procedure of care at the general hospital kalutara. It was very interesting for us. Thank you again for all that you had made for us. All the small attentions … *king coconuts, reserve of turtle, the local fruits, visit of kalutara and SIH card). Thank you everything, we keep an excellent memory of this training period. It was amazing! - Helene Gaullier, Chloe Fuirce, Pauline Baeard

Firstly of course- THANK YOU! My time in Sri Lanka has been so much fun! From Hasun and his family being warm and welcoming to the ETU, surgical, and operating theater staff being friendly to the dun outings - everything has been pleasant and I’ll cherish it. I truly appreciate all the time and effort you put into planning my stay here. You locked me up from the hospital, gave my friend and I room and board, coordinated my home stay and hospital work, arranged mine and Luka’s outing to Jala National Park. The list goes on! Your hard work does not go unnoticed. I also appreciate the help of Hirantha, Rartltha, and Danushka and everything they did to help make my stay more comfortable. Kasun and his family were AMAZING! Absolutely irresistible! As was the food- Kasun can really cook! The nurses and staff were extremely welcoming. I even went out with a few of them of their day off! Overall it was a pleasant experience. I would overall recommend the hospital to nursing students or nurses who just graduated as i believe the medical placement will be much more beneficial. I am grateful I was able to explore your beautiful country. I hope to return again someday.

I must say I am very very happy with everything I am able to experience here. The hospital work is honestly amazing as in the nurses and doctors as very friendly and try to include me in what they are doing and are explaining as much as possible. I am also very happy with the family I am staying at since they are eternally welcoming and try to fulfill every wish I have. I am glad that they have a child approx. my age so that i don't feel as alone and I think it is very important to place the volunteer somewhere where they have company in their age group. The only thing I am a little sad about is that because Colombo is such a big city the family place is a bit outside everything so it is time consuming to go anywhere after work as I would love to expose a little more of Sri Lanka and see many many more different attractions. Still I am completely pleased with my volunteering experience. Through the family lifestyle I am actually exposed to the Sri Lankan culture and become a little familiar with the language. Therefore, once again a very big thank you. :)

We would like to thank you for your kindness. It was a very good profound experience for us. We felt very lucky to have met all those people at the hospital. We have discovered an other way to care, another culture. The nurses have been benevolent, they surprise us to learn other procedures. It was very interesting for our future job. We felt useful and we have work with nurses with pleasure. The family is very nice, they are doing everything for us. We are so glad to have met them. We are going to miss the. Thank you for everything. We keep an excellent memory of this training period. - The french student nurses. Ludioine Loew Pinnert Mathilde Rostouan Sarah Couraillon Adeline Herr Camille Thion Juliette Cocmet

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!

Though we didn’t spend much time together but I thank you for everything you’ve done for me. Arranging taxi to Yala, taking me back from the airport. I had everything here. I had a great experience in Turtle conservation Program. Also I saw bad scamming of Sri Lankans and good side of them through this trip. I’ve grown a lot wishing to have another chance to be in Sri Lanka doing such meaningful things.

Thank you so much for this wonderful experience! Our stay in panadura has been wonderful and exciting. Without you we would not have been able to experience everything we have done. Eating at mango mango, going to get our uniforms, blue waters and the field clinic. We appreciate your kindness and hospitality :) Hope to see you again in Norway or Sri Lanka. - Kpersti Sundfor Tommerbakke, Lisa Vu, Mant Nilsen, Gina Kornelia Bruun Toruik, Svana Heimisditter Danbolt

Thank you for everything, your generous hospitality, fun sense of humor and your selflessness. I had a great experience here. You are doing great things in this world keep it up. You are an inspiration.

I appreciated the availability of Volunteering Journeys staff during my stay in Cochin. They were very supportive both at school with children, and at home for all our needs and requests. I also liked yoga at Shanti Yoga center. It was one of the most enriching experiences of my life. I would recommend to clean the room (at least sweep it and clean the toilet) at mid-week since it god very dirty. If this is not possible, please provide tools for volunteers to self clean the room. I would also recommend to give more detailed information about teaching program before departure, so that volunteers can already prepare material (e.g.: crafts, colours, plays, etc).

What I like most about the program was developing friendly relationships with the women who participated in the project, other project volunteers, and the project staff. But I do want to share two thoughts that I had on the project itself: 1. The title of the project, "Women's Empowerment" - I think it is a bit misleading. While I do believe that educating women in a useful language (like English) is indeed empowering, I believe there should be more opportunities available to volunteers than just teaching English if Volunteering Journeys chooses to use the project title, "Women's Empowerment." From my understanding, women's empowerment means more than just language skills - it means building skills and knowledge in the areas of health and well-being, computer operations and word-processing, entrepreneurship, etc. While I understand that it takes resources to build programs that focus on these areas, I believe that volunteers are expecting to have the option to participate in these areas if you offer "Women's Empowerment" projects. Until those programs are established in your operations, I suggest re-naming the project to more accurately describe what volunteers actually do: Teaching Women's English Courses. 2. Student placement and related lesson plans - These are two areas that I feel could be improved in order to increase the value of the women's English courses for both the women and the volunteers. I think that I was lucky that the women in the morning class and in the afternoon class were grouped according to their level in English. This helped me plan and structure the day's lesson. However, I was concerned that women in lower levels would not have benefited from my lesson and that we would have no lower-level class to offer. I think to grow the project, you should offer a range of class levels. No matter the class level, consistent lesson structures and progressive lessons that build on previous lessons are best practices. While having volunteers teach about what they know is good in some ways, I think that this leaves the project vulnerable to redundant or repetitive lessons. Without some sense of how a lesson should be structured for the women to gain as much as possible from each lesson, volunteers (many without any teaching experience, like me) are left to their own devices, which could be unhelpful at best and even harmful at worst. I think it would be in everyone's best interest if you designed level-based curriculum with set and progressive lesson plans and structures. While I know this is a lot of work up front, you could always re-use the lesson plans with each new class.

