GVI Anmeldelser 1.074

The marine conservation activities were amazing apparently, as well as the other daily activities, hikes, kayaking quiz night, kareoke etc according to Lucy (17) my daughter who said they were fantastic. In hindsight she is so glad to have had the experience and made 4 incredible friends (for life) from around the world. She loved visiting the town and the shops and a place where there was a pool and loved the yacht cruise and movie night. The overall experience was amazing and she learnt a lot about herself, her friends, the island, the turtles etc Unfortunately the accommodation and ablution facilities were of a terrible standard. The food was also of a very poor standard and after I complained on Day 4 to Michelle de Villiers at GVI apparently there was some improvement thereafter. Lucy was battling and I nearly flew her out of Kefalonia prematurely but she put a brave face on and carried on - thank goodness she had a circle of friends who were looking out for each other. Woj was apparently "weird" according to my daughter and the team leaders/supervisors were not on the same page and there seemed to be major dissension among them - it seems like they had never worked together and there was no camaraderie between them. The GVI staff were far too strict and wouldn't allow the girls to go to the beach or the neighboring beach camp restaurant for decent food in their spare time even with a buddy system in place. The girls were forced to subscribe to a modesty policy which no one was forewarned of - even though lucy did ask about this in the online meeting with GVI before the tour. I am very disappointed that I paid 46000 ZAR = 2300 euros (192 euros a day) and do not feel we got our money's worth. Note we also paid R25k airfares for Lucy to fly from Durban to Greece, another R5k for her to fly to Kefalonia and back from Athens, and another R10k pocket money, so over teh GVI fee of R46k we spent another R40k so R86k in total which is a lot of money. South Africa where I live has humble, simple but clean and hygienic camp sites on the KZN coastline and Kruger national parks and SANParks. The food was mostly vegetarian (pearl barley and hummus and cucumber) or hot dogs which is not nutritious. There was insufficient food and snacks provided considering what we paid. Greece is a country that prides itself on simple but delicious food and yet Lucy didnt even get a chicken gyros (bread and chicken chips and salad) on the odd occasion as dinner - gyros is a simple cheap meal. Lucy felt intimidated by the staff and didn't want to be targeted after I complained. I will not be recommending GVI if Kefalonia is the standard of the tours offered.

Absolutely wonderful experience, provided support and help wherever needed and gave me the opportunity to work with amazing people in a field that means so much to me. Thank you for everything!

So fun! GVI provides a safe and engaging way to learn about environmental issues and solution as well as culture.

I recently went to GVI Limpopo u18 and i had the best time of my life. The staff were great and the other participants were great as well. The support coordinator training could do with some more looking at. I learnt lots about the animals, the community and the culture. 100% would do again.

My sixteen year old daughter has just got back after a wonderful two weeks in Tenerife! GVI took a lot of trouble, with an eco-friendly itinerary that was purposeful, and a supportive group environment in which she flourished. There were twenty six of them of a similar age and they had fun while also being chaperoned. The GVI team in charge were kind. I would highly recommend this experience for anyone wanting a post-exam adventure for their teenager. It is well worth doing. She came back with new friends, new memories and a new sense of independence. Thank you!

The administrative side was lacking it was hit and miss. They retracted a discount which was offered and denied knowledge of the verbal contract. The communication was poor but improved when my daughter was actually in Thailand.
The biggest disappointment, which was the main reason I chose GVI, was they didn't do ANY work with the turtles. The kids were all very upset and let down. I paid a lot of money for my daughter to do this and all they did was show them in a tank.
The staff on the ground were faultless /kind/supportive and so lovely.
My daughter has mental health issues said the leaders were brilliant, who couldn't have done more. But she felt there should be more support ie another person to specifically help.
Would i use GVI again? No I wouldnt

Volunteering with gvi was the best choice I ever made . The program and community I was surrounded by in Huay Pakoot will forever hold a place in my heart . Forever friendships were made and I experienced something incredible which was outside of my comfort zone . Helping teach English within the village and experiencing the Karen peoples culture was a priceless experience . Gvi staff were welcoming and part of the reason I will definitely be returning.
Thank you gvi for such a great time.

best part was seeing the nature of Costa Rica. Staff were amazing. Busy enough. never got bored. would like to have had more of the night turtle conservation. overall I was fully satisfield

Highly recommend - my son had a brilliant time and was very well looked after by GVI. He’s already planning next year’s trip.

