Volunteer Abroad Programs -- Costa Rica | Guatemala | Peru

Hi everyone,
So awesome you are interested in volunteering and leaving an impact in a new and different place. I had very little expectations when I signed on and really just decided to jump in with the best of intentions explore and have fun. Certainly that mentality helped and wow did I ever learn a lot about Costa Rica and myself.

I was at a daycare and although I have very minimal Spanish language skills it worked out great! If you have no Spanish language try Duolingo for a few weeks before going for the basics. The kids did not care- high fives, hugs and a whole lot of play went a long way. The staff was so friendly, engaged and really helped us set up activities for the kids. Sometimes I would translate things in wifi areas and take a screen shot to them so they could explain.

My host family and accommodation was great too. They are so inviting and warm. You can tell they really do it for the love of their country and unifying people.

The staff of Maximo were amazing as well. Thank you to all of you for your support. My luggage was 4 days late arriving and they were on the phones, calming me down and then some. Their smiling faces really made my day.

My advice to all future volunteers is go for it! Jump in! Any and all things you do make a difference. For example, one day at the daycare it was overwhelming and the kids were fighting over the pencil crayons. I noticed that most were so dull too so they really couldn't use them effectively. Jump in time- sharpened ALL (I got a huge blister) the pencil crayons. Was it a huge deal- NO but the teachers didn`t have to do it, they could plan lessons and help the kids in Spanish, etc.

I spent 3 months with Maximo Nivel building a kindergarten in an impoverished area of Cusco. Starting upon arrival to the airport, it was all a wonderful experience. They were waiting for me at the airport as soon as my flight arrived with a packet of information. They drove me to the Maximo Nivel office where I saw the space and met some of the staff, and then took me to the lodging they had arranged for me. I was staying in a great modern house with other volunteers, and a delicious breakfast and dinner was provided every day! I am a vegetarian and they always made sure to prepare me something special that still filled me up (something that doesn't always happen, especially in South America where being a vegetarian isn't all that common). My second day in town I had an orientation where they gave me useful information on the city, and prepared me to start at my project the next day.

The project itself was very well organized, and run by Maximo Nivel's foreman Marco, a local Cusquenan. Marco doesn't speak much English, but he is very friendly and able to communicate what is needed- and I learned a lot of Spanish from him! I got the opportunity to be involved in all types of the construction, from laying bricks to mixing cement to making the ceiling, and got to see the differentkinds of building techniques that they have in Cusco. We also had the opportunity to visit some of Maximo Nivel's other volunteer sites to help with repairs (such as fixing the roof of a school) and upkeep (such as painting the bedrooms at an orphanage).

In addition to volunteering with Maximo, I also took spanish classes, and participated in their free weekly salsa classes. All the classes were well organized, and taught me a lot!

Through my participation with Maximo Nivel I have had an unforgettable experience, made life long friends, and created a second home for myself in Cusco. I cannot recommend their programs enough!

In October, 2015 I volunteered with 7 other members of my company in Cusco. We participated in an after school program for underprivileged children in the mountains outside of the city. They did a great job with orientation, preparing us the experience, and making sure we were comfortable and taking full advantage of all the various opportunities (including learning Spanish) along the way.

At the end of the week, they put together all the plans and tickets for us to go to Machu Picchu, where we also climbed Huayna Picchu mountain, which has limited tickets available. It was a smooth and awesome end to the trip.

The professionalism and effort the staff took was immense and resulted in a fantastic volunteer experience that I will carry with me the rest of my life. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in taking advantage of it.

I chose teaching English in Cusco to experience cultural immersion which ordinary travel usually doesn't provide. I also wanted to be part of a global community which raises awareness about the unconscionable divide between rich and poor and which works to remedy this situation. All of our contributions may be small drops in the ocean of change required to make the world a fairer and just place to reside but every drop counts. I loved the students and thought the support provided by Maximo Nivel was outstanding.

