PMGY - Volunteer in Sri Lanka from $270

Name: PMGY - Volunteer in Sri Lanka from $270
Brand: Plan My Gap Year
SKU: 59257
Rating: 4.89 (122 reviews)

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4.89 Rating

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Location

Sri Lanka

Length

1 to 24 weeks

Project Types

Childcare Conservation Marine Conservation Sea Turtle Conservation Wildlife Conservation Education Teaching Health Psychology Medical Tourism +1

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Program Details

Language

English

Age Min.

Timeframe

Short Term Spring Break Summer Winter Year Round

Housing

Guesthouse Hostel

Groups

Small Group (1-15) Medium Group (16-30) Large Group (31+)

Travel Type

Budget Solo Women

Pricing

Starting Price

270

What's Included

Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Meals Transportation

What's Not Included

Airfare Travel Insurance Visa

Last Updated: Sep 06, 2023

Last Reviewed: Aug 22, 2023

Wish List

82 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Volunteer in Sri Lanka with Plan My Gap Year – an award-winning, international volunteer abroad organisation with programs based in Sri Lanka. PMGY provides safe, trusted and affordable programs overseas with a wide range of volunteer projects in Sri Lanka including Childcare • Dog Rescue • English Teaching • Medical • Mental Health & Turtle Conservation opportunities.

PMGY Sri Lanka is located in Ambalangoda. The Sri Lanka programs start on the 1st & 3rd Saturday of every month. Our projects here run across the year and participants can join us from 1-24 weeks. Volunteers in Sri Lanka are provided with an extensive pre-departure support service, airport pick-up, orientation, meals, accommodation and local support.

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Impact

Ethical Impact

Plan My Gap Year is committed to providing ethical volunteer opportunities that truly benefit the local communities. We have personally vetted all of our Volunteer Programs in every destination. We support a small network of Volunteer Programs abroad that we have specifically chosen due to their efforts being sustainable for our volunteers and the local communities alike. We work closely with each of our local teams to ensure we are assessing and adapting to ensure quality experiences for all involved.

For this reason, PMGY does not provide volunteer opportunities in orphanages in any of our locations. Research and studies have shown that visiting and volunteering in orphanages has the potential to generate an industry that separates children from their families. In turn, putting children at increased risk of neglect and abuse. Therefore, we do not support these institutions with our volunteer network.

Instead, we focus on offering alternative childcare volunteer opportunities whereby children come to and from the placement setting each day. In other words, our local teams collaborate with childcare projects which do not offer any form of residential care. These are safe, responsible, and vetted projects, where participants continue to provide valued assistance supporting local staff.

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Program Highlights

Most Affordable – PMGY’s programs are accessible to everyone who wants to make a difference, through low fees and high-impact projects.
Best Support – Our international and local teams provide extensive around the clock services to assist you every step of your PMGY adventure.
Safety Prioritised – With safety a PMGY number-1 priority, we have taken all necessary precautions to ensure our programs are as safe and structured as possible.
Extraordinary Experiences – With PMGY, you have the opportunity to truly immerse yourself in amazing cultural and travel experiences, ensuring you leave with unforgettable memories.
Friendships for Life – Your PMGY experience not only opens up a doorway for new experiences and exciting memories, but also life-long friendships when meeting new people from around the world.

Popular Programs

Sri Lanka Childcare Volunteers

On this uncrowded, exotic and developing island there are many vulnerable children in much need of volunteer's care and support.

Sri Lanka Dog Rescue Volunteers

Get involved in making a real difference to the lives of street dogs in Sri Lanka. Help do your bit to ensure they have a bright future!

Sri Lanka English Teaching Volunteers

Teach novice Buddhist monks or children displaced by the Tsunami. English is a valuable skill that will greatly enhance their future career prospects.

Sri Lanka Medical Volunteers

Gain invaluable medical experience, an opportunity not to be missed in this gorgeous part of the world by those pursuing a career in medicine.

Sri Lanka Mental Health & Psychology Volunteers

Using a combination of lectures, meditations, consultations and community projects, further your awareness of mental health in a new culture.

Sri Turtle Conservation Volunteers

Help protect and rehabilitate at-risk sea turtles whilst also taking part in community development projects. Experience a different side of Sri Lanka.

