Nepal Volunteer Programs from $20/day | Most Affordable & Trusted

I've spent 2 weeks in Nepal.Nicky and I helped in an orphanage.We lived in the mayor's house(the mayor of the urban area of Pokhara).Everyday we walked to the orphanage in several minutes. We helped with the kitchen,cutting decayed and wormy potatoes, peeling immature bananas.All these foods can be cooked into something tasty by adding curry. We also have the same meals with them. I made dumplings for them and luckily they like the dumplings.Although they don't have many kinds of good foods, they have pretty much sources for knowledge. They went to private school being taught in english and there are volunteers from all over the world going there.They may don't have many things we live with, but they are happy with what they live on, and have enough spiritual foods.

Being a volunteer with IVHQ was a very great experience for me, especially in Nepal, which is one of the poorest country in the world. I was taking a break from my concert photography job, and using this volunteer trip as my getaway. As a person who really loves children, my childcare placement was perfect for me. It's very delightful and grateful to meet and play with children in the orphan house, because I learn about how to communicate with them in English, which is not our first language (I'm from Indonesia, so I speak bahasa Indonesia as my first language). They taught me how to speak Nepali, and I taught them bahasa Indonesia little bit. Not only the language, but also about our culture and religion. It was very awkward moment when I had to do meditation before dinner, I'm a Muslim so I don't do meditation. I told them why I don't do meditation and they understood, then we share knowledge about our religion between Hindu and Islam. Diversity is most welcome in Nepal. I was worried about the communication because I don't speak Nepali, turns out most of Nepali people speak very good English. I didn't finished my program because the Ministry of Foreign Affair of Republic Indonesia flew all Indonesian back to Indonesia after the earthquake. Yes, I'm still disappointed but humans can't control a natural disaster. So I went back to Indonesia 2 weeks earlier. It was good and terrifying experience at the same time. But I promise myself to go back to Nepal to meet the children because my departure was so sudden. I miss Nepal already.

I arrived in Nepal ready and eager for the experience and challenge of international volunteering, and I (along with the other members of my volunteer group) was deeply disappointed and enraged by what we got. In fact, out of a large group of volunteers, all of those planning to stay more than 2 weeks terminated their stay early. It's almost like the descriptions on the websites are just made up by staff who've never actually been to the placements. The "orphanage work" description says that we'd be staying in a homestay and would work all day with needy children, helping them in all areas of their life. In reality, we were grouped into one-bedroom apartments or hotels and the children were gone ALL DAY at school and we were only with them for an hour in the evening to help with homework. When we showed the IVHQ staff in our local placement what the website said we'd be doing and the schedule they provided us of our daily routines, they laughed and couldn't believe it-- saying that that's never how it's been and that it's "impossible". There were even several volunteers who were scheduled to teach in schools for a month DURING the children's school holidays when no one was there!!! Clearly the staff doesn't care at all about the impact of its program. Meanwhile, the staff all drove the nicest cars we'd seen anywhere in Kathmandu, and other than that we couldn't figure out for the life of us where on earth our dues were actually going. It would have been infinitely better in EVERY way, and we all could have made a significantly greater impact in the communities, had we just traveled there and volunteered on our own without this ridiculous excuse for a volunteer program.

Im staying for five months and the three months that i have been here so far were great. Lots of fun friendly staff and host family! Everyone was quick to help and i was placed right where i wanted to be. The only downside was the lack of things to do at the placements. Most of my days were lazy days because nobody had any work for me at all which was nice at first so i could explore around but now I have no things to do at all. If there was a construcion program or a pure water building program that would be great but most of the time people at the orphangaes and schools dont step to need volenteers. So a variety of program would go a long way here.

I volunteered for orphanage work in Nepal in 2011, and was a bit apprehensive about booking online. With the sea of scams and uncertainty, it's hard to know who can be trusted. After a few chats with past volunteers and a large amount of positive reviews online, I chose to go through IVHQ and was pleased to find the trip went smoothly.

The staff in NZ was very friendly and accommodating to some special requests I had prior to booking my trip, and I was able to pick the specific volunteer location I wanted to work at. Airport pickup went smoothly, and the hotel I was placed at in Kathmandu was located within walking distance of Thamel. The hotel staff was very accommodating and helpful, the food served was more than average, and the tours and lessons upon arriving were a nice way of getting a feel for the country. With all the new sights and sounds of a new place, it's easy to get overwhelmed. IVHQ's placement services took all the guesswork out of my arrival, and let me really enjoy my first few days there.

I was transported to a small orphanage outside Kathmandu a few days after arriving to Nepal, and received a warm welcome from the children and house staff. Accommodation was right at the orphanage where I had my own room, and it was simple but comfortable. Living right at the orphanage greatly enriched my understanding of what life is like for the boys, and it was great to be there day and night. Meals were basic, but since they were identical to what was traditionally served and consumed in Nepal, I was fine with them. We had running water, a heated shower, and power for a good portion of the day.

Most days were spent getting the children ready for school, walking them to class, and helping with homework afterwards. On the weekends we'd play games or walk into town, and sometimes I'd help out at the school with lessons. It's a slower way of life than I was used to, and if one doesn't have their heart set on really helping the children, it might turn into a boring experience. I loved it, and threw myself into helping, mentoring, and spending time with the children.

Nepal was a great experience, and I was able to see parts of the country on the weekends. Since there was really no set structure at the home, I was able to come and go as I wished. I took a mountain flight to see Mt. Everest, and did some canyoning up near the Tibet border. Prices were very inexpensive, allowing me to stay weeks longer than I could have afforded in other places around the world.

Like all new places and cultures, you certainly need an open mind when traveling to Nepal. It's vastly different than things are back home, but it's a wonderfully beautiful country filled with very warm and caring people. Just make sure you get out of Kathmandu and see what the country has to offer.

The staff we're great at preparing us at orientation and introducing Nepal and Nepali culture. My host family was the family that ran the orphanage, which was great because I really became close with the kids, but also stressful because I never really got much of a break. My day began early with singing and praying with the children and then after they went to school, I would either take a nap, email my family, or watch a nepali movie with my host brother. After I finished volunteering for four weeks, I wanted to do some further travelling around Nepal and IVHQ helped me organize all of that.

I knew after high school, I wasn't ready to do more school just yet. I knew I wanted to travel, I knew I was broke, and I knew I wanted to do something meaningful with my time.
I found IVHQ through the power of Google, and after much review searching and price checking, I decided to sign up and go with it. I did three months in Nepal.
IVHQ was very thorough in addressing any and all questions or concerns I had, and they send a huge (I mean that) pamphlet on anything you could need to know about placements, expectations, and culture information.
When you get there you're set up with Hope and Home. You get a brief language and culture class, sight seeing in Kathmandu, and to connect with the other volunteers.
I spent one month in Kathmandu, and two in Pokhara, and I can honestly say in both areas I had the time of my life. The children were amazing, the location was amazing, and there is always a contact should you need something or have questions along the way. Periodically they checked up on us to make sure we were alright, settling well, and to answer questions. We did a couple trips to other places around the country, and they helped book bus tickets and tell you what's around. After it was all done, I did not want to go home, and would definitely do it again.