written by outragedAngel on 21/01/2016
I booked a trip for me and 3 friends with Plan My Gap year to Tanzania to do volunteer work. I couldn't fault the communication and organisation skills of the PMGY team in Tanzania. We all felt well prepared before our trip with lots of info guides and videos and any extra questions we had were answered in detail and response was quick. We arrived in Tanzania and were greeted by the PMGY team and taken for a delicious dinner before going on a tour of the town. We were giving a briefing of dos and don'ts and felt secure at all times. The food was delicious and the accommodation was clean and nice. The volunteering was well organised and we had a wonderful time. I would definitely recommend booking through PMGY to anyone and will hopefully be doing so myself again. Thanks for the adventure and memories :-)
written by Ellacock on 03/09/2015
I returned from the Real Thailand Experience a week ago and can honestly say that it was brilliant. The tours and activities offered show Thailand in both a modern and traditional way. Nothing is too much trouble for (the in country guides) and the person I dealt with at the volunteering makes you feel very at home. I would recomend this to anyone wanting to explore a great culture and make new friends :)
written by vickihampton on 02/09/2015
The pre-departure information that I received was brilliant, all questions that I had was answered very quickly and informatively by a member of the PMGY team. The handbook was very helpfully and made me feel fully prepared about my visit. It also supported me through my VISA application and provided clear instructions on the best way to apply. When arriving in the county there was a member of the PMGY team waiting at the airport when my flight arrived to take me to the volunteer house. When arriving at the house I was warmly welcomed by the host family which allowed me to settle in quickly and easily. On my first day I was provided with an orientation which was very informative and provided me with all the information I needed about the local area and the projects. This also included a visit to the local slum school, which was my chosen project. This allowed me to get familiar with the environment before my first day of teaching. The visit also allowed me to meet the children and teachers from the school. The visit also provided me with the opportunity to visit the slum in which the children lived and to meet some of the local people living in this area. Throughout my teaching project I was fully supported at all times by both the teachers at the school and the host family. I knew where to turn to if I needed any lesson ideas or if I was unsure if the planned lesson would fully benefit the children due to the language barrier. I was also provided with a range of opportunity which allowed me to visit and get involved with a number of different projects to ensure I got the most out of my experience. After the projects there was time to explore the local area and Delhi independently. The evening activities were brilliant and provided a range of different opportunities, this included; Attending an Indian wedding, a range of different temples, markets, pottery class and visiting Delhi. At the weekends I travelled to a range of different places within India. The host family provided us with lots of recommendations about different places to visit and the main places we should visit. They provided support in planning our travel there and the hotel and ensured that the places we had selected to stay were in the correct area to get the most out of our trips. Vishy was always at the other end of the phone if we needed him when away at the weekend, or just to translate where we wanted to go, to taxi and tuk-tuk drivers. A huge thank you to the host family to making my visit to India brilliant and making me feel welcome at all time, also a massive thank you to the person I dealt with who was brilliant support and put so much effort into ensure that every one had a brilliant time in India. Thank you!
written by burkerose94 on 19/06/2015
doing the pmgy Ghana orphanage programme for 4 weeks is honestly the best thing I've ever done, working with the kids is so rewarding and humbling at the same time. the ghanaian people are so friendly and welcoming and i got to see and experience so much of ghana thanks to the amazing pmgy team. i would recommend it to anyone, it's an experience you will remember for the rest of your life!
written by alexhedlund on 15/06/2015
I couldn't have asked for a better organisation to have spent 5 months in Africa volunteering with! Not only was the placement incredible and the staff extremely helpful but the coordinators, Jodie and Kelvin, could not have been more accommodating and fun! Thank you PMGY for giving me such a special opportunity and providing me with such a wonderful medical placement that allowed me to achieve and learn so much and thank you for connecting me with my second family in Tanzania! :) I highly recommend this organisation to any prospective volunteers because it is top of the line in providing the best volunteer experience out there!
written by kat_pickup on 08/05/2015
I have just come back from doing my 2 week midwifery elective placement in Sri Lanka with PMGY and cannot recommend it enough!! It's mainly observational but the staff are happy to answer any questions you may have and will explain procedures as they're going along. I was lucky in that I spent my time in both the private and government hospitals so was able to get a range of experience and see the differences between the two. Ashika is so helpful and will continually discuss with you what you want to get out of your trip and make arrangements accordingly. Everyone out there is so accommodating and always have your best interest at heart. You'll be sad to leave !!
