About i-to-i What i-to-i trips and TEFL are, how and why we do what we do!
call
us on 978 587 3650
About i-to-i What i-to-i trips and TEFL are, how and why we do what we do!
Travel With over 25 countries in 4 continents to choose from we are confident you can find your perfect trip!
TEFL Courses Teach English Abroad - Travel the world and use your talents to inspire. Free paid job placements all over the world with our 100-hour Courses
One thing we can promise you on this project is that your students will be well behaved! You’re sure to learn as much as you teach in gorgeous Nepal and with well behaved and positive students ranging in age from 7 to 12 it’s a great opportunity to gain a wide variety of experience and test your teaching skills. The monasteries are sometimes affected by pujas which can give you some free time to fit in some trekking before school starts again. From your base it couldn’t be easier to plot a route into the mountains and for those who don’t fancy doing it alone, fear not, the city is full of travellers looking for walking buddies.
Today you will be met at the airport and taken to the guest house in Thamel, Kathmandu. Look out for the friendly face with an i-to-i sign when you arrive; you’ll then be accompanied back to the Student Guesthouse in Thamel which will be you home for the rest of your stay. The rest of your day is free so that you can rest, relax and recover from your journey.
If you aren’t able to arrange a flight to get you into Kathmandu on the specified arrival date we’d recommend you fly in a day early. We can arrange an early airport pick-up for you including one night’s accommodation, please call us for more information.
You’ll receive a full orientation on this day from the team in Nepal. This will include finding your way about, cultural considerations, dos and don’ts and it’s your prime opportunity to ask any questions that you’ve got about your trip. Once the orientation is completed it’s your chance to get out and explore all that Thamel has to offer.
This is your first opportunity to meet the monks and children at your monastery. The monks are always very welcoming and will show you around where you’ll be teaching and also the other facilities in the monastery. You may get involved in some teaching on this day (dependent on the time) or the monks will explain the schedule for the following days.
You’ll spend the next few days getting to know the project, monks and children you’re teaching. You’ll be working for around 2 hours per day which gives you plenty of time to prepare your lessons for the next day and explore Kathmandu which has lots to offer. You can find a multitude of tourist attractions, great shops and lively backpacker hangouts to frequent. Or more the more discerning traveller, there are some brilliant restaurants for fine dining, fantastic architectural delights in Durban square and magnificent temples to visit.
Weekends are free time for you to rest and explore. You can stay close to home or head out of Kathmandu if you prefer. Nepal has much to offer its visitors from trekking, white water rafting, Everest flights and safaris and you will easily find people who can arrange this in Thamel. The in-country team will be happy to point you in the right direction.
Mondays to Fridays will be spent at the project with your weekends free to fill with whatever you fancy!
Having said goodbye to all your new friends you’ll transfer back to the airport or head on for more adventures in Nepal. The return transfer back to the Kathmandu Airport is not covered within your project fee but the in-country team will be happy to help you with arrangements. It should cost around US$10 for the transfer.
Buddhism is one of the key faiths within Nepal and is practiced by Nepalese and Tibetans who live in Nepal. Becoming a monk starts early and the monasteries combine the education of Buddhist practices and philosophies but also standard schooling such as English, mathematics and computers. These monklets are keen to learn in all areas and the monasteries aim to grow the next generation of monks with a solid understanding of both Buddhism and standard education.
The Monasteries vary in size. Some have about 30 pupils (all boys), aged from 7 up to 13. Other Tibetan and Nepalese Buddhist monasteries have approximately 400 resident monks.
The schools in the monasteries provide classes in a number of subjects for about 150 monks. The classes are divided into groups ranging from upper kindergarten of age 8 years to classes for 13 year olds. Attendance at classes is voluntary for the monks so class sizes tend to fluctuate! Ability levels in each class can also vary. Class sizes can vary but are usually between 11 to 30 monks and there is also occasionally a small senior general discussion class with monks aged 18 to 23 years.
Monastery life focuses on the learning of the Buddhist faith and there are many festivals throughout the year! You will find that schedules work on a flexible basis according to the religious festivals (puja) or rituals going on at the time. This will often be with no advance warning and sometimes little explanation, so we are pretty certain that you will have some disruption to your work schedule during your stay! However this would be a great time to take advantage of the many treks or trips that are on offer from the many travel agents in Thamel - a 3 day trek or what about a flight over Everest? There will be plenty to do! If you do wish to do some work at the child protection homes though then please do see our in country team to see if this can be arranged. It is important however to fit into the workings of the monastery and help where you can or you could attend the puja in the monastery if you wish! What an experience!.
