Volunteer Stories
We believe that the only people who can give you a true impression of Travel to Teach are our volunteers. Most of our volunteer stories are published in the Travel to Teach Newsletter , but are also concentrated on this page.
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Paul
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Nongkhai, Thailand
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November to December 2009 | |
| So on the 6th of November, late in the evening, I arrived at the volunteer house of the local organisation, 'Travel-to-Teach' in Nong Khai; a small town in the North-East of Thailand along the Mae Kong river, that runs between Laos and Thailand. | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Paul | |||
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Hanna
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Meanguera Island, El Salvador
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September to November 2009 | |
| After I finished my schooling I still didn’t really know what I want to do with my life. Travel to Teach offered me the perfect solution and above all an affordable opportunity to escape... | ||||
| Read more. | ||||
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Chris
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Temple Teaching, Thailand
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January - February 2009 | |
| I'm coming in to the last week of my temple stay so this seems like a good time to write my blog so I can then relax for the rest of my stay... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Chris | |||
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Emily
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Luang Prabang, Laos
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September to December 2009 | |
| I volunteered with Travel to Teach for three months and it was truly one of the best experiences of my life. Prior to my trip, I did a large amount of research on several NGO’s and volunteer organizations offering the kind of experience I was looking for and then I came across T2T... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Emily | |||
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Lotta
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Gianyar, Bali
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October to November 2008 | |
| I set out from a cold and wet autumn in the south of Sweden, and headed towards the greatest adventure I’ve ever experienced.... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Lotta | |||
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Vic
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Mae Hong Son, Thailand
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August 2009 | |
| If you are looking for a unique and rewarding experience, and you like being independent, getting away from the crowds and experiencing life with the locals, then Mae Hong Son is the ideal choice for you. | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Vic | |||
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Louise
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Zheng Zhou, China
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December 09 to May 2010 | |
| I’ve always wanted to work as a volunteer and because of my passion for the Asian culture I decided to combine the two... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Louise | |||
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Leonie
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Xalapa, Mexico
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March - April 07 | |
| This was my first time in Mexico, my first time away on my own and my first time teaching and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience than I had in Xalapa.... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Leonie | |||
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Carla
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Sikar, India
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August - September 2009 | |
| I had always dreamt of going to India. My mother said that I was still too young, however this year I suggested it and her answer was that I could go. My dream had come true. | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Carla | |||
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Dorine
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Chiang Mai, Thailand
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January - March 09 | |
| My original plan was to stay in Nong Khai for 3 months. It was a good thing coordinator Rick convinced me to spend some time in another city as well. I ended up spending eight weeks in Nong Khai and four in Chiang Mai. I enjoyed every single day.... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Dorine | |||
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Adam
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Sikar, India
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August - September 2009 | |
| When I decided to go to India I had no idea what to expect; I had heard stories from some people about the larger organizations that charged huge sums, placed the volunteers in camps isolated from the local population and where the volunteer work did little good... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Adam | |||
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Klara
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Vang Vieng, Laos
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January to May 2009 | |
| Making the decision to volunteer during my gap year was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It gave the perfect opportunity to explore a different culture and meet people you wouldn’t meet if you didn’t live as a part of the community. | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Klara | |||
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Katie
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Jiangsu, China
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August - September 2009 | |
| I really enjoyed participating in the University camp. I felt very welcome when I arrived. I was not sure what to expect from the University camp, so I was a bit nervous but still excited on my first day... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Katie | |||
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Alice and Tayla
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Kathmandu, Nepal
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June - July 09 | |
