“What areas did you like about our website? I thought it was very user friendly and easy to manage. The pictures were beautiful and it was very well laid out. I liked reading other volunteer\&#39 s feedbacks too. How did you find the pre departure booklet given to you and the service of the staff in regards to answering your questions and helping you prepare? Good. Everyone was very quick to respond and the Facebook Group was helpful too. Did you enjoy working at your project / placement? Yes I really enjoyed it. The kids were so cute affectionate and eager to learn. Accommodation and meals The meals were very good - wholesome healthy and satisfying. What was the highlight of your volunteering experience and your trip? This has been an unforgettable experience ! I loved working with the children. Some of them had such vibrant personalities. I also loved my trip to Varanasi - such a huge culture change and so interesting to see.”

Helpful Report

Posted 12 years ago

“How did you find the pre departure booklet given to you and the service of the staff in regards to answering your questions and helping you prepare? I was very happy with the packet. Everyone involved with our questions and preparation was great! Did you enjoy working at your project / placement? I loved it so much! I will miss the kids! I think it was the perfect place for us. Easy transportation nice place to eat on break. Accommodation and meals We got the best room in the house! We loved eating here and the people who prepare the meals are wonderful! Coordinator Rajiv and Priya were perfectly wonderful! I felt so comfortable here I kept referring to it as home! I will never forget their warm friendship and hospitality! Thank you! They have the biggest hearts in the world! What was the highlight of your volunteering experience and your trip? Staying in such a great home with great people! The children! The friendships :) we will miss you all! Would you recommend this program and our organization to others? yes/no Thank you so much for your constant help &amp direction. We would have been lost without you and your wife&#39 s suggestions and friendship. You have the best hearts and you treat your guests perfectly! I felt like I was in a 5 star hotel!! Thank you both!! I will miss you!”

Helpful Report

Posted 12 years ago

“How did you find the pre departure booklet given to you and the service of the staff in regards to answering your questions and helping you prepare? Very Helpful and complete. No complaints at all. Did you enjoy working at your project / placement? I absolutely loved it. It was a life changing experience even over such a brief period of time. Accommodation and meals Excellent we were extremely lucky. We were comfortable and ate well. Coordinator Awesome experience good food Rajiv knew everything we needed to know. The travel was great it was nice to see the country side. No complaints at all. What was the highlight of your volunteering experience and your trip? The satisfaction of seeing the children happy and learning also to know that they loved us. Would you recommend this program and our organization to others? yes/no Yes. Thanks for helping us!”

Helpful Report

Posted 12 years ago

“How did you find the pre departure booklet given to you and the service of the staff in regards to answering your questions and helping you prepare? I found the staff extremely helpful pre departure. All my emails were answered in a timely manner and any extra help I needed was provided. For example I needed help with my visa forms and all my questions were answered making it much easier to deal with the visa process. I really liked the section in the pre-departure guide about India customs. I learned a lot of things about social interactions that I wouldn&rsquo t otherwise have known. It would have been more helpful to have the packing section more season specific. Jeans and t-shirts were recommended Did you enjoy working at your project / placement? I really loved working at the Children&rsquo s Centre in Palampur. I learned a lot about how to work with people despite language barriers both from directing the kids activities and working in tandem with the teacher and assistant. At times I felt like a circus ringmaster but it was really rewarding when the kids demonstrated that they had learned something I taught them. Accommodation and meals The accommodation was really great! Bobby and his family were very friendly and willing to accommodate us. The meals were okay What was the highlight of your volunteering experience and your trip? I really loved working with the children especially when they started to respond to the games and activities I was teaching them. It was amazing to see how much the kids would pick up on! I also really enjoyed all the weekend trips we took especially when Bobby and Amit took the time to take us to Manali for the weekend Would you recommend this program and our organization to others? yes/no I would definitely recommend this program to other potential volunteers. I really learned a lot about how to communicate with people who do not speak my language and I do not think this is something I could have experienced without leaving home. The staff was also fantastic and very dedicated. I really liked every aspect of the program.”