You will need to dress conservatively at this project; body piercings, obvious tattoos and long hair in males is not considered suitable by the monastery.
The monks at the monastery may be experts in Buddhism but they aren’t experts in English! That’s where volunteers come in. Many schools in Nepal lack the funds to provide effective English language training. Native or fluent English speakers with or without formal teaching experience can contribute greatly to a child's educational development. Career prospects for children of Nepal often rely on their knowledge of English, and by teaching English, you become an important part of the community.
The monks will also have the opportunity to learn more about the Western world through you and your English teaching will help them to communicate to Westerners.
You will often be left to your own devices when teaching and have responsibility to plan your lessons. The pupils are keen to learn and are responsive and active. If you have teaching experience you could also conduct workshops on new teaching methods with the teachers. The more you get involved in all aspects of school life the better your experience will be.
Your main duties in the monasteries will be teaching English and occasionally mathematics. You will be teaching for approximately 2 hours a day and on many occasions you may find yourself team teaching with another volunteer allowing you the support of having someone else teaching with you as well as giving more attention to your students.
You will be teaching either in the morning or the afternoon depending on the monastery, but sometimes there may be some very early morning starts so be prepared! You will also need to be flexible too as a lot of time is taken up with prayers. One of the monasteries would also like more advanced conversational English teaching from 4pm to 5pm but this would not be on a regular basis so please enquire with the in country team.
Please note: During February/March each year the Losar festival occurs celebrating the Tibetan New Year and will mean that you can join the celebrations. The projects will be disrupted but is a great opportunity to see some of the performances in the city and see thousands of monks in their deep red robes worshiping.
The monasteries have basic resources with blackboards and chalk or whiteboards with dry markers but they should be adequate. You may wish to bring some extra educational books or games to assist with your activities. Flash cards and stickers are a good idea too. You will however find it much cheaper to buy resources in Nepal and that adds money to the local economy too!
If you do wish to learn more about Buddhism there are plenty of places to learn so we suggest that you take some extra time at the end of your stay!
It may seem like a strange concept to pay for your volunteer experience. You'd be right if you think you shouldn't and the truth is you actually don't! Your placement is free; it's the benefits around it that you pay for. It's important to note that i-to-i is a travel company and not a charity. We provide a professional travel service. We are responsible for finding and assessing worthwhile projects across the world, preparing you fora the volunteering experience and supporting you whilst you're there.
Here’s some more information about what your placement fee covers….
We work with hundreds of locally run partner projects around the world and are constantly sourcing new opportunities. We visit all projects to check that they are worthwhile and legitimate and we also conduct a thorough safety assessment before we'll send volunteers there. More
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.
Once you book on to a project you'll receive a Welcome Pack that contains loads of general information about volunteering, about your chosen country and how to have fun and stay safe. We'll also give you advice on visas and inoculations.
It can be pretty daunting arriving in a different country for the first time - especially after a long flight! If you arrive on your project start date, there'll be a welcoming face at the airport to pick you up and take you to your accommodation.
Soon after you arrive you will attend a thorough orientation with our in-country team. This is to cover important safety and security information. You'll also get some tips about sight-seeing options for your time off and maybe even learn some of the local lingo!
Accommodation is included with all projects and meals are even included with some. We only use locally-owned and operated accommodation so that part of your placement fee is filtering back into the local economy. Most projects offer homestay, guesthouse or shared volunteer houses as standard accommodation, but some offer the chance to upgrade to a more comfortable living standard. More
Your in-country team will arrange a pick-up for you at the airport and will conduct your orientation upon arrival. All coordination teams are English speaking and are locals of your destination country. They won't be at your project every day, but will be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you need them. More
Aside from the local support from your in-country team you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by our response team in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals to be on hand in case of a situation that requires additional expert support. More
The safety and security of our volunteers is paramount. For this reason we provide ongoing crisis management and emergency response training to our local teams around the world. We also fly in our in-country coordinators to the UK regularly for thorough training to help them offer the best safety to the thousands of volunteers they support each year. More
We don't fund our projects directly from the project fee that you pay us. Instead we choose to support a number of projects every year through a grant scheme for tangible long-term initiatives. In the last 3 years we have distributed over US$250,000 to our most needy projects to help them in the great work they do.