Real Taster Encounter

Our top destinations mixed into one trip! Don’t miss your chance to sample and a make difference in sleepy Sri Lanka, inspiring India & beautiful Bali!

Program Reviews

4.89 Rating

based on 122 reviews

Leave a Review

Rating Spread Volunteer Parent

5 rating 89.34%
4 rating 9.84%
3 rating 0.82%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Impact 4.65
Support 4.95
Fun 4.8
Value 4.75
Safety 4.95

Program Selection 5
Pre-departure Help 5
In-program Support 5
Impact on Student 5
Value 5

Good for Solo Travelers, Students, Adventure travelers

Showing 1 - 8 of 122 reviews

This was my first experience with PMGY and I must say that I truly had a smooth journey from the start to end.

All the administrative works were done well with prompt reply and support, easy process with applications, in-depth details on the volunteer’s handbook, everything was structured professionally through webinars, emails and paperworks. Appreciate Josh’s and Rachel time and work(intl. team) who assisted me in the process and get my application done in a bit of tight timing.

Prior the trip, things were clearly explained on departure and arrival into the country in email , getting all volunteers in social media group to connect.

In-country team was excellent, members including everyone from the drivers, cooks and others. A special thanks to Mr Ashika and Ms Amelia who I got in touch with in terms of clarifications etc and worked closely with during my placements in Sri Lanka.

The accommodation was good, safe and was surrounded by lovely people and family at the home where I stayed in and all the essential resources were provided.

The programme I enrolled for is mental health and I enjoyed with new/varies of study placements each day into hospitals observation, mental health centre, also seeing another form of knowledge connection to mental health like Ayurvedic/Spirituality. It had an impactful learning and growth.

All the volunteers were approachable and friendly. It was also nice to know their experiences during the stay and on their projects.

Pleasant weeks of stay and placements there and with all of the members who contributed so much with care and support. I would come back again!

I recently spent four weeks in Sri Lanka on the real Sri Lanka experience, for two weeks we travelled around the country seeing and taking part in all the different places and experiences Sri Lanka has to offer. The next two weeks I volunteered on the turtle and English teaching projects. The projects were well organised and interesting and there was still plenty of time to go to the beach or do activities like kayaking or even tuktuk driving lessons, as well as activities the coordinators organised for volunteers to try like cooking classes, beach bonfires and so many more. The coordinators were always available if you had any issues or needed recommendations for the best places to go/see. This was the experience of a lifetime with the most amazing friendships and memories made, I’m already planning my next trip with PMGY.

I spent four weeks in Sri Lanka on the real Sri Lanka experience, for two weeks we travelled around the country seeing and taking part in all the different places and experiences Sri Lanka has to offer. The next two weeks I volunteered on the turtle and English teaching projects. The projects were well organised and interesting and there was still plenty of time to go to the beach or do activities like kayaking or even tuktuk driving lessons, as well as activities the coordinators organised for volunteers to try like cooking classes, beach bonfires and so many more. The coordinators were always available if you had any issues or needed recommendations for the best places to go/see. This was the experience of a lifetime with the most amazing friendships and memories made, I’m already planning my next trip with PMGY.

PMGY Sri Lanka is an amazing organisation all the staff go above and beyond to help you and are super accommodating to any requests you might have and always organise fun evenings activities for volunteers. I always felt safe while I was there and there are many things put in place to keep volunteers safe for example the PMGY tuk tuk taxi service. The food is freshly prepared and tasty. The weekend trips and real Sri Lankan experience are a great way to be able to explore the country and the culture.

Pros

Make new friends around the world
Opportunity to volunteer
Explore a new country and culture

Cons

There is often a Que for bathrooms

If you’re considering going to Sri Lanka, definetely do it! I had the best 9 weeks of my life there, and have made so many amazing friends and had so many amazing experiences.
I was supposed to stay with PlanMyGapYear in Sri Lanka for six weeks, but ended up extending for three more weeks because I found it so amazing there. And if I hadn’t already made plans after that, I would have extended for even longer.

Everyone comes to PMGY with an open mind and is ready to make new friends and experiences. Not to say that the local team in Sri Lanka is amazing. They do everything in their power to make you feel welcome and happy, from several afternoon activities during the week to checking if you’re okay if they sense that something is wrong. The local team practically becomes family while you’re there, and they do so much to let you into their culture and everyday life.