Helpful Report

Posted 12 years ago

“What areas did you like about our website? The website was easy to navigate and had a nice simple layout. Programs were explained well enough. How did you find the pre departure booklet given to you and the service of the staff in regards to answering your questions and helping you prepare? Pre departure booklet was informative and helped in clarifying a lot of my questions. Sahil was very quick at answering my questions and none went unanswered. Did you enjoy working at your project / placement? The placement was really good. The kids were great! I had a lot of fun and it wasn&#39 t too hard since there were other volunteers and teachers there. Accommodation and meals No problems with the accommodations and meals. Everything we needed was here. Meals were healthy and efforts were made to keep the volunteers comfortable. Coordinator Rajiv was great. Always had a smile on his face and willing to help. Very approachable and accommodating. What was the highlight of your volunteering experience and your trip? Highlight of my trip was meeting really wonderful people from all over the world. Would you recommend this program and our organization to others? yes/no YES. As my first international volunteering experience i thought it was great. Golden Triangle Tour Great Fun. Learnt and saw a lot. Air conditioned hotels were also a nice bonus. Itinerary was good not too tiring.”

Helpful Report

Posted 12 years ago

“What areas did you like about our website? Testimonials and FAQ\&#39 s How did you find the pre departure booklet given to you and the service of the staff in regards to answering your questions and helping you prepare? The booklet gave a detailed list of Indian customs and the staff responded to emails quickly. Did you enjoy working at your project / placement? Very much. Accommodation and meals Accommodations were great and the food was tasty. A bit more variety needed. Coordinator Bobby and Amit are very enthusiastic. They are helpful friendly generous and genuinely care about the work we are doing. They are doing a great job. What was the highlight of your volunteering experience and your trip? Our weekend trip to Manali with the team was fun and everyday time spent with the kids was very rewarding. Would you recommend this program and our organization to others? yes/no YES”

Helpful Report

Posted 12 years ago

“Pre Departure Information and Contact The pre-departure information was quite helpful for me to have a better understanding regarding my accommodation in India Indian culture food and traditions and my duties while volunteering in this country. Besides it gave me a glimpse of how dedicated and professional the Volunteering Solutions Organization is making me more confident about the decision of coming to India as a volunteer. Arrival and Airport Pick up My flight got a bit delayed yet as soon as I picked up my luggage and went out there was Rajiv with his big smile waiting for me. He recognized me instantly and gave me a warm welcoming to India making me feel at home instantly. Did you enjoy working at your project / placement? I worked at the Day Care Center of Palampur where the kids received me with a huge smile. That let me know that they are happy and very well taken care of. They are very smart and eager to learn. The teachers are dedicated and seem to enjoy what they do. Always looking for new things to improve the project and to help the kids to learn their lessons. There is of course a lot more that need to be done to improve the facilities so the children can enjoy of a good education while being in a safe and clean space. Overall I can say I have had the time of my life working with these kids. I feel I made the right choice by coming up here. All I can say is that the long trip that took me up here was worth it. The kids laughter and the way they enjoy their lives has given me a new sense in life. I am already missing them. Accommodation and meals The house I stayed as well as the facilities are very comfortable. The family that inhabits the house have treated me as if I were part of the family making me feel at home all the time. I was a bit concerned about the spicy Indian food but I told them and they got it all fixed for me. So I have been eating excellent food during my staying here as well. Coordinator The coordinator of the program Bobby was always there to help me clear out any doubt as well as to listen to suggestions. Also he gave me free space to use my creativity to work with the kids and in the Center. Would you recommend this program and our organization to others? yes/no YES Palampur is a magical place. The people are kind and very friendly. Plus the surroundings are beautiful and filled with peace.”

Helpful Report

Posted 12 years ago

“What areas did you like about our website? I liked that it was so easy to use and that it is simple and informative at the same time. How did you find the pre departure booklet given to you and the service of the staff in regards to answering your questions and helping you prepare? The booklet was a good way to get to know about India and the details of the program. It would be nice if you could make a small section about weather and clothing. The staff was very helpful when I had problems with my Visa before leaving Denmark they were very fast at sending whatever papers the embassy requested whenever they would come up with another request. Did you enjoy working at your project / placement? I worked at 3 different placements during my stay in Palampur Gyandeep school and the Daycare center.Since teaching at the school was my goal in going to India I enjoyed that the most. Accommodation and meals The accommodation at Bobby&#39 s was way above expected very good! The food was awesome too. Coordinator Absolutely great and made the whole volunteer experience even better than it already was! Gonna miss them :) What was the highlight of your volunteering experience and your trip? I also enjoyed to teach at two different schools so I got to experience both a big and a small institution. Would you recommend this program and our organization to others? yes/no Yes I enjoyed my stay very much and I am sure others will as well.”

Helpful Report

Posted 12 years ago

Volunteer in India Reviews