Travelteer Reviews 

Amazing experience especially with the primary schools. Was able to experience and embrace the Sri Lankan culture

I had a great time and got to try lots of different experiences thst I wouldn’t have otherwise and Travelteer made it possible.

Really Loved it

I am currently doing the Travelteer experience in Sri Lanka with my school and I have really enjoyed the coast to coast tour. I am very excited to start the volunteering this week :)

great trip !! it was very fun to volunteer and it was engaging

great trip😛😛

I went on a Travelteer trip to Sri Lanka and it was very well organised so I was able to enjoy it with no worries. We were given the opportunity to teach children in schools and help nurse injured turtles back to health to then be released into the wild. The leaders Zoe, Charlie and Oscar were so trustworthy and became friends with the group which made the trip more enjoyable. I especially enjoyed Zoe giving us big sister advice and Oscars millennial humour. I would recommend taking a part in this once in a lifetime opportunity and I will cherish these memories for life.

Our group leaders Oscar and Zoe were so supportive and helpful throughout our trip. I really enjoyed getting to experience the different culture and lifestyle of Sri Lanka. Travelling around the country was such a fun journey and I would definitely recommend it to others.

My Travelteer trip to Sri Lanka was an absolutely phenomenal experience, earning every bit of its five-star rating! From the breathtaking landscapes to the vibrant culture, every aspect of the journey was meticulously organized and deeply enriching. However, the true magic of the trip, and what truly made it unforgettable, were our exceptional leaders, Oscar and Zoe. Their infectious enthusiasm, profound knowledge of the country, and genuine care for every participant transformed a great trip into an extraordinary one. They didn't just lead; they inspired, educated, and created an incredibly supportive and fun atmosphere, making every day a highlight and truly solidifying them as the best part of this incredible adventure.

We had such a fun time travelling around Sri Lanka with Travelteer. Our leaders Oscar and Zoe made the experience incredible!

My travelteer experience to Sri Lanka was amazing!!
All the staff on the trip were so accommodating and made the trip feel really special. The way they planned everything out was perfect and they made me feel really welcome when I joined the group and didn’t know anyone. If you ever get the chance to go on a travelteer trip I would definitely take it. After going on previous trips with other companies it’s made me realise how much more enjoyable a trip is when the staff are friendly!!
Sri Lanka is a beautiful country and I will definitely be returning. The turtle sanctuary that was funded my travelteer was also amazing. It is very rewarding when you know a small donation goes that far.

Thanks
Charlotte

I spent four weeks in Sri Lanka with Travelteer: one week on the tour and three weeks on the Mental Health Programme, which was largely funded through the Turing Scheme.

Sri Lanka is a beautiful country, and I made some incredible memories and lifelong friendships. The local coordinators worked hard, and I'm particularly grateful to those in-country who helped resolve several issues. However, there were a number of serious problems with the organisation of the trip that I feel prospective volunteers should be aware of.

Communication between the UK head office and the in-country team was consistently poor. The coordinators themselves acknowledged that communication wasn't always effective. This resulted in my tour leader not being informed of my dietary requirements until I arrived. Although I had been reassured before travelling that my dietary needs would be catered for, they weren't. Three days into the tour, I was met with nothing suitable to eat at one of the restaurants, which was a very humiliating experience around people I'd only just met. While the issue was addressed afterwards, when I contacted the UK office to raise my concerns, I received neither an apology nor any real accountability.

Another issue that isn't made clear when booking is that, on any night of the tour, you may be expected to share a bed with someone you've only just met. Travelteer explained that this is because it's a budget trip, but this wasn't communicated during the booking process.

The Mental Health Programme also differed significantly from how it was described before I travelled. I was told by Oscar that I would spend mornings volunteering in the hospital and afternoons completing other community projects. In reality, volunteers only complete around four hours of volunteering each day, and when I arrived I was informed that hospital placements were limited to one week. This was disappointing, as the hospital experience was the main reason I chose the programme. After discussing the issue with the Country Manager, I was thankfully allowed to complete a second week in the hospital. I feel that the UK staff will oversell the experience and then disappointment occurs when the reality doesn't match up.

