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About i-to-i What i-to-i trips and TEFL are, how and why we do what we do!
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The source of Vietnam’s lush beauty is also a cause of real problems for the local population. The monsoon rains that paint the island a deep green also wreak havoc on the poorly constructed houses – and that’s where you come in! You’ll be working with one of our partner projects south of Ho Chi Minh City re-housing as many families as possible, all supervised by trained professionals (just to make sure they stay standing!). You’ll spend your time near the famous Mekong Delta which is well worth a visit and a roll or two of film from your camera, just make sure you leave enough for the jungles, mountains and rice paddies that litter the landscapes as well as all the friends you’ll make from the local communities.
In Vietnam over the festive season? Enjoy some delicious Vietnamese food in a Christmas atmosphere!
Welcome to Vietnam! Today you will be met at the airport and taken directly to the accommodation which will be your home for the first 2 nights of your stay in Vietnam. You will have the rest of the day to rest and recover from your journey. If you are feeling adventurous you can head out and start exploring your surroundings!
If you aren’t able to arrange a flight to get you into Ho Chi Minh 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.
Today is orientation day. Orientation will take place at the hotel where you’re staying in Ho Chi Minh. All new arrivals will have their orientation together, and this will cover important information such as what it’s going to be like at your project, dos and don’ts, fun things to do in South Vietnam, a language lesson and how to stay safe on your trip. This is your prime opportunity to ask any burning questions that you haven’t yet had answered and to meet your fellow volunteers!
Today you will take a minibus to your new home in the Mekong Delta! You will travel with your fellow builders and the journey will take around 2 hours. Vietnam has some amazing scenery for you to enjoy during the journey, and you could use the time to practice you newfound Vietnamese language skills – xin chao!
When you arrive in the Mekong at approximately 5pm you’ll have some time to settle in and explore your new home. The i-to-i team will introduce you to the house staff and local team, tell you about interesting places to visit nearby and show you the way to banks and supermarkets where you can stock up on supplies. Your evening is free to spend how you chose – maybe you’ll want an early night after your long day, or you might fancy enjoying a drink with your new friends.
Today you’ll be up bright and early for your first day your project! Today is all about settling in and getting to know your way around. The i-to-i team will introduce you to the staff at the project who will be your day-to-day contacts. You’ll spend the rest of your day learning the ropes and starting to get stuck into some volunteering.
Now’s the time to get stuck into some building work. You’ll be working alongside local Vietnamese builders and will be asked to help out with a variety of tasks. You could be pulling down old, damaged houses, levelling the ground, transporting raw material to the construction area, making cement, digging, laying bricks, plastering or anything else required by the site co-ordinator. You may also get involved in some English teaching as the local builders and children from nearby schools will be keen to learn as much as possible from you.
Your weekends are free to spend as you chose so this is your chance to get out and explore the Mekong Delta and surrounding areas. There are an awful lot of sights and experiences to pack in so we hope you’re not to tired from all the building work!
You could visit a floating market, some stunning pagodas and temples, or take a trip back to Ho Chi Minh to explore Vietnam’s capital city. However you decide to spend your weekends, we’re sure you won’t be bored as Vietnam is a fascinating, beautiful country with so much to see and do.
The following weeks will follow a similar pattern of working at the project during the week and relaxing and exploring during your free evenings and weekends. Time will fly by so make the most of every minute in this amazing country!
Having said goodbye to all your new friends at your farewell party, taken your final photos and packed your bag full of souvenirs you’ll travel back to the airport, or off for further adventures elsewhere. The return transfer from your accommodation to Ho Chi Minh City airport is not covered within your project fee, but i-to-i staff will be able to make recommendations and help you arrange a transfer if you need them to. You should budget approximately US$50 for this journey.
The project is run by a local organisation called Union of Friendship, which founded the project in 2008 to improve the living standard of underprivileged people in the community. This project aims to re-house as many families as possible who are in need of a new home due to weather damage to their existing houses. If the families targeted by the initiative are not re-housed, their homes and their lives will remain at risk from the elements.
Alongside the building project there is always the need to help local people improve their English speaking skills through conversing with native speakers. The ability to speak English in an area like the Mekong Delta, which is popular with tourists, improves a person’s job prospects so local children and adults alike will be keen to learn as much as possible from you.
Located approximately 70km from Ho Chi Minh City, Tien Gang is a large province in the Mekong with My Tho as the main city. Once a home has been completed, which normally takes about 4 weeks, it is usual that another home will be started in a different community, so locations of the building project will be varied and can be urban as well as rural.
My Tho city is a quiet and peaceful town with really friendly locals. It’s a great base for exploring the nearby Mekong Delta, as well as conveniently located for weekend visits to Vietnam’s capital city Ho Chi Minh.
