Experience:
Organisation:
Name: Ben
Hometown: London
Destination: Peru
Project type: Conservation
Organisation: Projects Abroad
What were your impressions of your destination?
I spent a month in the jungle near Puerto Maldonado and had a week to visit Cusco and Lima. Cusco and Puerto are both brilliant places and whilst Cusco is packed with tourists, Puerto Maldonado is more off the beaten track and has a real fontier town feel.
Was the work interesting and challenging?
On the conservation project there was a huge range of worthwhile tasks to be done by volunteers: such as observation from the highest canopy walkway in South America, collecting turtle eggs, working on a pilot farm, building enclosures for animals and looking after animals waiting to be released to name a few. It is true that some of the jobs were more physically demanding than others but I never felt that I was wasting my time or doing a job that was unnecessary. What made the jobs that much more rewarding was that there were clear links to see how either the environment or local community were going to benefit.
What was your accommodation like? Did you feel comfortable and welcome at all times?
The accomodation was not luxurious but that is not what I was really after on a trip to the jungle. There were flushing toilets though which I had not been expecting and showers (albeit cold). We slept in wooden huts that were perfectly comfortable and rooms were often shared, two to a room. Food was good enough. The staff and other volunteers were really welcoming and I felt immediately at home and one of the team.
Were you happy with the organisation and the staff that were responsible for you during your stay?
I was very happy with both the organisation and staff. In the jungle staff were not only imformative but safety conscious as well and when in the town on weekends they took a more relaxed role and you could do more as you wished. On arrival I lost my luggage so had an unplanned stop in Lima. Having phoned the staff I arranged to be picked up the following day with no problem and they were very supportive and helpful.
Do you feel that you got value for money on the project?
Going on this sort of project was not something I could have set up independently and if I had tried I think I would have missed out on many things. It is sometimes hard to see all what you are paying for when everything goes smoothly but when things go slightly wrong or there are changes to plans as I had with my luggage the support is invaluable and worth every penny.
Would you recommend the project to others?
Yes