The projects in Sri Lanka are very well-organised, and I woke up and really wanted to go to project every day. I can especially recommend the turtle project, but from what I have heard from everyone else who was there during my nine weeks, all of the projects are amazing. PMGY Sri Lanka also has a lot of different projects to offer, so if you’re not loving the project that you originally chose, you can always switch to another volunteering project.

I am definitely gonna go back to my second home in Sri Lanka, and I would recommend everyone to go and get an experience of a lifetime with PMGY Sri Lanka.

PMGY Sri Lanka was such an amazing experience! The local team is amazing, they help you with literally everything and they do it with patience and care, they want you to have the absolute best experience possible! The programs are so great and rewarding as well! I did the childcare program and loved it, the kids are so sweet, you make a big difference and it’s so clear when you see the kids, that you simply won’t want to leave once it’s time. You can also switch between different programs or combine multiple programs in one day. The country itself is also amazing and beautiful! During my time in Sri Lanka (six weeks) I was able to see so much of the country. In the afternoons there was more than enough time to explore close by, the local team is more than willing to help you set this up. We had daily activities at the house, such as street food tours, badminton nights, karaoke, organized by the local team. I did all the weekend trips and I highly recommend them; you’ll get to experience the culture and see the beautiful nature. On the weekends without a PMGY organized weekend trip, you can still go away for the weekend together with other volunteers and, for example, go surfing in Weligama (if you have the time, you should definitely do this)! There is so much freedom to do whatever you want, I felt safe and cared for the entire time I was there! I would 100% do it again, so if you’re in doubt, go for it! You’ll meet so many wonderful people, you’ll make the best of friends, the volunteering is amazing and rewarding and the country is so beautiful! you don’t want to miss out on this amazing experience!

If you're considering volunteering with PMGY Sri Lanka – do it. The time I spent there from October 15 to December 17 were the best months of my life. The volunteer work was super rewarding, I made so many incredible friendships, and the opportunities to travel and explore the country meant there was never a dull moment.

I volunteered with the dog rescue project (@bringthemhome_srilanka) for my entire time there, and it never got old. Besides falling in love with the dogs at the shelter, it was beyond incredible to get to be a part of the early stages of this project. Ashika is super open to working with the volunteers, and I always felt super heard when I came to him with concerns or ideas for the project. I also did three weeks at the girls home in the afternoons. I so wish I had more time with these girls – they're some of the coolest, funniest, and smartest kids you'll ever meet. I highly recommend spending some time volunteering with the afternoon childcare project.
Some memorable volunteering moments:
- Three new tiny puppies came in on my group's orientation day. Me and the other dog project volunteer at the time got to give them names – Mocha, Peanut, and S'more <33. I got to watch them grow up over my time there (and we had the same first day which I thought was adorable).
- There was a turtle release in my first week and there were enough turtles / few enough volunteers that we each got to release one of the babies. Incredible experience.
- English lessons at the girls home, then playing hangman with all the new words – so many laughs!
- Spent a day doing Christmas crafts with the girls and dancing and singing to Christmas music.

There was a ton to do in our free time as well. Some out-of project activities that are definitely worth doing:
- Waterfall hike (about 45 minute tuk tuk ride away from London House) – hilariously chaotic experience in the rainy season; super quick and pretty stroll in the dry season.
- Badminton nights
- River boat tour (beautiful way to spend an afternoon; don't engage with the guy outside of the boat with the tied up baby crocodile though – blatant animal abuse)
- Hang out at Coral Rock – the pool's super nice and, depending on the season, so is the beach
- Visit Chicken Chop down the street – the guys who work there are super nice and the food's really good, plus it's only about a 5 minute walk from the volunteer house
- Mask museum in Ambalangoda
- Tsunami museum in Hikkaduwa (really emotionally intense, so go when you're in an okay space for that)
- Day trip to Galle

I did both PMGY-organised weekend trips (cultural triangle / Kandy weekend, hill country / Ella weekend) and highly recommend doing both if you're able. And I'll never forget my weekends in Weligama, love Hangtime Hostel with my whole heart.

