Alliance Nepal - www.volunteerworkinnepal.org

If you are considering spending time in Nepal and want to get involved with a volunteer program then I would strongly advise you to use volunteers alliance Nepal, I spent 5months living and volunteering with this organisation and it was one of the best decisions I ever made!

I think what initially attracted me to using Alliance Nepal was the flexibility which it allowed. I knew I wanted to spread my time exploring the country whilst volunteering on different projects. Krishna immediately was so warm, welcoming and fantastic at allowing me to be flexible with the time I had.

The early days of arriving and getting used to being in such a different country and culture were all eased by the support of Krishna and his team. I was able to spend some time learning a little of the language before I moved in with a Nepali family.

I spent the first 3months of my trip living with Krishna’s family in a village about an hour north of Pokhara. I think being able to live as part of a Nepalese family was a huge bonus in being able to fully understand what ‘real Nepali’ life is like. Although slightly overwhelmed at first, I felt extremely welcomed into the home and absolutely loved my time there. I learnt so much in those first three months and my language was certainly tested as Ama had very little English! I never thought I would actually wake up and look forward to a plate full of rice and curry but I grew to love eating Dahl Bhatt.

Whilst living in the village, I spent my days teaching English in the local school. This was a real eye opener into the world of Education in Nepal and very different to what I was used to in England, however I found the pupils and staff very warm and welcoming and have fond memories of discussions over Nepalese politics with the staff!

As previously mentioned I’d wanted to spend some time exploring more of the country and decided to do the Annapurna circuit trek which took around 2 weeks to complete. This was such an amazing experience and it was wonderful to be immersed in the awesome Hilmalaya seeing some of the most breathtaking sites. Krishna helped me organise the trek and I linked up with a couple of other volunteers who wanted to do the same trek. Being able to share your experiences with other volunteers in invaluable and will create memories that you will never forget.

I just returned after a month in Pokhara where I volunteered for 2 weeks in a Buddhist Monastery and then 2 weeks in an orphanage.

I have previously volunteered in 9 different locations around the world, and have used 4 different organizations for my placements, both large and small. Alliance Nepal, and particularly its director Krishna was/is the absolute perfect choice for anyone considering volunteering in Nepal and the Pokhara area in particular.

First, all the logistics worked perfectly. Was met at the airport in Kathmandu, a hotel room had been arranged the first nite and getting me to Pokhara went smoothly. But it was when I got to Pokhara that Krishna shined… and showed why I was so glad I chose Alliance Nepal. It is because Krishna is personally involved in the entire placement, it is not delegated to another person. Krishna also is the easiest fellow to speak with and is committed to making sure the volunteer has the best experience possible…. He is just a top shelf person, totally trustworthy, honest and has made this his passion and life’s work.

Like I said, I’ve been volunteering for years and know what I look for in a placement. He placed me in a Buddhist monastery where 3 other organizations I contacted couldn’t for January when I was going to be there.(I taught English to the monks). Home run! Then the next 2 weeks I wanted to be at an orphanage as I have done so 5-6 times previously. I must say, it was the best run orphanage I have worked with and the kids were incredible.

Perhaps I just got lucky with my two placements… but I don’t think it was luck. Krishna just knows Pokhara and the placements and NGO’s available there… he was great! Also, he had me over to his home twice to share daal bhaat meal with him and his family, set up paragliding and sightseeing stuff for me to see….

Anyway, for anyone who wishes to read my online travel journals and the one about Pokhara, go to www.Travelpod.com/members/splunk . Feel free to also email me at [email protected] and I’ll be glad to try to answer any questions you may have.

Anyway, Krishna and Alliance Nepal are excellent and I don’t believe you can do better if you are looking to volunteer in Nepal. Thank you Krishna.