Posted By: Dave P.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Every day was amazing and full of incredible experiences and new people. The days flew by as we were so busy working on the farm, hanging out and making new friends, and learning about the wildlife in a very hands on manner.
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Posted By: Giselle M.
#South Africa,#Marine Conservation,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Hard work pays off, and this doesn’t go unnoticed by the amazing crew. I managed to go onto an exclusive boat trip which had less clients on board, giving me more opportunities to capture some great footage of the sharks who displayed incredible activity, breaching around six times in the space of two hours.
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Posted By: Michele
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The African Wildlife Orphanage’s main goal is to care for orphaned or injured animals until they are able to be released back into the wild. If that’s not a viable option, they’re lovingly cared for the rest of their lives. These animals are also used for educating young local children about the creatures that share their environment. Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, so many of the children living there have never had the opportunity to see or touch wild animals.
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Posted By: Margaret-Amelia
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The biggest shock for me was when one volunteer mentioned that we had the opportunity to spend the night with a cheetah—Zena was rescued from a family who kept her as a pet and therefore she is unable to regulate her own body temperature. At night, she either sleeps with the project leaders or two volunteers. Sleeping with Zena was like sleeping with a dog-sized cat; she purred, cuddled, and gave kisses.
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Posted By: Ramona P.
#Marine Conservation,#Wildlife,#Asia,#Malaysia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
I have been here on the Perhentian Islands for about one month and I’m still excited for the beautiful landscape, the warm people and of course the amazing turtles we are working with daily. On the 10th my teammate Joel, Kinsey and Elliot and me saw the first turtle nesting at Tiga Ruang during our night patrol. It was so amazing seeing the turtle laying her eggs in the sand, measuring her carapace and taking photos of her for photo identification!
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Posted By: Emma M.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation
Being on the sanctuary was definitely one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced...I was so excited for so long about this opportunity to bring a dream of mine to fruition, that when the moment finally arrived it didn’t even feel real!
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Posted By: Edward S.
#Vietnam,#Asia,#Medical and Healthcare,#International Internships
I was able to help the nurses in their daily rounds; giving injections and medications and setting up IV\'s. All of these skills were learned right at the placement site. Our assistance was really beneficial to the nurses in their daily jobs.
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Posted By: Jose P.
#Thailand,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
Now, back home, the best memories that I keep in my head are my new friends, unique places, and kind people from Thailand. But the highlight memory is definitely the legacy that I gave to the kids, and even bigger was the legacy that they gave to me.
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Posted By: Leah
#Australia,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Australasia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
All of the staff on the boat was very friendly and helpful. You could tell this is something they all really enjoy and love to share with others. They made sure to let us know where the coolest things to see were and if there were any special things in our dive sites. There was one fish that was a regular visitor. His name is Wally and we saw him most days out on the reef. He swims right up to divers and it is definitely an experience to see how much he likes to hang out with people.
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Posted By: Solveig A.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
If you are lucky you are also able to spend time with baby animals during the stay. Honey badgers, antelopes, servals, cheetahs, lions and even a 6 months old rhino were some of the baby animals I had the pleasure to feed and spend time with, and I loved it!
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Posted By: Jessica
#Vietnam,#Medical,#Humanitarian Aid
Everyday they put you in a different department so you really get to learn many things. For example, you can do acupuncture and injections, physiotherapy with disabled children, X-rays, surgery and more. Personally, my favorite one was the surgery department. It was my first experience in a surgery room and I could really see everything from close. I had the chance to see many big surgeries such as bone graft, nerves reconstruction, internal fixation of broken bones and many more. The doctors are also very welcoming and love to learn more about you. They are also glad to answer any questions about their practice.
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Posted By: Megan
#Cambodia,#Community Aid,#Education,#Asia,#Community Aid and Development,#Volunteer with Children
Any amount of time spent helping these kids is great of course, but the longer you stay the more meaningful and purposeful your efforts become. Most volunteers were very sad to leave and wanted to stay longer, so I would advise to plan for a longer stay if you can.
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Posted By: Mingyao M.
#Sri Lanka,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Most people in Sri Lanka were extremely friendly, and it was ok to use the combination of English and body language to communicate with them. I chose the orientation week as my first week program, and during this period, I visited many interesting places in Kandy, which included the temple of tooth. Kandy is the center of Buddhism; it was an impressive experience to learn the history and culture of this city.
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Posted By: Ekaterina
#South Africa,#Education,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
I have never felt as upset as I felt leaving Cape Town, the city where I spent the 16 best days of my life. I don’t exaggerate. At all.Sometimes we just sat at the playground and hug each other. It seems they don’t have enough attention and care and it upset me so much. They don’t need MP3-players, bicycles and PlayStations – they just need to feel they are loved and cared about. And a football, of course!
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Posted By: Alina A.
#China,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
After becoming acquainted with our panda keeper and pandas, we started our first job. It was necessary to clean the cage, removing the bamboo leaves and other garbage. After that, we started to clean their enclosures... In addition, we fed the pandas twice a day with carrot and special bread (named ”panda cake”), and sometimes apples.
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Posted By: Nicole
#Australia,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Australasia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I enjoyed ranger days the most. On these days you were paired with a ranger and got to do everything they did. This included feeding, cleaning, and in some cases even treating the animals. There were so many animals at the park that it was so much to see every day. My favorite part was getting to know each animal and their story. Every animal at the park has a name and is looked after carefully. It was great because you weren’t just standing behind a fence looking at the animal you were in the enclosure handling and helping.
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Posted By: Paola
#Asia,#Indonesia,#Bali,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Community Aid and Development
The greatest aspects of the project are two. First of all, you really feel useful as local coordinators need our help to take care of all turtles as they are not enough to do the job alone. Second, compared to Ubud, there are less volunteers (around 25, even if they told us that during the high season it can go up to 70). As you are not a lot, no small groups are done; we are all part of a big group, or even better a big family. You really get close to volunteers and to coordinators and cookers.
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Posted By: Jim
#Thailand,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Community Aid and Development
We planted vegetation to help stop erosion, prepared plantings in our homestay, went on a six hour trek, visited a number of historical and Buddhist sites and experienced the culture with the Akha people almost continually throughout the week. The Akha are the most tolerant and accepting of others of any group I have ever met. As far as an immersion learning experience goes, it would be hard to match.
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Posted By: Elie
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I saw rhinos and cave paintings and had the chance to visit a village, where I met an 82-year-old chief that told me the tale of fighting a leopard that was eating his livestock. His stories were incredible and followed shortly by a dance performance by the children of the village. I could not write about this day with enough detail to do it justice, but believe me when I say it was one of the most memorable days of my life!
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Posted By: Sydney
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
Those kids taught me that its a choice to be happy every single day and that no matter how bad you think something is, you’re completely wrong. They taught me how to have fun playing patty cake and singing songs. They taught me how to dance and poke fun. And most importantly they taught me how to love something unconditionally and never look back; those kids taught me how to love. And for that, I am forever grateful.
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Posted By: Navreet
#Thailand,#Community Aid,#Education,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
During my stay, I volunteered at an orphanage to work on light construction projects. Our main objective was to help maintain and fix the orphanage infrastructure and environment so that the children could benefit from a better learning atmosphere and have better living accommodations. I exchanged warm hugs and laughter with the charming little souls at the orphanage; they left me a lifetime full of cherished memories.
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Posted By: Marc V.
#Africa,#South Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I would totally recommend the Wildlife Sanctuary project. The mixture of hard work and animal interaction is really satisfying, and the people you meet there are awesome!
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Posted By: Jessica
#Thailand,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
Working in Thailand was one of the best experiences of my life. The children were so incredibly sweet and eager to learn. The younger children barely knew any English so we had to find ways to communicate with them through pictures and hand motions. After this experience, I really think anyone can learn to be a teacher!
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Posted By: Dina B.
#Cambodia,#Community Aid,#TEFL and Teaching,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children,#Community Aid and Development
From day one there were always free smiles and hugs on hand...Prior to travelling I did not know what exactly to expect from the program, but it was an absolute positive surprise. I recommend this program to any person that seeks to give love and receive a hundred times more in return.
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Posted By: Jessica
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Central America,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
It is an incredible experience and definitely a dirty job! I loved every second of it and wished I would have stayed longer. When I was there they were transitioning to a new location which had bigger rooms and a lot more space for the animals!
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Posted By: Meghan B.
#South Africa,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
I have nothing but positive things to say about this program- it was truly the adventure of a lifetime! I can’t wait to go back to the beautiful country, and meet up and do more traveling with the new friends I have made. A huge thank you to Gnarly Troop for helping me find this project, and to the wonderful people in Gansbaai who have given me bright and unique memories!
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Posted By: Jeroen B.
#Israel,#Conservation,#Marine Conservation,#Middle East,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
It was an excellent location to learn about the +/- 1100 species present in the Red Sea. Together with Leras, a marine biologist, I received her help in analyzing the photographic material (pictures) from my UW camera. Initially I was only interested in fish species, though after a while I started to do some coral identification as well. In the Red Sea this is pretty much amazing!
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Posted By: Maddie
#Sri Lanka,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
The most rewarding feeling was when the kids homework was 100% correct, and they would get a sticker for writing three good characteristics, or correctly solving a math problem. Every day volunteering in Sri Lanka was a new adventure, and every night as I lay in bed wrapped tightly in a mosquito net and doused in mosquito repellent, I felt that I had made a difference; and alongside me was my friends from numerous other countries, relishing with me in the same feeling of and overwhelming joy.
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Posted By: Benjamin K.
#Spain,#International Internships,#Europe
I really grew and developed from this experience at the same time as having some of the most exciting times of my life!
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Posted By: Karysa
#Thailand,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
During my time there, I was able to spend the night at one of the student’s villages and see how they live. To get to the student’s village it took about 45 minutes walking. The kids wash their clothes, body, and teeth all in the same river. At night they use a candle for light since they don’t have electricity. Meals consisted of rice, bamboo, and fish. The school is very limited on teachers, so when the students get the chance to learn they appreciate every second of it. Saying goodbye was so hard to say the least.
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Posted By: Arlene
#India,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children,#Volunteer Vacations and Tours
I volunteered with ‘street children’ at a local school. The volunteers and I were welcomed with lays, blessed with bracelets, and milk tea. I spent my time teaching English, mathematics, playing, singing, dancing, and learning from the children themselves, as they taught me even more than I could ever teach them. After volunteering, we would head off to some more tourist activities such as, visiting the Akshardham Temple and watching their magnificent water show.
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Posted By: Amelia
#China,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Feeding the pandas was an unforgettable experience. The pandas would rush to the entrance of the cage and lumber up to the front. My favorite panda, Susan, would hold a bar for support as she ate. They were so receptive and excited to get their special panda bread and carrots, relishing every bite.
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Posted By: Simone L.
#India,#Education,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Community Aid and Development,#Volunteer with Children
A volunteer who taught at the other school came back one day saying that she this was the happiest she felt this year. I never thought about it before she said anything, but as soon as her words were spoken I knew it was true. It truly is a magical experience.
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Posted By: Catriona M.
#China,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The work at the panda base wasn’t very hard, but it was extremely rewarding. I feel so grateful to have had this once in a lifetime experience, getting up close and personal with the pandas, learning their different personalities, and helping with their conservation. We were also part of an amazing group of volunteers, united by a love of pandas. We all got on really well and generally just had a great time together, both on and off the panda base. I will miss those crazies all most as much as I will miss my adorable new panda friends!
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Posted By: Shantelle P.
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Central America,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Every day we chose different tasks ranging from preparing a rich meal of fruits and vegetables for the various animals and supplying them with water to cleaning their cages and babysitting infant orphaned sloths and monkeys.
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Posted By: Alexandra O.
#India,#Education,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
The melting pot of different perspectives and personalities that came with so many people from different places being together not only kept my stay in Goa interesting, but it was one of my favorite aspects of my entire trip. I now have friends in eight countries!
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Posted By: Marion
#Kenya,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The program allowed me to immerse myself in both environmental and cultural aspects of the area. I also had the chance to do some safaris in Africa. Being so close to nature and people, I realized how people have to live on a day to day basis, in a sometimes harsh environment...
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Posted By: Hannah
#Maldives,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Volunteering in the Maldives... was everything I could have ever imagined, but the biggest surprise to me was how much I gained from the program. Working with the turtles in itself was incredible. To watch them grow, get to know their personalities and then release them back into the ocean. To know that you have had a positive impact on saving such a beautiful creature from extinction, it is very rewarding. It’s not an experience that comes around often and I’ll hold it close to me for the rest of my life
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Posted By: Ho Ying
#Indonesia,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Wildlife,#Asia,#Bali,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Orientation week was conducted in Ubud. I stayed in a homestay with cottages, family temples and yards. The yards were the playgrounds for the children, the places for making handicrafts as well as the farmhouses for the chickens and dogs. I felt like I was living on a farm! With the cocks crowing nonstop, I got up by 6 am every day! What a countryside living style!
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Posted By: Stephanie
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Typical days at the African Wildlife Ranch aren’t typical at all. Each day provided for a new opportunity to help improve the lives of the animals at the ranch. Whether it was assisting with cleaning enclosures each morning, preparing food for various animals, providing enrichment to one of the many wonderful animals, building and preparing enrichment opportunities or assisting with project work, there was always something new to keep you focused on.
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Posted By: Dominique
#Australia,#Conservation,#Australasia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I didn\'t know what to expect when deciding to volunteer in Australia at this conservation project, but I\'ve learned so much in terms of nature, wildlife, the environment, and self growth as well as how to travel by myself. I would highly recommend this project to anybody who is looking for adventure, looking for an affordable and great way to travel and meet other genuine individuals...!
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Posted By: Yun-Chieh
#Maldives,#MarineConservation,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
I can still remember how excited I was having the chance to touch a turtle for the first time. They are just so adorable, especially the hatchlings. It was also interesting to see that every turtle had its own characteristics, some were calm and some more energetic!
