Volunteer Abroad Programs

Participating in the Amazon Research Assistant program was everything I hoped it would be. While I met amazing people who were in or creating careers as biologists, my career background is different and my goal was to come and make a positive impact while getting to see sides of the Amazon forest that a random tourist may not see – best part is there is plenty of time on the weekends to see all that a tourist would see too! It also necessary to note that the area always felt quite safe – keeping common sense safety tips in mind and if any issues or troubles arouse the program staff were unbelievably fast to handle it completely – seriously within minutes the issues would be resolved. My only wish is that I was staying longer as the activities cycle and I would have like to repeat some of the activities both to see my own improvements and to get the chance to see some areas again!

I had a wonderful time volunteering with IVHQ in South Korea. I volunteered in a soup kitchen. I met amazing people from around the world and I learned about the amazing country of South Korea and its wonderful people.

My summer in the Dominican Republic was unlike anything I've ever done. It was a true immersion, and even though it is marketed that way, words cannot really relay to what extent it truly is. I lived with locals, like a local, and it was the most difficult thing I've ever done. AMIGOS gives volunteers ample training and briefing, and has very rigid safety guidelines that made me feel safe throughout. However, what made this experience so unique to me was how little my hand was held when it came to figuring out how to be a leader and create a meaningful experience for myself. It is up to you, the volunteer, to do this, and create your own motives and take your own initiative. AMIGOS set me up so well to do this. I've never felt like I've actually "grown" so much from an experience. I sincerely feel my outlook on life has changed—I appreciate smaller moments, and feel more perceptive to my surroundings. I feel humble and happy. But keep in mind the Immerse program model is not for the weak. To have a meaningful experience, you must be able to self-motivate, or at least be willing to learn how to self-motivate, when days can be long and difficult. The ultimate reward for me on this program were the smallest breakthroughs: understanding a conversation well, meeting a new person in the community, picking mangos from trees, or being toured around by children. I'd strongly recommend this program to anyone who wants to be changed.

The Maximo Nivel team was always so generous and supportive during my stay. I experienced some sickness during my stay, but the team helped me out so much and took great care of me! In my volunteering I had so many awesome experiences and much fun 😁

It was always my dream to see cheetahs up close and personal, and, oh boy, did I get my dream come true at Cheetah Experience! Not only I was able to watch these magnificent animals, I also was taking care of them and, most importantly, I had a chance to connect with them. I felt so happy at Cheetah Experience that my cheeks hurt from constant smiling 😂 They also have many other beautiful animals such as servals, caracals, leopards and lions and I definitely know where I will spend my next vacation. I can't wait to be back there!

I strongly recommend that anyone wanting to do humanitarian work in Nepal go with VIN. I went as an osteopath to volunteer in Okhaldhunga region. I was there for 3 weeks. We went to marginalized villages to treat people and to give public health information. The organization is clear and the supervisors are always there if needed. The association provided me with food and accommodation, and a translator was with our group every day so we could communicate with the locals. I am very happy with this organization and highly recommend it.

My first time travelling and i couldn´t be happier having chosen to volunteer with IVHQ. They organise so many amazing free activities, and are great with their support. Everyone is so kind and always eager to help.

My time spent volunteering in Vietnam has taught me not only about the Vietnamese culture but also about the cultures of the volunteers that I befriended. My time in Vietnam has taught me to never assume without seeing it for yourself. Initially, I had thought that it would be difficult to adjust in a place that I had never stepped foot in before. Yet, by the end of my trip, I was hoping that I could secretly extend my stay. I felt more homesick coming back to my actual home than when I first landed in Vietnam. The coordinators, the volunteers, and the locals helped make my experience smooth and fun. Thank you, Vietnam, and thank you, to all the coordinators that helped make this possible, for teaching me that it's not always so scary to step outside of your comfort zone.

This summer I worked with a company called GLA and took a group of about 30 high school students on this program and both me and the students were so happy with the experience! We got to spend 2 weeks on the beach and working with local doctors and nurses to provide healthcare to underserved communities. The students were able to witness and serve both Dominican and Hatian communities and learn the importance of global health and human security. Additionally, we worked on building a local clinic for the same communities to have full time access to free healthcare! What an amazing transformative experience!!

