My biggest tip would be to be open to new experiences and really get involved with the culture and the people. This is exactly what usually creates the best memories.
During her trip through Latin America, Kira was able to realize a project close to her heart in Cartagena, Colombia, with WanderWorld Travel. There, she supported children in class in the mornings, gave English lessons and got to know everyday life on site. She was particularly impressed by the openness and warmth of the people and the many emotional moments with the children in the project. In addition to volunteering, she spent a lot of time in Cartagena, discovered the Caribbean islands and immersed herself in Colombian culture. Her time in Colombia had a huge impact on her personally and showed her how special a stay abroad in Latin America can be.
In 2024, I visited Latin America for the first time, Costa Rica to be precise, and immediately fell in love with the culture, the people and the food. After that, it was clear to me that I wanted to discover much more of Latin America. That's why I started a seven-month trip through various countries at the beginning of October 2025, with Colombia as my last stop.
I had actually planned to travel to Colombia with another organization, but there were some problems there. I am all the more grateful that WanderWorld Travel made it possible for me to go on my dream project at such short notice.
I felt at home as soon as I arrived, which was mainly down to José, the manager of the guesthouse. He is an incredibly nice and open person and immediately made me feel welcome. On the very first day, he cooked lunch for me, we ate together and in the evening we went to a friend of his. As a result, I didn't feel alone or like a stranger from the very beginning.
My first impression of Colombia was very positive. The people were totally welcoming, open and interested. I quickly felt at home, especially in the project, because the children were so kind and curious about me.
They immediately showed interest in me, wanted to talk to me and spend time with me, which made me feel integrated very quickly.
The first few days in the project were therefore also really nice and much more relaxed than I had expected. I was able to make contacts quickly and after just a few days I had the feeling that I had arrived. All in all, it really didn't take long for me to feel at home.
In the morning, I usually started the lesson together with the children and supported the teacher.
My main task was to help children who needed a little more support - especially with reading, writing and math. I often sat down directly with individual children and worked on tasks with them or explained things again.
I was also able to give English lessons, which I particularly enjoyed. It was great to see how interested and motivated the children were and how quickly you could build a connection with them.
Working with the employees was also really great. Everyone was very nice, helpful and made me feel welcome straight away. I felt well looked after and supported throughout the entire time. At the same time, I was able to learn a lot of new things - not only how to deal with children, but also about the culture, everyday life on site and how to approach new situations more spontaneously and openly.
In my free time, I spent a lot of time in the historic center of Cartagena and in the Getsemaní district.
There are so many beautiful streets, music, cafés and a really special atmosphere in general. I also did something with José almost every evening - we often had dinner together or took his dog for a walk, which eventually became part of my everyday life.
I also tried a lot of typical Colombian street food and explored various islands in the area. I particularly enjoyed the trips to the sea and the Caribbean islands because the landscape there was simply incredible.
In general, it was a special experience for me to immerse myself so deeply in local everyday life and not just get to know Cartagena as a tourist. As a result, I experienced many things that you probably wouldn't experience on a normal trip. Some of the food and impressions were also completely new to me, which made my time there even more special.
Having traveled to several Latin American countries before, I was already familiar with the open and friendly nature of the people there. Nevertheless, I was once again particularly impressed by the people in Colombia.
Colombians really are some of the nicest, warmest and most open people I have ever met.
I felt incredibly welcome throughout my time here. Whether in the project, in everyday life or simply out and about in the city - the people were always interested, helpful and immediately made me feel welcome. I was particularly fascinated by how quickly you become part of social life there and how naturally you are integrated.
My best moments were definitely the many small moments with the children in the project. I particularly remember when they wrote me letters or drew pictures for me. That was incredibly emotional for me because it made me realize how much they had already taken me to their hearts in such a short time.
I experienced these moments directly in the project with the children, mostly spontaneously during the lessons or at the end of the day. I felt incredibly happy, grateful and somehow I also felt that I had arrived.
These small gestures in particular showed me how special the time there was for me and how much mutual joy and trust developed in this short time.
I stayed with my host José, who rented out several rooms. I had my own room there with my own bathroom, which was very pleasant and quickly made me feel at home. Overall, I really felt at home there.
I was also able to do my laundry there and use the kitchen and fridge, which made everyday life very uncomplicated. But what was particularly nice was the informal and open atmosphere in the house.
Compared to at home, things were much more relaxed and spontaneous. We did more together, ate together more often and generally spent more time together. That's exactly what made the accommodation so special for me and helped me to settle in quickly.
I love everything about Latin America - the culture, the people, the food, the music and generally the joie de vivre there.
The people in particular make a stay there so special. Compared to Germany, I have often found people to be much more open, warm and spontaneous. You quickly get into conversation with others and feel very welcome.
I would definitely recommend a stay abroad in Latin America because not only do you discover beautiful places there, but you also learn an incredible amount personally. You become more independent, more open-minded and gain experiences that you will never forget.
Above all, I would advise future participants not to worry too much about everything you hear in the media about some countries. Of course you should be aware and pay attention to certain things, but I personally felt very safe during my entire trip and nothing ever happened to me.
My biggest tip would be to be open to new experiences and really get involved with the culture and the people. This is exactly what usually creates the best memories.
And yes, I can definitely recommend WanderWorld Travel. I am particularly grateful that everything could still be organized despite my last-minute situation and that I was still able to do my dream project in Colombia. I felt well supported and had a really unforgettable time overall.
Founder of Wanderworld Travel
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