Over the past three weeks, I participated in the combined turtle and education project with two friends. First of all, I want to say that this was an incredibly fun experience that I would recommend to everyone. The mix of working with the turtles and the schools is very varied, which makes it especially enjoyable.

There’s a primary school and a middle school. A typical day looks something like this: you start off slowly with breakfast and then head to a school with the project coordinators. Here, you teach English for 1 to 2 hours. After that, you go to the turtle conservation centre to care for the turtles, cleaning them and feeding them. Then it’s lunchtime, often followed by some free time. In the afternoon, you head back to the village to play with the children or teach them about the environment, this could include lessons on conservation, cleaning up the beach, or picking up plastic. Afterwards, there’s plenty of free time to go snorkelling or learn to surf.

This is an average day, but as they say here: plans aren’t changed, just improved. Each day can be different, and there’s plenty of room to say what you enjoy and what you’d like to do. The project coordinators are incredibly kind and helpful, they stay with you during lessons, providing a translator and making things easier for both you and the children.

The accommodation is amazing. When you’re in bed, you can hear the waves of the sea because you’re right on the water. The people here are incredibly friendly, and the mindset is very relaxed, everything happens in its own time.

Even though you’re volunteering, it really feels like a holiday.

After the three weeks, we were even able to extend our stay by a week because we were having such a great time. Next summer, we will definitely return to this place, not just for the surroundings but especially for the people, they’ve become friends, and some even feel like family.

I would definitely recommend this project because you learn a lot about the culture, feel like you’re making a real impact, experience a lot of gratitude, and it’s a wonderful personal experience. And oh yes, during our stay, we also got to release the baby turtles we had cared for into the sea. It was an absolutely amazing experience.

- Indy