| Finishing our placement at Mt. Makalu has been heartbreaking. The kids there are filled with life and such an eagerness to learn... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Alice and Tayla | |||
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Lorraine
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Sichuan, China
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February - March 2009 | |
| My volunteer project was for 4 weeks in Mian Yang Experimental Primary School. I gave oral lessons to students in Grades 3-6, 32 lessons in total. In a day there would usually be 2-4 classes, lasting for about 40 minutes each.... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Lorraine | |||
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Michael
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Temple Teaching, Thailand
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April - May 2009 | |
| I decided to volunteer in Nongkhai because I was interested in learning about Buddhism, and the temple stay option allowed me to do that in a unique way... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Michael | |||
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Liesl
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Santa Tecla, El Salvador
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August 2008 to January 2009 | |
| As I haul my luggage out the doors of Comalapa International Airport, El Salvador, into the hot, sticky heat of the curbside pickup area, a million thoughts run wild through my head. What if no one comes to pick me up? What if I don't like my host family? What if I don't like my project? Was I crazy to commit to 6 whole months in a foreign country?.... | ||||
| Read more. | ||||
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Wei-Yong
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Shanghai, China
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January 2009 | |
| After getting settled in Shanghai and in the T2T-flat I was very eager to start my volunteering. Actually being in the place where I’ve been looking forward to for weeks, made me even more excited and thrilled than I already was! I would work at The Disabled Children Center for children with Cerebral Palsy... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Wei-Yong | |||
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Jan
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Pokhara, Nepal
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February and March 2008 | |
| My only 2 criteria were that I was surrounded by natural beauty and that I work with children. Both wishes were granted when I found myself placed in Nimral Pokhari, a village high in the Annapurna’s, higher than the eagles flew, an hour from Pokhara in Nepal.... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Jan | |||
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Chris
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Sichuan, China
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October and November 2008 | |
| I have been teaching for three weeks now at Middle School #2 in Mianyang, Si Chuan. It has been an eye-opening and thoroughly enjoyable experience. | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Chris | |||
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Alexis
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Nongkhai, Thailand
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February - May 06 | |
| Unlike many volunteer stories, this one begins at the end of my stay in Thailand. It was late at night when I took my taxi to the airport - a 15 hour flight awaited me and the shock of going back to ordinary life. As I stepped into the taxi I looked back at the people I had made and shared some of my greatest moments with.... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Alexis | |||
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Martin and Kaye
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Jiangsu, China
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September 2008 | |
| Su Zhou is a great blend of the very old, the old, the not so old, the new and the very modern. On the main streets you can pass by upmarket department stores selling Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Burberry etc, while not 100 metres away you can find lanes and alley ways where the Chinese, like those that we have read about in books for decades, continue to live simple lives. | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Martin and Kaye | |||
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Jasmin
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Chiang Mai, Thailand
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May to June 2008 | |
| Chiang Mai is not just the place to be for any backpacker while travelling through Thailand, it is definitely a really good place to start working as a volunteer as well.. | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Jasmin | |||
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Frida
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Jiangsu, China
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August 2008 | |
| It is funny, sitting here and trying to give a decent account of our experiences, because it seems that the things that have left the strongest impression are the seemingly unimportant...... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Frida | |||
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Elmar
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Gianyar, Bali
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March and April 2008 | |
| Today I found myself standing in front of a group of more then twenty teenagers passionately singing ‘my heart will go on' from Celine Dion. You might wonder how a 24 year old Dutch guy ends up singing the Titanic song somewhere in the periphery of Bali... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Elmar | |||
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Henry
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Shanghai, China
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April and May 2008 | |
| How do I even begin to describe an amazing once in a lifetime experience? It all started with the first words I spoke in Shanghai..... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Henry | |||
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Maggie
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Namsom, Thailand
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October to December 2007 | |
