GIVE Volunteers Reviews 

Traveling with GIVE to Laos was single handedly the most impactful and fulfilling traveling I have ever experienced. I know that before my trip I was full of concerns regarding traveling the world on my own and volunteering in different countries in a respectful and helpful way. I’m happy to say that this trip exceeded my expectations for meaningful volunteering and sustainable practices! What I wasn't expecting was the lifelong friendships and powerful connections I made with not only my fellow volunteers but also the amazing and strong people of Sop Chem. The connections GIVE has with these local communities is inspiring, and whether it was teaching English, shoveling sand, or sharing a beautiful dinner with the community on our last night, I truly felt welcomed in these places that months ago would have seemed so foreign to me. A special thank you to all the incredible GIVE guides, they will be there to support you through every stomach ache, tear shed, and beautiful moment experienced, you all truly made Laos all the more impactful and special. Yes it was very hot, and there will be moments that push you way out of your comfort zone, but if you are looking for a meaningful and life changing volunteer experience, GO TO LAOS WITH GIVE!!

Traveling to Hawaii with GIVE was one of the best experiences of my life. The people I met on the trip, ranging from the incredibly down-to-earth guides and the other passionate volunteers, are some of my dearest friends and I hope to stay in touch with them for the rest of my life. Immersing myself in the local culture of Hawaii’s big island allowed me to embrace a new cultural environment and learn from the steward and caretakers of the beautiful āina. Having been on this trip and making so many incredible friends, I would definitely recommend going on a GIVE trip to anyone and everyone who’s even slightly interested. It may just change your life forever. I know it did for me. Thank you Liv, Jayden, Carly, and Traven for welcoming me to go on this wonderful journey and allowing me to learn more about the people and culture of beautiful Hawaii.

GIVE Volunteers goes above and beyond to make every project and trip participant feel valued and inspired. This program pushes you to think deeply about your role in the world and the impact you can make. An unforgettable experience—absolutely recommend it!

GIVE has been one of the best experiences for me while traveling. They allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and meet new people at my Hawai’i trip. At first, I had no clue what I was getting into and was a little nervous at first. But my amazing GIVE guides created an unforgettable experience I had with other volunteers who I consider my ohana (family).

I always have such a great time on these trips. Even on this trip, which I thought would be more self-serving in nature as it was primarily about getting open water scuba certified but i was very impressed with out GIVE integrated their idea of "responsible tourism" into the Scuba course as we learned about coral reef & wildlife and what we can to preserve the oceans, as we would now be active members of this community. And even on this excursion we got to spend time volunteering with children at the local school, and it is always just my favorite thing in the world to put smiles on kids' faces and hear their contagious laughter. It was truly an amazing experience, my only complaint is that it was not long enough!

Being on this experience with a group of like-minded individuals made my trip so special. I found a community that helped me push myself outside of my comfort zone, which only made me feel more empowered and helped me realize I can do anything I set my mind to. It was so rewarding seeing how much postive change our group was able to make in local communities. I am so grateful to GIVE for giving me the opportunity to travel with purpose. I can't wait for my next GIVE trip!

When I first found out about GIVE, I was a little worried. I have never done anything like this before and it would be with a bunch of strangers. I didn’t think I would be able to make friends and have all of these experiences in the matter of one week. Little did I know I have became a part of this family with memories that last a life time and I was taught the right way to traveling. Seeing the before and after of your work on this trip makes you feel something magical. Even though you are just one person in a world of many, you have helped an entire community and have brought smiles to others, and even bringing a smile to your own face. You learn of a new way of living, you see other perspectives and you may even face your fears of bugs. To end this review of, whatever reason it is that your here and reading these reviews, just know that there is a reason your here and this GIVE trip might just solve all your problems.