Having volunteered with GVI at their Trang programme in Thailand I can safely say it was the best thing I’ve ever done for my self. I think it’s somewhat rare to find a company whose aim is to genuinely help the local land and community and to put that aim above everything else. The connections I’ve made with the locals in Trang will be special to me forever and we couldn’t have made any change without them. I’m really excited to see how the programme grows and I’d highly recommend GVI to anyone looking for a genuine group looking to make real change.

An amazing experience at GVI Limpopo. All of the staff were very welcoming and friendly. I made great friends and learnt so much about animal behaviour and conservation!! Definitely recommend

I went to Cambodia, Siem reap to learn more about the culture and helping out in the English classes may it be for children or adults. Everyone working there welcomed me with a bright smile. It was a unforgettable experience and can’t wait to go back.

I really enjoyed how every day we were doing something different and we were always learning new things about the environment and the culture of the Huay Pakoot.

My daughter had a fabulous time in Kefalonia working with the turtle conservation project. She made some wonderful friends and memories. She is already talking about doing another GVI programme next year.

GVI-Puerto Morelos is an organization that specializes in the provision of experiential learning opportunities in the field of marine biology. The organization offers a range of services and amenities, including accommodations designed to facilitate a comfortable and productive stay for interns, diving experiences in the Mesopotamian reefs, community service projects such as beach clean-ups, and the opportunity to participate in turtle tagging. The organization also provides scholarships and flexible pricing options to ensure accessibility for a diverse range of individuals.
The community is encouraged to engage in social interactions and to establish connections with individuals residing in other towns during leisure periods. This is a commendable achievement. We forever will be grateful of my wonderful experiences to GVI-Puerto Morelos and all their wonderful staff members and my amazing mentors and the program coordinador Miguel.
As a mom I was very grateful my daughter and I experienced excellent treatment, top tear customer service, security, hard work, knowledge, and unforgettable memories and people!! Most importantly safety!! Highly recommended GVI! Hopefully is a hasta pronto y no un adiós!!

The community was so welcoming, the people my program attracted were wonderful and i’ll be friends with them forever. Expierence of a lifetime, and I will miss it always.

WOULD GIVE ZERO STARS. THEY ONLY WANT YOUR MONEY, PLENTY OF HIDDEN COSTS, AND VERY UNCLEAR WITH PROCESS.
TOOK £500 DEPOSIT AND THEN ADDED HIDDEN COSTS OF £800 MAKING THE TOTAL OVER £2K. I CHANGED MY MIND WITHIN A WEEK, THE SIMPLY SENT AN EMAIL SAYING 'NON- REFUNDABLE' THIS WAS NEVER EXPLAINED INITIALLY, WILL BE REPORTING TO CHARITIES COMMISSION. BEWARE

The trip was absolutely amazing and I had an incredible time seeing diverse wildlife and experiencing different culture and community.

I had a fantastic time at GVI Puerto Morelos, Mexico. During my 8 week internship I met some fantastic friends and made lifelong memories. The mentorship I experienced from outstanding role models, namely Abi Mandeville and Kayla Moore, was exactly that - outstanding. Juana Iriarte was a fantastic diving instructor and at times a nice friend. Miguel Lozano did a good job at managed the site and trying his best to fix any problems when they occurred.

Miguel was so great during my entire internship. He made sure everything was as organized as possible, made sure everyone was safe, and gave us the support we needed. For example; one day I was really sick and he took care of me like his own child, just like he would for any of us. It kind of felt like I had my own little family down here in Mexico while away from home.