Sue Gardner review 3 Aug 2009
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Flying over San Cristobal Island in the Galapagos then landing on the tiny airstrip right by the sea and seeing unique plants and animals for the first time that I had only seen in books or in documentaries. This was the start of the holiday I had dreamed about for over forty years and I will never forget that feeling.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
1. You don't need to be super-fit but you do need to be fit. This is a working holiday and you are expected to be able to work.
2. Do not go to the Galapagos expecting to have the animals at your beck and call. Nature is not like that, even on Galapagos.
3. This holiday is to carry out land conservation, not to look after animals. There are no animals to look after.
4. Be prepared to deal with insect bites, humidity, cold showers, mud, mosquitoes and rain.
5. Take a hat, sunscreen and insect repellent, try and learn enough Spanish to get by and enough memory cards and batteries for your camera - trust me, you will be taking LOTS of photos! Also, take an open mind - you will meet lots of new friends from all over the world who will be your companions and colleagues and working partners during your stay.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Most definitely. This is the whole point of this holiday and these aims are certainly carried out with education in the forefront, both to the volunteers and the local community. EVERYTHING is recycled but of course the impact on the environment depends on your own attitude.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
I would highly recommend this holiday to anyone who wants to help make a difference. There is a lot of work to do to restore this inhabited Galapagos island to its former state and if you like nature, a bit of hard work, excellent, locally grown fresh food, meeting like-minded people of all ages and from all over the world and can put up with a few (natural) extremities as previously mentioned, I would suggest you stay here for as long as you can, like for a gap year. A stay of two weeks is acceptable but the time goes so fast and most definitely, if I could have, I personally would have much preferred to have been able to stay for at least 6 weeks.
John Sheehan review 29 Aug 2009
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Swimming with sea lions but a close second was the community of people that is jatun sacha.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Wait until you arrive to book diving and sight seeing packages, if time permits. Try the local tour company run by a local man and his Swiss wife. They do a super deal for volunteers.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Hopefully.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent.
