Volunteers Frequently Asked Questions

There are two learning centers at Program by the Sea. One is located in the fishing village of Tianyar and the other in the fishing village of Seraya in the east of Bali, Indonesia.

Your placement at one of the two centers at Program by the Sea will be confirmed on the day of your Sunday Program Orientation in Ubud.

At the learning center in Tianyar we have 4 classrooms for teaching English, 1 classroom for teaching computers and 1 general open air classroom for teaching dancing, yoga and music/singing. The learning center at Seraya has 3 main classrooms for teaching english and other subjects.

At the learning center in Tianyar we have approximate 120 children attending regular classes. At the learning center at Seraya we have approximate 80 children. Children ages vary from 5 years to 18 years old.

A class can vary between 5 – 20 students. In most larger classes volunteers co-teach with another volunteer.

A class can vary between 5 – 20 students. In most larger classes volunteers co-teach with another volunteer.

In most classes, volunteers will be co-teaching with another volunteer. Our local teacher aid and volunteer coordinator is available for your support.

Yes, we follow an English curriculum for each student group level.

But we always encourage our volunteers to incorporate art, music, sport and other fun activities to make their teaching experience with their students more fun and enjoyable.

Volunteers teach from 2-4pm, 4 days a week (Monday – Thursday). There are also morning classes at 8:30-10:30pm. Volunteers then have free time from Friday to Sunday to discover the amazing island of Bali.

Yes, since your teaching classes are between Monday to Thursday, you will have Friday to Sunday as free time to discover Bali with the other volunteers.

We have volunteers starting on each Monday of each Month. Volunteers are requested to arrive into Bali on Saturday with their Program Orientation on a Sunday. Starting dates can be view on the volunteer’s application form.

Yes, we provide 3 meals during teaching days at the volunteer’s accommodation.

Onsite accommodation is provided at each learning center and is paid for within your program fee. Your volunteer accommodation will be shared with other volunteers, around 8 to 12 other volunteers are located at each learning center.

Yes, please let us know when you are completing your application form that you would like to share your room with your friend or partner.

Laundry services are available at a small fee or some volunteer’s hand wash their clothes.

Then in the afternoon from 2:00pm to 4:00pm at the learning center we have 4 levels of English Groups – Group A, B, C and D for approx. 100 students. Other classes that volunteers are able to teach these students included: sport, music/singing, arts/craft, yoga, dancing and any other activity which will make the classes more fun and enjoyable.

We have 4 classrooms for teaching English, 1 classroom for Special Needs Children and 1 general open air classroom for teaching dancing, yoga and music/singing.

There are 21 with special needs children abd approx 100 children attending regular classes at the learning center. Children ages vary from 5 years to 18 years old.

A class can vary between 5 – 20 students. In most larger classes volunteers co-teach with another volunteer.

There are generally 8 to 10 volunteers at one time at Program Special Needs throughout the year.

In most classes, volunteers will be co-teaching with another volunteer. Our local teacher aid and volunteer coordinator is available for your support.

Yes, we follow an English curriculum for each student group level.
But we always encourage our volunteers to incorporate art, music, sport and other fun activities to make their teaching experience with their students more fun and enjoyable.

In the morning (10:00am -12noon) and afternoon (1:00am to 3:00pm) there are classes for our 21 students with Special Needs.

Then in the afternoon from 2:00pm to 4:00pm we have regular classes for our other 100 students at the learning center. We have 4 levels of English Groups – Group A, B, C and D. Other classes that volunteers are able to teach these students included: sport, music/singing, arts/craft, yoga, dancing and any other activity which will make the classes more fun and enjoyable. Volunteers then have free time from Friday to Sunday to discover the amazing island of Bali.

Yes, since your teaching classes are between Monday to Thursday, you will have Friday to Sunday as free time to discover Bali with the other volunteers.

We have volunteers starting on each Monday of each Month. Volunteers are requested to arrive into Bali on Saturday with their Program Orientation on a Sunday. Starting dates can be view on the volunteer’s application form.

es, we provide 3 meals during teaching days at the volunteer’s accommodation.

Onsite accommodation is provided at the center and is paid for within your program fee. Your volunteer accommodation will be shared with other volunteers, around 6 to 10 other people at any given time.

Yes, please let us know when you are completing your application form that you would like to share your room with your friend or partner.

Laundry services are available just outside the volunteer’s accommodation.