We make no secrets of the fact that part of your placement fee is reinvested in to recruiting volunteers just like you! The volunteers recruited in one week will typically deliver over 2000 man-days of service. The difference this makes to projects overseas is immeasurable. 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.
Volunteering through a company like i-to-i has a lot of intangible benefits to developing overseas communities and the individual projects that we work with. To find out more about our placements. click here
We aim to provide you with a safe and soft landing into your destination by picking you up from the airport, giving you an orientation that helps to settle you into the country as quickly as possible. It's also the best time to ask any questions you have about your time in Nepal.
Here's what will happen: You will arrive on the Arrival Date - Sunday and will be met at the airport on that day. You will be taken to the Student Guesthouse (see contact details below) which will be your permanent accommodation during your stay.
Note: If you're arriving early we can arrange a meet and greet for you. If you require this please contact us to arrange this service. If you wish to make your own way please arrange to be at the address below on the arrival date:
Student Guesthouse PO Box 5555 Thamel Kathmandu Tel +977 (0) 14 251 448Your orientation will take place the next morning at the Student Guesthouse and will introduce you to life in Nepal, places to go, what to do, as well as important information about staying healthy and safe. Chris has a wealth of knowledge about life in Nepal so please do ask him lots of questions! You will be shown to the project the next day, Tuesday where you will start your work as a volunteer either on Tuesday or Wednesday.
It's important that you get adequate travel insurance for your i-to-i experience and as many of you will be working this often means standard policies won’t work. The good news is that no matter where your coming from we have already found a policy to suit you.
The best time to get your insurance is when you book your project as this means you can get a fully tailored policy exclusive to i-to-i, just ask your consultant for further details at the time of booking.
EU Customers – find out more here >>
Australian customers - find out more here >>
All other customers - find out more here >>
As with insurance we advise you get these booked as early as possible to avoid high prices and to make sure you arrive on the right day. The i-to-i team is right up to date with the best deals no matter where you’re flying from; their insider knowledge could save you some time and money.
If you are arriving before your designated arrival date, we can arrange for an extra meet and greet service for you. The team in Nepal can offer this service for no extra charge as long as you request it. We will be there to meet you at the airport and ta
The cost of this Early Pick-up service is US$ 46.00
You’ll be staying in a private room at the Student Guesthouse in the Thamel district of Kathmandu. If you are a couple and would like to share a room this is also possible on request.
This guesthouse is an extremely friendly, family-run hotel situated in the centre of Thamel. Rooms are clean and furnished in a simple style. You’ll get breakfast and dinner at the hotel which is a combination of Western and Nepalese food.
Your bedroom will have bathroom facilities attached to your room and you’ll have your own shower and western style toilet. There is hot water available but as with many developing countries it can be intermittent and may be available only in the mornings.
There is a reception area in the hotel with a television, internet, local and international phones. Laundry facilities are also available at a reasonable charge through the guesthouse.
The Student Guesthouse is located right in the middle of Thamel in Kathmandu. Thamel is the main tourist district within the city and is packed full of bars, restaurants, internet cafes, shops and tour companies. You really will be able to get everything you need within walking distance from the hotel and it’s easy to catch taxis and rickshaws too.
The monasteries are located about 2 to 6 kilometres from Thamel and are easily reached by public transport. This will normally be on a rickshaw or bus and will take up to 50 minutes. Please budget around US$5 per week to cover these costs.
Nestled between India and China, Nepal has endured tumultuous periods that have enriched its culture but, at times, rocked its foundations. The earliest inhabitants are recorded as being the Kiratis who arrived in around the 7th century and it was also around this time that Buddhism was beginning to be practised in the country. With the dominance of the Licchavis people from the late 5th century until the 9th century, Hinduism replaced Buddhism as the main religion. They introduced the caste system that still exists today, and the period is regarded as a golden age during which Nepali art and architecture flourished. A blip in the country’s advancement occurred during the reign of the succeeding Thakuri dynasty which was marred by invasion and conflict. Following the prosperous period of the Mallas which saw the country divided into city-states each with their own armies, the Shah dynasty set about unifying the country. King Prithvi Narayan Shah from the kingdom of Gorkha, considered to be the founder of the nation, conquered the Kathmandu valley from the 18th century onwards. The expansion of the Shahs and Nepal’s growing boundaries led to conflict with the Chinese in Tibet and the British in India.
