GIVE Volunteers Arvostelua 

After my third trip with GIVE, I am still baffled by how amazing every trip is. Travelers with GIVE are pushed directly into the culture of wherever they are, making it a truly immersive experience. GIVE trips push you out of your comfort zone in the best way possible, and provide incredible excursions and experiences that support the local community.

My trip to Cuba with Give Volunteers was an unforgettable experience that exceeded all of my expectations. From start to finish, the guides were knowledgeable, supportive, and genuinely passionate about sharing Cuban culture, history, and nature with us. They went above and beyond to make sure everyone felt safe, included, and engaged, and their enthusiasm truly made the trip special. Some of the standout moments in this trip were snorkeling in the Bay of Pigs, hiking at Parque Guanayara, and visiting a tobacco farm to learn how to roll cigars. What truly made this trip exceptional was being able to explore a new country with like-minded individuals who felt like family by the end of the trip. I would highly recommend Give Volunteers to anyone looking for an immersive, well-organized, and meaningful travel experience. This trip to Cuba is something I will carry with me forever.

Learned about GIVE at an unmanned table with flyers at my school's involvement fair. I was already planning to travel so I just decided to travel with GIVE to Tanzania. I learned in my peace and social justice class that GIVE falls into the voluntourism category and I didn't know what I was going to be doing with GIVE until a week or two before I actually went on the trip. Information was a bit difficult for me to find and often felt vague. Information was easier the closer it got to the trip. It was my first time traveling solo outside the country and I really enjoyed my time with GIVE and learned a lot about the local area we were at and saw many amazing things. When the times right, I'll be going on another trip with GIVE.

This trip was more amazing than I ever could have imagined, GIVE offers such a unique way to travel and volunteer! I was able to see so many new things and try so many different things that I would have never thought of. This trip allows you to fully immerse yourself into the culture and environment of Northern Thailand. The guides are the most genuine, funny, and kind people you will ever meet and make for a unforgettable experience. 5 stars is not enough to express how amazing this trip truly is!

I travel a lot, but this has definitely been one of the best trips I’ve been on. Starting with Liv our guide, she was a total sweetheart and made us all feel cared for and appreciated. The trips projects were also super meaningful and although it was hard work at times it was super fun and the stories and memories that you gain from it are always a treat. I got the pleasure to meet so many amazing and passionate people, It definitely makes you appreciate the land and view life in a whole new outlook.

I am so grateful for my second trip with GIVE Volunteers on the Big Island Hawai’i. The people of Hawai’i have endless stories to tell that most people will never hear (or listen to). I’ll never forget the moment after a beach cleanup with the Hawaiian Wildlife Fund, when a local told us, “You have two eyes two ears and one mouth…what that means is you should look and listen twice as much as you speak.” As he spoke, he looked over his ancestors’ land while the powerful waves of Kawa Bay crashed behind him.

Our guides taught us just a few Hawaiian words, but the one that resonated with many of us throughout the trip was mana. Mana is the universal life force that moves through everything, and it is deeply powerful on this island. Mahalo nui loa to our wonderful trip guides for their open hearts, guiding us on this once-in-a-lifetime experience. And of course, I could never forget to mention the loving ohana of my fellow volunteers—these are the most wonderful, like-minded people, all dedicated to our work each and every day.

Travelling with GIVE is always a special experience for me, and this new era of VIP experiences is so exciting!! Cuba was one of a kind, the guides (John, Hannah, Silvia and Ihosvany) made it so special for us. Our itinerary was full of a perfect mix of fun adventures, sight seeing, learning about the history in Cuba, and connecting with the locals people. Amazing memories were made with incredible people, in a beautiful and unique country! I can’t wait to make more memories with GIVE on the next VIP trip!

I had a wonderful time in Cuba with GIVE on their first GIVEVIP experience! It was really great to have two GIVE guides along with two local guides to help us every step of the way. Each day was packed with a lot of different activities that pertained to Cuban culture and history. We spent most of our time in Havana, exploring all the city had to offer, but I especially loved venturing outside to the countryside, where we saw beautiful valleys, coffee and tobacco plantations, waterfalls and beaches! The food was great, the music was fun, and the people were so lovely to meet!

The most AMAZING experience. Would absolutely recommend to anyone thinking about traveling with GIVE!! Such a great program. Everything is planned for you & you get to see & do so much while making a difference! The best!

This trip absolutely changed my life for the better times a million!!!! The coordination/logistics is beautifully calculated to make the experience invaluable. This is the best way to travel if you want to learn about culture and be locally and sustainably immersed! Not to mention you'll leave having the sense of what real friendship and community FEELS like. Unlike anything I’ve experienced before, but something I’ve always dreamed of. I keep in touch (months later I’m reviewing) with all my little besties (the sweet kiddos you’ll quickly befriend) to date. Already booking for next year!

I have been on 4 trips with GIVE has changed my life in completely different ways. I have learned what it means to support humanity and aim for something greater in our world. I was taught how to appreciate differences, and that the differences between people are what make forming connections so beautiful. I was shown how I fit into the world and how to shine my light to as many people it can reach. GIVE showed me that I am here for a greater purpose than I could’ve ever imagined. It gave me a new sense humanity and passionate for what our home can be.