written by white.bryn on 08/05/2015
Had a great time with PMGY. I volunteered on the medical programme in Faridabad near Delhi and gained some amazing experience working with doctors to diagnose patients and distribute treatment in small communities. The host family were awesome along with the other volunteers. Even though I only went for 2 weeks we managed to organize time to visit Jaipur and the Taj Mahal. Overall it was well worth it. India is a must see!
written by delphin10 on 05/05/2015
After just finishing my A-Levels I'd always grown fond of the idea of travelling so I researched a huge variety of programmes/companies to try and find the best price/destinations/support etc. and Plan My Gap Year stood out so far from the rest. The hardest decision I had to make was where to choose my first destination because they all looked excellent, Sri Lanka was an area I'd never considered so I decided to do something different! The team could not be any more supportive, having never travelled before I had so many questions! A couple of days before leaving we had a big group webinar where we could ask all the questions we required to either of two guys, this was a really great help! I felt extremely safe upon leaving, I knew everything I needed to know in terms of health and safety and what to expect whilst I was on my travels in Sri Lanka. I spent a month in Sri Lanka on the Real Sri Lanka Experience and it was the best month of my entire life! The in-country support were absolutely excellent, they are so passionate about what they do and they could not have been any more help if they tried. There was always so much to do, never a dull moment and I met some great friends along the way. I also had the opportunity to work in an orphange and teach Monks for two weeks and that was a very emotional experience; (I think I learnt more from them than they learnt from me!!) I went on to use this as part of my Gold Duke of Edinburgh Residential. I also brought an excess of spending money with me because so much was paid for by the company. I honestly couldn't say enough about my experience, which is why I'm choosing to go on the Real Plan My Gap Year Morocco Experience in the summer of 2015!
written by ellaw39 on 04/05/2015
The experience in one word...amazing! Even better than expected! The best thing about PMGY In Sri Lanka was how relaxed and felxible it was! I thought i had just signed up for the turtle project but one morning i took part in the elephant project and most afternoons i helped at the school. I wanted to make the most of my stay and PMGY Sri Lanka helped me to do this! The turtle project was my favourite experience. The work was really hands on and practical and unlike some volunteer projects you really feel like you are helping and making a difference! You can easily spend a whole day there cleaning tanks, talking to the turtles and medicating and feeding them. The local coodinator Saniru does a great job! The food is also amazing. Its mostly all Sri Lankan style dishes and lots of curries. But its incredible. Just go for it and try everything its part of the experience! Its all cooked by the local lady who comes to cook 3 times a day for all the volunteers. She is so lovely to talk to and works so hard! I wish i could cook like her! (Go out for food if you want a dish from closer to home, pizza, pasta ect) The local coordinators are so helpful (im glad PMGY support local employment) they are great to chat to and are always around to help with anything! Especially booking hotels for travelling at the weekends or booking tuk tuks (because they can obviously speak the local language which helps a lot) but also having Josh the english coodinator is very nice too! They all work so hard to help make sure you have the best time) You live very closely with everyone in a very comfortable volunteer house (again better than i thought it would be) Any problems will get sorted out so quickly so tell them as soon as there is one. Even in my short 2 week stay i have made friends i will never forget. Minimum stay should be 3 weeks for the best experience. You will not want to go home! Thankyou!!!
written by alicia.bainbridge on 02/05/2015
I did 4weeks volunteering in Sri Lanka. 2weeks working at the elephant project and 2weeks at the turtle project. Thoroughly enjoyed both projects, although at the turtle project you did have to often ask for jobs to do once you had finished a previous task. Soon got into the routine and knew what tasks had to be done daily. The volunteer hour is basic but has everything you need. The food is great and living with other volunteers is great. Leaving was the difficult part as it felt like we all became a family. The coordinators were very helpful and friendly. Got to know them well and soon felt to be more friends with them but as soon as you needed them to help they were very reliable. Although they do tend to run on "Sri Lankan time" which means they tend to run late fairly often. The weekend trips were amazing, you did so much in the short space of time. They see expensive but are well worth the money. I went on my own and would recommend anyone to do the same, it may be a bit daunting but everyone is welcoming and if a was such a great experience. Would love to do something like this again! Even better then I imagined it would be!!
written by holland405 on 30/04/2015
Went for 2 weeks to Sri Lanka and it was the best experience I have ever had! This beautiful country has a lot to offer; everywhere you look there was picturesque scenery from either the sandy beaches with the clear sea or the dense jungle with monkeys swinging around! The whole of the PMGY team were friendly and made the trip even more memorable, especially Ashika, Nalaka, Kasun and Manaj! I done the Elephant project which was amazing! Raja the elephant is massive and the whole time we were with him was surreal. I also helped out on numerous other projects including teaching and the turtles that were also great. We were lucky enough to be there during their new years celebrations so were invited to do lots of different events with local schools and to a traditional family party! We stayed in the Lion house that was very clean and tidy, and we had everything we needed. There were plenty of restaurants and places to hang out at night in Hikaduwa and at the weekends we went further afield to places like Mirissa and also on a weekend trip to worlds end. I would definitely recommend it and cannot wait to go back!
