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Pod Volunteer Reviews

4.8 Rating 595 Reviews
97 %
of reviewers recommend Pod Volunteer
4.8
Based on 595 reviews
Customer Service
Communication Channels
Email, Telephone, Live Chat
Queries Resolved In
2 - 3 Hours
Customer Service
4.8 out of 5
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About Pod Volunteer:

Pod Volunteer is an award winning non-profit organisation arranging ethical, inspiring and supported volunteering opportunities around the world since 2001

Visit Website

Email:

info@podvolunteer.org

Location:

5, Noverton Lane, Cheltenham
Prestbury
GL52 5BA

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Pod Volunteer 5 star review on 19th December 2025
Perky H
Pod Volunteer 5 star review on 4th October 2025
William D
Pod Volunteer 5 star review on 4th October 2025
William D
Pod Volunteer 5 star review on 4th October 2025
William D
Pod Volunteer 5 star review on 4th October 2025
William D
Pod Volunteer 5 star review on 4th October 2025
William D
Pod Volunteer 5 star review on 19th September 2025
Harriet W
305
Anonymous
Anonymous  // 01/01/2019
I couldn’t have had a better time volunteering with Pod Volunteer. My volunteer coordinator, Alex, was super helpful and made my journey very smooth and stress free. This experience was probably the best experience I have ever had, I very much recommend to anyone considering volunteering.
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Posted 1 week ago
Thanks Alex, so good to hear about your time at the Costa Rica Turtle and Wildlife conservation project and great to meet you out there too! Hope all is going well with your plans for further studies. Best wishes, Alex and the Pod team
Posted 1 week ago
Really enjoyed our week in December at the Elephant & Wildlife Conservation Project in Sri Lanka. The local team were very informative & friendly and it was great to meet the other volunteers. Being older volunteers (ages 59 & 66) we were delighted to find a project that welcomed everyone. Staff at POD were very helpful at sorting everything out for our trip and provided a lot of very useful information about what to take etc.
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Posted 2 weeks ago
Thank you so much for the lovely review Elizabeth! I'm very happy that you both had a fantastic time with the Elephant and Wildlife Conservation team in Sri Lanka. Thanks for choosing to support this project! Best wishes - Gemma & the Pod team
Posted 2 weeks ago
I recently went on Pod volunteer's under 18 October half term turtle conservation trip to Greece. Our group leaders were so friendly and helpful which just made the experience feel really comfortable. The area we were based in around Argostoli was so stunning and the Pod Volunteer team organised a wide variety of activities throughout the week based all around the local area. I learnt so much about both conservation in general and turtles through the presentation and talk that our group leaders had organised. I would 100% recommend this trip to anyone who is considering it !!!
Pod Volunteer 5 star review on 9th January 2026
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Posted 2 weeks ago
Thanks so much Ella, it was fantastic having you on the team, thanks for all your enthusiasm and engagement in the conservation activities. Best wishes, Alex and the Pod team
Posted 2 weeks ago
Great communication from start to finish. My daughter visited Kefalonia in October with Pod Volunteer as part of her Duke of Edinburgh Gold award. She thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
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Posted 2 weeks ago
Many thanks Natalie, it was brilliant to have her on the team with us in Greece! A great way to achieve her Gold DofE Residential. Best wishes, Alex and the Pod team
Posted 2 weeks ago
My granddaughter loved the animal sanctuary and the volunteering in the animal kitchen. But organisation is "casual" - so expect a lot of waiting around and change of plans. They had a lot of "day tripper" volunteers and they took precedence over us which was a little disappointing. The accommodation has seen better days and maintenance was poor. There was no cleaning of our cottage during the week and no change of towels / linen. The food was best described as adequate - you have to be prepared to eat rice and beans every day including breakfast. We never had bread or any desserts. We were expected to wash our own plates and crockery in cold water - it was notable that some of the younger volunteers only rinsed theirs. A few of us were ill as a result of this. I was paying $380 a night for this accommodation and experience - that's very toppy for what we received. But my granddaughter loved it and so I was happy with that.
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Posted 2 weeks ago