First, I want to address a few concerns that some people I met had about the Laos GIVE trip. The trip cost and traveling across the world alone. I believe that this experience was invaluable and it was something that I will forever hold close to my heart. If cost is a problem for you I would recommend fundraising for your trip. I appreciate being informed during my trip of where my money was going. The logistics like accommodations, transportation, food and activities are all covered with the trip price. Most importantly, GIVE does a wonderful job of using those funds to support local businesses and people everywhere you go throughout the trip. By going on this trip you get to support the local people of Laos so they can provide for their families and make a living. One thing I appreciate about GIVE is that they push you out of your comfort zone. During this trip you will experience personal growth, discover new insights about the world and gain a fresh and meaningful outlook on life. Traveling across the world to a country you know nothing about can be intimidating, but once you arrive in Laos you will be greeted by the nicest guides that will make you feel like you are home. Also, you get to meet other like-minded volunteers that you will get very close with on the trip.
There has been so much to reflect on after returning home from the Laos GIVE trip. The local guides make this experience so special by having connections and relationships with people in the communities that you visit. Experiencing the Lao culture was an incredible adventure. The kindness and warmth of the people make you feel welcomed, like you're in a second home. Their genuine hospitality creates a special bond. You'll stay in a remote village for the majority of the trip, where you'll be fully immersed into the culture and live alongside the locals. You will have the chance to teach English to kids, helping create a brighter future for them. You'll also get involved in local projects like permaculture and construction work that makes you feel like you are a part of something greater than yourself. Along with all of that, you'll get to experience the everyday lives of the men and women of the village that work hard to weave, fish and farm rice. You'll learn so much from the locals and guides about the history, traditions, and way of life of the village. You'll encounter a different way of life, characterized by hard work and resilience. Though it can be challenging, its clear how much joy they find in their simplicity. The strong sense of community is something you'll never forget, and the love they have for one another is evident. Their lifestyle is genuinely inspiring, and I hope to bring a piece of that back to my own community. The bonds and connections I formed with the locals will always hold a special place in my heart, and I know that if I return, I'll always have another home away from home. Thank you GIVE Volunteers for this life changing experience!

This was the most impactful and educational trip I have ever been on! I had so much fun while learning about conservation for many different topics, like elephant conservation and coral conservation. I have never experienced anything like travelling with GIVE, and I will remember it forever!

I have now done two trips through GIVE to Costa Rica and Tanzania. They have both been the most life changing, empowering, transformative experiences. Being able to travel with a purpose and meet like-minded people has been so incredibly special. The guides I have had are absolutely amazing. They truly care about each volunteer and their well-being, and the local guides are so happy to share their home and culture with you. It is an experience like no other, being able to actually immerse yourself in the local culture and get to truly know the community. They do a perfect mix of volunteer work and fun activities, and are always working to make it educational and impactful!

GIVE's Tanzania program is a fantastic two-week trip where you learn about the culture and wildlife from a local community. I signed up for the trip because of all of the recommendations from my past guides and fellow volunteers and it defied my expectations! On the first day and throughout the trip, we learned about the history of Zanzibar and had opportunities to learn about Kairo and the people who live there. We spent 8 days in Kairo on Zanzibar, getting to know the locals, eating delicious food cooked by Chef Anaur, teaching English, and doing construction. There was an adventure day between each two days of education and construction, and the trip ended with two days of safari in mainland Tanzania. I'm especially grateful for Kasha, Smile, Tahla, BigHead, Amore, MC, Cau, and Baboi for being excellent guides and staff who taught me about the culture and supported me throughout the trip!

This GIVE experience changed my life and was completely unforgettable. Our guides, P’Chiarra, P’Dee, P’Pohn Pohn and P’Anne made this trip magical and so so special. It taught me the importance of ethical tourism and that we all have to do our part in educating ourselves on these issues that could hurt our beautiful world. It helped me realize that I could be part of a smaller ripple that could make a bigger wave. I plan to share my experience to inspire others by educating others about ecotourism and the mission that GIVE dedicates themselves too. I want others to be able to see experience everything me and my group did and see how beautiful our world can be when we step out of our comfort zones and take that leap. Thank you GIVE for the best trip of my entire life and for changing the perspective of my life. This company made me realize how I want to move forward with my own career and do my own part in this mission.

