i-to-i is a company that offers volunteering trips, gap years, the chance to teach english (for money and on a voluntary basis) and to simply just travel.
* Background Info * i-to-i have been sending people to on projects worldwide since 1996. They are the original volunteer travel company and have a client base of 20,000 happy former volunteers to prove it.
* The Concept * i-to-i is for those who want to travel, volunteer, take up a challenge, gain experience or just to simply see the world. They will organise your project, accommodation and board, depending on the project you decide upon and even give you advice on how to make the most of it.
* Variety * There is alot of variety in what you can do, see and acheive when choosing a programme with i-to-i. There are usually a number of opportunities in each country that you can do. Countries include: India, China, Jamaica, Hondura, Peru, Uganda, Thailand, Cambodia, Australia, Costa Rica, Canada. Projects you can take part in include: volunteering, tours, adventures, group travel, challenges and teaching. There is sure to be something for everyone.
* Support * When you sign up to a project, you get sent an information pack to include an i-to-i tshirt, tips on how to raise your funds
and even a packing list. This also includes a personalised letter according to your project and country, letting you know of any vaccinations you may need. There is an i-to-i representative who lives in the country you have your programme so you always feel safe and always have someone who can help you if you ever come into any bother. When you arrive your i-to-i rep gives you details of local customs, what to do in certain situations and what never to do.
*Cost* This is not a cheap company to travel with, but they are pretty good at what they do. I think I paid approximately £2400.00 including my £600 return flight for my 12 week DR experience. This included airport pick-up, accommodation, lunch and dinner daily. Of course, alongside all of this you got very expert advice and someone to plan all of this for you. I would say in the long run, definately worth every penny.
========= My Experience =================== Dominican Republic, Conservation of Ecological Centre 1st May - 26th July 2006 (12 weeks)During my second year of university, i had to have a placement of 6 weeks in a tourism environment (my degree is in Tourism Management). All my friends were getting placements in travel agents, local tourism councils and some were going abroad with the university programme. I didnt have a clue what I wanted to do, where I was going to do it, how I was going to do it and time was running out.
I decided I wanted to go abroad, as this module was during the last six weeks of uni and could carry on through summer if an opportunity had risen. As part of the module, you were not allowed to get paid and you had to write a reflctive assignment on what you learnt and how you learnt it.
I first found i-to-i online and got very excited from reading the prospects that I could be getting up to in the summer. I decided to talk to my 'Work Based Learning' Tutor, which would have had to be run by her anyway. She said that i-to-i were a very reputable company and recommended that I went with the company if I wanted to go abroad.
I knew my project had to be something within the tourism industry and one of the countries that I could go to was Domincain Republic. Dominican Republic - in the CARIBBEAN! Of course I was going to choose to go there and I thought why not do 12 weeks! So thats what i did. I paid my deposit and was sent an information pack, which included an i-to-i t-shirt and loads of advice and tips. I was told I needed certain vaccinations, so I got those sorted and got my malaria tablets.
So, came the 1st May and I arrived in the DR, there was a guy holding my name up. I have never had this before. Before you know it, I was in the drivers car and I arrived at the guest house. This is where all of the other volunteers in Santo Domingo stayed. These volunteers all taught english to the local school and orphange. I went one day with them and was totally smitten. I was based in Punta Cana (4 hours coach away), which I travelled to after 3 days in Santo Domingo. Our induction was fun. The i-to-i rep, Masielle showed us around and took us to a Merengue class, where we had a dance lesson with some local teenagers. A few days after the induction I made tracks to Punta Cana via coach.
When I arrived in Punta Cana I was met by Elsa - she was kind of my rep in Punta Cana, and also my landlady! She was lovely, she made me call her Mama Elsa and at times Id pluck her eyebrows hehe! :)
Anyways each day I would get the Sitrabapu bus to my project as advised by Mama Elsa. The project was well run and I felt like I helped alot. Some days I worked on the beach aswell!
I came to the Dominican Republic not speaking a word of Spanish, not even hola (believe it or not), now I was able to speak reasonably well, not fluent of course but enough to get by. I had made so many friends, I'd lost count. I'd partied so hard with the locals that they all knew my name. I had an absolutely amazing time. I learnt so much about their culture and so much about myself. It does make you think when you see people less better off than yourself but so much happier! I think regardless of whether you go with i-to-i or not everybody needs an experience like mine.
My 12 weeks had come to an end and I was so so pleased I done this project. Did I pass my assignment? Just about! I was having too much fun!
I am going to Peru 10th Nov 2009. Not with i-to-i but maybe because of what i learnt from my i-to-i experience.
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Advantages: Plenty of placements to choose from, Weekend TEFL course fun Disadvantages: Disorganised, staff un-informed, expensive for service received
Sandroulla 12.05.2006 ·
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Review of I-to-I
Advantages: Enjoyable placement, loved working with kids Disadvantages: Disorganised, overpriced, left to your own, some projects dont exist, some false information
lizziebs 12.04.2006 (12.04.2006)
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Review of I-to-I
Advantages: Friendly agency with a personal touch, good links with placement countries and wide variety of programmes Disadvantages: some communication problems over what was included in my prize (a minor quibble)
blinderben 14.02.2001 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of I-to-I
Advantages: Friendly agency with a personal touch, good links with placement countries and wide variety of programmes Disadvantages: some communication problems over what was included in my prize (a minor quibble)
blinderben 14.02.2001 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of I-to-I
Advantages: glossy brochure with nice, inspiring pictures, beautiful countries Disadvantages: not interested in you after you book and hand over the cash
SamFord 13.11.2006 (13.11.2006)
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Oct 15th, 2009
exceptional by (25%):
very helpful by (75%):
