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  • Quality Education

Village English Classes by the Sea

location
4 - 12 weeks  Â·  Age 18 - 50+
Verified

Highlights

  • Free afternoon English classes for over 200 children aged 6 to 15, in a fishing village in Karangasem — one of Bali's poorest regencies
  • Bamboo cottages right on the beach, three freshly cooked meals a day Monday to Friday, and the school is one minute's walk away
  • Volunteer Monday to Thursday: a three-day weekend, every week, to see the rest of Bali

Highlights

  • Free afternoon English classes for over 200 children aged 6 to 15, in a fishing village in Karangasem — one of Bali's poorest regencies
  • Bamboo cottages right on the beach, three freshly cooked meals a day Monday to Friday, and the school is one minute's walk away
  • Volunteer Monday to Thursday: a three-day weekend, every week, to see the rest of Bali
  • Teach English plus maths, computing, arts and crafts, sport and games — you plan the lessons each morning
  • Tulamben's dive sites are 20 minutes away, Ubud two hours, and Mount Agung is on the skyline
    • You don't have to pay anything yet

    Especially good for

    Age 18+
    Singles
    Couples
    Groups
    50+

    About the program

    Teach free afternoon English classes to 200+ children in Tianyar, a fishing village in Bali's poorest regency. Beachside bamboo cottages, three meals a day.

    Almost nobody who goes to Bali sees Tianyar. It is a fishing village in the north-east, in the regency of Karangasem — one of the poorest parts of the island — and fishing is still the main thing people do for a living. There is no Seminyak here.

    Why English matters so much in this particular ...

    About the program

    Almost nobody who goes to Bali sees Tianyar. It is a fishing village in the north-east, in the regency of Karangasem — one of the poorest parts of the island — and fishing is still the main thing people do for a living. There is no Seminyak here.

    Why English matters so much in this particular village

    Bali's economy runs on tourism, and confident English is the gate to most of the jobs in it. Tianyar is three hours from where that money is. Children here mostly do go to school, but some are kept out by the cost of transport, uniforms and textbooks, and those who attend often get limited English because the curricula are dated and the resources are not there.

    So the community school runs free afternoon classes, open to every child in the village, after the school day is done.

    The project

    Over 200 children aged 6 to 15, taught daily, one minute's walk from where you sleep. Alongside English there are computer classes, yoga, Balinese dance, and lessons on local culture and tradition. There is outdoor space for ceremonies and for play.

    The school is funded entirely by volunteer programme fees. That is stated plainly because it should be: without the fees, there is no school. It also means you should turn up and do the work.

    What you actually do

    You assist in the afternoon community classes. These are deliberately relaxed — the children have already done a full school day, so the point is to make English enjoyable rather than to drill it.

    • Each morning you plan your lessons, building on what the previous volunteers taught. Educational games, quizzes and class competitions all work well here
    • Teach English first, but also maths, computing, general knowledge, arts and crafts
    • Sport and games outside
    • Marking, one-to-one attention for children who need it, and helping clean up
    • Joining in local ceremonies, which you will be invited to

    The children are genuinely keen. Volunteers say the same thing every time: the enthusiasm they show for the afternoon classes is what makes the placement obviously worth doing.

    Who it suits

    Anyone 18 or over. No teaching qualification needed — what is needed is someone who will prepare a lesson rather than improvise one. No criminal convictions, and a clean criminal background check is required.

    A four-week minimum — longer than some placements ask, and deliberately so: the class runs every afternoon regardless, and the children get far more from someone who is still there in week four than from a succession of one-week visitors.

    Typical day

    Day 1 — Sunday. Arrival. Fly into Ngurah Rai International Airport, Denpasar (DPS). A member of the team meets you after customs — wait at the flight information display board past the last of the duty-free shops. The driver takes you straight to Tianyar, about three hours north. Dinner is ...

    Typical day

    Day 1 — Sunday. Arrival. Fly into Ngurah Rai International Airport, Denpasar (DPS). A member of the team meets you after customs — wait at the flight information display board past the last of the duty-free shops. The driver takes you straight to Tianyar, about three hours north. Dinner is provided when you arrive.

    Orientation is either Sunday afternoon or Monday morning, run by the in-country team in Tianyar.

    Monday to Thursday — volunteering

    • Morning — Breakfast at the cottages, then plan your lessons. This is real preparation time and the classes are better for it
    • Afternoon — Community classes at the school, one minute's walk away
    • Evening — Dinner in the communal outdoor dining area with the other volunteers. Hammocks and a volleyball pitch, and the beach is right there

    Friday to Sunday — a three-day weekend, every week. This is the unusual part of the programme and worth planning around: you volunteer four days and have three off. Stay at the beach, or go and see Bali properly.