written by mollysutherlandd on 28/04/2015
I spent 3 weeks in Sri Lanka with PMGY and had the best time ever. If you're going away for the first time by yourself the support from the staff and other volunteers you become close with is huge and it eventually feels like home from home. Nothing is too much trouble for all the staff in Sri Lanka and they are amongst the friendliest people I have ever met, did not want to say goodbye! I did the elephant project and loved every minute, it was very well run with lots of things to do however it would be good to see Raja in a much bigger plot of land, which I hear is happening! The chance to go and explore Sri Lanka on the weekends becomes so easy with the help from the staff which makes this trip even better. The house is clean and the food is really good which I hope reassures some people as I know this can be a worry. Overall if you're travelling by yourself for the first time or you need a place to start, PMGY Sri Lanka is the best place!
written by sammybrain17 on 28/04/2015
We had the most amazing 2 weeks in South Africa, Cape Town in March. It was such an amazing place including the culture, people and sight seeings. There is so much to do and see there even when doing a volunteer project. Our project was a kindergarten just outside of Cape Town. All of the staff and children were so welcoming and kind towards us we wish we could have stayed longer. I would 100% do another volunteer project with PMGY, anything you need or anything you are worried about they will be there. Thank you PMGY for all of your help and for looking after us
written by rachaelpierce1 on 26/04/2015
I'm a third year student nurse and choose to Delhi for my four week elective placement. Whilst in Delhi, I volunteered in the Slum Outreach clinic, a government hospital, a private hospital and a gynaecology clinic. I spend the majority of my placement in the Slum Outreach clinic and the government hospital. Here I worked alongside a doctor who advised and administered medication to people living in the local area. I was able to do patients blood pressure, pulse, temperature, blood glucose monitoring and examining X-rays. The doctor speaks very good English and explained the common problems that people living in the slums face. This was certainly an eyeopener and was completely different to any placement I've had in the UK. In addition, when I was in the government hospital I spend time in the laboratory and labour ward where I observed a Caesarian and some natural births. The procedure of the Caesarian is slightly different to the UK but it was definitely interesting as the medical staff explain each step. In the gynaecology clinic, I observed many ultra sound scans of pregnant women. The doctor explained each scan and showed me the difference between the first scan and scans during the later stages of pregnancy. Furthermore, in the private hospital I was places in the Accident and Emergency department. Here I witnessed many patients who were often deteriorating quickly with various medical conditions. This was very informative and I learned about how they deal with emergency situations in comparison to the UK. Overall, this four week medical placement in Delhi was an incredible experience where I gained an insight to how medical professionals act in regards to patients presenting with a variety of medical conditions and diseases. This experience is different to any placement in the UK, but it was a valuable experience that I will never forget. I would recommend it to anyone!
written by josh_mcenaney on 22/04/2015
I have recently spent three weeks volunteering in Vietnam with PMGY - I would say it was the best experience ever but I have also volunteered twice before with PMGY Sri Lanka which were equally as amazing!!! Starting with an efficient and welcoming airport pick up after a long flight, i was welcomed so warmly by all the local team in Vietnam to the volunteer house. The house was always a fun place to be round and kept clean throughout with great local Vietnamese (and the odd western) food included throughout! A neighbourhood tour, Vietnamese lesson within orientation and a breathtaking city tour around Hanoi all in my first couple days meant I was familiar with my surroundings instantly and got to know my fellow volunteers and superb local team straight away! My project itself was one of the most rewarding things I have done to date! Teaching English to children with learning disabilities was so rewarding and inspiring to see the children's willingness to learn. Although a bit daunting and challenging at first to me, a local co-ordinator was on hand to help with any translation issues and I really grew into the project as we even taught the children a dance performance routine to perform to the whole centre where the project was based! Of course the social side was immense too - from karaoke nights, embracing football matches with the local people, too chilling at jazz bars or drinking "5 dong" beer as well as a simple game of cards or 'spoons' in the house - it had it all. And when it comes to weekends, Vietnam has it all too - chilling and partying in Hanoi / trekking in sapa / visiting one of the wonder worlds in Halong ba - I did this all in three weeks as well as much more!!! And lastly, before I left for Vietnam the support I got from the UK office was brilliant (as it had been for my last two times volunteering with PMGY Sri Lanka) They respond so quick and personally to any concerns or issues I have and are always keen to hear from volunteer experience so they can help enhance the programme for future volunteers. The Facebook groups they maintain provide a great forum for volunteers to share concerns and network amongst each other and even forge friendships before embarking on travels! PMGY Vietnam was unbelievable, unforgettable and unmissable - but I didn't expect anything less after PMGY Sri Lanka was all of the above too!