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Posted By: Matilda
#Vietnam,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
\"This is roughly how every day went, each one with little quirks and quiet achievements. I remember how amazing it felt to watch the kids learning and growing, even in such a short space of time while I was there – hearing them say my name, words I had taught them, singing songs I had sung to them or games I had taught them. I began to get to know and love the personalities of each of them, it was so gorgeous
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Posted By: Alasdair H.
#Australia,#Conservation,#Marine Conservation,#Australasia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
I love diving, but diving with a purpose is brings an entirely new perspective to the sport.
Emerging from the water with not simply an appreciation for, but also an understanding of what I was seeing when I was down there is what is making me want to go back...
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Posted By: Annika F.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Are you looking for an experience you will never ever forget in your life? Then you should definitely consider volunteering with Gnarly Troop. So far, this was the best decision in my life.
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Posted By: Jonathan
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Teaching,#Humanitarian Aid,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
When I arrived in Cape Town, I was positively surprised by how welcoming not only the staff but also the volunteers were. I had no problems at all finding new friends and engaging with everybody around. The average age was about 21, even though there were exceptions with ages ranging up to 65! I was immediately briefed on the project and on what to expect from it and never felt lost at all.
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Posted By: Adel M.
#Middle East,#Israel,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
When the time came to say goodbye, I realized that 2 weeks were definitely not enough to explore everything that this place has to offer. I loved every minute of it – the warmness of the sun, the peacefulness of the desert and of the animals, the kindness of the people I have met, the wonderful mix of sights, tastes and sounds and all kinds of experiences that were sometimes challenging and sometimes comforting. I would like to thank Go Eco, my fellow volunteers and everyone at the reserve for making this a one in a lifetime experience for me.
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Posted By: Hanna
#Vietnam,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
During the second week I volunteered at the school where I played with children aged from 2 to 5. The children there were happy to see you and wanted to play with you. A lot of them wanted to learn English so in order to achieve that they would point at different things and smiled when you told them what it was.
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Posted By: Roberta D.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I came to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center project to make a contribution, and I feel I did, but the center’s contribution to me was even greater.
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Posted By: Pablo R.
#India,#Education,#Volunteer Vacations and Tours,#Volunteer with Children,#Asia
Our way of living in the West differs drastically from the way people live in India. As volunteers we saw incredible things we would have never imagined during our stay, such as how people really live in the slums. This was thanks to coming as a volunteer rather than as a tourist, which allowed us to immerse ourselves into the culture in a special way. We were able to see this unbelievably chaotic borough from the inside (even the inside of the houses!) thanks to the children (students from the school) who guided us through.
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Posted By: Wu
#Madagascar,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
It was interesting to be a volunteer in Madagascar. I think this experience was full of change and pleasure. My project was Wildlife Research and Conservation and when I arrived at the camp, everyone said hello to me with big smile and enthusiasm. It made me feel like home; like we were family.
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Posted By: Dana U.
#Costa Rica,#Community Aid,#Medical,#Europe,#Medical and Healthcare,#International Internships
I was the first intern to work at this placement as a Medical Social Worker, so it took some time to feel out what my role would be. As I mentioned, my supervisor gave me space to work independently often, but was also available to check on the progress of my work, as everything was conducted in Spanish.
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Posted By: Sophie
#Thailand,#Community Aid,#Education,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
I know the friends I made will be in my life for a long time! Even though I was only in Thailand for a short period of time, I know I helped make a difference in the lives of the children I met.
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Posted By: Stella J.
#Indonesia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Bali,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Our time at turtle camp was capped off by releasing two of ‘our’ turtles into the sea to begin their journey as independent turtles! Hopefully, the love and care provided at the turtle project will ensure these turtles have a greater chance of survival in the big, wide, scary ocean. Go well, little turtle!
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Posted By: Marie G.
#Israel,#Wildlife,#Middle East,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
At the risk of repeating myself, it is impossible to describe precisely what I experienced. You have to live it to believe it. In conclusion, it was a fabulous and deep human experience volunteering in Israel!
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Posted By: Margaret T.
#Israel,#International Internships,#Middle East
As my volunteer time came to a close, I felt so inspired and so confident that I couldn’t wait to go home and show off my newfound knowledge of vegan baking...I am so very proud of myself for having the courage to experience one of the best adventures of my life.
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Posted By: Abby C.
#India,#Development,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children,#Community Aid and Development
In the Deaf and Mute school, I learned basic Indian Sign language and taught English and vocabulary, and did arts and crafts.When I went to the Community Center, the children were split up into 4-5 different classes based on their age. I spent time with the toddlers and 6-10 year olds. We had so much fun reading, spelling, writing, and counting.
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Posted By: Kathleen
#Thailand,#Asia
At the temples, I was impressed with the customs and rituals designed for the believer to try. According to one legend, at Buddha’s Footprint, if you ring all 93 bells while counting them, you will live to be 93 years old. After googling my birth day (Tuesday) I was able to determine which image of Buddha best reflects my soul. In Lopburi, at the Monkey Temple, I watched the antics of these amazing creatures swinging, swimming, and begging for food while they climbed on us.
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Posted By: Luana
#Indonesia,#Education,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Bali,#Community Aid and Development,#Volunteer with Children
Volunteering in Indonesia was more than a simple experience, it was an opportunity I had to challenge myself as I have never done before. I have met some of the most interesting and passionate people on the planet and shared with them my life, my interests, my pictures and my dreams. Together we had the unique opportunity to discover the country, its people and its amazing environment from the privileged viewpoint of a volunteer.
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Posted By: Diana
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
We got to visit three adorable lion cubs a few times a week, which was unforgettable! Giraffes, zebras, donkeys, and an ostrich are always roaming around free without any barriers between you and them, which is truly amazing.
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Posted By: Nicole
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
African Wildlife Orphanage gave me everything I wanted out of this experience. It’s a haven for all animals and it truly deserves to be applauded. The amount of work they do to help animals in need is extraordinary. No animal was ever turned down, no appointments had to be made, it was as simple as just dropping them off. I’ve seen anywhere from a plover to a steenbok to an owl to a snake come through the doors of Chipangali.
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Posted By: Kendall P.
#Fiji,#Education,#Australasia,#Volunteer with Children
This summer I spent six weeks volunteering in Fiji teaching the students of Dawasamu Primary School. My responsibilities included improving literacy and numeracy comprehension as well as providing lessons in P.E., music, and art. I’ve never had any experience teaching, but my time spent in Dawasamu Primary School made me open my eyes to the importance of education-- and how taken for granted it is back in my own country.
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Posted By: Maria P.
#Belize,#Marine Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
It was an amazing experience; I definitely gained a new perspective and more awareness of the issues humans and other animals are doing to the ecosystem. I would recommend it to anyone looking for underwater fun and work.
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Posted By: Alexia G.
#Africa,#South Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
When you engage in this Go Eco experience, you start appreciating life through new eyes. You become so empathetic while being with these incredible animals and listening to their stories.
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Posted By: Ana
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
While I was there, we were working on a new space for Roger the caracal. We also assisted on daily tours of the facility. In between working, there was plenty of free time to spend quality time with the animals of our choice, including cheetahs, caracals, lions, servals, monkeys, and more.
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Posted By: Hannah G.
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Central America,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Every day we chose different tasks ranging from preparing a rich meal of fruits and vegetables for the various animals and supplying them with water to cleaning their cages and babysitting infant orphaned sloths and monkeys.
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Posted By: Ng S.
#Asia,#Thailand,#Volunteer with Children,#Community Aid and Development
The orphanage was also grateful to have the international volunteers bring lots of donations from abroad, including balloons, stationary, soccer balls, story books, candies and toys. We loved getting to help distribute these donations to the kids.
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Posted By: Trish
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Our day started at 7am with making our own breakfast. We would meet with all the staff at 8 for the day’s work which would continue until 4 or 5. We were assigned different jobs with different staff and animals every day. We had baby monkeys which were so cute, but bratty; we took turns bottle feeding and playing with them as well as a little dyker and springbok.
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Posted By: Gabriel
#Seychelles,#Conservation,#Marine Conservation,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
The intense learning process began the very first day we arrived, teaching us physiology, behavior and survey methodology of different sea organisms, as well as different aspects of the ocean. At the same time, what we learned we practiced in the ocean through surveys, collecting valuable data for the Seychelles National Park Association (SNPA) to monitor the coral reefs in the country.
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Posted By: Molly
#Australia,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Australasia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Overall, this experience was a great adventure! I had exposure to animals I had never seen before, saw several different landmarks, and met a lot of great people along the way. I plan to stay in touch with a few of them and possibly might even meet up with them again in the future!
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Posted By: Laura K.
#Middle East,#Israel,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
There were so many great take -away experiences from my volunteer time at the Hai Bar that it is difficult to name just a few. It by far exceeded my expectations
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Posted By: Jennifer
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Education,#Humanitarian Aid,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
Just to offer a few hugs, kisses and a little bit of attention made all the difference in the world to these kids and it warmed my heart. At the conclusion of my trip, the principal of the pre-school I was working in, Babes Educare, complimented my attitude while working in the classroom and recognized my admiration for the students.
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Posted By: Stephanie
#Kenya,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The first day of the plain count I remember looking over the list of the 30 or so wild animals. I thought, “Yea right, like we are really going to see all these? I doubt it!” Then I thought, “How am I supposed to count something I have never heard of before in my entire life?” Each creature was pointed out and explained in vivid detail to us. I had seen more beautiful creatures on that day than I had ever seen in any zoo anywhere. And I have been to quite a lot of zoos in my life. I was shocked, excited and ready for more.
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Posted By: Michelle
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Education,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
The other volunteers that were on the trip were some of the most incredible people I have met. To hear their stories and learn about where they came from was extremely interesting. To see the interest to come help in South Africa from all over the world was heart warming and inspiring.
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Posted By: Alexa
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#International Internships,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The hands-on involvement was unlike any other! It felt great being able to help the local vets and townships. Volunteering in South Africa was by far one of the most rewarding experiences of my life!
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Posted By: Will
#Greece,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Wildlife,#Europe,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Teens and High School Students
It was such a rewarding project to be involved in, as at the end of each day, I could see the nests that I had protected, and know that I had done my part towards saving the turtles, and saving the planet. One of the staff members who was supervising us said, “the best feeling on earth is saving a life that can never repay you”. Helping to save those turtles made me see the truth behind these words.
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Posted By: Samuel
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The tigers are a new experience for me, they weren’t there last year. It was amazing to get to work with them, never thought I’d do that! The three lionesses are now 18 months old and substantially bigger than when I last saw them. My biggest surprise came when we fed the animals and got to see Sheba’s cubs again. They were a month old when I left them last year; I’d actually sat with them and looked after them for some time. Now, they look like full grown lions! What a difference a year makes in the life of a lion.
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Posted By: Rebecca
#Israel,#International Internships,#Middle East
Every day, Yael and Ella would guide me through new recipes, techniques, and how to overcome the challenges of baking vegan (without eggs, dairy, etc). By the end of my three weeks, I was familiar with almost all the products and techniques used in the bakery..
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Posted By: Autumn
#Greece,#Marine Conservation,#Wildlife,#Europe,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Within minutes the volunteers were buzzing about. A nearby restaurant reported that a nest was hatching in the middle of their dining tables! We grabbed some supplies and headed down the beach. Up ahead we saw a lot of commotion. We joined the crowd just in time to see tiny turtles scrambling in every direction and bystanders grabbing them up and ushering them to the Sea. We got to work right away...
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Posted By: Ben G.
#South Africa,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
All in all, it was the best thing I have done in my entire life, and I would go back in a heartbeat. The animals, group of volunteers, amazing staff and incredibly fun weekend excursions made my time in South Africa an unforgettable experience.
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Posted By: Yee
#Vietnam,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
I learned a lot about the culture in Vietnam and was able to explore the famous places in Ho Chi Minh as well. Apart from the amazing time I had during the cultural week, I was more keen for my week of volunteering to come, as that was my main purpose of enrolling myself to this program. I’ve never been happier that I chose to work in a school as I; myself enjoy having children around me.
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Posted By: Stephanie
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Marine Conservation
Volunteering with Gnarly Troop has been an unforgettable experience. I knew I wanted to do the Great White Shark Conservation project as soon as I read the description online a year ago. I’ll admit I was a little skeptical seeing as how I found it online and had never previously heard of Gnarly Troop. However, it turned out to be even better than the description had depicted.!
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Posted By: Michelle F.
#South Africa,#Education,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
This experience helped me see that I want to relocate to Cape Town, South Africa permanently to teach primary school. I can\'t wait to go back one day to work with the school again because this was the most amazing experience of my life.
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Posted By: Cassie W.
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Marine Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
The night shifts were absolutely magical; if there were turtles to release we would take them to the ocean. This was a very special and beautiful moment, showing the hatchlings their way back home.
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Posted By: Ana R.
#Nepal,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
Definitely this experience shaped my personality and I am extremely grateful that I had the opportunity to volunteer in such an amazing place.
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Posted By: Abby
#Australia,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Australasia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The first three days of the program took place in Sydney, as our coordinator showed the volunteers around Sydney and filled us in on the history and customs in Australia. Along our tour we visited the Sydney Opera House, Botanical Gardens, a couple different museums and took a ferry ride to Darling Harbour.
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Posted By: Rachel
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The whole experience was humbling, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to get up close and personal with all sorts of animals but more importantly to me it helped me learn and understand the troubles that animals are faced with and what this particular organisation is doing to protect endangered species such as the cheetah. I have a lot of fond memories of the people who I worked with and the animals I was fortunate enough to get to know and those memories will never fade.
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Posted By: Tian T.
#Australia,#Conservation,#Australasia,#Community Aid and Development
The other two weeks I was sent to a small town near the sea, Warrnambool. It was a super lovely town. I was amazed by the natural environment immediately. Diverse kinds of plants along the coast was impressive. We worked in a point danger area in the coast of Portland, where there is a unique ecological system with many different kinds of plants.
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Posted By: Lucy D.
#Europe,#Spain,#Community Aid and Development
Joining this volunteer program definitely was a unique experience and I could recommend it to anyone who likes to experience a holiday destination from another point of view.
