• Take a walk on the wild side and work with animals in Asia on your gap year. From the depths of the crystal clear ocean surrounding Koh Tao, Thailand, to the lush forests of northern Thailand and southern Vietnam, on your journey you’ll encounter amazing marine life, elephants, bears, monitor lizards, water dragons, pythons, a wide range of turtles and so much more! Many of the animals you will encounter are endangered and the work you do will help preserve them for generations to come.

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  Island Marine Conservation with PADI Certification

  Thailand

  Based on the Thai island of Koh Tao, this marine conservation project is perfect for divers or those wishing to learn to dive. The local community of Koh Tao, in association with the best dive scho...

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  Wildlife Rescue Centre in Vietnam

  Vietnam

  Help and be a volunteer in Vietnam in a wildlife haven that since 2007 has rescued and released over 1000 animals. We will take you to our project Wildlife Rescue Station, the first and only wildli...

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  Elephant Welfare Project in Eastern Mahout Communities

  Thailand

  Based in Thailand’s Eastern province of Surin, this project works with the communities that have lived and worked with elephants for hundreds of years. Since the country’s ban on logging and preval...

Project Facts

• Duration: 12 weeks (4 weeks on each project)
• Cost: £4153/4303/4423 (depending on dive experience)
• Requirements: Age 18+
• Location: Koh Tao, Thailand / Surin, Thailand / Cu Chi, 2 hours outside Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
• Project activities: Marine conservation, preparing food for animals, general manual labour, animal rehabilitation, cleaning enclosures
• Working hours: 08:30 – 15:00, Monday - Friday, hours may vary from project to project

What is included

• Accommodation: A combination of volunteer houses and guesthouses
• Food: 3 meals per day in Surin, Thailand, 0 meals in Koh Tao or in Vietnam
• Airport pick up and drop off
• Transfer to Koh Tao
• PADI scuba diving open water course and qualification
• Training: Pre-departure information pack, on-site Orientation and project induction provided
• Support: 24 hour support from on-site coordinator
• Excursions: Staff help organise weekend activities (activity price may be extra)

What is not included

• Flights
• Insurance
• Visas
• Food: Meals are not provided in Koh Tao or Vietnam. There is a kitchen in Vietnam where you can prepare food
• Return transfer from Koh Tao to Bangkok

Role of the volunteer

In Koh Tao, Thailand, you will start every day by attending a lecture on your course of action for the day. Following this you will proceed to your diving duties; whilst diving you will be responsible for identifying species, monitoring the reefs, underwater clean-ups, and reef restoration.

In Surin, Thailand, volunteers bring an international perspective to the work of conservation and ecotourism, passing along their knowledge and enthusiasm to local residents who will benefit the most from this work. Within the elephant village help is needed with looking after the elephants (walking, bathing, feeding), maintaining and harvesting crops to feed the elephants (sugar cane and bamboo) and general maintenance in the village (building elephant shelters, repairs, etc).

In Vietnam, you will be able to work alongside the staff and vets of Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station to take care of the animals and to provide them with a life that is closest to their natural habitat. You’ll find many tasks that will require your time and efforts. It is the little things that can lead to an extraordinary impact on the lives of animals and public awareness.
Slice fruit for the tortoises, feed the gibbons, prepare the playground for the sun bears, plant trees, paint facilities, and help arrange the exhibit items for display at the Awareness Centre. Even take part in the construction of a bigger Hospital and holding Centre. Whilst working the friendly staff will share all they know with you on the wildlife and their habitat, how to live in harmony with them, how to name a tortoise, how to feed a bear, how to make friends with a gibbon…

Skills Required

In Koh Tao, a PADI Open water, advanced and SSI Ecological diver certification are provided as part of the project. Those with existing certification can receive a discounted rate. For those unqualified, the ability to swim (minimum 2 lengths of a 25m pool) is essential, as is a love of water and an interest in sea-life. Volunteers are expected to carry tanks and equipment during the project and so a moderate level of fitness is required.

In Surin, No specific skills are required for this project, but a love of animals is a must. Work is fairly physical therefore a moderate level of fitness will be needed.

In Vietnam, you will need to be very hands on and willing to help in all areas of the rescue centre. A love of animals and ability to work in a team environment is essential. Be ready for a variety of work as it will be different each day! There are also specialist positions for those studying veterinary medicine or for those who are qualified.

Your life outside the project

Koh Tao Island is located near the islands of Koh Pangan and Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand. Koh Tao itself offers beautiful beaches and secluded coves to explore on your weekends off. There is also incredible Scuba Diving around the island, so you can while away the hours observing underwater life on your free days.

Although it is a small island, there are a number of different beaches to check out while you’re there. Mae Haad Beach and Sairee Beach are both on the west side of the island and enjoy beautiful sunset views. Sairee Beach is also one of the best for snorkelling. Alternative beaches are Chalok Baan Kao which is slightly less developed then the others, so a little quieter and more laid back.

In Surin, the Park's location in the Mae Taeng Valley is simply breathtaking. The area is somewhat remote and perfect for nature lovers you can spend you free time exploring and enjoying the park. From the elephant observation platform you will see gorgeous sunrises and sunsets over the surrounding mountains. At the weekend you can take the bus the small picturesque town of Surin which takes around 20 minutes.

The centre in Vietnam is based close to the small rural town of An Nhon Tay. It's a quiet but beautiful area; on your days off you may want to stay around the centre and enjoy the natural beauty of the area or, if you fancy something a bit different, you could head down to the nearby Cu Chi Tunnels. These underground tunnels are part of a maze of passageway used by the Viet Cong in the war against America. Less than 1 metre high and around 70cm in width, the tunnels were used as supply routes, kitchens, hospitals, homes and training facilities. For a bit more action you can head into Vietnam's largest city, Ho Chi Minh, where there's plenty to see and do.

Highlights

Elephant trekking in the jungle in Thailand

Explore the dense highland jungles of the north on the back of a magnificent Asian elephant, stay overnight with a hilltribe family and fall asleep to the sounds of the wild. Will you be lucky enough to spot a Burmese python?

Scuba Diving on Manta Ray expeditions in Thailand

The best place to see these legendary ‘devil fish’ is the nutrient-rich waters of Koh Bon, an island north of Similan. Surround yourself with swirling mantas as they pass close by blocking the sunlight with their elegant

Cycling from Saigon to Angkor in Vietnam

The ultimate cycling adventure taking you along roads less traveled in Vietnam into the heart of Cambodia. On this amazing journey you will meet friendly Cambodians who still view foreigners as a novelty and encounter landscapes untouched by tourism. Good for those wanting to see more of the Mekong Delta and Cambodia, get off the beaten track and see it from the locals pace of life.

Itinerary