written by rebecca_pickering789 on 22/04/2015
I joined PMGY in Romania in March to help on the orphanage programme for two weeks. I had no idea of where to go and when the PMGY recommended Romania, I just thought let's do it. I'm so glad I did. I had an incredible time in Romania! Everyone was friendly and welcoming! I met some amazing people and would defiantly recommend it as a place to go!
written by clairerennie1 on 21/04/2015
I just finished volunteering for 6 weeks in Sri Lanka at the Tsunami school teaching English. I had an amazing experience and didn't want to leave! The children there are so wonderful. They are caring, loving, and so happy to learn English! The volunteer house I was staying in very quickly felt like home to me. The staff there are so welcoming and helpful. You really get to know the other volunteers and coordinators in your time there. I am from Canada but I now feel I have a second family in Sri Lanka. Whenever I had a problem or any stress the coordinators were always happy to help and would quickly improve any situation. Josh (coordinator) was always there whenever I needed help in the programme or when I was just stressed out. It was really nice to hear about his past experiences volunteering and being able to relate to him. Ashika and his family are so wonderful and welcoming into their home. It was very hard saying goodbye to everyone there but I am already planning my trip to come back again next year! I would strongly recommend this programme to anyone!
written by Roman8 on 20/04/2015
I have used PMGY on two different occasions, one of which was a single month trip to Sri Lanka in 2013 and then for a longer trip late last year in India (Delhi), Nepal, Sri Lanka (again.. :P) and Vietnam. In India I stayed with Vishy and his family, who are all very friendly and welcoming. I was there for 2 weeks participating in their orphanage programme, but also took part in the slum school project in the mornings. They are fairly flexible with what you can do in terms of the programmes available. On your first full day Vishy tells you all about your projects and also some great places in and around Delhi to visit, which was helpful as I was only there for a short time. The projects themselves were good. There were two orphanages, one of which is run by Vishy behind his house and one around 10-15 minutes away. I was mainly involved with the one behind his house (which I think had about 8-10 children) and the ‘slum school’, which was a slight opener having never really been into a place like that before. If you decide to pick Delhi, I would certainly try and participate or at least visit it. In there I was doing 1on1 teaching, but you can also teach an entire class. All the kids in there are really friendly and all want to learn. I then went to Nepal again for 2 weeks initially unsure about what programme I will be doing and where I will be staying (you get a choice of 3). I was recommended Kathmandu as I wasn’t there for too long and the time to get to the other programmes is a long time (around an 8 hour journey each way…unless you fly). I really like Nepal. I stayed in a monastery with other volunteers from different organisations to teach young monks English. They were actually already really good at English therefore you really need to teach them quite moderate to advanced English for it to be worthwhile. They were pretty boisterous for monks which was surprising but kids will be kids. tongue emoticon It was interesting to see how they live their lives and also see so much of Kathmandu. It is A LOT more independent in Nepal. You can do pretty much whatever you like within reason (i.e when monks have days off…go to Thamel and party *cough* sightsee for 3 days) and you don’t stay with a host family (apart from the first day or 2). I’d definitely go back to Nepal one day. Wanted to see a proper Himalayan mountain but didn’t get the chance unfortunately. The country co-ordinators were friendly and helpful, particularly Bhaghwan who I saw the most. He took us on a small tour of Kathmandu and the monkey temple which had amazing views! After Nepal, I then returned to my favourite place – Sri Lanka. Warmly welcomed once again this time by Nalaka at like….2 in the morning. In 2013 I participated in the Boys Orphanage programme but this time thought I would go for the Tsunami School which is run by Ashika himself. Was really nervous at first as I never taught full classes by myself but the kids soon warm to you and finally learn how to say your name correctly tongue emoticon. One thing I would note is that the classes seem to be split by age rather than ability which sometimes made things difficult, but only a minor issue. Again, Ashika is always really flexible with the programmes you can do. I also participated in a morning pre-school class ran by one of the friendliest people you will meet. There are lots to do and see in Sri Lanka and you only need to ask one of the in country co-ordinators where you want to go and what you wanna do, and they will do their best to plan it for you. I would recommend about 2 months if you really want to see most of what Sri Lanka has to offer. But then I went in total for 2 months and still there is more to see. Just such a chilled out and relaxed atmosphere – both times were great, and would thoroughly recommend! I then travelled to Vietnam to take part in a couple of projects, the ‘Disabled Children’ and the ‘Little Seeds’ in the Hanoi Hospital. Again, slightly nervous to begin with having never worked with the disabled children before but the orientation on the first couple of days is so in depth and you also have Vietnamese lessons which help in some cases. The in country co-ordinators are really friendly and helpful people. They will also help you plan trips if needed. Vietnam is similar to Nepal in terms of independence. You travel mainly by bus to your projects, sometimes by yourself and also no set time you need to return to the house if you are ever on a night out etc. Hanoi is an interesting place which again, because of time, did not get to see all of – as with the rest of the country. I did however get to Halong Bay which was amazing, and if you go to ‘snake village’…..try a cobra. tongue emoticon I would also note Vietnam had very good accommodation, fully equipped with air-con for those warmer days! All in all I did have an amazing time. The UK support was great and always answered any of my questions and the handbooks were a handy read to get you well prepared for the country you are about to visit. I would have to say I would recommend Sri Lanka the most in terms of overall ‘enjoyment’, but that said – all the other 3 countries are amazing and there was still so much I didn’t see. 5/5 from me.