This trip was life-changing! I learned so much about myself and the world, inspiring me to continue making a difference in the lives of others and the planet. Leaving the trip, I came home with immense knowledge, unforgettable memories, and lifelong friends.

Traveling to Hawaii with GIVE was the best experience of my life. Going to a place like Hawaii and experiencing the culture in a way most people will never get to was such a blessing. The trip opened up my eyes and reminded me that the world is much bigger than my life I am so used to back home. A goal of mine is to force myself out of my comfort zone, and this trip definitely helped me do that. I was a bit nervous going into the trip, navigating an airport alone for the first time and spending so much time with strangers. But do not let those nerves hold you back at all!! Taking this step was the best decision I’ve ever made. I was able to meet the most incredible people that I now consider close friends. I learned so much about sustainability and how to steward the Earth, as well as so much about myself and my passions. This trip exceeded all my expectations and I could not recommend traveling with GIVE enough :)

This trip was an amazing experience! I found forever friends with the other people that went on my trip and my guides were amazing. Shoutout to P'Ann, P'Dee, and P'Phon for creating a once in a lifetime experience. They are genuinely some of the kindest and most caring people I've ever met. They made me feel safe and cared for in a new environment. I can't rave about them enough. The trip itself was also such an amazing experience. Being up close to all the elephants and learning about the Thai culture was unbelievable and I can't wait to go on another GIVE trip soon!

Traveling with GIVE was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Being welcomed into the communities in Thailand and having the opportunity to truly immerse myself in their culture was an experience I’ll never forget. The connections I made—both with the locals and fellow volunteers—were genuine and meaningful. Working on projects that directly benefit the community gave me a real sense of purpose and showed me just how much of an impact you can have, even in a short amount of time. It was inspiring, humbling, and incredibly fulfilling. I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.

This was the most amazing experience I’ve ever had. The guides, the people, the place was everything and more. GIVE was great to work with when booking everything, they always were quick to get back and helpful when navigating through issues. It’s through GIVE that you are able to see the world and accomplish more than just visiting it. You immerse yourself in the culture and feel at home for the entire trip. Guides make the group feel whole and encourage us to push out of our comfort zones and make those connections. I will forever be thankful for this organization and cannot wait for my next trip!

The trip was amazing and gave a full view of all parts of elephant life. It also immersed you in Thai culture through the lives of the local guides. So many friendships were made and every day was so much fun.

This was an inspiring, unforgettable, and life changing experience. I had so many amazing experiences with the guides, the locals, and my fellow volunteers that I will treasure for a lifetime. I went to Thailand expecting to meet fun people and go on cool excursions, like caving and elephant trekking, but I left with so much more than that. I was given the opportunity to live among locals and experience their culture in a way that I had never imagined. I learned that where many Americans think people live difficult and unhappy lives, people are actually much happier and able to support themselves just using the world around them and living sustainably. This trip did contain hard parts, like farming and building a greenhouse, and enduring difficult weather conditions like extreme heat and rain, so if you are not up for it, it might not be the best fit. However, if you are willing to look past few inconveniences, it is worth it to watch the communities you visit benefit from your hard work and use these experiences to improve your own life. I would 100% recommend it to anyone searching for an incredible experience.

WILD was truly an amazing experience. This was my first Give trip and to be quite honest, when the time came to start packing for this trip I was regretting it. But Give proved me SO incredibly wrong. This was the most influential, beautiful, life-filling trip for me. Expanding my leadership is something I don't casually do, especially as as student I just go about my days...but being in Meany Lodge with this wonderful group of humans and even more awesome guides Carly Jo and John was something I will never forget! I mean seriously, all the laughs, the inspiring stories, and true connection was something that changed my perspective on life. I am so excited to do another trip soon!