Working conditions in Southern Vietnam will be hot and resources are basic. This means that activities that could be fairly easy at home are much more difficult on location. You do not need building experience but you should have a reasonable level of fitness for this project, and be a team player. You should have a genuine willingness and flexibility to help in any activity required and be able to handle sometimes repetitive activities. Please note that this can be quite strenuous work and you will also be getting immersed in the local community, working alongside local builder learning a bit of Vietnamese and teaching some English along the way. It’s a great chance to immerse yourself in the local culture while making a real difference to the lives of underprivileged families in this close knit yet welcoming community. It’s hard work, but so rewarding!
The organisation has set themselves very high targets for alleviating poverty in the Tien Gang province and need as many helping-hands as possible to assist them. The project cannot afford to employ as many local builders as they need to make quick progress on the houses, so the volunteers we send are hugely important to the progress of the building work.
By working on this project you will genuinely be helping the poorer people of Vietnam whilst seeing the immediate results of your efforts.
You will be volunteering Monday to Friday with your weekends free to spend as you chose. Your day will start at 8am and finish at 4pm with a break for lunch during the midday heat, from 11am until 1:30pm. It is not uncommon for the workers and local people to put their heads down for a nap during this time!
Your work will be varied, and will depend on what stage the building work is at. You could be helping with any of the following activities:
You will need to be flexible and willing to take instruction from the on site co-ordinator as well as use your initiative. No experience is necessary but any existing skills you do have will be appreciated and utilised so please shout up!
If you are lucky enough to be volunteering at the project when a house reaches completion, you will be able to participate in the transfer ceremony when the house is passed over to it’s new inhabitants, which we’re sure will be a really moving, rewarding experience.
The project will be under resourced in comparison to building sites back at home. You will be using different methods than Western builders and tools will be basic. If you’d like to make a donation to the project then work gloves and hats would be most welcome - you can use them yourself while volunteering and then leave them behind as a donation to the project when you go home. Other items like tools would also be welcomed, as would items to help the local community learn English, such as books, flash cards etc.
A lot of these resources can be purchased when you get to Vietnam, which will have the added bonus of helping the local economy as well as saving space in your luggage!
While working at the building project you will need to dress appropriately. This means closed toe shoes, a sun hat and casual clothes you don’t mind getting dirty (and possibly ruined!) so leave those ball gowns at home! You should also consider the local culture and dress respectfully, so please no revealing clothes or t-shirts with slogans that may cause offence. Of course, during your evenings and weekends you may be hoping for a night out or two so pack some smarter clothes too!
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
You will arrive on the Arrival Date - Friday and will be met at the airport on that day. You will be taken to your accommodation for the first two nights (see details below) where you will have the first day/night to recover from your flight.
The hotel is located near to shops and supermarket and street cafes. Ba Chieu market is nearby so plenty of time to go souvenir shopping and there is access to places of interest such as the Notre Dame Cathedral, Post office, War Remnants Museum to name a few!
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.
Thanh Thao Hotel
57/4 Le Quang Dinh Street
BinhTanh District
Ho Chi Minh City
T; 08 35 100 259
Your orientation will take place on the Saturday morning at 9am so please be prepared for an early start, you will travel to the Mekong on Sunday and will be introduced to your project on Monday and will start working as a volunteer.
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. For an extra supplement we will be there to meet you at the airport and take you to your orientation accommodation. One additional night a
The cost of this Early Pick-up service is US$ 80.00
The following information relates to the accommodation you will be using for the majority of your stay, while participating in the building projects located in the Mekong.
While in the Mekong Delta for your project you will be in a clean hotel accommodation which is located in My Tho city within reach of shops, street cafes and bars. The hotel is located overlooking the river and has a balcony where you can sit and relax and watch the waters go by!
The hotel has shared bedrooms with up to 2 in a room, each room having its own bathroom and hot water showers with western style toilets.
This hotel is used for all the i-to-i volunteers staying in My Tho city so you will be able to meet up in the evening and chat about your day! The hotel also takes in customers from elsewhere, so there will be plenty of new people to meet too.
You will be sharing a room with up to 2 people, rooms are large and airy. Bathrooms have hot water showers and western style toilets, towels will be provided. There is also a fridge and tv in the room for you too!
The accommodation is situated overlooking the river with views from the hotel balcony and is next to two cafes on the riverfront - a lovely way to relax after a hard day`s work! The hotel is situated off a street next to many cafes and local shops so you won`t have far to go for supplies, there is also a larger supermarket a short taxi ride away but you can always go as a group for shopping to make it easier and cheaper! There is plenty to do in My Tho, visit the local market, a park, pagoda or temple, go dancing with locals or enjoy a relaxing massage!
If you do feel energetic there is a swimming pool in the city or you could always play a game of tennis in the local courts or hire a bike!
My Tho is ideally located to explore the popular Mekong Delta with it`s floating villages, and approximately 70km from Ho Chi Minh City (formally Saigon), Vietnam`s bustling capital city.
