Are IVHQ legit?
Are IVHQ international volunteer hq legit? I've seen a trip they are offering that I like and their website seems professional but I don't trust online reviews and don't want to get scammed if anyone has any experiences. I'm thinking about volunteering in Bali with them.
I was looking at their animal care project in Thailand but with flights and spending money it was going to be too expensive for me 🙁
We don't work with IVHQ but there are lots of reputable similar options, view our list of the best gap year companies or search volunteering programs abroad.
I am considering going on a trip with IVHQ next summer to Cusco, Peru. I was planning on doing the medical project while I was down there. However, like you I have some hesitations and I am curious about IVHQ's reliability. On many websites all of the reviews are too perfect and seem kind of fake. The person who responded to my question on their facebook group had 0 friends, and several other accounts seemed kinda fake. Could anyone who has had experience with IVHQ talk about their experience. If anyone has gone specifically to Cusco could you comment? Any help is appreciated.
Just apply to the local providers instead which is much cheaper. I don't know if you know but if you apply with IVHQ they place you at local organisations which are usually very low cost. For exampe if you want to volunteer in Costa Rica or Central America IVHQ will place you with Maximo Nivel and for Bali/Indonesia you'll be placed with The Green Lion. If you apply direct you save yourself a lot of money.
I don't know how anyone can afford these types of things to me it just seems astronomical to pay so much to volunteer when there are similar free exchange opportunities available.
I only bothered to look at their Nepal section. The prices are ridiculous. 2 week "volunteer-excursion" costs significantly more than I spent travelling around the country for 2 months! That's before you account for the fact foreign volunteers are probably not helping at all - any credible organisation is not offering such short placements.
Do you think it is true over 140,000 people have volunteered with IVHQ? This figure seems very high?