| Is 51 years too old to volunteer? Of course not, I had the time of my life in Namsom and enjoyed it from the first to the last minute. It's a great challenge and you get so much in return. Just go ahead and do it!!!!... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Maggie | |||
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Carissa
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Vang Vieng, Laos
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Summer 07 | |
| It's not about saving the world, it has nothing to do with being a hero, it's not even about teaching. It's about learning, it's about caring, it's about trying to make a difference.... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Carissa | |||
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Lotte
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Shanghai, China
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November and December 2007 | |
| Shanghai is a city you should just experience - don’t think just jump in to it and you will see the most strange, but also the most beautiful things....... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Lotte | |||
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Philip
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Phnom Penh, Cambodia
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Spring 2008 | |
| Seametrey Children's Village is sited south of Phnom Penh's city center opposite the Russian Embassy in a rather small side street.... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Philip | |||
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Robert
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Nongkhai, Thailand
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January 2008 | |
| It is often said that it is worth doing something in our lives for the first time. With this in mind I decided to embark on a volunteering placement in Thailand.... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Robert | |||
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George
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Sichuan, China
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March to May 2008 | |
| I arrive with the Headmaster who waited for me until 1.00am the night before and I am introduced to every teacher in the school of 2000 pupils. They have all made efforts to learn "Hello", "Nice to meet you" and "Goodbye".... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: George | |||
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Kim and Patrick
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Xalapa, Mexico
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November to December 2007 | |
| Now home in Sydney, each time we pass the coffee table laid out with our unpacked trinkets brought home from our travels throughout Mexico, it is those that we collected in Xalapa we are continually drawn to... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Kim and Patrick | |||
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Lacy
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Nongkhai, Thailand
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February to April 2007 | |
| Desperate for a break after pushing myself to receive my masters by age 23, I decided that leaving home and my native culture was the way to do it... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Lacy | |||
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Hanneke
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Shanghai, China
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March 2008 | |
| On arriving at Shanghai Airport I was heartily welcomed by Jessie who gave me immediately a safe feeling as she guided me through the first confusing day so well.... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Hanneke | |||
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Meghan
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Xalapa, Mexico
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Winter 2007 | |
| It was so strange. My first time out of Australia and I was traveling on my own to a place I knew absolutely nothing about.... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Meghan | |||
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Marleen
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Chiang Mai, Thailand
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October to January 2008 | |
| After 3 months I look back to a great, interesting and meaningfully period in Namsom. Namsom provided me with a great opportunity to really experience the Thai way of life...... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Marleen | |||
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Jess and Koen
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Xalapa, Mexico
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August to December 06 | |
| What do I think that volunteering work means? Do you participate in volunteering work for your own benefit, or do you do it to help people who need it? | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Jess and Koen | |||
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Julie and Ryan
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Nongkhai, Thailand
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January and February 2007 | |
| My husband and I decided to take an extended trip to Southeast Asia for 3 months. While we were deciding where to go and what to do we both felt it was important to give back to our world and volunteer during our trip... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Julie and Ryan | |||
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Anina
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Phnom Penh, Cambodia
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January - April 06 | |
| I have been studying to become a teacher in Sweden for 3.5 years. With one year left to go on my teaching programme I felt that I needed a break and some inspiration. I wanted to travel but didn’t know how and with who. I found Travel to Teach on the internet and felt that it was just what I was looking for. I could travel and also get teaching experience..... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Anina | |||
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Janice
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Xalapa, Mexico
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March 06 | |
| "Having traveled to so many places, it never really occurred to me that I can actually combine my backpacking with some volunteer work. I decided that why not give it a try... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Janice | |||