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Posted By: Aine D.
#South Africa,#Education,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children,#Teens and High School Students
During my time at project I made lifelong new friendships with other volunteers, shared so much laughter with the amazing kids who we took care of, and learned A LOT about the diverse culture and life in Cape Town, South Africa.
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Posted By: Kathryn G.
#India,#Asia,#Volunteer Vacations and Tours
The people there are all so friendly and really make you feel like a celebrity! And after 3 weeks of amazing sights it\'s so nice then to be able to spend some time giving back.
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Posted By: Charles M.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I can honestly say it was a life-changing experience. To work in such close proximity with such glorious animals was a breathtaking experience and changed my life forever.
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Posted By: Sikanderjit
#Maldives,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
I learned so much from this trip especially about sea life and the beautiful Green Sea Turtles...I enjoyed our work every day, but it was an even better time because of the amazing people on the project. I went on excursion trips to uninhabited islands and snorkeled for the first time. Snorkeling was truly spectacular; it was like a dream!
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Posted By: Jennifer
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Central America,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I spent two weeks on the Animal Rescue and Conservation Program in San Carlos in the summer of 2012. San Carlos is a beautiful rural part of Costa Rica; it is much quieter and less busy than San José. I stayed with a host family who were extremely accommodating and kind!
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Posted By: Ben T.
#Ecuador,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#South America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
The trip, in memory, became a month long blur of beautiful, unbelievable, and unforgettable moments. Each weekday involved an up-close and always amusing interaction with the Giant Tortoises.
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Posted By: Stephanie B.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Overall, I would highly recommend this experience to anyone with a love of the ocean and respect for the magnificent Great White sharks!
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Posted By: Jacquie
#Israel,#Marine Conservation,#Middle East,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Working at the Coral Reef Conservation project was one of the most amazing experiences I have had. The people who work there are friendly and accommodating. There is lots of joking, laughing and I was made to feel like part of the family. Work tasks varied on a daily basis. My favorite thing to do was explore the reef. It is really beautiful and it felt good knowing that I was helping to conserve the reef.
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Posted By: Claire K.
#Thailand,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Community Aid and Development
Over the course of the week I came to see the volunteer house as a home away from home and made tons of new friends, in addition to having a great introduction to Thai culture and tourist attractions.
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Posted By: Pauldeep
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I dug a pond for the lions and prepared food for all the carnivores. I loved feeding the servals, especially since they were very friendly and gave plenty of kisses. I witnessed two lamb births and got to spend lots of time with the newborn lambs. I would go into the enclosure every night to kiss them goodnight.
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Posted By: Samuel
#Nepal,#Education,#Asia,#Community Aid and Development
A truly memorable experience was refereeing two days of soccer. The monks truly love the sport and had a 2 day schoolhouse tournament, which I was requested to referee. The youngest monks were the spectators and cheerleaders, beating plastic bottles and plastic drums, cheering their houses on.They played on a small pitch dug out of the side of (literally) a mountain, the ground was dirt and the goals made out of metal poles. In two hours of soccer, I think I only had to give a single foul, which to me exemplifies the spirit of comradeship and gregarious nature of these incredible people.
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Posted By: Chloe M.
#India,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Community Aid and Development,#Volunteer with Children
I am so glad that I went on this trip, and I highly recommend a volunteer trip of some sort to everyone. I also highly recommend doing it alone. Even though I had wished I had someone with me during the first few days, I’m glad I didn’t now because I got to meet so many amazing people and I got to make new friends that I probably wouldn’t have made if I had gone with a friend or family member.
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Posted By: Amanda A.
#Indonesia,#Conservation,#Marine Conservation,#Asia,#Bali,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
I learnt some basic Bahasa (the language spoken in Indonesia) skills, created my own batik painting, strolled in the rice fields, made an offering to the Hindu Gods, attended a cooking class where I learnt the art of Indonesian cuisine, and visited a holy water temple. Yet this discovering of Ubud could unfortunately not last forever and a week later I packed my bags again to move on to the remote island of Nusa Penida for the real volunteering.
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Posted By: Ciera
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#International Internships,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I’ve traveled to farms to work with livestock, injecting, de-horning, pregnancy testing and artificially inseminating. I spent a lot of time in the townships, getting to know the locals – dogs and children! It was refreshing to be in community that valued love and kindness over materialistic items. We dipped the dogs (and many puppies!) for fleas, ticks and mange, de-wormed, vaccinated, and injected antibiotics to treat illnesses and injuries.
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Posted By: Evan
#Thailand,#Community Aid,#Education,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
We started off touring around the school, where we were greeted by smiling children who couldn’t stop waving at us. Then it was off to the classroom where we put together our own lesson plans (none were given to us). We taught about 2-4 classes a day, depending on the day. Throughout the 10 days of teaching, we played games with the students, taught them songs, such as Twinkle Twinkle or Hokie Pokie, and had conversations about our lives here and in America.
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Posted By: Ula
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Education,#Humanitarian Aid,#Africa,#Community Aid and Development,#Volunteer with Children
I couldn’t imagine how those township kids’ childhood would be until I participated in their life. We had a totally different life with them. Finally I realized how happy and lucky I am and I’ve never felt regret to join this volunteer experience. I could deeply felt the happiness during my trip and I felt that it’s more blessed to give than to receive. I did learn a lot and also received a lot during the volunteering trip.
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Posted By: Ashika
#Maldives,#MarineConservation,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
My second day on the island is when I got to meet and start working with the turtles – which was great! Our main tasks were emptying and refilling the tanks and feeding and numbering the turtles, but once we also had to measure and weigh all of the turtles too. Once a week we also had to scrub all of the tanks to keep them clean which takes a whole day!
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Posted By: Blair
#Nepal,#Education,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Community Aid and Development
Teaching women through the Women’s Empowerment program, I was able to deeply connect with the Nepali women I worked with, even considering the huge language barrier between us. It was a joy and honor to teach them. I We spent the lessons laughing and actively interacting with each other, ensuring that they were learning as much as possible. It was very hard to leave them after three weeks. In such a short time, they embraced me into their world.
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Posted By: Noam
#Seychelles,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
I arrived to Curieuse Island in Seychelles and met my group for the next month- 12 amazing people from the US, UK and Germany. When we arrived I felt like I had found paradise, such a beautiful and special place! Every morning it was a pleasure to wake up at 6:30 a.m. and start the day with our awesome surveys - with the sea turtles or with the lemon sharks, the coco de mer trees or go to run in the mud at the mangroves!
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Posted By: Deserie
#Vietnam,#Medical and Healthcare,#Community Aid and Development,#Asia,#Medical and Healthcare,#International Internships
It was truly an amazing experience. The coordinators were very friendly and accommodating and I learned a lot during my stay. Even though it was crowded, overall the program was great and I would recommend it to anyone. I’ll surely miss everything about Vietnam from its rich history and culture, food, friendly students, to the patients in the hospital who kept asking me if I’m Vietnamese. I’ll especially miss the lifelong friendships I had made.
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Posted By: Jeff
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation
This project helped me understand the biodiversity of the oceans and the Great White Shark, dispelling my fear of sharks. It helped me decide that I need to help save our seas. The oceans and its inhabitants are being dramatically impacted by human activity including pollution, global warming and over-fishing. Please help save the oceans!
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Posted By: Trisha
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Development,#Education,#Africa,#Community Aid and Development,#Volunteer with Children
The most memorable moment of my whole time was seeing the children for the first time. They were waiting at the fence of the school, HUGE smiles on their faces, cheering and screaming for all of us. I could feel their love just by looking at their faces.
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Posted By: Melanie
#Nepal,#Education,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
In addition to the teaching, I got to work at an orphanage in Kathmandu. I cannot explain the affect of those astoundingly beautiful children. Just to hold a child in need of a hug. To feel a hand slip so readily into yours simply to feel love and affection freely given. To feel special to someone. It bursts your heart. Their delight in each other and what little they have is truly inspiring and I will never forget them.
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Posted By: Sofia B.
#Greece,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Wildlife,#Europe,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Teens and High School Students
Everything is really well organized and straightforward. There are three shifts. Two at night and one in the morning and obviously, you will never get more than one shift per day. The night shifts involve walking along the beach looking for turtles and waiting for them to nest. If they nest you get to watch them lay eggs and help measure and tag them. It’s honestly an amazing experience because it’s something so different and unique. The morning patrols consist of writing down all the turtle tracks and finding nests to help secure them.
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Posted By: Bella B.
#Cambodia,#Community Aid,#Teaching,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children,#Community Aid and Development
Friday’s are a bit different because that’s test day, the children LOVE this though, as they get to see what they’ve learnt through the week and after an hour or so of tests are free to play. One Friday it was so hot we all ran through a fence at the back of the school and jumped in to a huge pond to cool off. All the kids who could swim were jumping in with us and the ones who couldn’t we were hugging and splashing.
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Posted By: Laurence
#Indonesia,#Education,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Bali,#Community Aid and Development,#Volunteer with Children
It was an amazing week in which we had the chance to meet people from all around the world, plus we were immersing ourselves in a totally new different culture. The purpose of this week was to help us understand and learn about the Balinese culture in preparation to the volunteer project. The Bahasa language and cultural classes were very helpful for the teaching English project.
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Posted By: Alessandro
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
They soon took me for a tour of the farm and the animals and I soon understand I was not going to forget my three weeks easily. Everything surmounted my expectations. There was always something new to do, starting from simply chopping wood for the fire to walking with the lions or building a pool for the elephants (which was really fun!)
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Posted By: Hope
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Education,#Africa,#Community Aid and Development,#Volunteer with Children
Although living conditions were unimaginable, the children greeted us with endless smiles and laughter. They were so happy and appreciative of our attention and interactions. I spent the next 4 weeks at Skandaalkamp helping improve the education and lives of the beautiful children of Skandaalkamp.
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Posted By: Heather
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Upon arriving, I was terrified. I was 18 years old and had never traveled anywhere alone before, let alone engaged in transcontinental travel alone. I had no idea what to expect for the next three weeks. Almost immediately, I learned that nothing could have enriched me more than traveling and volunteering, the abrupt thrust into the unknown that mandates meeting new people, understanding new cultures, trusting, collaborating, listening, and learning.
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Posted By: Brandi
#Asia,#Maldives,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Each turtle seemed to have different personalities that made it easy to tell the difference between each turtle. It was really incredible! One of my favorite days was when we did weights and measurements because we took measurements for every single turtle and it was so cute to watch.
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Posted By: Lucas W.
#India,#Medical,#International Internship,#Asia,#Medical and Healthcare
The small hospital waiting room was crowded––full of patients from the surrounding villages seeking medical treatment. The doctor and medical staff hurried to and fro, despite the stifling heat, to treat the overload of patients. This was the scene in Karan Hospital, just outside of Palampur, India, every day. The doctors are heroes here, working endlessly to observe, diagnose and treat the plenitude of patients––a job of at least five doctors in a Western medicine facility. This is what medicine, the pursuit of helping people, is all about.
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Posted By: Sarah
#Seychelles,#Conservation,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Nothing will put a smile on your face like when you see baby turtles. We were so fortunate that we got to see hatchlings during our last week. It was such a wonderful way to end our time on Curieuse. Seeing the little guys make their way down the beach to the sea amazes me every time. They are so small and surprisingly fast for such tiny creatures. I’m sure the “Aaaawwwww”s of all the volunteers were most likely heard on the other side of the island.
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Posted By: Charlotte
#Indonesia,#Education,#Community Aid,#Volunteer with Children,#Community Aid and Development,#Asia #Bali
This first week was an introduction week which was a great way to meet new people and familiarize oneself with the surroundings that I would be living in for a month. During this week we visited the Monkey forest, had a tour around Ubud, went to some rice fields, learnt some Balinese language and cooking and went to the Holy Water temple. It was a jam packed first week but a great way to really embrace the Balinese lifestyle. We also went and watched a Balinese dance show and had a Balinese offering and painting class. All of which contributed to a great first week.
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Posted By: Britney
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Never having been out of the country, I had worries and therefore researched EVERYTHING, from the conservation to the hostel in Johannesburg and everything in-between. Everything went off without a hitch. The orientation in Joburg was a blast! I felt very safe at the hostel; the staff was warm and accommodating. There were 13 volunteers the week I started, four went to a different project and nine went to the same as me. We are all still in contact!
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Posted By: Yan
#Israel,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Middle East,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Who hasn’t wanted to take some time off from life’s routine and escape to a new and different place, free of stress and filled with new experiences; to find a break from the monotony of everyday life. It is tragic that so often in our lives we are not aware of the wonder all around us and that we don’t always need to travel across continents to experience satisfaction and happiness...
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Posted By: Emily
#Croatia,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Europe,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
The weather was warm and sunny and we saw dolphins on our very first outing on the boat! It was so much fun seeing them in their natural habitat. The next day, we observed the data we collected by examining the pictures of the dolphins and matching them to the existing dolphins in the catalog.
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Posted By: Andrea
#Israel,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Middle East,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
We got to set a falcon free, watch amazing felines devour calve legs, run around with a playful fox and have deep and fun conversations with the rangers. It was one of the best experiences I\'ve ever had and would recommend volunteering in Israel with wildlife to anyone who doesn\'t mind getting dirty and is up for hard work.
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Posted By: Adriana
#Israel,#Community Aid,#Middle East,#Community Aid and Development
I loved working in the garden, Shlomo was a great teacher. It was lovely being able to spend a few hours under the sun, working with such beautiful flowers; especially since I come from a big city! The plants grown in the greenhouse are also grown by the students, and they later sell them to raise money for the school. I also got to work with the animals, which was my favorite part. The school has chickens, geese, ducks, rabbits, birds, chinchillas, and more that I’m sure I’ve forgotten. I loved my baby goats the most!.
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Posted By: Neal G.
#India,#Teach English Abroad,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
This Teaching and Community Work in Goa project was a great experience that has provided me with lifelong memories.
