Volunteer Reviews and Participant Experiences
Abroad Escape · Volunteer Placement Agency · Rated 5/5 by participants across Asia, Africa & Europe
We are Loved ♥️ by our Trusted Customers
The reviews below come from volunteers who joined Abroad Escape programs across Asia, Africa, and Europe. They joined programs in teaching, conservation, healthcare, and community development, in destinations including Bali, Nepal, Thailand, Fiji, and more.
These are not filtered highlights. They are the experiences volunteers reported after completing their placements. We display them here in full because the detail in participant feedback is more useful to someone considering a program than any marketing claim we could make about ourselves.
What volunteers said, in their own words:
"Volunteering with Abroad Escape was the best trip and the best experience of my life. Full stop. I did not expect to say that before I left — but that is exactly how I feel having come back."
Name: Michael
Program: Volunteer program in Vietnam
"The teaching program was a great experience. The children I worked with were smart, enthusiastic, and genuinely willing to learn — which made every session rewarding. The structure of the program meant I knew what I was doing each day, which made it easy to focus entirely on the work."
Name: Kate Program: Teaching placement in Philippines
I had an amazing time in volunteering with Abroad Escape. I was happy with the whole experience and would love to go back in the future!
"Joining the program in Fiji was one of the best decisions I have made. Wonderful destination, well-organised placement, and an experience I would recommend to anyone considering it."
Name: Harry Program: Teaching Volunteer placement, Fiji
"I joined in Thailand and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. Well organised, a good group of fellow volunteers, and a placement that felt genuinely worthwhile. I would go back."
Name: Ladina Program: Volunteer placement, Thailand
"It was an awesome experience. Everything I hoped for and more. I would love to do it again."
Name: Sissel Program: Volunteer placement in Bali
"The volunteering was mind-expanding and deeply rewarding. The local people are the friendliest I have encountered anywhere in the world. That alone would make it worth doing — the work on top of that made it something I will carry with me for a long time."
Name: Lynn Program: Community placement in Vietnam
"The program was well run and the support from the coordinator was wonderful throughout. These were the best two weeks I have had in a long time — I felt genuinely helpful, and genuinely part of the program rather than an observer.
I enjoyed every single minute of it. Thank you."
Name: Annelies Program: Two-week placement teaching in Thailand
"I had a really meaningful time. I learned a great deal about the culture and the people — their daily life, their traditions, the way they treat each other. By the end of the placement it was actually starting to feel like home.
The people and the children were so warm and welcoming. I loved spending time with them. Thank you for making this possible."
Name: Noor
Program: Community placement, Nepal
"The coordinator provided excellent information — about the local culture, the people we were working with, and the surrounding area. She gave me information about places to visit and was extremely helpful throughout, going above and beyond what I expected.
During my introduction week I was fully immersed in Balinese culture. The food was freshly prepared by local people every day and was always delicious. The accommodation was brilliant. I arrived not knowing what to expect and left feeling like I had genuinely been part of something."
Name: Victoria
Program: Culture and community placement, Bali
"My experience in Nepal was positive in many ways. The staff are great people who are genuinely fun to work with, from the first day to the last. It was fascinating to live among them and experience their lifestyle and traditions directly — not as a tourist, but as someone who was actually there working alongside them.
In three weeks with Abroad Escape I learned and experienced so many things I will never forget. Thank you for making this a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
Name: Duygu
Program: Community and cultural placement, Nepal
"I can honestly say this was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. The volunteering was such an enriching experience. Every person I met was generous and genuinely happy to share their lives and their time with me.
I have recommended this program to many people since coming home. I hope that by sharing my experience I can help spread what this organisation is doing — because it deserves to be known."
Name: Shilpa
Program: Community volunteering in Thailand
What These Experiences Have in Common
Volunteers join programs in very different countries, for very different reasons, doing very different work. But the feedback they give shares consistent themes — and those themes reflect the parts of the program that Abroad Escape controls directly.
The coordinator is mentioned by name in nearly every detailed review. This is not a coincidence. The local coordinator is the single person a volunteer interacts with most during their placement — on arrival day, during orientation, and throughout the program. Coordinator quality is something we monitor and maintain as a core operational standard, not an afterthought.
Feeling prepared before arrival is mentioned consistently. This reflects the pre-departure process: the handbook, the visa guidance, the direct contact with the local team before travel. Volunteers who arrive knowing what to expect spend their first days doing the work, not adjusting to unexpected circumstances.
Feeling genuinely useful — rather than like a tourist — comes up repeatedly. This is the direct result of placing volunteers into projects that have a real operational need for their presence. When a school actually needs a teaching assistant, or a conservation project actually needs field support, volunteers feel the difference. The work means something because it is real work.
Ready to Have Your Own Experience?
Programs are available in 21 countries across Asia, Africa, and Europe. They run from one week to 24 weeks, start every Monday year-round, and begin from €525 with accommodation, meals, airport pickup, and a local coordinator included from day one.
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