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Mike
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Shanghai, China
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Summer 07 | |
| If you're reading this you've probably made the best decision ever and decided to volunteer to teach! It's been about 6 months since I got back from China but it all still feels like yesterday so I'll try and pass on anything that'll be useful for you...... | ||||
| Read more. | ||||
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Ann-Marie
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Nongkhai, Thailand
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February - March 2007 | |
| There is no age limit to being a Travel-to-Teach volunteer. I would recommend this experience to everyone. I always felt safe in Thailand and arrived home fitter and healthier than I have been for a long time.... | ||||
| Read more. | ||||
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Cecile
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Nongkhai, Thailand
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July - August 07 | |
| After my graduating University in Law I wanted to do something really different before starting a career as a lawyer. I decided to go teaching English in Nong Khai, Thailand, after hearing very enthusiastic stories from previous volunteers who had been there.... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Cecile | |||
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January - May 06 | ||
| Flying from winter in London straight into Bangkok is something of a shock to your average Englishman; and as I was lying in a hotel room after a first day exploring, feeling tired and far, far hotter than I'm accustomed to, I admit to thinking that I might have made a mistake in deciding to spend half a year in the land of smiles and overly persistant tuk-tuk drivers.... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Rich | |||
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Lisa
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Xalapa, Mexico
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January 2007 | |
| Although I only got to spend 2 weeks in Xalapa, Mexico with Travel to Teach, I had an amazing time and felt like I accomplished as much as I could have in such a short time... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Lisa | |||
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Daniel and Kim
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Namsom, Thailand
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June and July 2007 | |
| If you don't like working in a big city, want to meet a lot of Thai people and don't mind power failures every once in a while, then Namsom is the place for you. In the summer of 2007 we took off to this little town, just 2 hours away from Nongkhai.... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Daniel and Kim | |||
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North Carolina State University
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Pai, Thailand
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May to June 06 | |
| It was a real eye opening experience for me because this was my first time in a different country. I came to Pai not expecting to teach the kids very much because of the language barrier, but it just made it all the more fun and exiting.... | ||||
| Read more. | ||||
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Anne
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Village Homestay, Thailand
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September 2006 | |
| Nit noy, mai pen lai, reo reo” ... on the day I left, my Thai level was far to low the be of any use in saying goodbye and how happy my days Na Klang had been. I hoped that the students of Khamsaenwittayasan School could make one more step in improving their English skills and learn as much as I did during these 3 weeks.... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Anne | |||
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Linda
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Nongkhai, Thailand
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February 2007 | |
| It took me less than a weekend to make the Green Dorm my new home and Nongkhai my new hometown. The volunteer dorms are a nice place to stay. The balcony and its hammocks are a central place in volunteer life and it is here where the best conversations started from the 'is there romance going on between..' gossip, through to discussing the political issues in the countries where the housemate's are from...... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Linda | |||
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Daniel
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Shanghai, China
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Summer 07 | |
| A day volunteering in China: I get up quite early, around 6, as school starts at 7am. After grabbing something to eat at the bakery I ride for 5 minutes to school... | ||||
| Read more. | ||||
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Dawn
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Xalapa, Mexico
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September - November 06 | |
| For me what makes a trip truly special are the people you meet. From your students, to people you meet on the street... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Dawn | |||
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Stefanie
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Nongkhai, Thailand
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February 06 | |
| I was really looking forward to my time with T2T, even though I knew, once I would have settled completely, it would be time again to say goodbye.... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Stefanie | |||
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Karine
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Xalapa, Mexico
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April 06 | |
| "I always wanted to travel; I always wanted to see the World. But a girl and by herself. When I found out about Travel to Teach it was my opportunity... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Karine | |||
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Dipesh
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Nongkhai, Thailand
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March - June 06 | |