I traveled to Tanzania, Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro this summer with GIVE Volunteers, and it totally opened my eyes to a whole new world! This trip got me out of my comfort zone in the best ways, whether it was teaching English when I have never taught in my life, shopping in local markets, mixing cement to help build the school, camping on safari, or giving my everything to summit Kilimanjaro. Not only were the activities and projects incredible, I felt so safe and taken care of the WHOLE time. I’ve planned trips and gone abroad on my own before, and I can say with 100% certainty that THIS is the way the world is meant to be seen. The local perspective really reveals the true nature of a place, and the local people are some of the best I’ve ever met. I’m already planning on which GIVE trip I’m going to take next!!

Traveling to Tanzania with GIVE this summer has truly been one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself! Words can’t fully describe the amount of personal growth and self confidence I gained from this experience. I got to step out of my comfort zone in so many ways, and actually felt connected to people in my own generation. Getting to not just visit these local communities, but live, learn, and love alongside the people made my heart so full in a time I needed it. A GIVE trip isn’t just a trip, it really changes how you see everything and want to live your life going forward. I feel like I am so much more thoughtful and intentional now, all thanks to GIVE. The locals from Zanzibar and everyone with GIVE have now become my second family, and I truly can’t wait to travel with them again.

This trip was an amazing experience that I am so grateful I got to go on. I got to see incredible places, meet amazing people, and make memories I will cherish for the rest of my life. The trip would not have been the same without our incredible local guides. P'Boka, P'Nick, P'Krit, and P'Toni taught me so much and never failed to put a smile on my face.

I recently returned from the GIVE Volunteers trip to Tanzania, and it was truly a life-changing experience. From the moment we arrived, everything was well-organized, and the GIVE team made sure we felt safe, supported, and engaged every step of the way.

The volunteer work was both meaningful and rewarding. We worked closely with the local community on sustainable development projects, including education initiatives and eco-friendly construction. It never felt like we were just there to “help” — instead, it was a mutual exchange of learning and collaboration. The GIVE staff did an amazing job educating us about the importance of ethical volunteering and responsible tourism, which added depth to every activity.

I went on the Elephant Experience with GIVE Volunteers in summer 2025, and it completely exceeded anything I could have imagined! We traveled to places so remote and unique that I never would have found them on my own, and being welcomed into those villages and seeing a totally different way of life was eye-opening in the best way.

The time spent at the elephant sanctuaries was beyond amazing—it felt so genuine, ethical, and unforgettable. What really made it even more special, though, were the people: the locals, the guides, and the other volunteers who quickly felt like family.

I came home with memories and lessons that will stick with me forever. This trip changed the way I see the world, and I would do it all over again without hesitation!

I enjoyed the itinerary. I felt like it was the perfect amount of teaching, construction, and learning about the culture with activities throughout the island. I enjoyed the guides, and everyone was inviting and amazing to be around! It was easy to find the guides when getting to the airport, and everyone was very helpful in answering questions and guiding throughout the trip. I enjoyed the people in the group, and this was a fantastic trip and opportunity to see places safely with trustworthy people!

GIVE Thailand was one of the best experiences of my life. I am so happy I took the leap of faith and decided to embark on this journey with strangers that soon became friends. I had a great time participating in awesome activities that I will never forget, such as teaching students, permaculture, cave hikes, elephant trekking, and many more. Words cannot do this experience justice. My fellow volunteers and the guides provided an extraordinary experience in an extraordinary country!

There truly aren’t enough words to describe my love for Laos. This trip has been life changing in so many aspects that I can’t even begin to describe. Arriving to the village after a 4 hour car ride and 2 hour boat ride, to see so many smiling faces eager to help you carry your bags is something I will never forget. I will never forget the children and ladies who remembered my name and would say hi to me as I walked through the village. I will never forget the smiles on the kids’ faces every morning as I walked into class. I will never forget the endless piggyback rides that were given to the kids, or the nights that were spent teaching the ladies in the village. I’ll never forget the laughs we shared as a group, the smiles we shared, and even the cries we shared. We shared so many memories that I wish I could go back and experience 1,000 times over again. We ate every meal together, hiked together, rice farmed together, danced with one another, cracked so many jokes together, checked in on eachother… the list goes on. We all endured so much together, and I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world. Without the help of any of my tour guides, none of this would have truly been possible. They gave us pep talk after pep talk and constantly encouraged us. If you were to have told me at the beginning of the trip that I would have been 8,000 miles away from home without service for 9 days and still had the best experience of my life, I probably wouldn’t have believed you, but I’m so glad I can look back at this trip with so much gratitude and love. To the cute kids who helped put a smile on my face when I was down, to the ladies who always uplifted my mood and gave me a laugh when needed, and to the other volunteers and guides who were there for me every step of the way, thank you. Khawp jai lai lai, Laos! You’ll always hold such a special place in my heart.