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Posted By: Anna
#Vietnam,#Community Aid,#Education,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
The Ho Chi Minh Community Involvement placement starts off with four days of Culture Week, a fantastic opportunity to get to know the other volunteers we would be living with for the next three weeks. This involved language and culture classes, a tour of the city and its major historical sites, cooking class and Vietnamese towel folding class (the last two of which caused a LOT of laughter!). Then we all started work.
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Posted By: Marguerite
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Education,#Humanitarian Aid,#Africa,#Community Aid and Development,#Volunteer with Children
I sort of became the head teacher there quickly. And the kids listen to me and trust me – and I learned a little Xhosa (pronounced kosa) too. I’m such a mess right now because I love them and I feel awful leaving them. In a perfect world I would stay and make sure I saw them all graduate from high school.
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Posted By: Kira J.
#Indonesia,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Wildlife,#Bali,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Asia
Volunteering with the local community was humbling and valuable to learn to follow your dreams and interests that hard work will pay off. The coordinators were well educated about the sea turtles and showed immense compassion.
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Posted By: Rebecca
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
In South Africa, I was greeted with an abundance of visual inspiration. Drawings of elephants, rhinos and lions now fill my sketchbook, and I have a growing list of ideas I can’t wait to get on paper! Listening to our guides as they interpret the behavior and traits of the animals and plants was immensely helpful as I illustrated my surroundings. Our work in the Research program was a refreshing change of pace and an incredible learning experience.
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Posted By: Olivia
#Thailand,#Community Aid,#Education,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
For grades 1 to 3, I was able to teach them colours, shapes, numbers, animals, fruits and often played a couple games of hangman with them. From grades 4 to 6 I taught them sentences about occupations and their dream jobs. I also taught them body parts, emotions and family members. I tried to make our classes as enjoyable as possible for the kids; I tried to put a fun spin of each of the things we were learning.
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Posted By: Sarah S.
#Spain,#International Internships,#Hospitality Internships,#Europe
I made so many friends from all over the world and memories that I will cherish forever. So do not hesitate, go for it and make the best of your stay by volunteering in Spain, you won’t regret it!
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Posted By: Bethany S.
#Italy,#Marine Conservation,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Europe
I plan to go back annually if possible. And I will definitely use Gnarly Troop to help me find opportunities on future travels wherever I go.
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Posted By: Zyna
#SouthAfrica,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Volunteering in South Africa for two weeks at the end of July was the BEST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE! After being home for a week I am still missing falling asleep with the roaring of the lions.
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Posted By: Deborah
#Israel,#Conservation,#Wildlife,#Middle East,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The team at the Desert Wildlife program is fantastic. The banter was brilliant and I felt very at ease with all of them straight away. I loved the fact that each member of staff injected their own love and passion for their work and that rubbed off onto the volunteers as well. Every day was a day of learning something new whether it was about an individual animal’s diet or how a specific species would live free in the wild.
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Posted By: Clare
#Spain,#International Internships,#Hospitality Internships,#Europe
The days at the Eco-Friendly Hospitality Internship consisted of either serving breakfast, bartending, or “activities” days (going anywhere around Barcelona with guests). Working breakfast meant early mornings, but waking up early was the only part of the internship’s duties that felt like work. Working the bar was great for getting to know the guests, and activities days were always easily accomplished as I was constantly hanging out with guests regardless of being scheduled for activities or not.
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Posted By: Nikki
#Italy,#Conservation,#Marine Conservation,#Europe,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Nothing compares to sighting over eighty dolphins and spending two to three hours photographing their beauty, observing their habits, recording their acoustical data and filming them underwater. Whenever there was a sighting, everyone on board had a special task to do, whether it was sailing the boat, filming, photographing, recording sounds or just simply observing.
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Posted By: Meagan
#Philippines,#Education,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
Volunteering in one of the local daycare centers was quite the experience as I was able to see firsthand how important it is to learn English at such an early age, especially in a poverty stricken country, such as the Philippines. I didn’t spend my time simply teaching English, however, I also taught simple things such as shapes, colors, songs, using manners, and how to show respect.
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Posted By: Matilda
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Working with the lions, tigers and the elephants was probably my favorite. Everyone that works on the project are all so caring and nice. I have never met people so passionate about their job. They also make sure that you have the best possible photo that you can have with the animals.
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Posted By: Avallon
#Israel,#Community Aid,#Middle East,#Community Aid and Development
When I looked into the details of the project, the description explained that I would be working in a therapeutic garden. I wasn\'t too sure what this meant... but it sounded like a unique challenge that I could immerse myself in. I soon found out that this garden was less about the flowers and plants, and more about the people. I was fortunate enough to have kindhearted and soft-spoken managers that taught me how to work with the nature and children simultaneously.
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Posted By: Lauren
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
My time volunteering in Costa Rica was truly amazing and it’s hard to sum it up into a few short paragraphs. I would definitely travel back one day, and I recommend this program and trip to anyone hoping to travel!
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Posted By: Angela
#Israel,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Middle East,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Taking part in this project opened up new perspectives for my future life and opened a lot of windows to see the world and the to perceive the wide spectrum of opportunities/changes to change or to take different directions.
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Posted By: Martine
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation
Volunteering with Gnarly Troop on the Great White Shark Conservation Program has been a most rewarding experience! Being able to go out on the ocean almost every day, seeing Great Whites 20cms from your face, and helping manage a commercial shark cage diving vessel is possibly the most exciting thing I have ever done!
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Posted By: Tim
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The sights are of course the thing I will always remember, but there was something that was even more important, the sense of community. It was a project for the animals, but we always worked with people. For me, that was the biggest surprise, all the great people I met there.The staff members were amazing and they were like the other volunteers just great and we all became such fast friends.
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Posted By: John M.
#India,#Medical,#International Internships,#Asia,#Medical and Healthcare
... my time spent in the hospital reduced the stress on the doctors in a severely understaffed hospital, and made a positive contribution to the people of Palampur. I helped perform tasks such as assisting geriatric patients in and out of their beds, taking blood pressure and vitals of post surgery patients...
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Posted By: Delia
#Indonesia,#Marine Conservation,#Asia,#Bali,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
A few other places in the world, I felt such at ease and in peace. Such impression was reinforced the following week in the island of Nusa Penida, where while helping to conserve the sea turtles and keep the magnificent beaches clean, you also have the chance to explore spots of untapped natural beauty and engage in happy if humorous conversations with the locals, genuinely curious about your home as much as your life story.
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Posted By: Sam
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Before I volunteered with Gnarly Troop in Costa Rica last summer I was on the fast track to law school and to becoming a lawyer. However, my experience at the Costa Rica – Sea Turtle Conservation project, helping sea turtles on the Pacific Coast, has changed that forever. I am no longer interested in limiting my life to domestic law, but have broadened my horizons to consider the entire world!
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Posted By: Alexa
#Costa Rica,#Community Aid,#Education,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Central America,#International Internships,#Volunteer with Children
When I visited there were 12 kids there and we played all morning on the playground, with sidewalk chalk, doing puzzles, etc. I think I had just as much fun playing as the kids did.
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Posted By: Matthew
#Sri Lanka,#Marine Conservation,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
The second week I moved down south to a new house and to work with the turtles. This was an amazing experience, it was very hands-on and I got to spend as much time with the turtles as I wanted. We cleaned them, fed them and generally worked with them on the beach trying to get them back to full health. They are such amazing animals and the work they do at at this project is fantastic. All the volunteers really care for each individual turtle and no one is afraid about getting dirty and being involved.
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Posted By: Sol
#SouthAfrica,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
South Africa, you were my deepest dream, my biggest life lesson, my Neverland… you stole my heart, you changed my life and most of all, you offered me the most beautiful experience.
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Posted By: Camille R.
#India,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children,#Community Aid and Development
To be honest, I was a bit scared when I first left my country to volunteer in India, but the minute I got picked up from the airport by one of the coordinators it was amazing. I have nothing but positive things to say about this program and volunteering in India and recommend it to anyone. It is a wonderful program and a beautiful country.
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Posted By: Andrea
#Maldives,#Marine Conservation,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Apart from the daily routine and some other work that we did, there was always enough time to go snorkeling. There were different snorkeling grounds close by (and once a week we went on an excursion a bit further away) and I discovered something new every time. Another part of the experience was living on a local Maldivian island – which seemed worlds away from the resort islands.
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Posted By: Daniela S.
#Israel,#Wildlife,#Middle East,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Everyone from Gnarly Troop was helpful, supportive, and friendly all throughout the experience, and the project definitely lived up to our expectations. It is an experience I´ll always remember, and I would definitely recommend it.
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Posted By: Benita
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Another aspect I really enjoyed about volunteering at the Wildlife Orphanage was getting to learn more about the usually unseen wildlife, like nocturnal bushbabies. At the orphanage, there were three bushbabies being cared for by our hosts and we were able to play with them every night and prepare their food.
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Posted By: Christina
#Thailand,#Wildlife,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
What I enjoyed the most was seeing the excitement and pleasure the gibbons felt whenever the owner came to say hello to them. After two weeks of volunteering in Thailand, I know that I made a difference and that feeling of being a part of the gibbons\' happiness is something I couldn\'t be without.
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Posted By: Tegan
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I truly loved my time volunteering in South Africa at the Wild Cat Sanctuary and look forward to returning in the future to see for myself the fantastic work they continue to do for their animals.
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Posted By: Radu
#Sri Lanka,#Community Aid,#Humanitarian Aid,#Marine Conservation,#Wildlife,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Days started with a 40-minute spiritual session with one of the sisters, and after discovering the meaning of life, we jumped straight into lending a hand. From putting on nail polish and washing their faces and hands to coloring and building with blocks, it was an eye opening experience.
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Posted By: Rachel
#Spain,#Conservation,#Community Aid and Development,#Europe
This previous summer (Summer 2012) I traveled with Gnarly Troop to Valencia, to take part in a series of conservation projects around the Valencia Region. I can summarize my experience in exactly one word, AMAZING! From the beginning, Gnarly Troop helped me find a suitable program and made the entire process so much easier.
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Posted By: Bailey
#Costa Rica,#Education,#Community Aid,#Central America,#Community Aid and Development
When my plane landed in San José, I was as nervous as I was excited. It was my first time traveling on my own, and I had no idea what to expect fro the. However, after five minutes of talking to the driver from the Teaching and Social Work program in San José, an incredibly friendly man full of stories about his city and himself, I forgot to be nervous. My host family matched his friendliness; my host mother was always willing to work with my level of Spanish...
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Posted By: Ullamaija
#Israel,#Education,#Humanitarian Aid,#Community Aid,#Middle East,#Community Aid and Development
I’ll always remember Miriam, a severely disabled pupil, whom I was primarily supposed to be with! During my last visit in the school, when Miriam’s father came to take her home, Miriam took my hand and waved goodbye. Usually she just left without any gesture.
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Posted By: Carly
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Teak, the 3 month old Bushbuck, was a particular favorite of mine. I especially enjoyed it when it was his ‘outdoors’ time, which was only possible when it was warm enough. He loved to run around and jump everywhere, either escaping or chasing after imaginary friends. It was really wonderful to see!
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Posted By: Monica M.
#Australia,#Agriculture,#Conservation,#Australasia
Actually I didn’t know what to expect when deciding to volunteer in Australia at this conservation project, but at the end I can say that it was a great opportunity to grow up, to help the environment of Australia, to discover new cultures from all around the world. I will never forget this experience and the people that I met.
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Posted By: Cierra
#South Africa,#Education,#CommunityAid,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
I feel that I gained as much as the children did from my experience that month. I really learned a lot of life lessons from the children and people of the town. One thing that I really enjoyed was getting to teach them new things and see their faces light up with their new found knowledge. I even got to learn a little of the Xhosa language throughout my stay from the children who were not afraid to share. I really enjoyed watching the children progress with the new things that I had taught them throughout my stay. All in all it was a surreal experience that I hope to soon experience again.
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Posted By: Susanna
#Italy,#Marine Conservation,#Europe,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
When we did see the dolphins and whales it was exciting and definitely something I will take away with me. Now that I am back home I really miss the people, gelato, homemade Italian food, and boat living. I would recommend this project to anyone looking to get involved in something unique and fun!
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Posted By: Tatiana F.
#Fiji,#Education,#Australasia,#Volunteer with Children
It was an incredible experience that I highly recommend for all the people that want to travel, enjoy the landscape in an amazing place and help people who are really in need.
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Posted By: Laura
#Cambodia,#Conservation,#Development,#Asia,#Community Aid and Development
I managed to FaceTime my cousin when I gained access to WiFi again and she asked me, \'So what did you learn from all this?\' I simply responded with, \'If you don’t cut the weeds you cannot see the beautiful temple.\' That statement meant to me that only when you get rid of all the impure, damaging things around you, can you reveal the beautiful temple within.
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Posted By: Cierra
#SouthAfrica,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
We started each day with our morning chores, followed by an amazing South African breakfast. We would have a mix of work to do in the field and cleaning of enclosures during the day before and after lunch. Following dinner, we had the rest of the day to ourselves to socialize with the other volunteers. The staff were always planning events and activities for us to participate in during the downtime, such as Africa Night and play movies filmed right there on the sanctuary.
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Posted By: Omar G.
#Costa Rica,#Marine Conservation,#Wildlife,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Africa
I would never trade this experience for anything in the world. This was an amazing learning experience for me and it gets you away from the normal lifestyle.
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Posted By: Melissa
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
One of the main tasks for the volunteers, and the most exhausting, was taking care of Cupid, the 12 week old baby Vervet monkey. Holding a baby monkey in my arms was a surreal experience, one that I had dreamed of for a long time. Cupid had more energy than anything I had ever seen before. He was very much your typical monkey.
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Posted By: Montserrat
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
As a volunteer, I got to interact with animals that regular visitors don’t get to interact with, for example the black and white lemurs (which are EXTREMLY soft) and the bat-eared foxes. During my stay, I got to learn a lot about conservancy and animal preservation. Most of the staff there are really well informed and can answer all the questions you can have regarding the animals.