written by maLindsey135 on 15/04/2015
Had the most amazing time in Romania! Anyone that is in any doubt of partaking I would definitely recommend it. Best experience I've ever had! We met the most kindest people and the most amazing children! A time that you would never regret!!!!!!
written by emmab22 on 07/04/2015
I can't thank Plan My Gap Year enough for a wonderful 2 weeks in Sri Lanka! This was my first traveling experience on my own and I can't explain how easy I found it to book the whole trip. I also went through PMGY for the flights and travel insurance; communication was great, they were always quick to reply and it was easy to pay online. I was lucky enough to travel with a few of other lovely volunteers on the same flight as me; we then shared a room at Lion House which was so much fun. Even though we arrived last on the Saturday, we received a lovely welcome and found it easy to fit in with everyone at Lion House!! I initially applied for the Orphanage project however when we arrived we also had the choice to volunteer at the Tsunami School because they needed volunteers or it would not be able to run. I chose to do a week at the Tsunami School and then move to the Orphanage in my second week. As I had never done any type of teaching before I found it quite daunting at first, especially as the group I was teaching were much better at English than I expected!!! At first it was challenging to lesson plan but the coordinators are really helpful and offer loads of advice about what games to play with them and what sort of topics to teach. There was always a coordinator with us at the school. The teaching at the Orphanage was slightly different compared to the Tsunami School as lessons were taught outside on the veranda rather than at desks. I was at the girl's orphanage and they are such wonderful kids, they love doing worksheets and playing games. The project times were from 3pm-5.30/6pm and we were taken by tuc tuc which was always organised well by the local coordinators. For a donation you can also go to the sea turtle hatchery and help with Raja the elephant!! I stayed in Lion House which was really fun. It is basic but has everything you need. The bedrooms all have fans and nets. It was really hot but we got used to it after about 4 days which was a relief!! Be careful in the sun (especially between about 11am-3pm) as we went to the beach on the second day and didn't realise we had got burnt until the evening despite us all applying a lot of suncream!! You will need to cover up shoulders and knees when going into town or when visiting a temple but to keep cool at the house you'll probably want shorts/vest tops! The coordinators will tell you when you need to cover up. Also make sure you bring insect repellant/after-bite as you will need it! There's lots of things to do in your own time, whether it's staying round the house and sunbathing on the roof, going into Ambalangoda town (endless trips to food city! Oh and ice cream!), playing badminton or going out to Hikkaduwa for food/drinks. It's really easy to get tuc tucs everywhere (or the bus if you want to) and the coordinators have loads of knowledge and will help you plan anything you want to do. The weekend trip to the Hill Country was the highlight for me. It was an early start every day but it was worth it! We walked about 7 miles when we went to World's End - amazing views! Went on safari at Yala National Park, stayed in some lovely hotels, went white water rafting (terrifying but so fun), visited the tea plantations, saw lots of waterfalls and so much more... one of the coordinators goes with you on the trip so you always feel safe!! Overall I had a really great time. Everyone was so friendly and we had so many laughs. It was so hard to come back home!! I enjoyed it so much I've planned to go back for a month and also do some traveling as there is so much to see. Even if you can only go for a short time, I'd say do it because it's a great experience and you won't regret it! Thank you PMGY!
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