Yes, we welcome donations for the children at our learning center. Below is a wish list of items needed for Program by the Sea:

• Art and Craft supplies like pens, scissors, color paper, glue ……..
• Coloring pens, pencils or crayons.
• Flash cards on topics like body parts, food, animals …..
• English reading and children’s books (ages 5 – 10 years old)
• Educational games like twister, board games ………
• Sports supplies, like footballs, basketballs, badminton set, hula hoops ……….
• ESL, TELF or TESOL books for teaching English classes.
• Posters like the world maps, different cultures, food, health, animals ………
• Stickers and sweets for rewarding the students during class.
• Children’s coloring books.
• Clothes like t-shirts and shorts (ages 5 to 12 years old)

As long as you have a basic to high understanding and communication of the English language you are able to assist and or teach classes to the students. Its important to speak slowly and clearly and keep classes interesting.

Our classes are taught only in English, we have available in each class a local teacher aid or a local English teacher to support volunteers if translation is required.

Most of our volunteers are between 18 to 35 years, with the an age limit of 18 years.

Yes, that will be fine as most of our volunteers have not taught before. We will pair you with another volunteer to co-teach your classes. Our local English teacher and teacher aids are here to support you during your classes.

Yes, that will be fine, but please let us know during your Sunday Program Ordination that you might be extending your placement period, so we can schedule you into one of our programs.

Yes, you can contact our past, current or future volunteers through our Facebook page, Instagram, Google+ or directly through emails. Your volunteer co-cordinator from each program can provide you with emails addresses of past volunteers once you have submitted your application form.

We currently have 2 Programs available, in 2 different locations in Bali:

Program by the Sea learning center was established in 2008 in a small fishing village in the region of Karangasem, at the northeastern part of Bali. Located 15 mins from world famous dive site village of Tulamben, 40 mins from diving village Amed and 1.5 hours from Lovina. Ubud is a 2 hours drive from this location. The volunteer’s accommodation is located 100m from the beach where volunteers can enjoy swimming, snorkeling and watching the fisherman bringing in their catch early in the mornings.

Program Ubud Village learning center is located in a traditional rural Balinese village just outside of the village of Ubud. Volunteers teach in traditional classrooms made from locally harvested bamboo and grass roofs. The tropical jungle setting surrounded by banana, coco, coffee, paw paw trees creates a refreshing and relaxing environment for learning to take place.

The volunteers accommodation is located in center Ubud where you can do daily activities like yoga, jewelry making, pottery, visiting galleries, bike rides to see the rice fields. Therefore you can experience both a traditional village environment whilst teaching, but be located in the tourist village Ubud.

Yes, as long as you volunteer for a minimum of 4 weeks at each program. If you are planning to volunteer in 2 programs, we recommend starting your volunteering placement at Program Ubud Village first before moving to Program by the Sea.

Once you have been confirmed to volunteer in one of our programs, your volunteer coordinator will email you a Volunteer’s Pre-arrival Information Kit. This kit provides volunteer’s information: Survival kit, Teaching Tips, Code of Conduct, Living & Volunteering in Bali.

Volunteers can also follow activities at each program by following or liking us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest

We request our volunteers to arrival into Bali on a Saturday, as their Program Orientation is on Sunday morning. In some cases a volunteer can arrive on a Friday afternoon, but please check with us as we would have to book an extra nights accommodation for you in Ubud, Bali.

The cost of an extra 1 nights accommodation at the volunteer’s accommodation in Ubud, Bali is Rp200,000 (approx. USD$15) per night.

Payment can be made after your arrival into Bali. Once you have arrived in Bali, payment should be made during your Sunday morning Program Orientation in Ubud, Bali.

The Program Fee is required to be paid in Indonesian Rupiah. You can either bring Rupiah’s with you to Bali or exchange the amount at one of the money exchangers here in Bali. You will receive a better exchange rate in Ubud, Bali. You also requested to make your Program Fee payment before your arrival through a bank to bank transfer.

We generally recommend making payment by exchanging your home currency in Ubud, as bank transfer costs can be from 3.5% to +5%.

There are no registration fees, no hidden fees or additional costs. Please note, that costs of motorbike hire, weekend meals, tourist trips, visa extensions are not included in the Program fee.