    Last day — Saturday. In your final week, Saturday is your official last day. You check out from the accommodation and either carry on travelling in Bali or fly home. The coordinators can arrange a taxi to the airport at extra cost.

    Free-time activities

    You get a three-day weekend every week — Friday to Sunday. That is the single best thing about this placement's structure, and it is enough time to actually go somewhere.

    On the doorstep — The accommodation is on the beach. Hammocks, a volleyball pitch, and a quiet coastline you can walk along ...

    Free-time activities

    You get a three-day weekend every week — Friday to Sunday. That is the single best thing about this placement's structure, and it is enough time to actually go somewhere.

    On the doorstep — The accommodation is on the beach. Hammocks, a volleyball pitch, and a quiet coastline you can walk along between the traditional fishing boats.

    Tulamben — 20 minutes — One of the best and easiest dive sites in Asia: the wreck of the USAT Liberty lies in shallow water a short swim from shore. Divers and snorkellers both get something out of it, and it is close enough for an afternoon.

    Mount Agung — Bali's highest volcano is on your skyline. On its slopes sits Besakih, the Mother Temple, the most important temple on the island, which came through the eruption unscathed.

    Ubud — 2 hours — Rice terraces, the monkey forest, art markets and the yoga-and-cafe Bali people picture.

    Kuta and Seminyak — 3 hours — The south coast, if you want surf, nightlife and crowds for a weekend.

    Also reachable — The Gili Islands and Lombok, Amed for more diving, Sidemen for rice country, and the north-coast waterfalls around Singaraja.

    Taxis and transport are cheap and easy to arrange, and the local team will help you plan weekends. Being based in the quiet north is an advantage here: you see the Bali that the south lost.

    Requirements

    Requirements

    Minimum Age: 18 years

    In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.

    Education Requirements

    at High school level

    Criminal Background Check

    required

    Required Documents

    Criminal background check (no criminal convictions), parental consent form for under-18s and copy of passport.

    Nationality Restrictions

    No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

    Other Skills

    No teaching qualification is required. What is required is that you plan your lessons in the morning rather than improvise in the afternoon — the classes build on what previous volunteers taught. Creativity helps: games, quizzes, songs, sport and crafts all work better here than a textbook.

    Time Commitment

    Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 13:00 - 17:00

    What's Included

    What's Included

    On-site Services

    What the fee covers

    • Accommodation in the beachside volunteer cottages in Tianyar
    • Three freshly cooked meals a day, Monday to Friday
    • Airport pickup at Denpasar (DPS) and the transfer to Tianyar — a three-hour drive
    • Orientation with the in-country team
    • Your placement at the community school
    • Comprehensive pre-departure information
    • 24/7 support from local staff
    • Certificate of participation on request

    Worth knowing where the money goes: the community school is funded entirely by volunteer programme fees. Your fee is not a contribution to the school's running costs — it is the running costs.

    What it does not cover

    • The return trip to the airport — can be arranged at extra cost, and it is three hours each way
    • Weekend meals (Saturday and Sunday) — available at the camp for a small extra fee if you stay
    • International flights, visa fees and vaccinations
    • Travel and medical insurance
    • Towels and toiletries, laundry (about IDR 7,000/kg nearby), and weekend travel

    Airport Pickup at Ngurah Rai International Airport

    Pickup and the transfer to Tianyar are included. The return trip is not.

    🚩 Arrive on a SUNDAY at Ngurah Rai International Airport, Denpasar (DPS), before 5pm. Pickup runs each Sunday until 5pm only, so book a flight that lands comfortably before then.

    Where to meet — After customs, walk past the last of the duty-free shops and wait at the flight information display board. A member of the team will be there.

    The drive to Tianyar takes about three hours, north-east across the island. Dinner is provided when you arrive.

    🚩 Want to come to Bali early? You can, but the pickup is still only on Sunday and your accommodation until then is at your own expense. If you do this, book a hotel in Kuta or Sanur — both close to the airport — and the team will collect you from the hotel on Sunday instead.

    🚩 The return trip to the airport is NOT included. The coordinators can arrange a taxi at extra cost. Remember it is a three-hour drive, so budget for it properly rather than assuming a short hop.

    Accommodation

    You stay in a cluster of bamboo cottages right on the beach in Tianyar — traditional shelters, built from bamboo and cane, deliberately low-impact. The community school is a one-minute walk away.

