Today is day two of Becky’s ‘India: A Volunteers Guide From Start To Finish’ and today she talks about packing and lists five essential things that she found very useful on her trip. If you missed Becky’s post yesterday, you can check it out here. Remember to come back tomorrow for the next instalment where […]
Help! It’s monsoon season!
A lot of our volunteers go out in the summer months to fit in around university and teaching holidays, unfortunately this means that it is monsoon season in Thailand, India and Sri Lanka! Locals will try and stay inside when it is monsoon rain but there are times where you get caught out in it…and […]
Pre-departure checklist…
Your overseas trip with VESL comes around surprisingly quickly, here is a quick check list for you to run through before you go so that you know you are prepared and have everything you need! Passport – your passport has at least 6 months remaining from the date that you plan to leave the country you are volunteering in […]
Help! I don’t know what to pack
It is really difficult knowing what to pack for your trip overseas, when I first packed to go travelling I had a HUGE pile of things to take and a backpack – there was no way that I was going to be able to take a quarter of the stuff I had originally planned on […]
Ten Tips On Staying Safe Overseas
A lot of people worry about safety overseas, so here is a collection of advice to help you stay safe and assure you there is no need to panic! 1. Money belt 2. Large sums of money It is often easier to take large sums of money out of an ATM because a) you don’t […]
Volunteer Case-Study : Thailand
“I cannot think of a better way to spend my summer… it will be an experience you will always remember” Emma Warrington, Thailand, 2010
What To Wear While Teaching in India & Sri Lanka
It is important to be dressed appropriately while teaching. And what is considered appropriate is different in different countries. (These suggestions apply to Sri Lanka and India) For Male Volunteers First rule – Don’t wear shorts! It’s important to be seen as a respected member of the teaching faculty and, even if you don’t […]
ESL Teaching Materials To Buy In-Country
It is tempting to take an enormous amount of stuff with you when you go overseas to teach but there are many reasons to not do this. You don’t want to carry a large suitcase with you when you travel. It’s better to see what the school has and what the school needs before you […]
Gifts For Your Host Family
I’ve stayed with lots of people whilst volunteering in India and in Sri Lanka and I’ve always found it difficult to buy gifts for people. What exactly is an appropriate gift?
My Volunteer English Teaching Kit
There are two parts to my volunteer teaching kit: what I take to class everyday and what I have at my homestay placement. I buy as many of these things from the village closest to my homestay placement as I can. Sometimes I need to make a trip to a nearby big town or city […]
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Past Volunteer Feedback
- Travel Advice: Homesickness April 23, 2014
- Volunteer Co-ordinator: Dhanya April 15, 2014
- Teaching Advice: New Ideas April 14, 2014
- Volunteer Co-ordinator: Renata April 8, 2014
- Volunteer Co-ordinator: Ola April 1, 2014