You can withdraw money in Bali at ATMs with an international debit or credit card (Visa, Cirrus, Master). Please ask your bank about international fees. You can pay via credit card in restaurants, banks, travel agencies, supermarkets. We recommended to take cash, especially if you want to travel to the more rural areas or the Gili Islands. Currency in Indonesia is the Indonesian Rupiah.

The costs of living generally depends on your lifestyle. Bali is cheaper than Western cities. Food, services and restaurants are generally cheaper. A motorbike hire is USD$60 a month and visa extensions about USD$60 a month. You should expect to budget for approximately USD$300 to USD$400 per month.

All travel costs and insurances are to be paid by you the volunteer. Yayasan Widya Sari does not pay for any travel costs incurred by the volunteer.

We can understand that our fixed start dates of our program sometimes do not work well with some of dates you have planned, however our starting dates match when our volunteer coordinator have their Sunday morning volunteer program orientation with all new volunteer arrivals each week. The Program Orientation is very important, as we explain the Balinese culture, code of conduct, health and safety of our program.

You should check your vaccinations for Tetanus, Measles, Polio, Diphtheria and Hepatitis A. The bigger cities and the tourist centers of Bali and Java are free of Malaria

Bali, Indonesian electrical plugs are 220 Volt.

Yes bring your mobile phone (SIM-LOCK free) and buy an Indonesian prepaid card.
 The country code for Indonesia: +62

Yes, you have Wifi access at your accommodation and the learning center. Most cafes around Bali also have Wifi.

Bali/Indonesia does not present any cause for vaccinations. However, we recommend that your tetanus, polio, and hepatitis vaccinations are up to date for any travel in Asia. Bali does not have malaria.

Your selection of clothing whilst you are living in a Balinese traditional village should show respect to the their culture and customs. Please do not wear short shorts or dresses, mid-length attire is far more acceptable during teaching classes. The volunteers shoulders should be covered and your dress should be smart/casual at all times. As volunteer you are a member of the community, the Founder and local staff will be held responsible for your behavior and appearance to the village, please always show respect to the local community. You have been welcomed into a traditional Balinese village as a volunteer not a tourist.

A mosquito net is not required as each room has a fan. Please bring mosquito repellent.

To drive in Bali, you need an International Driver’s License.

You can get to most tourist locations in Bali with a private driver. The car seats up to 6 people and can be hired from 500,000 Rp (half day of 4 hours to 800,000 Rp (full day of 8 hours). A private driver can also be hired from the volunteer’s home stay in each program.

There is the Kura-Kura bus service, which services the following lines: Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, Nusa Dua, South Nusa Dua, Sanur, Jimbaran and Ubud.

You can also rent a motorbike 1 daily, weekly or monthy. The monthly rate is 500,000 – 600,00 Rp

We recommend the following Chemists, Health Clinics, Hospitals and Dental Clinics:

Guardian Chemists provided international standard medication and are located in a number of locations in Ubud and other main tourist locations.

Toya Medika Clinic in Ubud: provides general medical services and medication. Located on Jalan Raya Pengosekan (East of Gas Station), Ubud, Bali 80571, Indonesia. 24 Hours Emergency Line Tel: +62 0361 978 078

Siloam Hospitals Group (Siloam) is the leader in integrated healthcare services in Bali and Indonesia. Siloam operates 20 hospitals with a total capacity of more than 3,900 beds, 1,800 doctors (including more than 1,400 specialists) and more than 4,400 nurses and allied health personnel. 24 Hours Emergency Line Tel: + 1 500 911 or +62 361 779 900

BIMC Hospital Group delivers international standards of care for residents and tourists in Bali while establishing the island as a world-class medical tourism destination. BIMC HOSPITAL provides a multitude of comprehensive services performed by specially trained medical teams in two dedicated facilities located in Kuta and Nusa Dua. BIMC Hospital General Practitioners (GP’s) are professionally trained in Family Medicine (one to one relationships, patient-doctor), Emergency Medicine and as Hospitalists; dedicated doctors who are specifically trained to coordinate inpatient care. 24 Hours Emergency Line Tel: +62 361 761 263 (Kuta) or Nusa Dua +62 361 3000 911

The Manson Dental Clinic provides International standard dentists in Jalan Penestan, Sayan, Ubud, Bali. Tel: +62 361 972 648

We advise all volunteers to purchase travel health insurance before leaving their home country. We do not accept any volunteers who do not provide a copy of their current travel insurance.