    Your room — Shared with three other volunteers. Ceiling fan, and all bed linen provided. Each cottage has its own sit-out area.

    Bathrooms — Shared, indoors, with a western-style toilet and cold showers. The bathroom blocks are also bamboo-built. Cold showers in this climate are a relief rather than a hardship.

    What is there

    • Communal outdoor dining area, and common areas to sit and talk
    • An on-site kitchen where the cooks prepare meals fresh
    • Hammocks and a volleyball pitch
    • The beach, immediately

    🚩 Bring your own towel and toiletries — bed linen is provided, these are not. A laundry service is a short walk away at roughly IDR 7,000 per kilo.

    🚩 Wi-Fi is available but intermittent. Warn people at home. Shops and an ATM are five minutes on foot.

    It is simple, and that is the point: you are in a fishing village in the quiet north, not a resort.

    Food & Beverages

    Three freshly prepared meals a day, cooked on site, Monday to Friday.

    Breakfast — Pancakes, toast, fruit, tea and coffee.

    Lunch — Rice, fried noodles, pasta, rendang, gado-gado, soto, chicken, soup.

    Dinner — Rice, chicken, fish, noodles, pasta, rendang, gado-gado, soto.

    Mostly traditional Indonesian food with rice as the staple, eaten together in the outdoor dining area. It is one of the better-fed placements in our portfolio.

    🚩 Weekends are not included. Most volunteers travel from Friday to Sunday anyway, but if you stay at the camp, meals are available Saturday and Sunday for a small additional fee.

    Vegetarian options are always available. Vegan requests can be accommodated with advance notice — tell us when you book. The team will do their best with any dietary need, but be aware there may be occasions when you need to buy alternative ingredients yourself.

    Internet Access

    Limited access at the project site
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    What's NOT included?

    What's NOT included?

    Flight Tickets

    The nearest airport is Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) in Denpasar. We assist you to find cheap flights to Indonesia. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

    Travel Insurance

    Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Indonesia provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

    Vaccines

    If you are intending to volunteer in Indonesia you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Indonesia. VACCINE CHECKER

    Details on arrival

    🚩 Arrival is a SUNDAY, at Ngurah Rai International Airport, Denpasar (DPS), and pickup runs until 5pm. Strongly plan a flight that lands before then.

    You are met after customs — wait at the flight information display board, past the last duty-free shops. The drive to Tianyar takes around three hours.

    Arriving early? You can come to Bali a few days before, but the pickup is still only on the Sunday, and your own accommodation until then is at your own expense. If you do this, book a hotel in Kuta or Sanur — both are comfortable, close to the airport, and the team will collect you from your hotel on Sunday instead.

    🚩 The return trip to the airport is NOT included. It can be arranged at extra cost, and it is a three-hour drive, so budget properly for it.

    Documents — No criminal convictions, and a clean criminal background check.

    Bring your own towel and toiletries — bed linen is provided, towels are not. A laundry service nearby costs about IDR 7,000 per kilo.

    Also worth packing — Modest clothing for the classroom and for temple visits (shoulders and knees covered), reef-safe sun cream, insect repellent, and a torch.

    Wi-Fi — Available at the accommodation but intermittent. Tell people at home before you go. Nearest shops and an ATM are a five-minute walk.

    Visa — Most nationalities get a visa on arrival in Indonesia, extendable once. Check your own position for stays beyond 30 days. Visa fees are not included.

    Insurance and vaccinations — Not included and your own responsibility. See a travel clinic before you fly.

    When to come — Weekly Sunday starts, year-round. Bali's dry season runs roughly April to October; the wet season brings heavy afternoon downpours rather than all-day rain.

    Availability
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

    Program Fees

    $248 per week 4 - 12 weeks Age 18 - 50+

    Payment methods

    Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

    NO CREDIT CARD FEES

    Duration

    4 - 12 weeks

    Deposit

    Reserve your spot with just a few clicks and a small, secure deposit. You can pay by credit card, PayPal, or other convenient methods.

    Final Payment

    You’ll agree on the final payment method with your local organization during the application process. This final payment is only due closer to the start of your trip.

    You don't have to pay anything yet
    4.5
    Top Pick
    One of the top picks on Volunteer World, according to travelers

    Location

    Asia > South East Asia > Indonesia > Tianyar

    Meet your project coordinator

    Sahil
    30
    reviews
    4.53
    Fantastic
    2007
    Founded

    Verified

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