The local team was super helpful and accommodating – we had weekly house meetings where they would check to make sure everything with the food and house was okay, if projects were going smoothly, if anyone wanted to change projects, what evening activities we wanted help organizing, etc. In between that, if we had any questions or needed help with anything the local team was super accessible and helpful. Ashika and his team go above and beyond to make sure volunteers are safe, comfortable, and having a good time. He approved multiple extended curfew requests, helped us to find and organize all kinds of reliable third-party activities and day trips, and just generally always had all of our backs. One time, I called him in a bit of a panic from a weekend trip I was on with some friends in Ella – one of my friends got pretty sick and I was freaking out and didn't know what to do. Ashika talked me through it, told me what the nearest hospital was and helped me come up with a plan, allowed me to return a day late, and even helped me figure out the bus schedule since I would have to travel back on my own the next day.

Originally, I'd signed up for 6 weeks and was super nervous that it was going to be too long, but the first 4 weeks flew by and I didn't want to leave at all. Even at the end of my extended time, it felt too short – I will definitely be back :))

Highly recommend the PMGY program in Sri Lanka. I spent 4 weeks there and had the most amazing time. From start to finish I can’t fault anything, it was so well organised and their communication throughout was great. The volunteer programs that we were involved in were really well set up and I made so many special memories with the children that I worked with in Sri Lanka that will stay with me for life. Ashika and his team in Sri Lanka were incredible and made every effort to ensure that we had the opportunity to see the country in our spare time. The volunteer house felt like home away from home and had a really positive atmosphere. If you are thinking about going to Sri Lanka but are skeptical given the current crisis definitely go, the only regret I have is not staying longer.

Pros

Make friends that you will have for a lifetime
Make a difference
Experience a different culture

Cons

honestly don't have any cons to give

Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

Plan My Gap Year just caught my eye from it's amazing reviews and it's response to all my questions (plenty of this there was). I was encouraged to join their Facebook Group for Sri Lanka where I got to talk to past, present and future volunteers about their experience - this really cemented my choice for me!

I wanted to do something where I could make an impact and I wanted to go some where both developing and needing of the help, and slightly more untouched than the other Asian countries - Sri Lanka was the perfect location!

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

They assisted with everything!!

The Handbook was my holy grail. PMGY have created this handbook for your specific country which answered every question I had. We had to get Visa's and CRB checks ourselves, but they helped me and advised me with all this during the process. They even had their own insurance if you wanted it and they offered flight quotes. I took them up on this and they did everything - found a flight, booked it and sent me all the details, it was very hassle free!

Everything before I left was guided and the 'service' didn't really feel like a service at all - it felt very personal.

In Sri Lanka, the local team assisted with everything I asked for whether it was a weekend trip I wanted to take myself or transport back to the airport. Nothing was ever too much - I think thats what made the organization so special.

View Entire Interview

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

I would say to go with an open mind!! Especially as you are volunteering in a developing country; things may not be on time or may not be organized in the place you're volunteering like it is in your home country, but just be patient and understanding.

The worse volunteers were the ones who weren't understanding of the culture and the situation. PMGY did everything they could to provide us with a platform to volunteer and help the local communities, but every so often a tukuk would be late or there was a power cut so you couldn't charge your phone - but you're in a developing country... What do you expect?

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

As I did the renovation project - this was a morning project - , it would be around 3-4 hours every morning, depending on how much work you had to do.

An average day would be wake up and have breakfast at the house (pancakes on Thursday was my favourite!!) and then take a tuktuk to project at about 8:30-ish. After project, we would go back to the volunteer house for lunch which was at 12:30ish and then the afternoon's were free.

If you have your afternoons free, you are able to pick up teaching or the orphanage project as a free addition, as they are afternoon projects and the help is wanted and encouraged. This was a two week minimum commitment and I decided against doing it... However, after my first week, I instantly regretted this, as travelling and going to the beach in the afternoon was great, but I should have grabbed the opportunity to make the most of making an impact in my afternoons!!

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

I was fearful about travelling alone. I have travelled before, but never alone, and I was wondering If I would make friends or if it would be dangerous to travel as a solo female to a developing country.

I think PMGY helped with all this a lot. Social wise, there were so many volunteers, all like minded and keen to help like me. I made so many friends and at the start PMGY made it so easy for us to do that. Even before I arrived, I used the Facebook group to meet other people who were arriving the same day as me. The local team in Sri Lanka put on lots of social evenings, like quiz nights and a Sari social, that just helped us all bond.