The work place was good and the volunteers were well accepted. They trained us well and the volunteer was interesting, challenging, and important for me, but I only got feedback from one doctor who I was working with. Nurses and other doctors did not talk to me. Experiencing Sri Lanka as a volunteer, I want to explore new job in the field of agriculture. The best experiences I have had while volunteering there were people always smile back to me, I ate different fruits, I met Laurine (another volunteer), and I learned a new culture living with a family. The least enjoyable experiences that I had though were there was no AC at the house and hospital, and few people speak English at the hospital so it was hard to fit and learn more. I think Doctors need to take advantage of volunteers. We came to volunteer to "work" so I was hoping I was going to more helpful.

We were well accepted by the work place and we were trained enough to carry out our assignments. I find the volunteer work interesting, challenging and important in my career, but I haven't received a lot of feedback from the staffs, doctors and nurses of the hospital. It was nice to be able to practice some of my nursing skills, and the host family was very nice. The meals made by the host family were delicious and authentic, however, perhaps more fresh products. I recommend the program to students with clinical experience or new nursing graduates. Those groups of people would benefit the most. Experienced nursing don't learn anything new.

Volunteers were generally accepted but with some exceptions. We received enough training to carry out our assignments. The work was interesting and important but not really challenging for a pre-med student since I opted to observe more as I am under-qualified to carry out certain tools. We were not provided with sufficient feedback by those we work with. The weekend trips and conversing with the staffs at the hospital were the best experience I've had while volunteering. The Wi-Fi at the homestay is (was) a minor problem. Other than that, generally very good. Thank you, Charley and Hivanthi and host family for the amazing hospitality. It was great to explore Sri Lanka and learn many things at the hospital.

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!

Kerala, was always going to be the highlight of our 5 weeks in India, I just knew it, and guess what? It didn't disappoint me. When I say we found the light, I mean that in so many ways. Literally, the light was soft and the sunsets were spectacular as the sun dipped below the skyline over the Indian Ocean. Figuratively ,the light was everywhere, it radiated from people, drew us into cafes and shops, and then tumbled us back out onto the unhurried pedestrian roads for more adventures and laughs in this beautiful city. We arrived at the VJ house late at night in mid-March after a tough couple of weeks in Kolkata, ready to get stuck and have an adventure while we worked with the Women's empowerment program. Kerala though would have none of that, and after meeting our glorious girls, Geetha, Medhu and Gina, and four other volunteers early on Saturday, we began a weekend that seemed to go on forever! Food is a big part of life in Kerala, and Gina is a superb cook, spoiling all volunteers at breakfast and lunch. It seemed important to enjoy your weekends, and every effort was made to ensure everyone had plans in place to do just that. We opted for a trip down south to the backwaters, but not on a houseboat, instead visiting Philipkutty Farm, and feasting on the truely inspired food, cooked by owner Anu, and her family. Riding back on the bus, the light did magic tricks again, or maybe I was just blissed out on what may be the best food I have ever eaten! OK, we did start work on Monday, but true to their word, the staff here make sure you are well set up as volunteers with time to plan, and a cupboard full of resources. We mostly paired up, as everyone knows that it's more fun that way, and headed out to the various sites, ours being the women's empowerment class. I am yet to be convinced that we as volunteers give more than we receive, as every day with VJ, I was challenged and every evening I reflected on how much I had learned, ( or how much light had shone on me!) However meeting these amazing women, 6 each morning, and another 4 each afternoon, I felt that it really mattered to them that we had come to spend time in their world. As many of them had tertiary degrees, ( Kerala has the highest literacy in India), and good English, we involved them in lesson planning, and ended up focusing on speaking. We worked towards doing presentations by the end of the week, and had many laughs, shared food, and all around enlightenment! I loved every moment everywhere in Fort Kochi, and am so glad I found the light!

We had an absolutely remarkable time with Rainbow Voluntours. We were looking for a family volunteering opportunity and came across them in a web search. The director, Ridhi, was invariably thoughtful and responsive in our correspondence, listening to what we were looking for and matching us with a perfect situation. Our family of 6 (four kids, ages 5-13) would be teaching in a school and an after-school program, and I was worried that it would either be too much (i.e., "Here's your class for the week, best of luck!") or too little (i.e., "Sit over in the corner and watch."). It was the perfect balance: making a contribution but not being asked to do too much, with Rainbow Voluntours staff with us every step of the way to help, support, clarify, etc. I was also impressed that they didn't feed us a line about how we were changing the world in a week; I knew going in that *we* would be the ones most changed, and the staff's perspective's was the same: we were making an impact by showing we cared and sharing experiences, which hopefully meant something to a lot of people. The whole staff in Kerala -- Ridhi, Geeta, Midhu -- were wonderful, and it was a transformative experience for our family.

It was the best 3 days in my life and the incredible experience for the kids from 6 to 12 years. exploring the nature, orientation, river sports and cooking on self made fire. Sleeping under the stars with tents. Geting a food from local people and wild food.