I have visited all three of Maximo Nivel's international sites and I can honestly say that they are one of the best companies that you can choose! They have absolutely wonderful staff and were extremely helpful with everything that we could possible need. All of the host families that I have ever stayed with were incredibly welcoming and nice. They definitely do everything they can to make sure that we have the best experience abroad.

I usually don't fill out reviews, but I felt like I needed to for this one. After 15 days with Maximo Nivel, I feel like I am good friends with every one of their employees. This is a well organized, safe, and very social organization that will cater to the needs and desires of anyone looking to go abroad. Never before have I felt such a great mixture of community impact and vacation-like good times. You need to try out Maximo Nivel!

I spent two weeks volunteering at Manco Capac in Cuzco and then five weeks in Umasbamba, a rural community just outside of Chinchero. When I first asked to make the switch into the rural community, Maximo bent over backwards helping me make a Medical Placement there happen. The support from the in country staff was unbelievable throughout my two months in country and I definitely felt pampered.

I came to Guatemala very excited but very nervous, it was my first experience traveling outside of the United States and I had no idea what to expect. Although there were of course some hard moments and struggles it was the best time of my life. There were days when I just wanted to be home, missing family and friends or feeling overwhelmed by being in a new place where things were so different.Those aspects are part of the experience and I really wouldn't change anything about my time there. I loved getting to know a new culture and language while volunteering . I met so many amazing interesting people, and I truly learned a lot, just being immersed in such a different culture, you are forced to step outside of yourself and look at things in a new way and that is just what I wanted. Maximo was a great venue for me to do what I wanted to do.

I loved my placement, I was doing construction and renovation. I was in Antigua for 10 weeks and was able to participate in three different projects. The work was sometimes challenging, I would get frustrated with myself when I could't do something very well. Then I had to remind myself that I had never done the work before , and was learning, and helping people and all I could do was my best. It was amazing to work and be able to see what we had done as a group. It was also awesome to be able to step into the world of the people who lived/ worked at the projects were we where working and interact with those people a bit. I really liked that part.

I loved my life during those ten weeks, I was in a home stay with an incredible warm friendly family, who cooked delicious food every day, three times a day. I had the chance to disconnect from my life at home, slow down and be in the moment with all of these new things. I loved the schedule I was on. I would wake up to an amazing breakfast, I always had other volunteers in the house to enjoy the meals with. Then I would head of to work on the chicken bus which I loved so much. It was such a fun way of traveling around the city. The work was tiring, fun, hard and awesome. By the time lunch came around I was so excited to eat. Lunch is the most important meal there, and in my opinion the best. After lunch I enjoyed relaxing a little, walking around town, to the market, the park, It was great to just enjoy the city. I had class from 4 to 6 pm.Coming to Maximo in the Afternoon was great, it was like home base. you could always connect with other volunteers, use the computers, study in the beautiful courtyard. I felt very lucky to have the chance to work on my spanish, the more spansih you know the more fun your experience will be. You can connect with the people and learn more about the culture, it's fun and exciting! I was able to practice a good amount of spanish during my placement with our director/ foreman, and of course in the home stay. One of the most challenging parts was the language barrier. You are forced to make yourself try, it is scary sometimes. My host family was so patient and spoke slowly. I was absolutely intimidated sometimes, and often If I was feeling tired or down it was exhausting to try and speak Spanish.
My evenings were spent either relaxing, reading/ studying or going out with friends, there is great night life and tons to do in Antigua!

This program is an excellent way to travel, experience a new culture, volunteer and practice spanish, while having a good amount of free time to really enjoy the place you are visiting. I felt very supported the entire time, if you ever need anything the Maximo team will do their best to really help you out.

I am so happy I chose this program and came to Antigua. It opened up my mind and got me excited to do more volunteer work and travel more as well!!!

I wanted to do something different since it was my last college spring break and Antigua was the perfect choice.

You wake up every morning to a hearty breakfast before you get on a "chicken bus" to get to your placement. I worked at a day care for kids aged 1-5 years old in the outskirts of Antigua.