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Posted By: Zara
#Spain,#Education,#Development,#Europe,#Community Aid and Development
It was a trip I don’t regret taking! It’s the best if it’s your first time travelling alone, because there is 24 hour support and the mentors are so lovely and will pick up the phone whenever you need to speak to them. It was an amazing experience helping these kids and having fun with them, and also having a taste of amazing Spanish culture and living independently with roommates. It’s definitely something I would recommend for students in summer or holiday breaks.
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Posted By: Pei Chun
#Australia,#Conservation,#Australasia,#Community Aid and Development
What we did for those two weeks was not so easy but it was truly meaningful. What I liked most about volunteering was getting to work in a unique environment that you wouldn’t have the chance to experience unless you were a volunteer. Most of the places we worked were deep in the mountains; so beautiful. Everyday we worked about five hours and the leaders would show us some beautiful and amazing places to visit on our time off.
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Posted By: Kathie
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The part I didn’t expect was the awesome friendships we made with other volunteers from all over the world. Every night we would sit around the campfire and play games from our home countries or tell stories. It was truly outstanding and I would do this trip again in a heartbeat!
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Posted By: Kelsey M.
#Costa Rica,#Education,#Community Aid,#Volunteer with Children,#Community Aid and Development,#Central America
The Costa Rica volunteer experience was nothing like I expected, and I had an amazing time. I met friends and worked with people
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Posted By: Monica F.
#India,#Education,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
I would encourage anyone to work with this program and I am forever thankful I made this decision. It was definitely a trip of a lifetime.
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Posted By: Alexis
#Costa Rica,#Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Everyday, something new and exciting would make that day the best day ever. Being waken up by the sound of screaming monkeys in the morning, walking in jungles and seeing dozens and dozens or wild green parakeets in the trees, discovering the sweet taste of Tamarindos and all the other delicious fruits and wonders the trees and vegetation have to offer, seeing baby turtles dig themselves out of the sand and run to the ocean – the list never ends.
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Posted By: Mihindu
#Vietnam,#Medical,#Humanitarian Aid,#Asia,#Medical and Healthcare,#International Internships
It was quite the eye opening experience to see how efficiently very little resources could be used to yield the maximum care for the patients.The best part of the volunteering was actually being able to do procedures and assist the nurses in their daily activities. I had already been trained in how to do many of the skills, so it was as simple as the nurses showed me how to do them in the Vietnamese way and off I went. The hands on experience you get through Gnarly Troop is second to none.
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Posted By: Gillian
#Indonesia,#Education,#Community Aid,#Volunteer with Children,#Community Aid and Development,#Asia,#Bali
The project I chose to do was teaching English, and me and my partner were assigned 6th grade (10-11 year olds). This proved to be more challenging than I had expected, and the kids made us work hard to gain their attention and trust. Teaching on your own with so little structure taught me patience, the value of effort, and how important it is to work with what you have. It was incredible to see the children grow in their knowledge after just a few short weeks.
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Posted By: Latoosa
#Mozambique,#Marine Conservation,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
The time here was just spectacular and that the memories of the people and things we saw will be bright spots in our memories!
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Posted By: Kristen
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I definitely have some life long friendships to take away from this experience. If you go I would recommend staying minimum 3 weeks, it takes a full week to really adjust to the experience.
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Posted By: Louise
#Indonesia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Asia,#Bali
I couldn’t wait to witness the lucky little fella be released at the end of the week. It was so exciting, knowing that one of the turtles that had been in our care was soon going to start his life in the \"big blue.\" I couldn’t hide my anticipation, regardless of the fact that we release a turtle (or two), every week.
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Posted By: Holly
#New Zealand,#Conservation,#Australasia,#Community Aid and Development
Every other week we worked on restoring the coast of Punakaiki, and the weeks in between we traveled to different locations close by. As we drove we had remarkable views of luscious trees, mountains, and the ocean. I wish I never had to look away. The work itself consisted of a combination of weeding, planting trees, clearing paths, planting flax, potting, and setting up traps depending on the site. The work was sometimes very repetitive and could be tedious, but the enthusiastic team leader and amiable volunteers ensured that it was never boring.
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Posted By: Kayla
#Israel,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Middle East,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The program was such a learning experience. Each day was different with different tasks to complete. The rangers were very patient and taught how to do each task well that was given. They made sure that I was comfortable with what I was doing and if not then they made it an option to do something different. Practically the only thing that was the same was feeding the animals each morning and cleaning enclosures of either the desert night life or the predators. After that was completed, each person would start on other tasks that were given to them.
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Posted By: Christina
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Aside from relaxing time, remember, that you will have to work. There is a fixed schedule according to which you will have to get up early and go around your chores. Sometimes there is not much to do and sometimes there is a lot of hard and even dirty work to be done during the day, including construction, helping around the house, cutting meat, feeding etc. It is important to remember that you came here not to enjoy, but also to help and, thanks to your contribution, the farm will grow and prosper. You will be able to see its progress with your own eyes even if you stay only for two weeks.
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Posted By: Lior
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
At night we would patrol the beach and look for sea turtles that had come ashore to lay eggs. Once our eyes adjusted to the dark it became easier to spot the silhouettes of turtles and large logs blocking our path. We had to look at the sand carefully and try to find turtle tracks so we could follow them and find the eggs. We would mark where the eggs were on the beach or move them to a safe place. This was nature at its best!
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Posted By: Olympe L.
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation,#Central America
The project was perfect to make new friends from all over the world and also, we had a lot of liberty. I am really happy I chose this one to start my adventure in Costa Rica! By the end of my 2 weeks there, I did not want to leave…
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Posted By: Annette
#Israel,#Middle East,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
When I went to the Animal Shelter for the last time, I noticed that my favourite dog, Looq, had been adopted...It was really a holiday to remember! A country to go back again.
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Posted By: Arian
#Spain,#International Internships,#Hospitality Internships,#Europe
I can only describe this trip as one of the happiest times of my life; being able to integrate everyday with people from all over the world and having the whole of Barcelona on your doorstop was incredible. It has completely changed my perspective on the world and I can’t wait but to explore more of it!
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Posted By: Anne
#Spain,#International Internships,#Hospitality Internships,#Europe
The other task was acting as a cultural guide… this was definitely the best of the three jobs! Every day I got to organize a different cultural activity around the city and all over Catalonia! This meant that I led a group of guests around showing them the sights while I, myself, got subsidized admission to all the fantastic places! Better yet, because I worked at the hostel, I got discounted tour trips all around Spain!
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Posted By: Chloe
#Thailand,#Marine Conservation,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
As conservation volunteers, the team I worked on saw early mornings and plenty of data entry in the afternoons. We worked at two separate sea turtle conservation efforts weekly and also taught classes that combined conservation concepts and English vocabulary to the local primary school classes every week. Two of the most fulfilling, enriching things I’ve ever done in my life...
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Posted By: Tamar
#Thailand,#CommunityAid,#Asia,#Community Aid and Development
I do not have enough words to describe the depth of the experience. I only know that the people I’ve met have influenced my life and I strongly recommend volunteering in this village. They need lots of help in establishing educational center and the overall experience for the volunteers is one of a kind and very rewarding… I recommend it to all those interested.
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Posted By: Angie
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
In the afternoon the volunteers would take the baboons down to the river and watch them play and socialize for about an hour. This also gave us time to socialize and become very close friends and family. The baboons would grab my legs and hands when they wanted me to carry them as we walked down to the river. This was my favorite part of the day.
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Posted By: Delia B.
#Cambodia,#Community Aid,#Education,#Asia,#Community Aid and Development,#Volunteer with Children
Overall, one cannot but be impressed and humbled by the whole experience and you will come away (with difficulty and a heavy heart because of the love and lessons those children with so very little have taught you in such a short time) inspired to take back home some of those simple “rules” and customs of teaching, so often lost or forgotten in our modern obsession for league tables and political correctness.
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Posted By: Lisa
#China,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I would highly recommend this experience to people of all ages and fitness levels. Pandas are even more wonderful than you can imagine. Find out for yourself!
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Posted By: Remi
#Indonesia,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Wildlife,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Asia,#Bali
Volunteering through Gnarly Troop in Bali is one of the best decisions I have ever made. This summer I traveled to Ubud and Nusa Penida, participating in a sea turtle conservation project that soon became the most rewarding experience of my life. Over the course of two weeks I was introduced to incredible coordinators, awesome traditional food, and friends that I will have for a lifetime. I would highly recommend this trip to any and everyone.
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Posted By: Sara
#Tanzania,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
The project goals are long term – building community and relationships takes time, and those are what are needed for a paradigm shift. I hope the data I helped collect contributes to policy change to make dolphin tourism more sustainable.
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Posted By: Whitney J.
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
I’ve never been a morning person, so rising at 3am didn’t seem appealing at first, but the morning patrol was always my favorite. At least during my time on the project, the morning patrols were much more active. Baby turtles were hatching from their nests, and we helped them down to the ocean so they could avoid beach predators. Only 1 in every 1000 turtles lives to adulthood, so saving those that actually hatched, from a beach massacre was important!
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Posted By: Francesca
#South Africa,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
One of my favorite aspects of my project was “baby time.” On this day, one group would be in charge of taking care of the baby monkeys. We fed them bottles, spent time in their enclosures, took the baboons to the river, prepared their night boxes, and much more. This allowed us to develop a connection with the baby monkeys, which was so unique.
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Posted By: Winnie
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Going to Africa was a lifelong dream of mine. The experience was worth all the long flights and excruciatingly painful layovers in the world. Upon arrival at my destination, I was greeted by 2 lion cubs at the orphanage. There was a 5 month old male & a 20 month old female. It was such a magical encounter. To be able to interact with a wild animal like that freely (especially the huge lioness) left me in such awe, I’ll never forget how it felt.
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Posted By: Alex
#Spain,#Conservation,#Europe,#Community Aid and Development
This previous summer (Summer 2012) I traveled with Gnarly Troop to Valencia, to take part in a series of conservation projects around the Valencia Region. I can summarize my experience in exactly one word, AMAZING! From the beginning, GO-ECO helped me find a suitable program and made the entire process so much easier.
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Posted By: Abby
#South Africa,#Community Aid, #Education,#Humanitarian Aid,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
Since I was on the surf club, in the evenings after coming back from Zusakhe, I joined the other surf club volunteers and helped give surf, skate and swim lessons to kids from Dunoon who were around 8-14 years old. Often, this was time for us to try to get closer to the kids and learn about their life stories. On days when the weather was too bad for surf club activities, we played board games and even had a pizza cook-off between different teams.
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Posted By: Christine
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Our purpose there was to assist in the data collection of a variety of species, including elephants, rhino, lions, leopards, birds of prey, and many others, to give to conservation organizations that protect these animals and their environments. Without the help of volunteers, the staff wouldn’t be able to collect and maintain all of the information that they need.
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Posted By: Sarah
#Indonesia,#Education,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Bali,#Community Aid and Development,#Volunteer with Children
The look on my students\' faces when they got the hang of a new English word was priceless. While the sights and sounds of Bali are intoxicating, the real treat is rolling up your sleeves and doing some good in the world. This project has a real positive impact – namely, giving kids a leg up in getting a job later in Indonesia\'s growing tourism industry. If they can speak English, it will be easier for them to make money for themselves. On my last day, I told my students to study hard so that some day I might come back and speak to them in English fluently.
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Posted By: Melanie
#Croatia,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Europe,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
It is absolutely a joy, that you can, through the love to the dolphins meet even so dear people!
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Posted By: Julie
#Maldives,#MarineConservation,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Volunteer work started our first morning & continued every day until we left. The center takes in turtles ranging from hatchlings to more mature juveniles – from 1 week olds at about 7cm’s, and 12 month olds about 25cms. Every single turtle there will make you fall in love with them. Caring for them alongside the marine biologists & other volunteers was a hell of a lot of fun.
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Posted By: Yuan L.
#Nepal,#Education,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
Children there love singing and dancing, they performed traditional Hindus dance before we left. I can feel the passion of the children, from their eyes and their words. One week is too short for the teaching and I hope more and more volunteers can come and help these children.
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Posted By: Maria
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
After meeting the staff and my fellow volunteers, I realized that I was not alone in my love for animals...[in the morning] I was given an hour to interact with any animal I wanted. It was so much fun and I made sure to pick a new animal every day
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Posted By: Matthew
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
My involvement allowed me to avoid being the one-dimensional tourist, but rather to provide meaningful work in the further advancement of research done on the wildlife in Africa. Seeing and working with these beautiful animals has been eye-opening, especially the black and white rhinos. The next 5 years will be critical for the survival of these magnificent creatures. Conservation becomes vital for the survival of the rhino as well as all the species that live in a very unpredictable part of the world.
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Posted By: Catherine D.
#Tanzania,#Community Aid,#Humanitarian Aid,#Africa,#Community Aid and Development
Most importantly, I am grateful that I was able to take part in a fantastic and meaningful cause...I hope that I can return as soon as I finish grad school. I am looking forward to another amazing adventure.
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Posted By: Samantha
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Everyone always asks me to tell about my adventure but the only words I can get out are \'It was a truly amazing, once in a lifetime trip.\' Waking up in the morning or in the middle of the night hearing the lions roaring truly made me feel like I was dreaming. I played with the 4 month old leopard cub like I would play with one of my kittens at home.
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Posted By: Ashley
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#International Internships,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
During my time in South Africa I gained such a wide array of experience that would have never been possible at home. I participated in several game counts, tested cows and sheep for fertility, treated horses and mules in the area of Coffee Bay, and experienced both a net and helicopter capture.
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Posted By: Oriya
#Tanzania,#Communtiy Aid, #Education,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
The most important thing is that we did all these amazing things with a bunch of extraordinary people from all around the world and had unlimited support from the amazing staff...!
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Posted By: Ali
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I was very surprised by one aspect of the trip; the friendships I made in such a short amount of time. I never knew it was possible to become so close with a group of people so quickly. I became friends with people from all over the world and learned so much about their countries and cultures, while also teaching about mine.
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Posted By: Gabriella
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Humanitarian Aid,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
I will never forget the incredible time and 19th birthday I had in St. Lucia. This volunteering experience changed me for the better, and I can’t recommend it enough.