From meeting a bunch of new people where I got to make a bunch of new friends with people from all over the country to traveling to this amazing place I couldn’t have asked for a better trip. In the trip getting the experience of staying on a small island where we stayed in tents close to the beach was probably one of the coolest things. I think I liked it so much because that isn’t something I would get the opportunity to do if I just travelled by myself or with my family to Fiji. I think this program also did an amazing job of letting us interact with the locals who were some of the most welcoming people I have ever met. From where we stayed and one of our program leaders being a local, to when we were volunteering and the locals would help us practice the Fijian we had learned, and getting to hang out with the local kids and play games with them it was a really cool experience that I was glad I got to have. Back on the mainland we got to meet another group of locals and kids when we did more service in a local community digging out a spot for a compostable toilet and pouring a walking path all to help with sanitation in the area. I would say if you like meeting new people, experiencing a new culture, talking to the locals, amazing views, good food, fun activities, and doing service work this trip checks all of those boxes perfectly!

I really have no words for the amount of joy and happiness I felt on this trip to Japan I really enjoyed every second. From the city to the mountains I felt I got to experience all of what Japan had to offer and it still left me wanting more. I made so many friends along the way too it was truly incredible

I was doing a volunteering at voluntours colombia for 2 weeks. I picked something where I am supposed to work and help with rescued dogs from the street. I got picked up from the airport by their personal driver. When I arrived Simon and Laura explained everthing else while having lunch. I found out they had more fundations than just the dogs, for example: teaching english to children and even prison inmates. At the beginning i just wanted to work with the dogs but these experiences they offerd sounded to amazing to say no. So most days i spent time with the dogs. Feed them, brush them and of course... give them some love. Everyone was more jealous then the one before. Of course you have dogs there who had a rough time before, but i think because of this programm and all the love they get, they are still very sweet and get better every day. Except for the dogs which was already amazing, i didnt think that i would also visit a colombian prison or teach english to children. But for everybody searching for an unforgettable experience and wanting to see a new culture, just book your trip!

I volunteered here after visiting the Gaza Camp in Jerash, but given the current situation in Hebron, I had no idea what to expect when I arrived in the city. Any worries were instantly squashed upon arrival. Mr. Muhanned (the project coordinator) met me on the street, showed me around HQ and my accommodation which was very comfortable and had everything you could need. After some rest, I went out to walk the streets of Hebron and had fallen in love with the place within the hour. The kindness and hospitality of the locals was overwhelming. They were beyond friendly, and I had soon been bought dinner, two desserts and even had my grocery shop paid for (these offers were impossible to refuse). I made multiple friends on night one, friends I've continued to see all week. Days here begin with a good breakfast with welcoming smiles. The staff here are incredible, and you instantly feel at home. On the first day we went to a nearby refugee camp, both a heartbreaking and incredibly valuable experience. I spoke with and answered questions to an elderly long-term resident who taught me so much. But given the fact that all the staff here have lived under this occupation their whole lives, they are all a wealth of knowledge and have so many stories to tell. For a curious mind, you will never stop learning. Dalia's Arabic classes (usually at the end of the day) were always a highlight. She is a lovely human and a great teacher. The English classes and cultural exchanges were an incredible experience for me, a great exercise in human connection and skill building (and of course more knowledge gathering). Everybody I met taught me something new, and everybody was so excited to learn about Australia and the cultural differences. This program is a wonderful opportunity for those who want to volunteer in Palestine without putting themselves at risk. I have not felt unsafe a single moment in Hebron while surrounded by the wonderful Palestinian's. In fact, I have never felt safer than I do here with these beautiful people. They consider your safety and comfort their duty to ensure. You will make life-long friends, learn so much and have your heart filled, broken and filled again dozens of times a day. I consider this to be perhaps the greatest experience of my life so far. I love it here, and you will too.