A swift shift in power took place in 1846 when Jung Bahadur Rana, a noble from western Nepal, engineered a revolt that led to the annihilation, known as the Kot massacre, of the nation’s most powerful figures. He became prime minister and made the title hereditary. In 1951, the system of rule changed when the Shah’s power was restored and King Tribhuvan set up a new government with a cabinet of Rana and Nepal Congress Party ministers. The path to democracy was short lived and by 1959 the King rejected the notion of a democratically elected government and resumed direct control.
It wasn’t until 1990 that a multi-party democracy was established but has since been threatened by what is known as the People’s War, an insurgency by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). The country was shaken in 2001 when the crown prince murdered members of the royal family, including the king and queen, and ended his own life. Until April 2006, King Gyanendra held absolute power after dissolving the government for its proposed lack of success in dealing with the Maoist rebels and corruption; a state of emergency was declared. The King has since relinquished his power to political parties and with the 2007 elections looming, long-term stability is yet to be realised. Meanwhile, the government and the Maoist signed a peace deal in November 2006, making steps toward a permanent ceasefire and an end to the conflict that has so far claimed thousands of lives.
The most popular time to visit Nepal is October to November, the start of the dry season when the temperatures are agreeable and the high elevated areas are at their most accessible for trekkers. December to January are less crowded but still an opportune time to reach the mountainous heights though the weather can get colder at higher elevations and there is the possibility of snow to contend with. February to April is also a good time for trekking and to see flora in bloom. The temperatures are mild but can reach high temperatures in low elevated areas. Trekking and scenic views are obscured by the onset of the monsoon season from mid June to September. Although trekking is still possible, frequent rains make for muddy roads, a greater chance of landslides and the reappearance of unsightly leeches.
There’s no denying that Nepal has some of the best named airlines in the world, where else could you board carriers called Yeti Airlines, Cosmic Air and Buddha Air? Fanciful names aside, there is a good choice of carriers available that serve the major routes and remote locations with the main flight hubs based at Kathmandu, Pokhara, Nepalganj and Britanagar. Royal Nepal Airlines is the national airline and has an extensive network of flights. It’s not uncommon for flights to be cancelled due to bad weather and is essential to reconfirm flights. Booking domestic flights a week in advance is advisable.
Bus travel is the main mode of ground transportation. These slow moving road hounds are cramped but cheap, and safety is major issue with crashes not all that uncommon. For a less daunting experience it’s best to ride on one of the designated tourist buses that mainly operate between Kathmandu and Pokhara. These are worth the extra cost for the added comfort and safety features. Night time bus travel should be avoided. Trains are limited to one line that runs from Jankapur to the Indian border; foreigners are not permitted to cross the border.
A convenient option is to rent a car with a driver (it’s not possible to rent a self-drive car). It’s sure to be quicker and more comfortable than travelling by bus and can work out more cost-effective than flying, depending on where you want to go and for how long. Rental can be readily arranged in the main populous areas and at hotels and guest houses. Small motorcycles can be rented but are best kept to day trips due to the rocky road conditions and lack of engine power.
Local transport covers a myriad of options including buses, tempos (three-wheeled buses), rickshaws and taxis. Bikes can be rented in Kathmandu and Pokhara and is probably the quickest and most pleasant way to get around. Good old fashioned walking is not to be sniffed at, especially in a land that is a trekker’s mecca, as it can be the most reliable form of getting from A to B.
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s website provides up-to-date political news, travel advice and information on visas.
Buddha Air
Cosmic Air
Royal Nepal Airlines
Yeti Airlines
We work in partnership with hundreds of established projects that are run by local communities. The information on our website comes directly from the projects and we work with them to ensure this information is as accurate as possible. However, due to the very nature of the projects themselves the exact details of what happens on a daily basis can change with little or no notice. If you have travelled with us and have any updates to this information, please let us know.
Bookmark this page with... GoogleFacebookMSN LiveYahoodel.icio.usDigg What are these links?
* We can be held responsible for any starry-eyed and amazing journeys of enlightenment, discovery and thorough enjoyment...
User Options