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Posted By: Kathryn G.
#Zambia,#CommunityAid,#Development,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
I would go back in a heartbeat and certainly will the next chance I get. I will be recommending this project to everyone I know back home. It\'s not just for your regular volunteering, do good people, anyone can do this project and anyone can come here and make a difference.
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Posted By: Ruslana
#Italy,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Europe,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Some nights we would go to restaurants and pizzerias in Casamicciola, Ischia Porto and on Mt. Epomeo. It was a great way to see the island. There was always such an energetic and happy atmosphere on board and everyone was just so fascinating and lovely to talk to; you really make amazing connections. Don’t even worry about learning Italian, ba bene (a phrase you’ll most definitely learn that means “it’s alright”), you can easily learn a bit on board!
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Posted By: Ashley M.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#International Internships,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
After being at the project for 3 weeks and being able to visit the same townships, during dog dipping, you could see the impact you were making on the animals which is honestly the best feeling in the world. You would notice the decrease in mange, ticks, fleas, and worms that dogs had.
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Posted By: Williams
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Through the photography aspect of the program I was given the perfect opportunity to increase my photography skills in the midst of one of the most bio diverse places I have ever been. Gnarly Troop provided us with amazing photographic opportunities through the many day trips we took. Whether it was Kruger National Park, The Blyde River Canyon, or Khami Reptile Park the photographs turned out absolutely amazing. Not to mention the fantastic daily game drives in local reserves.
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Posted By: YuFei L
#Tanzania,#Conservation,#Marine Conservation,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
One day we had recorded about 50 dolphins...Swimming with these large mammals is an experience that I will never forget.
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Posted By: Tian T.
#China,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
From Wednesday we started the volunteer project. We were grouped to assist at different stations; each station takes care of two to four pandas. An expert gave a wonderful lecture about the situation and behavior of the pandas. He shared his experience of being injured by an escaped panda. Although the pandas look cute, they can be very strong and sometimes dangerous!
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Posted By: Emily M.
#CostaRica,#Education,#Volunteer with Children,#Central America,#Community Aid and Development,#Volunteer with Children
The second place that I volunteered was at the Escuela Granadilla Norte. At this school, I volunteered as aid in a kindergarten classroom. I felt incredibly welcome and at home as I volunteered at the school. The teachers there were very sweet and willing to speak slowly to me in Spanish to help me understand things. I learned a lot about the culture and language in Costa Rica from the teachers at the school as I helped out in the classroom.
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Posted By: Breana
#Costa Rica,#Education,#Community Aid,#Central America,#Volunteer with Children,#Community Aid and Development
There were people from all over the world. We had an orientation, took an oral exam and then were assigned our class.The classes had 4-5 people in them for a better learning experience. In addition, the school offered dance class, cooking class, and extra conversation classes.
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Posted By: Darion
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Seriously though the bonds you can create with any of the animals at the center is amazing, I never thought a monkey could mean so much to me. I really didn’t realize how much they could get into my heart. No matter your mood or your circumstances, those cuddles will surely put a smile on your face that you won’t forget.
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Posted By: Marie L.
#Costa Rica,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Wildlife,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Central America
This trip was sincerely dreamlike. I loved every bit of it.The organism is really efficient and quick to answer when you have any questions. The trips from the airports and schools or to the projects are well organized so you don’t have to worry. The welcome from your local family is warm and kind. You will never lack anything with them.
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Posted By: Ryan
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
There was a wide variety of tasks to be completed, including research, conservation work, community involvement, camping, and social events. On the weekend, everyone got to sign up for a fun excursion. My trip to Swaziland proved to be memorable.
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Posted By: Chelsea
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
When we arrived at the African Wildlife Orphanage Nikki gave me a quick tour of the center so I could navigate it on my own. After unpacking and meeting the other volunteers, I was told I could help with feeding some of the baby animals. I was all for jumping right in and helping, after all it is what I was there for!
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Posted By: Norine
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Then I discovered the one-month Greater Kruger Area Wildlife Photography and Conservation project. Living at Dumela Lodge in the Greater Kruger Area surrounded by game reserves I returned to the wonderful world of the South African bush. We walked, drove, and camped as we improved our photography skills and captured birds, mammals, reptiles, insects, flora, landscapes, lightening, sunrises and sunsets.
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Posted By: Taylor A.
#Thailand,#Community Aid,#Education,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
Our organized activities were a great way to relax and have fun with everyone in the program but my favorite memories were at the school, playing with the kids at the end of each day, or handing out ice cream after lunch...I cannot wait to not only return for more volunteering in Thailand, but to explore other opportunities provided by Gnarly Troop.
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Posted By: Katja
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Education,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
One Saturday the manager of this project, Nikki, had her birthday. Instead of celebrating it herself she threw a party for the kids with games, jump house, scooters, facepaint, birthday cake, hot dogs etc…She dedicated her birthday to the kids because she thinks that every child deserves a birthday party, but she can’t throw one for each child so her birthday is the celebration of all the kids birthdays together – what a great, inspiring idea! The kids had a blast and so did we.
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Posted By: Sarah
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Before lunch was pool time, my favorite time of day. The baby baboons were let out of their cage and jumped onto the volunteers to be taken down to the pool. We would spend over an hour playing with the baboons as they ran around the pool, went swimming, and climbed and chased after each other.
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Posted By: Emily-Janes
#Thailand,#Wildlife,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I spent two weeks volunteering in Thailand at the Gibbon Sanctuary. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. We woke up early to start preparing breakfast for the gibbons and macaques; their diet consisted of fruits and vegetables.
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Posted By: Nichole W.
#New Zealand,#Conservation,#Australasia,#Community Aid and Development
I spent five weeks in Punakaiki, at the New Zealand Conservation Experience project both as my first experience outside of the United States and as my internship. It was kind of nerve-racking at first because of being somewhere totally new and not knowing exactly what to expect, but in the end, it was totally worth it!
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Posted By: Bridget
#Croatia,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Europe,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Every other day, the entire team went out with the boat to observe and collect data of the dolphins near the coast. While documenting them, they put on a very entertaining show for us! The morning the day after, we all analyzed the data collected. Everyone worked together and helped each other out. During the project, I started to understand how serious this situation is for the dolphins. We could understand the dolphins on another level than before.
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Posted By: Jen
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
How should I begin telling my story? Well, when I arrived I didn’t even know the name of the place where I was going to stay for the next 16 days, so I was pretty excited and curious. The first two pictures I took where from a gorgeous area in the sanctuary and a stunning sunset, which was not a bad way to start! The following days where full of once in a lifetime experiences, great people and unique animals. I worked (or played?) with lion cubs, fed a lot of different animals, walked with lions and elephants...
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Posted By: Matt K.
#China,#Conservation,#Asia
I am very glad that I was able to try volunteering in China and meet these adorable animals. Perhaps, such a trip is the best way to learn Chinese culture and see how China is living far away from big cities. Moreover, with with a unique opportunity to observe the life of pandas. I am sincerely grateful to the staff who have helped me in China and all of the company Gnarly Troop who helped organize my trip. It was one of the most memorable trips of my life!
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Posted By: Denisse
#Costa Rica,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Wildlife,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Volunteer with Children,#Community Aid and Development
I learned how to stop worrying about unimportant things that take up most of my time, I met amazing people, I saved over 400 turtle eggs and released over 150 baby ones, and I had the time of my life.
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Posted By: Dessa
#Indonesia,#Education,#Community Aid,#Community Aid and Development,#Volunteer with Children,#Asia,#Bali
The final week consisted of teaching. We volunteers were paired up and sent to classes from various schools around Ubud. The teaching days were fun, exciting, tough, confusing at times, but incredibly rewarding for me. As an ESL teacher, I was able to try different approaches of teaching towards non-English speakers. The children love you from the minute they see you, and they are always trying to show it! I will say that teaching was my favorite part of the whole trip.
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Posted By: Ellie L.
#Israel,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Middle East,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Working at the wildlife center has the perfect balance of being active and relaxing, and even many of the volunteer tasks have a very noticeable rhythm and method. It was so easy for me to adapt for this reason, and my volunteer hours gave me so much time to reflect on my experiences while simultaneously helping a small ecosystem.
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Posted By: Cassie R.
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
Seeing the turtles in their natural habitat was a truly amazing experience. Watching them crawl up to the same beach they were born on to lay their own nests was awe-inspiring and I really loved collecting data to ensure their continued survival and protection.
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Posted By: Rodrigo C.
#Costa Rica,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Wildlife,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
The beach there is excellent for people who like to surf on their down time. The beach itself is beautiful because you can see the ocean intact without ships or oil rigs to ruin the view. The vegetation is so lush that every time you step onto the beach you enjoy a very rustic and prestigious view that many people could only dream of.
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Posted By: Justin G.
#Thailand,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
Memories like this...I believe they exist very rarely in peoples lives. Those moments where your mind captures another smile, where you feel caught up, happy, content with the world and everything around you. Everything exists but for a brief moment, but that moment is crystal, like diamond; beautiful, solid, but transparent. I feel I\'ve captured so many of these moments that my entire week has been composed of them. My heart goes to Thailand, and I believe I will follow my heart on its quest for what it desires.
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Posted By: Vanan S.
#Thailand,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
It did hurt a little when my trip had to end but I take comfort in the fact that I would always be able to go back and volunteer again!
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Posted By: Jacob
#SouthAfrica,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The animals in the park were amazing, I’ve never seen so many friendly ‘wild’ animals in my life. Jack the zebra loves attention as well as the two mongoose and two cervals. There’s also four hippos you have to keep an eye out for and a few giraffes you’ll see wandering past every now and again. I’m not even saying the half of it either! The elephants were my favorite, so beautifully friendly and but also so amazing to watch when going on the elephant walks.
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Posted By: Ziv
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
While I stayed there we were scheduled a shift to go out in the bush to nurse two cheetah cubs and the baby rhino. This experience for me was beyond wonderful – to be surrounded by animals from dusk ’till dawn, all the while in close contact with them. Every night I fall asleep to the sounds of hyenas answering the roars of lions... this was a one-of-a-kind experience.
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Posted By: Kimberly
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I was able to also meet a lot of amazing people from volunteers to the actual staff. There are those who are going for veterinary school and those who are not. The vets will be able to assist in more things such as emergency procedures. However, those without the vet background like me will also be able to participate in a lot of amazing things such as flying a vulture to a glove or help with the ambassador training for the cheetah program.
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Posted By: Jolin S.
#Israel,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Middle East,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Overall, I learned a lot on this trip, including being around exotic animals, the culture and travelling on my own. It was a wonderful experience and I could not have asked for more!
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Posted By: Nurit
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
In my stay at the center there was a baby rhino that was abandoned by her mother, which was no less than incredible to see and be a part of. All the volunteers were really nice and friendly and I got to build relationships with people from all over the world that will last a lifetime!
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Posted By: Michelle
#Seychelles,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The people I met were from all over the world and every culture. I learned so much from the other volunteers; it was great. The ocean and beaches are incredible and our accommodations were right on the beach! Every night we fell asleep to the sounds of waves rolling ashore.
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Posted By: Bridgette
#Indonesia,#Education,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Bali,#Community Aid and Development
I taught healthcare at a school approximately 40 minutes away. The schools were small and minimal and ran by the coordinators and the volunteers. The students were always there and ready to learn before the volunteers arrived. Their English was bad so we had to translate almost everything that we taught but the students remembered the material very well.
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Posted By: Lisa
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Every week, we went on at least five game drives to conduct data collection on wildlife. This experience alone was worth the cost of the program. The Kruger area and surrounding private reserves are incredible. Seeing animals in a zoo is not even close to how amazing it is to see animals in the wild. We had close encounters with elephants, rhinos, lions, giraffes, and countless other animals. I learned so many interesting facts about these animals and now have such a greater understanding of how they behave and the threats they face for survival in the wild.
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Posted By: Jolanta C.
#Cambodia,#Community Aid,#Education,#Asia,#Community Aid and Development,#Volunteer with Children
While I loved teaching it proved challenging at times because of the language barrier. The books and materials were not in English and I had to work with 8 to 25 children everyday. The children were so sweet and appreciative that no matter how hard or difficult a day was I couldn’t help, but smile and think of their darling faces.
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Posted By: Felix
#Israel,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Middle East,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I always wanted to visit Israel, it is such a beautiful country, it’s multicultural, multi-faith, and the amazing people there really attract me. Israel as a desert country contains an extreme diverse flora and fauna; this is due to its geographical location. Israel is situated between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa, therefore Asian and African species have mixed together and evolved into many endemic species that are only found in Israel!
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Posted By: Cynthia
#Israel,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Middle East,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
It was amazing to watch the animals\' individual habits and how they expressed themselves. Each had their own personality. A lot of time was spent fixing enclosures and fixtures for the animals but it was rewarding to see them move from smaller enclosures to larger fixtures with more space and room for them to live and thrive that is more similar to the wild. Almost every night a ranger would come ask us if we wanted to join for the night feeding. It was so great to feed the animals at night..
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Posted By: Reanna
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
At this project you will get up close and personal with most of the African mega-fauna. These are beautiful, enchanting animals. I remember blowing into the mother elephant’s trunk so that she would remember me – they say that an elephant will never forget your scent... I remember being in awe of the might of the grown lions as they growled over haunches of meat!
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Posted By: Karol
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
From sea level as well as below the water, we got a closer look at the curious sharks that swam nearly up to the cage and it was such a thrilling experience. Besides working on the boat with tourists and the crew, I also met some incredible people that came from all walks of life and each had amazing stories to tell.
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Posted By: Lauren
#Italy,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Europe,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
All volunteers took turns on one-hour watch shifts carefully scanning the horizon for sights of wildlife. When we were not on lookout duty we monitored the hydrophone and GPS scans of the area. Once we sighted a dolphin or whale we videotaped and photographed the animals for photo-identification purposes.