| My T2T experience can only be described as ‘phenomenal’. I arrived on the final day of the great festival of Song Kran in the beautiful land of smiles. I made my way to Nong Khai where I was welcomed by a great group of other T2T volunteers. Who would have thought that this was the beginning to a life changing experience?.... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Dipesh | |||
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Sue
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Xalapa, Mexico
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January - February 07 | |
| I decided to head to Xalapa (pronounced Halapa) a week early to 'get a feel' for the place before I started my voluntary work. It didn't take long for me to panic about committing myself to spending 4 weeks here.... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Sue | |||
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Nicole
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Nongkhai, Thailand
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December 03 - March 04 | |
| I knew I wanted to return for a longer period and not as a tourist, but as a volunteer. I wanted to get involved and get to know this wonderful people and their enticing culture. So I started to surf the net and although there were quite a few sites, Travel to Teach was the one which kept drawing me back.... | ||||
| Read more. | Email: Nicole | |||
More Volunteer Stories
Cathrine - Xalapa, Mexico - January - March 06
Alissa - Hanoi, Vietnam - January 07
Bart - Pai, Thailand - September - December 2007
Lisa - Quito, Galapagos - August - December 2007
Anouk - Hanoi, Vietnam - September - November 05
Karina - Pai, Thailand - February - March 2007
Maria - Kampot, Cambodia - June 05
Corine - Pai, Thailand - July - August 06
Caroline - Hanoi, Vietnam - May - August 05
Celia - Pai, Thailand - December 05 - May 06
Catherine - Xalapa, Mexico - August 2007
Susan - Quito, Galapagos - Autumn 2006
Laura - Tijuana, Mexico - January 2006
Tommy - Temple Teaching, Thailand - June - July 05
Biddy - Namsom and Nongkhai, Thailand - September - November 05
Jennie - Namsom, Thailand - September - December 05
Leng - Nongkhai, Thailand - March - May 2005
Dave - Nongkhai, Thailand - September - December 05
Lawrence - Nongkhai, Thailand - July - December 05
Muriel - Namsom, Thailand - September - November 05
Mary - Hanoi, Vietnam - June - August 05
Niamh - Samara, Costa Rica - October to December 2007
Pascal - Temple Teaching, Thailand - June - November 05
Lisa - Kampot, Cambodia - April - June 2005
David - Village Homestay, Thailand - June - November 05
Gary - Village Homestay, Thailand - May - November 05
Vicky - Nongkhai, Thailand - September 04 - March 05
The Namsom Three - Namsom, Thailand - Spring 05
Jeroen - Nongkhai, Thailand - March 05 - April 05
Jennifer - Nongkhai, Thailand - January 05 - March 05
Jeroen - Nongkhai, Thailand - January 05 - March 05
Bas - Namsom, Thailand - May 05 - June 05
Tess - Nongkhai, Thailand - November 04 - March 05
Jessica - Nongkhai, Thailand - March 05
Anne Marie - Nongkhai, Thailand - February - March 05
Travis - Nongkhai, Thailand - December 04 - May 05
Caroline - Tijuana, Mexico - October - November 2004
Elin - Tijuana, Mexico - July 2004
Isabel - Tijuana, Mexico - January 2007
Tessa - Tijuana, Mexico - June 2004
Kelly - Tijuana, Mexico - May 04
Marlous - Nongkhai, Thailand - March 04
Mike - Nongkhai, Thailand - January - March 04
Josine - Nongkhai, Thailand - February 04
Emma - Nongkhai, Thailand - February 04
Julie - Nongkhai, Thailand - November 03
Brian - Nongkhai, Thailand - July - October 03
Moa - Nongkhai, Thailand - Autumn 03
Jenny - Namsom, Thailand - July 03
Elise - Namsom, Thailand - Summer 03
Marie - Nongkhai, Thailand - June 03
Blair - Namsom, Thailand - Summer 03
Daniel - Nongkhai, Thailand - Summer 03
Tessa - Nongkhai, Thailand - June 03
Chris - Namsom, Thailand - Summer 03
Charlotte - Nongkhai, Thailand - Summer 03
Miriam - Nongkhai, Thailand - March - April 03
Pat - Nongkhai, Thailand - March 03
Alissa - Hanoi, Vietnam - January 07
Bart - Pai, Thailand - September - December 2007
Lisa - Quito, Galapagos - August - December 2007
Anouk - Hanoi, Vietnam - September - November 05
Karina - Pai, Thailand - February - March 2007
Maria - Kampot, Cambodia - June 05
Corine - Pai, Thailand - July - August 06
Caroline - Hanoi, Vietnam - May - August 05
Celia - Pai, Thailand - December 05 - May 06
Catherine - Xalapa, Mexico - August 2007
Susan - Quito, Galapagos - Autumn 2006
Laura - Tijuana, Mexico - January 2006
Tommy - Temple Teaching, Thailand - June - July 05
Biddy - Namsom and Nongkhai, Thailand - September - November 05
Jennie - Namsom, Thailand - September - December 05
Leng - Nongkhai, Thailand - March - May 2005
Dave - Nongkhai, Thailand - September - December 05
Lawrence - Nongkhai, Thailand - July - December 05
Muriel - Namsom, Thailand - September - November 05
Mary - Hanoi, Vietnam - June - August 05
Niamh - Samara, Costa Rica - October to December 2007
Pascal - Temple Teaching, Thailand - June - November 05
Lisa - Kampot, Cambodia - April - June 2005
David - Village Homestay, Thailand - June - November 05
Gary - Village Homestay, Thailand - May - November 05
Vicky - Nongkhai, Thailand - September 04 - March 05
The Namsom Three - Namsom, Thailand - Spring 05
Jeroen - Nongkhai, Thailand - March 05 - April 05
Jennifer - Nongkhai, Thailand - January 05 - March 05
Jeroen - Nongkhai, Thailand - January 05 - March 05
Bas - Namsom, Thailand - May 05 - June 05
Tess - Nongkhai, Thailand - November 04 - March 05
Jessica - Nongkhai, Thailand - March 05
Anne Marie - Nongkhai, Thailand - February - March 05
Travis - Nongkhai, Thailand - December 04 - May 05
Caroline - Tijuana, Mexico - October - November 2004
Elin - Tijuana, Mexico - July 2004
Isabel - Tijuana, Mexico - January 2007
Tessa - Tijuana, Mexico - June 2004
Kelly - Tijuana, Mexico - May 04
Marlous - Nongkhai, Thailand - March 04
Mike - Nongkhai, Thailand - January - March 04
Josine - Nongkhai, Thailand - February 04
Emma - Nongkhai, Thailand - February 04
Julie - Nongkhai, Thailand - November 03
Brian - Nongkhai, Thailand - July - October 03
Moa - Nongkhai, Thailand - Autumn 03
Jenny - Namsom, Thailand - July 03
Elise - Namsom, Thailand - Summer 03
Marie - Nongkhai, Thailand - June 03
Blair - Namsom, Thailand - Summer 03
Daniel - Nongkhai, Thailand - Summer 03
Tessa - Nongkhai, Thailand - June 03
Chris - Namsom, Thailand - Summer 03
Charlotte - Nongkhai, Thailand - Summer 03
Miriam - Nongkhai, Thailand - March - April 03
Pat - Nongkhai, Thailand - March 03
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