Honestly I was so scared going into a country thousands of miles away from my family with people I never really met, but Rustic Pathways made the experience feel so safe. First they have group zoom meeting with the other kids going on the same trip, so kids like myself could feel less uncomfortable if we weren’t completely strangers. What stood out to me was that there was another kid who already did the trip, but helped us understand what we could expect making the experience more comfortable. The staff watching over us were so passionate about keeping us safe, educated, and having a fun experience. What also stood out was making sure that the kids with dietary restrictions still had food that was enjoyable. I remember when we ate at a restaurant the staff brought gluten free ingredients like sauces for the chef to cook with just in case they didn’t have a gluten free menu. The experience itself was so much fun that I never really was on my phone besides calling my family before bed. I remember when all us kids missed our pets so much, but couldn’t pet stray dogs or cats; so they somehow managed to fit a cat cafe into our tight schedule. The staff always check on us to make sure we are comfortable and having fun which made the experience so great. And they got to educate us about the kingdom, the religions, the forests/plants, the history of Thailand, the food, the animals, the beliefs, the language, and so much more. Honestly I wished that I found out about this program when I was 13, so I could go on more teen trips. It truly was my favorite memory of all time and I really do hope to have more experiences like I did for the future.

My week on Rustic Pathways’s turtle conservation trip was an incredible vessel in exposing me to conservation opportunities. My time in Costa Rica was mainly spent in Camaronal Wildlife Refuge, participating in activities to benefit the turtles who find themselves on their beaches. I have always loved marine conservation, and it was a dream come to to be able to safely interact with sea turtles through night walks. The conversations I had with the refuge guide as well as seeing the impact of the work we did solidified this commitment to conservation.

We came as a family of four to Cusco to participate in the Indigenous Communities Umasbamba project and had an amazing time. It was an awesome experience for our kids, who are 15 and 13, to see how other people live out their daily lives. We would recommend this project to anyone.

Spending four weeks volunteering with IPBio in the Brazilian Amazon was one of the most extraordinary and meaningful experiences of my life. I arrived with no scientific background, simply driven by my love of nature, my curiosity, and my desire to experience the Amazon rainforest in an authentic way. I left with so much more than I could ever have imagined. Throughout the program, I participated in a wide range of biodiversity research activities, discovering fascinating aspects of wildlife, insects, plants, fungi, and the incredible ecosystems of the Amazon. Every day brought something new to learn. One of my favorite memories was Fish Monitoring, when we had to get out of our boat and push it through the muddy waters of the Amazon to reach our research sites. It was adventurous, challenging, and absolutely unforgettable! But what surprised me most was how this experience completely changed the way I look at nature. Before coming here, I had never really taken the time to appreciate the smallest details of the natural world. Through scientific observations and photography, I discovered an entire universe hidden right in front of our eyes. I even caught myself finding a tiny spider adorable because it looked like it was wearing a little motorcycle helmet! Something I would never have imagined before. The IPBio team deserves enormous recognition. Imran, Martha, Marleen, and everyone involved were welcoming, passionate, knowledgeable, and incredibly supportive. Even without a scientific background, I always felt included and encouraged to learn. Their ability to make complex scientific subjects understandable and fascinating is one of the program's greatest strengths. Beyond the scientific experience, these four weeks also gave me something deeply personal. Spending time in the rainforest helped me reconnect with myself, reflect on my life, and realize just how much I belong in nature. I genuinely believe this adventure came at exactly the right moment in my life. Of course, there are a few practical aspects that could be improved, particularly transportation between the volunteer house and Alter do Chão, which sometimes limits spontaneity and independence. I would also have loved more opportunities to spend nights immersed in the rainforest. But these are small considerations compared with everything this experience gave me. I learned, explored, laughed, met wonderful people, and created memories I will carry with me forever. Would I do it again? Without hesitation. Would I recommend IPBio? Absolutely. I came to the Amazon hoping to discover an extraordinary natural environment, and I left having also discovered a part of myself. Thank you, IPBio, from the bottom of my heart!

Once I decided to volunteer, IVHQs website helped me easily arrange the rest. I chose Cambodia as I had been there before and thought this was a good place to start my volunteering journey. As an older single traveller i needed to feel safe about what I was doing. I have the confidence now to go anywhere with IVHQ. All the inclusions, information and arrangements as part of the program all happened as IVHQ said it would.

I had the amazing time with Floating Doctors in Panama. Managed to see first hand how One Health approach in remote communities. Being a vet myself, it was an amazing for me to both learn and contribute. Rewarding but challenging, Floating Doctors is achieving a tremendous, community-led change.

What an experience, and what gratitude from the people around me, and the love I received from the animals. Unforgettable – and I’ll definitely be back. Thank you to Rhiana and Ute for all your hard work there and for letting me be part of it. ❤️