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Posted By: Eudes
#Italy,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Europe,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
When I arrived on the Casamiccciola’s harbor I was anxious. I had many questions on my mind: am I ready to leave my comfort zone and to adapt myself to a life on a boat? Will I be useful on the searches and in the sailing? Will the other crew members be welcoming and sympathetic? I was optimistic on this point and I was entirely right.
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Posted By: Jen H.
#Tanzania,#Community Aid,#Education,#Africa,#Community Aid and Development
I was lucky enough to be teaching the Masai, who were adults in the local tribe trying to learn to read and write Swahili and speak small bits of English which would help in the tourist industry. Many of them worked as guards or for a local hotel which meant it was good to know some English as well as Swahili. They were all lovely, and were always excited and willing to learn; it was amazing seeing how happy they were after we would tell them they had got something right.
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Posted By: Claire
#Israel,#Community Aid,#Middle East,#Community Aid and Development
My favorite part of the day was on the way to the Old City when we passed a group of palm trees. Our guide made us stop and told us to look at all the trees. He asked if they were all the same and then explained how each palm tree was a tree that grew slightly differently. For me this was the perfect image of Israel, a place where everyone is growing separately yet still a unit growing and developing together. It made me realize that life is not about them or us, but about everyone just in different places.
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Posted By: Sophia
#Spain,#International Internships,#Hospitality Internships,#Europe
I liked when I was able to make a difference in a day of a traveler who visited Barcelona just for a short time. The best reward was the grateful smiles from the people I could entertain with my personal stories and jokes. In addition, I loved to share and exchange opinions and ideas with them.
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Posted By: Ilze
#Sri Lanka,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
The day-to-day activities are related to protection and rehabilitation of sea turtles, because they are protected reptiles.Three weeks later after coming back home, my heart is till there, in Sri Lanka.
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Posted By: Naomi
#Israel,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Middle East,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The reserve is a safari where ostriches, oryxes, Addaxes and donkeys live and a place which looks like a zoo, where animals are in cages (raptures, vultures, owls, porcupines, lizards, turtles, snakes, foxes, fennecs, jackals, hyenas, wolves, parakeets, caracals, leopards, sand cats, wild cats, sand rats….).The volunteers’ apartment is next to the safari (we can see the ostriches everyday), but we have to cross the safari to go to the place where we work (about 10 min by car).
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Posted By: Gizela
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
When I went it was winter time and even then we weren’t stopped from doing things like caring for there majestic animals, I mean where else can you get this close to cheetahs, lions, white tigers, lemurs and leopards?
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Posted By: Minkha
#Thailand,#CommunityAid,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
I taught English and it was the best feeling ever being able to offer my services to the Thai people. My students were very sweet and I have made friends with a couple of them.
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Posted By: Kaylen
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
My two weeks at the Kevin Richardson Wildlife Sanctuary were the best and happiest days of my life. I learned so much. Kevin and his team sacrifice so much just to make these animals lives the best possible. It really is true, once you leave the sanctuary and Africa, you are a changed person. You won’t look at life the same. I have so many wonderful memories that can never be taken from me.
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Posted By: Rachel
#Australia,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Australasia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
We toured picturesque Port Stephens and exciting, metropolitan Sydney, enjoyed delicious Australian and international cuisine, met a ton of new friends, and got into the rhythm of Australian life. Invigorated by the week-long holiday, my two project-mates and I flew down to Melbourne to start working with wildlife!
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Posted By: Flora W.
#Greece,#Conservation,#Wildlife,#MarineConservation,#Teens and High School Students,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Europe
Waking up in the middle of the night or not going to bed until 2 am was totally worth it to see a mother turtle lay her legs or find and protect their nests. We observed from just inches away as these giant turtles laid up to 100 or more eggs, and then take the time to carefully cover and camouflage her eggs to protect them from predators.
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Posted By: Jaimi-Lee
#Maldives,#MarineConservation,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
A daily routine was split over two shifts a morning shift and afternoon, each taking two hours to complete. We would feed the turtles and drain the tanks, clean them and refill them. Once a week we would do a deep clean and all volunteers are roistered on and we scrub ALL the tanks and rocks with betadine to ensure everything is clean. Once a week we would also measure each individual turtles weight, length and width once a week.
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Posted By: Alisa N.
#Australia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation,#Australasia
I really enjoyed my time at the park as I was able to interact with so many different animals, and also felt like I was contributing to the many initiatives that they have going on. I also liked being a bit further away from Sydney, exploring different parts of the country, that were a little less touristy.
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Posted By: Rachel F.
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Prepare to get your hands dirty. But most of all, prepare to have a life-changing experience. It was difficult saying goodbye to the animals, the family, and the amazing volunteers. I can’t wait to go back!
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Posted By: Bridget M.
#India,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Community Aid and Development,#Volunteer with Children
I was greeted by a young Indian boy in a shirt donned in peace signs and blue waves, we took my luggage to the car and off we went! The drive was only 45 minutes but oh did I wish it went for longer. Driving along to the familiar sounds of Bob Marley and all the new pop queens, I was glued to the window bounded by tall, sky scrapping coconut trees, big blue water, floating casino cruises and fresh fruit markets sprawled along the side of the road. Boy was I happy to call this place home for next two weeks.
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Posted By: Mike
#Thailand,#Community Aid,#Development,#Asia,#Community Aid and Development
We spent the rest of the time laying tiles in the (open air) laundry and common area of the school. Although it was hard physical work mixing cement by hand in very hot conditions, it was very satisfying to see the progress we made and just what I was looking for. I was particularly pleased that the kids wouldn’t have to come back and see the damage the flood had done, as I imagined how my kids would feel to see their (meager) possessions broken and muddy.
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Posted By: Sean
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Education,#Development,#Community Aid and Development,#Africa
...I was amazed how quickly the kids gravitated toward us. Even the new guy was mobbed by hugs upon arrival and frequently throughout the day. The love from these kids is simply amazing. This in and of itself was worth the trip. These kids, who have so very little, adore the “teachers”. Most everyone is called “teacher” until you hang around for a few days then they might start with “Teacher Sean.” So, so cool!
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Posted By: Jane M.
#Italy,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Europe
We were lucky and had a multitude of striped dolphin pod sightings, bottlenose sightings, and we had four sperm whale sightings. We even documented a new sperm whale, who swam very close to the boat and we were able to get amazing footage of him! When there are sightings you videotape on the stern with the gopro camera, take pictures using high resolution cameras, and would have the acoustic equipment on to record/locate the communication of the dolphins or whales.
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Posted By: Bridie
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Booking through Gnarly Troop gave me the opportunity to take part in orientation in Johannesburg for 2 days, which I thought was a great idea. This is where I met 3 of my closest friends, which helped me settle significantly as I had been on my own prior to this. We were given a guided tour around the city visiting places such as cool independent shops and places where pivotal historical moments happened. I won’t spoil them for you as they were truly eye opening.
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Posted By: Claudia
#Croatia,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Europe,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
When we first saw the dolphins on the sea everyone was excited about it. It was such an amazing moment when the first dolphin jumped out of the water. We also saw a dolphin with her calf. That was a really amazing and emotional moment.
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Posted By: Kyle
#Thailand,#Community Aid,#Education,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
I was speaking to a kid with the name ‘ฝัน’ which literally translates to ‘Dream’. He is seventeen years old, has one brother, two loving parents, and two dogs, just like me. One of the English teachers helped me ask him the question, “what do you want to do with your life,” his response, ” I want to be happy, I want to help make a change in the world.” He has a dream, he has the light, he is human, he realizes that the world is a big place with not just him living in it.
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Posted By: Lindsay M.
#Costa Rica,#Wildlife,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Central America,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
At night, the stars and moon were so bright we didn’t need flashlights and the waves glowed yellow from plankton. The next three weeks were filled with hard work during the day (building the hatchery, cleaning the beach, maintaining the land) and beach patrols at night. We collected eggs from and tagged six turtles in my time. We had each weekend off and would travel to nearby beaches. We were given breaks throughout the day and would spend them exercising, relaxing on the beach and playing games.
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Posted By: Kellie
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Every day here at Wildlife Sanctuary was different but each day was just as exciting as the next because there can always be surprises. For example, one night in the middle of the night it started to rain. I did not think anything about until I got woken up suddenly and was asked to help put the baby ostriches in the bar. As it turns out, baby ostriches do not handle cold temperature.
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Posted By: Erica
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
One of the highlights was us watching an animal birth. A few of the researchers spotted strange blue legs sticking out from one of the pregnant buffaloes.Everyone quickly whipped out their binoculars and cameras to zoom in on what was happening. Then came out the legs of a buffalo calf, still in its amniotic sac. We were actually witnessing the birth of a baby buffalo! The mother moaned and walked around for a bit before giving the last push where the calf literally dropped onto the ground.
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Posted By: Prithvi
#Maldives,#MarineConservation,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
I learned a lot during my three week stay and made some great friends. Waking up early every day, going to the marine center to feed the turtles and carrying out the rest of our duties taught me a lot about marine life. We also got to release a few hatchlings and grown turtles into the ocean.
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Posted By: Kailin
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I met so many lifelong friends and so many were from all across the globe. When you meet these people and bond so much, you will feel like family by the end of the trip. I now know that if I ever want to travel somewhere where one of these friends live, I will find them willing to take me in. I would do the same for them if any of them came to where I live as well.
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Posted By: Adam
#Thailand,#CommunityAid,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
The weeks I spent with Gnarly Troop volunteering in Thailand were the most impactful for me. The reason is simple: NEED and IMPACT. Nowhere else in Asia and the Middle East did I feel that the place I was volunteering needed my help as much as this project in Thailand... As volunteers, our voices were heard by orphanage management. If we saw a need and could suggest a solution, it was implemented quickly. The impact we had on the children was real and measurable.
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Posted By: Andrea
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Education,#Humanitarian Aid,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
The children I worked with were between five and six years old and were great. Even though they lived in impoverished homes and sometimes did not even have a real house, they were always smiling and laughing, just like children from back home. Some days were really tough, but I would see these eyes looking back at me and I knew I had to stay and help them.
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Posted By: Gali
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
We arrived in Cape Town and spent a week doing tourist things; it was beautiful. It was now time to go to the African Wildlife Ranch. Upon arrival we were introduced to everyone and were given a tour. The Ranch is a beautiful place and everyone there was fantastic. We were really well taken care of at the volunteer house and at the Ranch. The staff even booked and took us on tours on our free time.
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Posted By: Cathrine
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Looking back there is only good memories. I came back to Norway under 24 hours ago, and I am already looking for new tickets back to my real, African home. If you consider travelling to the sanctuary, don´t hesitate. I can promise you the only thing you will regret is not staying there forever.
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Posted By: Natalie
#South Africa,#Humanitarian Aid,#Education,#Community Aid,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
My time with the project focused more on rebuilding this site and supporting the community in their new home of Wolwe-rivier, Cape Town. We rebuilt the playground, developed a sustainable vegetable garden, and prepared the grounds for school to resume. Quite often the children would grab shovels or rakes and help us with this project!
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Posted By: Katie
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
We also saw many impala, steenbok, buffalo, zebra, and other animals. We were lucky enough to see two leopards, one of which was from a distance relaxing in a tree, but the other we lucked into seeing prowling around and hunting.
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Posted By: Gillian
#Vietnam,#Medical,#Humanitarian Aid,#Asia,#Medical and Healthcare,#International Internships
Some tasks that I performed included removing acupuncture wires and needles, administering B12 or antibiotic injections, cleaning extremely severe wounds, as well as observing and shadowing surgeons. To be able to participate in this project, one should be warned that you will see extremely shocking wounds, and a ton of blood... On the other hand though, if you are ready for it, this project taught me so much, and really opened my eyes to third-world country care and how different countries work. I loved every minute I spent in the hospital, soaking up the miles of information that was available there, even just by observation!
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Posted By: Liran
#Thailand,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
For me, the strongest experience was teaching in the school. Thai children are quiet and have a pleasant discourse, and are especially eager to learn. Each new person is an opportunity for them to learn something new about the world, every unfamiliar face is a teacher. It felt liberating and exciting to pass on every small bit of knowledge to the children..
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Posted By: Floortji
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#International Internships,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
We did some game captures too, so I got to give some injections to wildebeests, impala’s and blesbucks. From wildlife we went to a farm and I witnessed the birth of a calf, and I got to do some pregnancy testing myself. Of course volunteering is hard work, but we had some time off too.
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Posted By: Susan
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
My first trip to sea was actually aboard the Whale Whisperer. It was a cold and rainy day but I did not care, I went onto the top deck and enjoyed it! We spotted a few whales up close and saw one breaching a bit of a distance off from us, it was beautiful! Our third day in we made our first trip to sea was as a client, and the sharks were great! I had no idea I even took any decent pictures until we looked at the pictures that night. As you can see, I was inches from the teeth!
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Posted By: Doris
#Vietnam,#Medical,#Humanitarian Aid,#Asia,#Medical and Healthcare,#International Internships
This program takes place in an orthopedics hospital in which we would rotate, from day to day, between the many different departments it has to offer. My personal favorites were radiology and surgery, but there are also wound care, rehabilitation (mostly for patients that have had a stroke of children with various physical disabilities), acupuncture and traditional medicine departments.
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Posted By: David
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Education,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
Our afternoons consisted of 1.5 hours of personal surf time including instruction from an awesome surf instructor if you needed it. Once we were done with our surf session, 13-15 year old students would arrive and we would spend another 1.5 hours with them doing exercises and playing games on the beach to warm up. We then hoped in the water and assisted them with their surfing. You did not have to be a professional instructor, but rather needed to stay out in the water with them to make sure they stayed safe, and give them the occasional power boost through the water!
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Posted By: Isaura R.
#Brazil,#Education,#Community Aid,#South America,#Volunteer with Children
I don\'t think I could have had a better experience volunteer-wise!
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Posted By: Leva
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I had a chance to experience a variety of tasks and jobs while there, from cleaning big cats enclosures, preparing food for smaller animals and birds to walking a massive tortoise, creating enrichment for all big cats and brushing cheetahs.
