Great experience
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I spent 9 weeks volunteering with PMGY on the Real Taster Encounter, spending 3 weeks each in Sri Lanka, India, and Bali doing turtle conservation, childcare, and wildlife conservation. It was an incredible way to spend part of my gap year and I’m so grateful for the experiences and people I met along the way. Sri Lanka was a great start to the trip. The programme was well organised and I met some amazing people. There were also great travel opportunities — the local beach with turtles was only about 30 minutes away and the organised weekend trip to Yala and Ella was unforgettable. My only slight criticism would be that the volunteering sometimes felt repetitive and there wasn’t always much explanation about the work we were doing. India was definitely my favourite destination for volunteering. It’s a huge culture shock at first but also an incredibly eye-opening experience. Working with the children and community in Faridabad was really meaningful. The local coordinator Vishi was amazing and made everyone feel at home. He was also brilliant at organising weekend trips, drivers, guides and train tickets, which meant I was able to see so much of India during my time there. Bali was a beautiful final stop. The volunteer house and food were great, and the wildlife programme was very well run. The staff were clearly so passionate about helping the animals which created a really positive atmosphere. The days were quite intense with two volunteering sessions due to the heat, and the house is in a more secluded area so most tourist places are about an hour away. However, we still had an amazing time exploring on weekends, including a great trip to the Gili Islands. Overall, my time with PMGY was unforgettable. I met incredible people, made friends for life, and experienced cultures and places I never would have otherwise. I’ll always be grateful for the memories and everything I learned during those 9 weeks.
It was interesting to see how differently the organization is structured in the different countries. Whereas in Sri Lanka, for example, you are also offered a lot of leisure activities, in Cambodia the focus is more on the actual volunteering, as the people there are particularly dependent on it. I really liked the very family-like atmosphere in the camp there.
Volunteering with PMGY was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. From the people I met to the impact I felt I made, everything exceeded my expectations. The support from the team was amazing, and I felt safe, welcomed, and inspired every step of the way. I’d recommend it to anyone looking to do something meaningful while exploring a new culture.
Perfect, i loved it
I loved every second of it! Especially India was an amazing experience with the best people ever! Thank you Vishy
Every country was a unique experience and would not trade any of them as they were all incredible.
Great for first time travelling. Very helpful staff.
Amazing, would recommend to anyone!
Best decision I've ever made! Truly an adventure of a lifetime, could not recommend it enough.
The best mixture of cultures and overall experience!
I did the real taster encounter where I spent 2 weeks in India, Sri Lanka and Bali! I started off in India where it was flexible and I was able to trial out all the the different types of volunteering which I found really helpful. The house was basic but it was enough and I had a really fun time in India. Next I went to Sri Lanka which was stunning where the accommodation was much more modern however I did find it cramped when the house was full as there’s only two toilets on one floor. However everything was really nice and there was a pool. I did the turtle project there which was cool but I probably wouldn’t recommend because I don’t think it’s worth the money but some people did really enjoy it but if I went again I definitely would do a different project. Then I went to Bali which was my absolute favourite the accomadtion was so nice and I really enjoyed the food. The trips were great and it was the best two last weeks. Overall I found pmgy a great way to travel on my own but be able to have a network of people to help me and make good friends and also to have the opportunity to volunteer and give back. Had the best 6 weeks would definitely recommend wish I stayed longer!
Great if you have little time or money and want to explore lots of different places. I just wish i could have stayed in every country longer!
Loved the opportunity to travel to multiple countries and try an array of projects!
I loved my experience with the real taster encounter. Each country I went to was uniquely interesting and diverse. I took part in the medical programme in India and Bali, I found that the India programme allowed a lot more hand on work and experience, whereas Bali was a lot more observational. Therefore if you’re looking to do lots of hands on work I would definitely recommend India but Bali is good if you just want to observe and get the feeling of a 3rd world country hospital. In Sri Lanka I worked with the elephants, which I loved! It was very enjoyable and I loved taking care of them, but as I did it for 3 weeks after 2 it did become a bit repetitive as it’s the same thing everyday. All of the guest houses were very nice. In India it is basic and very much just the essentials but Vishy and his family are wonderful and super helpful with any needs that you have! The Sri Lanka guest house was beautiful and the food was delicious, my only issue was that due to there being lots of younger volunteers it is much stricter then the other volunteer houses which can be a bit frustrating if you’re older and want some freedom! The Bali guesthouse is also lovely, Ketut is absolutely wonderful and such an incredible women for what she does! They are the nicest people and very welcoming. Overall I would recommend this experience to anyone, I loved every minute of it!
Excellent volunteering experience
The Real Taster Encounter was the perfect blend of meaningful service, structure, freedom, and adventure. You have the opportunity to chose your own project in each country and PMGY provides very adequate predeparture support through webinars and the through handbooks to prepare you. Beginning the trip in India was humbling and forced me to be resourceful in preparing lessons for teaching with limited materials. The kids at the slum school made it 1000x worth it though. Vishy is super helpful with anything from rides to Cyberhub to using his printer to plan lessons. Sri Lanka’s luxurious accommodation felt more like a vacation, doing the wildlife project was fun but not super fulfilling. Ashika keeps the house running very smoothly and under control, you can still go out and have fun on the weekends and be free. The house in Bali is also beautiful, and you Ketut makes you feel apart of the family from the second you arrive. All 3 destinations were unique and enjoyable in their own way. Be prepared to step out of your comfort zone, get a little dirty, and make some memories. This trip, as most things in life, will be as much as an experience as you make it to be. Don’t be afraid to give it your all, I promise you won’t regret it.
This last minute decision was one of the best I have ever made! If I could do this again I would in a heartbeat. I met the most amazing, inspiring people along the way. I definitely recommend this trip to any first time travelers like myself, or anyone who wants a great experience.