Hi Daniel, Thanks very much for your feedback. I’m really delighted to hear how much your granddaughter enjoyed the wildlife sanctuary and volunteering. I’m very sorry that some elements of your trip were disappointing. We will review this with the local team and will also be directly in contact with you to discuss further. I do understand that meals at the sanctuary can feel a bit repetitive however this reflects the local Costa Rican traditional cuisine which features a lot of rice and beans. There wouldn’t normally be dessert as tropical fruits are provided instead. Volunteers are expected to do their own washing up and I’m sorry to hear that some weren’t doing it thoroughly. The washing up is normally always in cold water (as it is in many parts of the world), but that shouldn’t compromise health in any way. We will follow up about the cleaning of the cottage and change of towels / linens as normally this is done every few days – if you had let us know whilst you were there we would have loved the opportunity to be able to help quickly resolve this! Despite these points, I’m glad the overall experience was a big hit with your granddaughter and hopefully some lifelong memories to enjoy. Best wishes, Gemma and the Pod team
Posted 2 weeks ago
My son had an amazing time during his Pod volunteer trip and, as a parent, the organisational elements were spot on. The activities were interesting and varied and we received useful updates during the week, including photos. We would thoroughly recommend Pod.
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Posted 1 month ago
Many thanks Kristy, that's muych appreciated. Best wishes, Alex and the Pod team
Posted 1 month ago
Having just returned from 4 weeks at Manu Learning Center, I'm having difficulty coming up with words to describe my time there. I am a 69 year old adventurer, conservationist and lover of rainforests. When I read about MLC and the possibility of volunteering, I signed up immediately. When you sign up for an experience like this, you don't really know the reality of it until you are immersed in it. From the minute they picked me up from the airport, until they returned me for my flight home, everything was taken care of from all the travel, food, lodging and volunteer time. Everyday was an adventure. One needs to be quite fit to fully participate, so make sure you get prepared physically. The hiking is continuous and is tricky at best because you are navigating mud, roots, rocks and streams. While walking, you are either looking for animals and butterflies to collect data on. Mornings start early. The food is plentiful. You'll want to bring lots of snacks. The biodiversity was rich, but often we saw just tracks. But the tracks were everywhere: puma, jaguar, peccary, deer, tapirs...One of our crew met a jaguar on a trail and two others had an encounter with a puma. It gave me so much hope that this patch of land that used to be a cattle ranch had returned to enough health to support so many animals. I saw monkeys daily and a friend taught me their routines, so we could really get to know them. Birds were everywhere as well as butterflies. We saw peccary, a tapir scared us on a night hike, there are agoutis in the compound, If you are a hearty soul who wants to make a small difference, this is your place. I loved it all.
Pod Volunteer 5 star review on 19th December 2025
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Posted 1 month ago
Thanks so much for such a lovely review Perky - it sounds like you had an incredible time supporting the Amazon Conservation team in Peru! Best wishes, Gemma & the Pod team
Posted 1 month ago
I had a great trip with Pod Volunteer and the team were great providing lots of support with everything we needed. The activities were well organised with lots of time to relax as well. I loved the experience and wish to come back soon!
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Posted 2 months ago
Thanks so much, great to know you enjoyed the balance of activities on the trip and felt well supported by the team. Hope we can help with another volunteering trip soon. Best wishes, Alex and the Pod team
Posted 2 months ago
I had an incredible time voulenteering with Crees in the Amazon rainforest, which I found and booked through Pod Volunteer! Throughout, there has been amazing customer service with quick and useful email replies!
Pod Volunteer 5 star review on 21st November 2025 Pod Volunteer 5 star review on 21st November 2025 Pod Volunteer 5 star review on 21st November 2025
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Posted 2 months ago
Thanks for such a lovely review Emily - I'm so happy to hear that you had a great time at the Amazon Conservation project in Peru! All the best - Gemma & the Pod team
Posted 2 months ago
I had Gemma lay as my co-ordinator and she was great, really helpful and always replied quickly. I had a great experience on the island in Belize with reefci also
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Posted 2 months ago
