Stories - Asia

Abi was training to be a nurse and decided to do something completely different during her summer holiday. "I ABSOLUTELY loved my time working with elephants; I'm considering going back next year after uni to stay for much longer :) I don't really know how to put because it was all ... [ Read more... ]

Mark enjoyed his teaching placement in Fiji so much that he arranged with Lattitude Global Volunteering to extend his stay. His eleven months in the country enabled truly to come to understand the local customs and culture while making many friends.Nestled away in the heart of the Pacific Ocean, ... [ Read more... ]

Lewis Goodgers spent some of his gap year on a voluntary teaching placement in China arranged with Lattitude Global Volunteering. He found that China has got under his skin and believes that his time in the country is now firmly etched in his memory and is the best experience ... [ Read more... ]

<Jennifer Byres spent a month as an intern journalist with the Madurai Messenger in the Tamil Nadu region of southern India. Her placement was arranged with Projects Abroad. She gained valuable experience on her placement as a journalist and not just about journalism. But she also learned much about the ... [ Read more... ]

I'm Rosanna Bartley and my gap year internship in Shanghai was arranged with Projects Abroad.Shangahi is just completely different to England - it takes a couple of days to get used to things, especially the amount of people, in all places, at all times. The supermarket on a weekend was ... [ Read more... ]

"My Fijian journey started about a year before I was due to go on my elective and when I finally got there it certainly did not disappoint! I feel that my elective consisted of three different sections so I will talk about each in turn and share my experience of ... [ Read more... ]

Well finally back from Nepal and had time to reflect on the 6 weeks I spent in this country. I had the good fortune to share my teaching experience with Ben one of the many wonderful volunteers I met while I was there. I wasn't sure if we would have a ... [ Read more... ]

Especially with like minded people who are doing wonderful things around the world.  One such friend is The Abraham Foundation - an inspiring organisation based in New York.  The Foundation's aim is to discover, develop and support grass root conservation initiatives.  They have successfully been doing so for years! ... [ Read more... ]

Geraldine Borg is a psychology graduate and psychotherapist who lives in Malta.  She recently completed a split placement in Madurai, India teaching in the morning and working in an orphanage in the afternoon. I'm not sure how my love for India began, but I do know that I had wanted ... [ Read more... ]

Caroline is a secondary school teacher from London who decided to take a career break for a year and volunteering around the world. "I decided this year that I would like to take a career break. During my year out, I have decided to work in various volunteer projects. ... [ Read more... ]

My name is James Colclough and I went to teach in Thailand over the summer of 2010, which was one of the greatest choices I have ever made. I always wanted to do some volunteering and chose to go to Thailand because I had heard lots of great things ... [ Read more... ]

I chose to be involved in this project as I wanted to get to know a different culture 'from the inside' and I really feel I've achieved this.  The volunteers have made all of us very welcome and have gone out of their way to take us to see the ... [ Read more... ]

I spent from the beginning of January to the end of March 2009 in Madurai, Southern India, pursuing my interest in medicine by doing work experience in a hospital there.I went with a company called Travellers Worldwide, which I found on the Internet while looking for medical work experience abroad. ... [ Read more... ]

It's hard to believe that the start of my volunteering experience was so long ago in 2002 after I'd just graduated from University. Six years on and it's just incredible to see how Travellers' changed my life.Sri Lanka captured my imagination and had everything I was looking for - a ... [ Read more... ]

My experience in Thailand was one I will never forget. The wildlife centre was an amazing place to wake up every morning and the people you meet from all over the world will be friends forever! The combined elephant centre is also well worth doing (an offer almost exclusive with ... [ Read more... ]

Higher competition, due to limited places means that many young people will miss out on a chance to go to university.  Youth development charity Lattitude Global Volunteering has found that many young people decide to volunteer overseas after their A Levels, in order to enhance their chances of further education.Student ... [ Read more... ]

Teaching on Koh Phangan was an amazing experience in a completely different culture. With a very warm welcome and plenty of help from both the PoD staff and the locals, I couldn't have had a better trip. Teaching in the school was challenging, but the kids are so willing to ... [ Read more... ]

My placement with Outreach International at VI Kratie was an absolutely superlative experience and I cannot recommend it highly enough! The work VI does is admirable, and working with the staff there was both entertaining and enlightening. The Kratie centre is the perfect size for an English language volunteer, and ... [ Read more... ]

The Summer Camp in Thailand was the highlight of my university holidays. I met some really lovely people and had an amazing time teaching in all three of the schools. I particularly enjoyed the 2nd school as the kids had great energy and were very enthusiastic. The Thai home stay ... [ Read more... ]

Before I joined Raleigh I was working for a construction recruitment company while I was doing a Masters degree in Victorian Studies at night school. I wanted to take some time out to create a few memories and work on things that I could be proud of. I only really ... [ Read more... ]

Natalie Dilloway took a gap year after college and joined Raleigh's ten week expedition to India working on community, environmental and adventure projects.I wanted to take a gap year after finishing college to gain some life experience and to get some self-confidence and independence. I was first attracted to Raleigh ... [ Read more... ]

Billy Harrington-Roberts is on a one year placement as a volunteer teacher in Thailand.  He is now nearing the end of his time but throughout his stay he has taken a keen interest in the political situation in the country.  His experience will certainly stand him in good stead when ... [ Read more... ]

"Gambe", shouted the Laoban, chinking my bottle of cheap Chinese beer and insisting that I finish what was left. There were smiles and laughter all round followed by his wife placing another pancake full of roast duck in my hand. The Chinese name that I've picked up over here is ... [ Read more... ]

Hari Deakin is currently volunteering at Mahendra Jyoti High School in rural Nepal with 14 other Africa & Asia Venture volunteers. Right from the start Hari has had a fantastic cultural adventure whilst teaching English at her school, including trekking up her first Nepali hill (a mountain by our standards!) ... [ Read more... ]

I had a dilemma during my A levels earlier this year. My previous plans which would have filled up the entire summer were cancelled unexpectedly and I had 2 months free with nothing to keep me busy before university. Being in the middle of revision and A levels, I didn't ... [ Read more... ]

Rowan Gaffney's volunteer experience with The Leap caused her to study for an MSCWhen did you decide to take a gap year and why?In the summer of my second year I decided that when I graduated I would take a gap year. Having enjoyed a break from academic work in ... [ Read more... ]

The experience you will have here will be nothing like you expect it to be, but everything you wanted it to be.Your experience here will be unique to you but influenced by the other Outreach volunteers, your placement, colleagues and friends made along the way, as well as your enthusiasm ... [ Read more... ]

When I decided to sign up to spend three months teaching in a remote community living in the foothills of the Himalayas, I had no idea what I had let myself in for.  I was given lots of information, talked to people who had been there and watched films about ... [ Read more... ]

I arrived in Mongolia after the longest period of non-stop travel that I have ever embarked upon until this point in my rather short life. Having been ushered through the Mongolian "security" I moved in to the reception area where two men greeted me. I was tired and as they ... [ Read more... ]

Anyone that wouldn't admit to feeling slightly apprehensive about their first trip to China would probably be lying. After all, what we know is that it's still officially Communist, the language is apparently one of the hardest in the world to learn, and that pretty much everything we buy is ... [ Read more... ]