As the building projects will be at various locations within the Tien Gang province then distances will vary. You will travel to your project each day by taxi. You should budget around US$50 per week for this commute, which is approximately a 15 to 20 minute journey.
Vietnam’s history has been marred by war and various power struggles as it has sought to regain and maintain independence. Its earliest origins are believed to date back to the Dong Son civilisation circa the 3rd century. Up until the 10th century it was ruled by a succession of Chinese dynasties before it achieved independence. The period up until the mid 19th century saw a series of dynasties including, Ly, Tran and Le, with aims to carve out the country’s own identity against the influence of China.
The country was unable to fend off the dominance of the French Empire and by 1883 the French had overtaken the country. Ho Chi Minh, the founder of the Vietnamese Communist party, was a key force in the country’s quest for independence, and post-WW II he declared the country independent after his communist army defeated French colonists in 1954. At the 1954 Geneva conference the French agreed to withdraw and the country was effectively divided into the communist north and the anti-communist south, which was intended to be temporary and followed by democratic elections. This didn’t turn out as planned when Ngo Dinh Diem, the leader of the south, refused to hold elections and the north began strengthening their communist influence in the south. An armed struggle ensued and the USA, who supported the south, intervened in the early 1960s and was joined by other foreign troops. War raged until a ceasefire in 1973, and two years later the north gained control and unified Vietnam under communist rule.
Stability was not assured and Vietnam incurred the wrath of China when it invaded Cambodia in 1978 which resulted in China attacking Vietnam the following year. Years of fierce combat meant an economy at near collapse which contributed to thousands of refugees fleeing the country in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Aside from Soviet influence, it remained isolated from the world. Economic reforms in 1986 paved the way for a modernised economy and economic growth. Having established diplomatic relations (notably with the USA) the country opened itself up to foreign investment. While it remains one of the world’s poorest countries, it has one of the fastest growing economies in Asia.
To experience Vietnam at its most weather-friendly, there is no clean cut time of when to go as climate varies between the north, south and central regions. The north is defined by a cool, wet winter from November to April and a hot summer from May to October, during which time typhoons may occur. The temperatures in the north are at their mildest from late September to November and in March and April. To avoid the wet season in the central region which runs from August to December, it’s best to visit between January and July; the coastal regions tend to bear the brunt of the wet weather. The most desirable time to visit the south is between October and February when it’s dry and a respite from the baking temperatures experienced during March through to May. The south’s two main seasons are wet, from May to November, and dry, during the months of December to April, with June to August the wettest period.
The busiest time to visit is typically from November to January and April to June when tourists are out in full, leading to a rise in accommodation rates. A worthwhile, albeit packed, time to visit is during the weeks leading up to the lunar new year, known as Tet, a major holiday in Vietnam. The days change each year depending on the lunar cycle but for 2007 the first day of Tet is earmarked for February 18. During the holiday, there may be limited services and a number of businesses close for three or four days but the build up is the best part if you’re a visitor.
The average costs of life’s little essentials are as follows:
For long distances, flying is a doable but often expensive option compared to trains and buses. The main domestic airlines are Vietnam Airlines and Pacific Airlines which offer regular services between major cities; flying time between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City is around 2 hours. It’s often cheaper to purchase domestic tickets within Vietnam.
Vietnam has an extensive bus network in place and cheap fares but the buses are all too often overcrowded and road safety is dubious; driving is not recommended. While the fares may still be relatively cheap, foreigners are usually charged more than locals. Aimed at the tourist trade, Open Tour Buses are inexpensive, comfortable buses that journey to the major destinations and stop at selected hotels and restaurants along the way. Although a pleasurable way to travel, it can feel like a tourist bubble rather than an experience of the real Vietnam. Minibuses are also plentiful but can be irritatingly slow with numerous pick ups and drop offs. It’s best to ride express minibuses which have far fewer stops and are air conditioned.
If time isn’t an issue, train travel is a relaxed way to travel. The journeys can take longer than by bus but offer more leg room and are generally less crowded. Also, unlike bus fares, foreigners pay the same as locals. Depending on your travel budget, trains range from the non-air conditioned seated variety to air-conditioned sleepers, the latter being an obvious choice if you plan to brave the 30 hour plus trip from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi which is often referred to as the Reunification Express. All trains require a reservation and it’s often possible to book a train from a station other than the one you are departing from.
Aside from crowded buses, taxis are good for getting around major cities. It’s advisable to used metered taxis or at least negotiate a fare before departure. Cyclos, three-wheeled bicycles, are an alternative way of traversing city streets and can be hired for a full day. For a more high-powered mode of transport, Honda Oms, motorbikes whereby the passenger sits behind the driver, are also plentiful. For both modes, it’s best to have a pen and paper to hand to write down your destination and agree on a fare prior to the journey.
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.
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