Not once was I ever really fearful for my safety. The local team were always so careful and aware and looked after us so well. Even before I left, I joined a 'safety webinar' that they do for there volunteers, which made me feel safe before I had even left.

Anything you would have done differently?

Like I mentioned earlier... GET INVOLVED. I had the opportunity to do the childcare program and I decided against it. They gave me the opportunity to make even more of an impact, and I didn't take it?? The childcare is a minimum two weeks commitment, so when it got to my final week, it was too late. I understand why it's a minimum two weeks: for the children, but next time I will take every opportunity they give me.

Also, PMGY always offered opportunities, such as language lessons and to ask Ash (the main coordinator/director in Sri Lanka) questions about the projects, but I really didn't get involved as much as I should have. Make sure you do... You'll only regret it if you don't.

Maya Pandey

2017 Alum

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

What is your favorite travel memory?

Returning back to India for my first coordinator role. I had previously volunteered in India for three months, shadowing on the medical program before I fully involved myself in the orphanage and Women Empowerment (WE) programs.

Although I had made some wonderful connections with both the children and the women, I wasn’t sure that they would remember me. But true friendships had stuck and upon my return, I was overwhelmed with love and happiness. I have many wonderful moments that arose from this.

One of these was within the first few days of my return. I was taken to the home of one of the girls I had taught English to as part of the WE program. She lived in a slum with her mum, sister and brother. They had very little to offer, but they wanted to thank me for the work and support I had shown her when I was last there. I felt honored.

She had kept everything I had ever taught her alongside a picture of us both. I was overwhelmed with their kindness and was so proud of what the girl had since achieved.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

I have learned that I am capable of so much more than I ever expected. Volunteering and coordinating can both be extremely demanding.

I have experienced a whole host of personal challenges, but I have overcome every single one. I am proud of everything that I achieved, particularly during my time on the Women Empowerment program.

I had never planned to join the project, so when I was asked if I would be willing to work on it, I questioned, with no previous teaching experience and only a few Hindi words to my name, how I would ever make any progress with the women.

I would be lying if I said it was ever easy, but I would also be lying if I said it wasn’t worth every hiccup or set-back. I enjoyed the experience tremendously and feel honored to have started a journey with the women as they developed their independence.

View Entire Interview

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I believe that every country and every project holds a unique challenge and exciting opportunity, so I would not like to put my finger on any. If I could do them all, I would!

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

It was a combination of affordability, positive reviews and the extensive choice of programs that made PMGY really stand out to me back in 2013 when I first started planning my gap year.

I felt very supported by the PMGY UK team from the first ever email I received back from my initial list of queries, and I have ever since then. It really is like one big family and I feel very privileged to now be part of this.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

Being able to offer high quality support. Volunteering abroad is very new to a lot of people – it’s difficult to plan for and can be even more difficult to adjust to.

Of course, volunteering requires an individual to be personally motivated, free-thinking and enthusiastic. But knowing that someone is there to support them, even if the going ever gets tough, can make all the difference to their experience – both pre-departure and in-country.

I have experienced this first hand and feel delighted to be able to offer it myself.

Emma Gover

PMGY Sri Lanka - International Coordinator

Ashika Senevirathna

Sri Lanka Country Coordinator

Location

Location:

Sri Lanka

Currency:

Sri Lankan Rupee

Weather:

Jan-Mar

93 F / 48 F

Apr-Jun

95 F / 55 F

Jul-Sep

91 F / 55 F

Oct-Dec

90 F / 52 F

Airports:

Bandaranaike International

( CMB )

Batticaloa

( BTC )

Mattala International

( HRI )

If you want to spend your days by the water doing yoga, or in the water surfing; Sri Lanka is perfect for either. Sri Lanka has been an up and coming destination for years and is still relatively uncrowded.

About Plan My Gap Year

Plan My Gap Year is an award-winning volunteer abroad organisation, offering volunteer projects in Africa, Asia, Europe & South America primarily for 17-22 year olds. PMGY provide a safe, structured and social platform with volunteer travel opportunities available from 1-40 weeks. With over 10 years of experience and expertise, PMGY is widely...