Holiday Reviews
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same trip can have different views!
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Sri Lanka holiday & tsunami volunteer, independent reviews
 Reviewed 26 Aug 2006 by May Yung Tiet |  |
Such a great lifetime experience, I have so many great memories from there and can't stop talking about it to friends and family.
Working at the displacement school, taking the children to the beach, the home for elderly men.
Bring gloves, boots, sun cream and old clothes that you don't mind getting dirty. Whilst it's great to bring items with you to donate, try to bring money to spend out there to help the local economy.
Definitely. The projects were well organised carefully thought through so that every project was worthwhile and support local residents and we manage to do so much there, it was great seeing the difference we had made in a short time.
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Working at the displacement school, taking the children to the beach, the home for elderly men.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Bring gloves, boots, sun cream and old clothes that you don't mind getting dirty. Whilst it's great to bring items with you to donate, try to bring money to spend out there to help the local economy.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Definitely. The projects were well organised carefully thought through so that every project was worthwhile and support local residents and we manage to do so much there, it was great seeing the difference we had made in a short time.
| Reviewed 5 Aug 2006 by Sarah Black | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Volunteer work in the Galle area of Sri Lanka working with children and renovating a school for deaf and blind children and children with disabilities.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Try to choose a project you want to focus on but visit a range to get a proper feel for the needs of the community.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes.
| Reviewed 1 Jul 2006 by Lorna Allen | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
So many memorable moments stand out - the visit by the displaced children to the beach for the first time since the tsunami - the children listening to a voice clearly for the first time using new donated headsets- the blind music teacher reading his braille books and playing his brand new drums and violin.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Find out as much as possible about the projects you will be working on - then you can bring appropriate equipment or items to donate.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
There is no question that we benefited local people and as we were all like minded individuals we were acutely aware of environmental issues. The wonderful thing about this particular volunteering was that we could not only work on the projects but also if we saw a need for something we could actually do something about it on the spot.
4. Any other comments?
Very difficult to rate - can't decide between 4 and 5 stars!!
| Reviewed 29 Oct 2005 by Isy Raza | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The feeling of having completed a number of projects within such a short timeframe for the benefit of the local community. As a group we worked very well together and that was essential. Overall the trip excelled my expectations.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Go with an open mind and enjoy the experience. It's not all about work or pleasure but somehow you manage to do both and feel really fulfilled. If you can, get sponsorship before you go. I didn't but have already had feedback from people who say they would have donated money or sponsored a project.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Very much so. We worked with the local community on projects agreed in advance by our tour leader and were able to see the benefits of what we did before we left. I felt the experience was all about supporting people in re-building their lives, than simply offering the solution and to this end, I believe the work we did was successful.
| Reviewed 29 Oct 2005 by Federico Spinucci | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
All was fantastic. The location and the people in the group as well as the trips we did were all perfect.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Get ready to sweat, get dirty and having a wonderful time. Take with you lots of gloves for the work and sun cream for the sun. Also don't forget the mosquito repellent! .
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
I hope so. The organisers arranged the project in a very honest and careful way and I am sure that the happiness I saw in the people we helped was genuine and deep.
| Reviewed 22 Apr 2006 by Caroline Jepson | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Immersion into the culture and meeting lots of locals who are very resilient, positive, appreciative and friendly people.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Investigate the detail of the projects on offer for that particular project before booking to ensure your needs are met.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes I do, the local economy seems to be on the mend, however I'm sure it's very different out of season. There didn't seem to be any resentment towards tourists and the resort we stayed in was very nice and employed lots of locals - not luxurious but very pleasant environment and well situated.
4. Any other comments?
One of the best holidays, a great set of people and lots of variety. - Very enjoyable - 3 stars. Some aspects of the organisation were disappointing but overall it was lots of fun.
| Reviewed 22 Apr 2006 by Kate Rowe | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Learning how to build walls on a building site, making a new home for a lovely lady who had lost her house in the Tsunami. We couldn't speak to any of the workers as they spoke no English but we managed to create brilliant teamwork nonetheless.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Make sure that there is enough work organised for when you are away. Push for details of all projects before you go.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes it definitely benefited some local people but as above, more organised projects would have meant we could help more people.
4. Any other comments?
On the whole - amazing country, people and great fun and rewarding at times. Disappointing on the organisational front.