Your Placement Fee
When you travel with i-to-i, your placement fee pays for many things.
Your accommodation and meals
Locally-owned and locally-run accommodation is part of your placement fee. Whether you stay in a homestay, a local guesthouse or a volunteer house, you can rest assured that a part of your fee will filter back into the local economy, which means that before you even lift a finger at your project you'll have already made a small but significant contribution.
Your in-country coordinators
These are English-speaking residents of your destination country, hired to be on hand 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the length of your stay. They will collect you from the airport, help you settle in and be there whenever you need them.
Our only non-local in-country co-ordinators are Chris Fraser-Jenkins (English) in Nepal and Masako Fujii (Japanese) in Thailand, but they have both lived in their respective countries so long pretty much everyone regards them as locals anyway.
Read more about our in-country co-ordinators.
Your safety. Your security.
In addition to the security provided by your in-country coordinators, we thoroughly research your accommodation and projects to ensure they’re safe. (When we travel to do these checks we fly economy and stay in basic accommodation. We wouldn't feel right staying swanky 5 star accommodation.)
You'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line handled by our Duty Office in case any problem should arise while you’re overseas. They are crisis management professionals andd are on hand in case of a situation that requires additional expert support. And as members of ABTA, you can be sure that we are committed to the very highest standards in everything we do.
Find out more on our safety and security page.
Orientation
When you arrive at your destination, you'll be given an orientation by our in-country teams to help you to get to know the area, learn a few words of the local language and generally settle in.
Preparation
All our travellers are given thorough pre-departure information before they leave, so they know what to do and what’s expected of them when they arrive. Everyone who travels with us will also receive a country guide written by our team of travel experts.
In addition everyone that takes a teaching or community development placement will receive a free Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course, so that they’ll be fully prepared for their placement.
Specialist staff
Almost everyone who works for i-to-i has traveled extensively or worked overseas. This means we’re a goldmine of information; we’re always available to offer support and guidance before, during and after your trip.
Recruiting people like you
Many of our overseas projects rely on assistance from international volunteers, so it’s necessary for us to put together brochures and websites to find the people who can support them. This recruitment process is vital to ensure programs have a constant stream of reliable volunteers.