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Posted By: Madison
#South Africa,#Community Aid,#Education,#Humanitarian Aid,#Africa,#Volunteer with Children
The school we taught at was called Wings of Hope. We were with these kids for two weeks and I can’t even describe how much I miss them! They were the sweetest and most caring children I’ve ever met. I’m so happy that I took advantage of this opportunity to volunteer in South Africa because it really helped me grow. I have made friends from all over the world, saw beautiful sights, and got to make my mark within their community. I cannot wait to go on another volunteer trip with the help of Gnarly Troop!
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Posted By: Kate
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
A main reason this sanctuary stood out for me is because they are against canned hunting and captive bred hunting. The leaders of this project do everything possible to ensure that their animals are safe and have a long and happy life. If you’re looking for an ethical volunteering project; you’ve found one. I could not recommend this project more, and the founders and owners of the project are incredible, inspiring people. Their dedication to their work and their love for every single one of their animals is awe inspiring.
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Posted By: Jasmine
#Spain,#International Internships,#Hospitality Internships,#Europe
Day trips outside of the city were also a fantastic opportunity to experience more Spanish culture and see what else Spain has to offer. Girona with the beautifully colourful houses and Roman ruins; Figueres with the overwhelming Dali Museum (and crypt of the man himself); Sitges with its beautiful beaches and Montserrat with its hiking trails and Monastery. These were incredible days and ones that I wouldn’t have had without my time volunteering.
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Posted By: Carmen
#Thailand,#Community Aid,#Education,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
And of course, my favorite project, teaching English. You don’t need any experience at all because it is very basic stuff – such as going through the alphabet, counting, pointing at objects and saying the words in English. They mostly just appreciate you being there. Spending time with them was amazing and something which I will never forget and always cherish!
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Posted By: Susan
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Our guide showed us how to track her and to be wary of her as an injured Lion is a dangerous Lion. I immediately wanted to know all about her so I took on the responsibility of making an identity kit for “KF5 Unknown Lioness.” We made a total of 4 game drives in less than 24 hours. Our second drive took us upon a Cape Buffalo kill that the Ross Breakaway Pride had taken down.
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Posted By: Jessie
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
The Wildlife Sanctuary really opened my eyes, I was able to meet so many different people and learn about their different cultures as well. I want to thank Gnarly Troop one more time for allowing me to have this amazing opportunity. I will definitely remember volunteering in South Africa for the rest of my life!
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Posted By: Erin
#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
\"I was als lucky enough to watch 5 hyenas get darted, 2 of which received radio collars and were released back into the wild. They also received a pangolin that had been thought to be hit by a car in touch and was examined for any injuries and then released. The main duties for volunteers is caring for the babies 3 times a day and then any other random jobs that need to be done around the orphanage. They had several babies including 3 barn owls, a grey duiker, 3 pookies, a serval, and several tortoises.
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Posted By: Kenzie
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I did not think I was going to get to get up close and personal with so many of the beautiful creatures. There was definitely a lot of manual labor involved in this volunteer project such as cleaning up after the animals, building a new enclosure for the tiger cubs, and picking up trash around the farm. Although it was a lot of work it was such a rewarding feeling knowing you are helping better the lives of such fascinating animals.
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Posted By: Mila G.
#Brazil,#Community Aid,#South America,#Volunteer with Children
I have been fortunate to volunteer at projects around the world and this experience really stood out as one of the best!
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Posted By: Holly G.
#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Malawi,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I am so lucky to have been a part of all the great things going on at this program, if only for a short time. I will definitely be back!
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Posted By: Sara
#Spain,#International Internships,#Hospitality Internships,#Europe
The tasks I had to perform were various and enriching. (Bar, breakfast, touristic visits…) They were in direct contact with the clients but also with the proper functioning of the hostel. The atmosphere was always friendly and pleasant. The integration in the hostel and in the city was fast, it’s very easy to get used to the Spanish atmosphere and customs : hours of lunch, beach very near, night life … I‘ve never get bored! I had the time to work but also free time to discover the city and go out with clients.
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Posted By: Laurel
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
On the weekends you can request to do a certain excursion or sign up for something someone else has already arranged to do. We went to see the Cango Caves, an Ostrich Farm, had a Spa Day and did a quad drive. Some of the others did sky diving and shark cage diving.
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Posted By: Naomi
#Thailand,#Community Aid,#Education,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
Throughout the program Gnarly Troop and the local Thai team ensured their volunteers fun by implementing social gatherings throughout the week. I enjoyed this because it kept everyone occupied when we weren’t volunteering and it was a great way to meet new people. This volunteering experience is like no other because you gain a first-hand perspective on Thai culture that you wouldn’t be able to absorb through a text book. Overall, this experience has been unforgettable and I am very grateful.
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Posted By: Shebnem
#Thailand,#Community Aid,#Asia,#Volunteer with Children
At the orphanage we could do many things: construction, painting, building, playing with the children in the afternoon, and teaching English to Thai people. I taught English and it was the best feeling ever. It was extremely rewarding and my students were very thankful. They were incredibly sweet and very eager to learn. I felt a really strong connection to them and looked forward each day to seeing them again. It may sound as a cliché but I gained so much more than I gave. Volunteering at the orphanage gave me insight into the culture in a way I could have never gotten as a tourist. It really is waging peace through justice worldwide.
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Posted By: Ezra
#Israel,#Marine Conservation,#Middle East,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
The most rewarding part of my experience was the family I gained. Omri, Ziv, Chen, Omessi, and Golan—these guys weren’t just my co-workers they are my brothers.
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Posted By: Vincent R.
#Brazil,#Community Aid,#South America,#Volunteer with Children
Being able to see the improvement of the steps week to week and getting help from two other volunteers was absolutely amazing and something I\'m very proud of.
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Posted By: Aleksandra
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
There are many unforgettable moments and things I got to do there, also we had many opportunities to go on to different excursions especially during the weekends – we went to crock city (a reptile house), visited a proper African village, ate amazing African food and watched a dance show.
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Posted By: Jamie P.
#Cuba,#Marine Conservation,#Conservation,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Central America
I had such an incredible, life changing experience on my trip to Cocodrilo. Pre-Trip communication was clear and my pre-trip questions were quickly responded to. I felt extremely prepared and well informed for my trip.
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Posted By: Zoe K.
#Israel,#Road Trip,#Middle East,#Volunteer Vacations and Tours
Exploring the vast, ancient city of Jeresh on our first day was an incredible introduction – the city of a thousand pillars didn’t disappoint! You wouldn’t expect an ancient, Roman city quite like it, so far east and so well preserved; but it certainly was impressive, sticking out like a sore thumb against the backdrop of the modern, Middle Eastern apartments only a stone’s throw away.
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Posted By: Rachel M.
#Israel,#Community Aid and Development,#Middle East
There is a very special thing about this population, you can form relationships without much conversation. Even though I speak basic Hebrew, it wasn’t enough to converse; however, I was able to make quick connections with the participants by engaging in the activities that they enjoyed i.e. jewelry making and card games.
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Posted By: Wade W.
#New Zealand,#Conservation,#Australasia,#Community Aid and Development
I would highly recommend this trip to anyone that loves the environment and traveling, and wants to make a difference!
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Posted By: Chris
#Peru,#South America,#Medical and Healthcare,#International Internships
The actual program itself was also amazing. They kept our group busy the entire 3 weeks we were there, and always kept the schedule engaging, professional, and fun. My favorite memories include getting to really know the vibrant, big-hearted people of Cusco through medical campaigns and our fun excursions to Machu Picchu and other scenic areas on the weekends!
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Posted By: Gracie
#Asia,#Indonesia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I volunteered at the Orangutan and Wildlife Rescue Center for two weeks and it was amazing to work with the local staff and learn about the amazing animals here. The mornings begin with a wake up call from gibbons and birds - there is no better way to start the day!
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Posted By: Devyka S.
#Sri Lanka,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Volunteering at the dog care clinic has been an unforgettable experience and I absolutely recommend the program to anyone considering it. You don’t any special qualifications, experience or veterinary knowledge. Just bring along a love for animals and a desire to lend a paw. I’m sure your time here will be meaningful and you’ll fall in love with the people and animals there just as I did.
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#Africa,#South Africa,#Volunteer Vacations and Tours
I can\'t recommend this trip enough! You\'re missing out if you don\'t put this opportunity on your bucket list. You will ever have a travel experience like this. I wish I could have this same experience in another destination.
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Posted By: Lilly P.
#Wildlife and Animal Conservation,#Europe,#Greece
My Greece experience was one that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I learned so much not only about the Loggerhead Turtle and conservation, climate change, pollution and marine biology, but also gained skills such as teamwork/collaboration. I also learned about different cultures, people and ecological footprint.
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Posted By: Lisa F.
#Wildlife and Animal Conservation,#Ecuador,#South America
If this is not the most rewarding feeling in your life and also the reason to pack your backpack now and move into the Amazon to have the TIME OF YOUR LIFE, I don’t know what is. Okay okay…being able to take care of a baby sloth and other incredibly cute animals you could die for is a great bonus and definitely worth visiting the center too...
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Posted By: Sophie C.
#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation,#Australasia,#Fiji
The eight weeks I spent on the other side of the world were the best 8 weeks of my life and have shaped me into a better person. From the moment I met the team and my fellow volunteers in Fiji I felt at ease. Living on a tiny island in the middle of paradise whilst learning a new skill...
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Posted By: Sophie
#Asia,#Sri Lanka,#Teach English Abroad
My favourite part was definitely interacting with the amazing, young monks. The children were incredibly sweet and funny and they always put a smile on my face. At the same time, though, they were dedicated and focused during our lessons. Our classes were the perfect combination of smiles, laughter and learning.
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Posted By: Alyssa
#South Africa,#Africa,#Volunteer Vacations and Tours
This trip is a must! I went to South Africa in August and it remains my favorite travel experience...
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Posted By: Amy C.
#Indonesia,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
My time in Java was unlike any other experience I have ever had. The four weeks I spent at the Wildlife Rescue Center was life-changing and tremendously eye opening...
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Posted By: Leo
#Malaysia,#Asia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
I stayed for a month at the Coral Reef Conservation and Diving program. It was the best holiday ever! I had the unique chance to live in an authentic Malaysian village and learn about their community....
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Posted By: Alisa
#Australia,#Community Aid and Development,#Australasia
I think what touched me the most was how even though I came to them with the specific intention of offering them food that we had prepared, and warm drinks, they were still sometimes shy to ask me for that extra teaspoon of sugar, or another cup of hot coffee...It was an absolute pleasure to help out the often disadvantaged community that exists in Sydney, to learn about their hardships and to see it all with the backdrop of one of Australia’s wealthiest and most beautiful cities.
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Posted By: Sandra R.
#Sri Lanka,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
This is an effective, worthwhile conservation organization to support! My reason for coming was to contribute to wildlife conservation instead of a typical vacation. Also to see first hand what they are doing to conserve incredible animals like elephants, wild cats, and butterflies...
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Posted By: Marie
#Asia,#Malaysia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
My friend and I volunteered on the Perhentian Islands at the Sea Turtle Conservation program for two weeks. We had an excellent experience and learned so much about sea turtles...
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Posted By: Maria J.
#Sri Lanka,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
I spent two weeks at the Wild Elephant Conservation and Research program. I met some lovely people and had lots of fun. I enjoyed the dorms, and although there are walls, they aren’t joined to the roof, so it’s rather lovely having that gap and falling asleep and waking to the sounds of nature...
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Posted By: Hannah
#South Africa,#Africa,#Volunteer Vacations and Tours
Besides traveling through gorgeous nature you get to experience yourself in a new way, too. I think if everyone took this journey, our world would be a little bit more open-minded and mindful of each other because this travel experience also gives you an insight into Southern Africa that you would normally not have...
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Posted By: Niklas
#Africa,#Kenya,#Teach English Abroad,#Volunteer with Children
I really enjoyed the time I had in Kenya, playing with the kids (their favorite game was that I lifted them as high as I can) as well as teaching them the letters of the alphabet or numbers...All in all, I had three of the best weeks ever. I met amazing people and enjoyed every day in kindergarten a lot!
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Posted By: Ella H.
#Sri Lanka,#Asia,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
We’ve spent almost three weeks here and have really enjoyed it! The organization is so important; the locals really appreciate the work done by the local team. The staff who run the program are all so lovely, many of them grew up in the village we’ve been working in so know everything there is to know. The tasks have been engaging and diverse...
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Posted By: Maxine
#Asia,#Malaysia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation
I joined the Coral Reef Conservation and Diving program for a week and loved it! The program is run by a couple of diving instructors who are very nice and into diving...
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Posted By: Kristen
#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation
Volunteering at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center was truly one of the best experiences of my life. There is so much interaction with the animals and education about South African wildlife and conservation; spontaneous opportunities to experience something unique are bound to pop up.
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Posted By: Inne M.
#Africa,#Tanzania,#Community Aid and Development,#Volunteer with Children
I’m halfway into my second volunteer abroad adventure, this time as a Community Outreach volunteer on the island of Zanzibar, Tanzania. So far it has been an amazing experience! Beautiful. Crazy. Exhausting. Heartwarming. Paradise.
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Posted By: Alissa L.
#Asia,#China,#Volunteer Vacations and Tours
I liked the bamboo raft, and the guy who runs it was very nice and he was very willing to help people take pictures...I really enjoy staying at the oyster farm. I got to go out at night and walk around by the ocean floor at low tide...
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Posted By: Danielle Y.
#Asia,#Fiji,#Volunteer with Children
Each and every day that I walked into the classrooms of the kindergarten or primary school, my heart was touched by the big brown eyes and smiling faces of the local children. At the first sight of our volunteers, the children shout in unison, “Bulaaaa”. Our participants respond to them in an instant, “Bulaaaa”.
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Posted By: Megan G.
#South Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation,#Africa
To the animals that have enchanted and inspired me! To my Dear Horses, Victoria, Oliver ,Selati, The Lions, Tigers, Rhinos, Hippos, Giraffes, Zebra, warthogs, Dug beetles, Preying mantés, Wildebeests..... I will miss you deeply and hope for you to continue inspiring others.
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