While on placement, I encountered what I considered to be a serious ethical issue and safeguarding issue. Due to administrative problems, I was instructed to attend the hospital under someone else's name. The paperwork also contained another volunteer's passport number. This happened on more than one occasion. I explained that I was uncomfortable with this, as it could have serious professional implications for anyone hoping to pursue a healthcare career. Although I raised my concerns with both a coordinator and the Country Manager, I felt they were largely dismissed, with the explanation being that the hospital had already been paid for our placements.

Overall, the Mental Health Programme often felt disorganised. Some scheduled activities didn't feel like meaningful volunteering. For example, during my final week, yoga was timetabled three times. Travelteer later described these sessions as optional, but this certainly wasn't how they were presented in-country. Our group had originally expected to volunteer at the orphanage during one of these sessions instead.

There were also avoidable logistical issues. At one stage, head office had allocated eight girls to one bedroom while another room would only have housed four people. This was only corrected after I raised it with a coordinator. There were also problems with my airport transfer. My original transfer was scheduled for 3:30 pm despite my flight departing at 5:20 pm, even though the journey to the airport takes approximately two and a half hours. The alternative offered was a 7:30 am transfer, which would have left me waiting at the airport for around eight hours. Thankfully, one of the in-country coordinators arranged a more suitable solution.

My biggest criticism is that the company appeared reluctant to accept responsibility when problems occurred. Many of the issues I experienced could have been avoided with better organisation and communication.

Despite everything, I don't regret visiting Sri Lanka. It is an incredible country, and I made unforgettable memories and wonderful friends. My criticism is aimed at the organisation and communication rather than the country or the local people/coordinators, who were welcoming and supportive throughout my stay.

My daughter has just finished a mental health month long volunteering programme- although it's not! Don't be lulled by that. Do they tell you that you could be sharing a double bed with a stranger. Or different people during the course of your stay? If you tell them you have food issues and are reassured it won't be a problem, they ignore it? Trying to persuade you to get the wrong transport so you'd miss your flight? And offering a mental health opportunity that was mainly yoga sessions, other people's names and passports being used to get you access to hospital, learning to make tea. Seriously, there are real questions to be answered here. It is not how they sell it as an opportunity. There is barely any volunteering. But if you want a different time in a beautiful country, go for it, but don't believe what is advertised, or you'll be sorely disappointed!

the staff were great and really friendly i enjoyed being in the mountains the most helping and playing with the kids i would like to stay

Great leading staff and made all the better with a perfect range of activities. Enjoyed being constantly on the move with good living spaces and nice food

Getting to experience such a beautiful place with my best friends is an unforgettable experience. Helping out in the mountains and meeting the people who live there was a highlight of the trip, especially when we got to go to the school and meet the children.

The Morocco Atlas Outreach Project was truly a once in a lifetime experience. The travelteer team were 100% organised and ensured that we were given the best opportunities to give back to the community in the villages but also enjoy and feel welcomed in our stay there. The co-ordinators, Eddie and MJ were absolutely phenomenal, they created a safe and welcoming space. I definitely feel like i could go to them for any problems. They organised events that were fun and entertaining throughout my 2 week stay. Definitely loved the experience.

What made my experience to Vietnam was how thoughtful and understanding our tour guide Dave adventure was, when we wanted to do something he listened and acted upon it which was great. The trip itself was amazing, getting to see many different things and do fun activities like swimming, climbing and boat riding

Such a fun and rewarding experience! All the coordinators were unbelievably helpful (especially Reece and Ethan) and couldn’t have asked for a more enjoyable time. Definitely recommend if it’s your first solo trip as it’s a great way to make friends!

I spent 4 weeks doing the Marine program in Hikkaduwa, I had the most amazing time!! The project is varied and although some is hard work it is still lots of fun. The coordinators are great, particularly Reece, Ethan and Dumi! I have made some incredible friends and cannot recommend this experience enough!