The kids are adorable and the best part is you actually have a chance to make a meaningful impact. From helping them brush their teeth to feeding them, you are given a lot of responsibility. On our last day, we even had a splash day with the kids.

The city of Antigua itself is a beautiful place. Good nightlife, everything is cheap and there's a lot to explore. I lived in a volunteer house with about 10 other volunteers so it was nice to have a community of individuals that were from diverse backgrounds.

I participated in a medical campaign, placement in a clinic, and placement in a physical therapy setting. The medical campaign was great to get lots of experience quickly and impact HUNDREDS of patients in a day. The clinics were good for shadowing but I did not feel that my help was needed much. Intermediate-advanced Spanish is probably best in clinics. The physical therapy placement was eye-opening and I definitely felt that my help was both needed and appreciated.

It was Great!!! WE learned a lot while in Peru about the Culture and Spanish. I took a Peruvian culture class and a grammar class. I learned a lot!!! Week end trips are soooo much fun!

These past four weeks with Maximo have been amazing! They are very supportive, friendly and are always ready to help. Their office is open everyday and the computer lab is accessible to all volunteers. I took spanish lessons for 2 weeks and my teacher was great! All spanish teachers (that I know of) are locals and very friendly. I taught english at an elementary school in the mornings, which allowed me to walk around Antigua (where I was staying and volunteering) and explore Guatemala during the afternoons and weekends. There are beautiful things to see in Guatemala, but also a lot to do in Antigua!

A regular day during the week for me was: waking up around 6:45 and eating breakfast with other volunteers I was staying with, walking to school and teaching pre-k and grades 3 to 6, going back home to eat around 12:45, take some time to explore Antigua and go to Spanish class.

I highly recommend Maximo to anyone! Have fun!

Every beautiful morning here in Antigua, Guatemala I wake up around 6:45 to a hearty breakfast made by my volunteer house's cook. Then, off to placement! My placement was my safe haven. A school nestled high in the mountains is where I was an assistant English teacher for grades 1st through 3rd for two months. The kids were so well behaved and taught me so much! I had no idea what I could learn about myself in two months but i can assure you I exceeded all of my expectations. Maximo Nivel was such a help to my self discovery. It was a place to learn spanish, plan excursions, book shuttles, use wifi and make friends. I lived in a volunteer house called Casa Shekina, with anywhere from 10 to 24 other volunteers (depending on the week). Three meals a day were provided for me by our house cook, and beds were changed and made once a week by our house keeper. I never had any complaints when it came to my home stay or placement! Antigua is beautiful! There is so much to do and so much to see. Restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and boutiques line the streets. The town's famous artisan market is a great place to shop for handmade Guatemalan souvenirs and bargain your prices as low as possible! Keeping busy here was not a problem. My experience in Antigua, Guatemala has been unmatched. I can't wait to come back again!

During the mornings I took Spanish at Maximo Nivel. I would suggest taking classes, it makes it easier to communicate with people on your project and in the community. In the afternoons I went to Proyecto Genesis, an after school project. There we taugh english, basic spanish, computers, hygiene, helped with homework, and played games or soccer with the kids. Although it was difficult for me to communicate with the kids and the program director, they make every effort to accomodate you, and you learn to work with one another. The kids and Ricardo (program director) were amazing and it was very difficult to leave them! For me the hardest thing was communication, and feeling like I wasn't make a big enough impact. I came to realize though that it is a process and change doesn't happen over night. Every little bit adds up and is important.

Overall it was a great experience. Each day involved a good mix of fast-paced continuous work and relaxation time. At the school I was able to participate a lot with various significant teaching tasks. The Maximo Nivel staff ensures you are well informed regarding anything you may encounter on your trip and genuinely cares about your time with them. Highlights were the amazing people I met along the way and the numerous excursions. The biggest difficulty was the language barrier not knowing the native language, however there is usually always someone around to translate.