Indonesia - Bali Sea Turtle Rescue

What's Included

• Accommodations:  Shared room in a hostel
• Food:  Three meals a day during the week, two meals on weekends
• Airport Transfers:  Included on arrival day and from orientation location to project site
• Insurance:  Comprehensive travel health insurance with volunteer abroad coverage
• Orientation:  You will receive a week-long (Monday-Friday) introduction to Bali's culture in Penestanan Kaja village just outside Ubud center. This orientation includes a walking tour of the local markets, attending a Balinese traditional dance show, taking Balinese language classes, participating in painting and flower classes, and visiting famous temples.
• Support:  Local in-country team and 24-hour emergency support

What's not Included

Flights, personal expenses, visa.

Orientation Week (Included):
This week-long introduction is a perfect opportunity to meet your fellow volunteers and surround yourself with the local Bali community! Before you begin your volunteer project on Nusa Penida, you will enjoy an exciting orientation in Penestanan Kaja village (just 5 minutes from Ubud center) that will provide an introduction of Bali culture, such as a walking tour of the local markets, attending a Balinese traditional dance show, taking Balinese language classes, participating in painting and flower classes, and visiting famous temples. The orientation program runs from Monday through Friday, giving you the weekend to relax or explore the area on your own before you start work at your project.

Following orientation you will be transferred to Nusa Penida. As a volunteer, you will play a vital role in the rehabilitation of injured turtles, looking after hatcheries, nurturing young hatchlings and monitoring their release back to the ocean. Some other exciting opportunities you will be given as a volunteer are working on a seaweed farm, visiting the turtle conservation center, working at the turtle sanctuary and teaching children in local schools about turtle rehabilitation. Some of your responsibilities may include:

• Feeding the turtles and monitoring their health
• Cleaning the turtle tanks
• Cleaning and collecting corals for the sanctuary
• Light construction work
• Attending educational awareness classes
• Looking after sick or injured turtles
• Patrolling the beach for turtle eggs and nurturing new hatchlings for survival
• Creating protected turtle beach areas
• Collecting data to send to world marine conservation organizations

A typical day: After a light breakfast you will head out to work on a specific project at the sanctuary. After a few hours you will have lunch and a bit of time to rest. The afternoon is will be spent in the community, generally teaching about the environment at a local school.  By 5pm, you are back at the project to check on the turtles before dinner.

Please Note:  

• You must be back at your accommodations before 10:30pm Monday to Friday. 
• Volunteer activities and schedules can change at any time based on the needs of the project.

Holidays: While the project remains open throughout the year, activities and volunteer schedules may vary on the holidays. The educational awareness classes, where volunteers conduct outreach to local schools, does not take place during school holidays. For specific dates, please consult with our placement coordinators.

• Internet:  WiFi is available throughout the accommodations.
• Laundry:  There are laundry facilities on the island.
• Accommodations:  In both orientation week and your time at the project, you will be sharing a room at the volunteer house with bunk beds. Each dorm will house 2 to 8 volunteers and includes electricity, a kitchen and western style toilet facilities. From your accommodations, a 5-minute walk will take you to your project site.
• Food:  Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided during the week, while on weekends, only breakfast and dinner will be provided. You also have the option to buy your own groceries and cook for yourself in the kitchen. Indonesian food is tasty and diverse and volunteers can expect to experience a myriad of flavors and meals during their stay. Typical dishes included miegoreng (fried noodles and vegetables), nasigoreng (fried rice and vegetables) or gadogado (mixed vegetables with a satay sauce). For those who do not eat meat, Indonesian cooking uses a lot of tofu and tempeh (soybeans), we also provide some western dishes. Breakfasts are varied and include pancakes, fresh fruit, toast etc. Tea, coffee and purified water is available at the volunteer house. We do not recommend that you drink the tap water.

Please take note of the project's minimum requirements:

• Good level of English
• Police Clearance form
• Genuine interest in turtles and conservation education
• Good level of physical fitness
• Flexible and open-minded 

There is plenty to do on Nusa Penida, but there are also some great places to visit outside the island. Just 45 minutes on a speed boat will get you to the mainland of Bali, where you can immerse yourself in the local culture and historical and archeological sites. You can also spend your time surfing, diving or exploring the lush rice terraces and volcanic hillsides. Bali has something to offer every visitor. Divers can also visit Sanur, an east coast town, where you can find yourself dining in amazing restaurants and biking through the lovely scenery.  

Program Add-Ons:
Consider joining one or more of these special programs to add another dimension to your experience in Bali:

• Yoga and Mind Week: Learn about yoga and meditation practices to improve your health and well-being.
• Beach Week: Relax and unwind on Sanur beach and enjoy the tranquil and idyllic setting as well as fun snorkeling and cycling day trips.
• Bali Adventure: Enjoy an adventure-filled week of trekking up volcanoes, cycling through town and enjoying a relaxing massage at the end of the week.

Please note that there is an additional fee for these programs. Prices available upon request.