Thanks so much for your lovely review about your Reef Conservation project in Belize which you completed for your Gold DofE award! All the best, Gemma & the Pod team
Posted 2 months ago
My daughter had an amazing experience in Kefalonia. The Pod team were great. The trip was organised really well, with lots of information and tips provided, and prompt replies to any questions. The trip itself was brilliant, lovely accommodation and lots of great experiences during the week. She came back having made lots of new friends and dreaming of going back again! Thank you Pod
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Posted 2 months ago
Hi Karen, thanks so much for your lovely feedback! I'm so pleased to hear about your daughter's experience in Greece, she was a great member of the team. Best wishes, Alex and the Pod team
Posted 2 months ago
My daughter really enjoyed her experience in Greece last October. She came back full of energy and with a deeper understanding of the challenges related to turtle conservation in the Mediterranean. Our whole family learned from her about the issues turtles face due to overweight and other environmental pressures. She is already planning to return during her gap year to volunteer and learn even more. From a parent’s perspective, everything was very well organised and provided an amazing and enriching experience.
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Posted 2 months ago
Thanks very much Priscila, that's fantastic to hear how enthusiastic Rebecca has been on her return, she was really engaged during the trip and one of our top bird spotters! I hope she'll have a chance to come back on her gap year. Best wishes, Alex and the Pod team
Posted 2 months ago
Everyone that works for pod are super lovely and extremely helpfully. Best trip I’ve ever been on!
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Posted 2 months ago
Thanks so much for such a lovely 5 star review and for choosing to join a trip with Pod! All the best - Gemma & the Pod team
Posted 2 months ago
I recently went on the under 18 trip to Kefalonia in October half term. I had an amazing time and everyone was so nice. The staff made sure that we had all settled in well and were always there if we needed it. All the presentations were so interesting and I learnt a lot about conservation work and turtles. I would definitely recommend to anyone who is thinking about doing this!!!
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Posted 2 months ago
Thanks so much Ella, was great having you on the team in Greece! Best wishes, Alex
Posted 2 months ago
I really enjoyed my time on the Pod Volunteers Kefalonia trip. The staff are extremely accommodating, and make you feel really comfortable straight away. You are well looked after and I got to enjoy new experiences and learn things I otherwise would never have known. I would definitely recommend, especially to those who enjoy the outdoors!
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Posted 2 months ago
Thanks Lewis, it was realy great having you on the team for our October half term Greece conservation trip! Best wishes, Alex and the Pod team
Posted 2 months ago
My son had an incredible time and from booking to him flying home I was reassured and supported by the team to know he was safe and taken care of. I would highly recommend, even for an anxious parent.
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Posted 2 months ago
Thank you! Alex and the Pod team
Posted 2 months ago
I had a great experience with Pod Volunteer. The service was quick, and the billing was transparent. I will be back again. Highly recommend!
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Posted 2 months ago
Thanks for your feedback and I'm so pleased you had a great experience! Alex and the Pod team
Posted 2 months ago
My daughter went on the Greece Under 18 trip over the October half term. She had an amazing time and I felt fully confident with Pod Volunteer. There were always very quick to respond to any queries I had and they sent us out very detailed information. I would really recommend using them.
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Posted 2 months ago
Thanks so much Emma, it was great having your daughter on the team in Greece!
Posted 2 months ago
It was an amazing experience. The team provided great care and a wide range of sustainability activities that were so unique and exciting. Definitely reccomend
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Posted 3 months ago
Thanks Josh, great to hear about your time in Costa Rica at the Turtle and Wildlife Conservation project. Thanks for joining the team! Best wishes, Alex and the Pod team
Posted 3 months ago
Great service and great volunteer opportunities
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Posted 3 months ago
Hi George, thanks very much! Thanks for all your efforts in volunteering at the South Africa Big 5 Conservation project. Best wishes, Alex and the Pod team
Posted 3 months ago
Pod Volunteer is rated 4.8 based on 595 reviews