Oyster Worldwide

Why choose Oyster Worldwide?

Oyster Worldwide is a respected gap year and responsible travel organisation. Since 2006, we have been sending volunteers and workers overseas on our exciting projects. Our friendly team is dedicated to providing a personal service, offering support through every step of your journey.

Our projects are located in 24 destinations and range from paid work in Canadian ski resorts to exciting backpacker tours, from animal welfare and conservation in tropical destinations, to working in the Australian Outback with horses or livestock. Oyster can help you plan all of the details for the most exciting break away - with all the pre-departure help and advice that you need. Our projects vary from just one week to up to a full year, so no matter what you are looking for, we are sure to have something to suit you.

We are members and approved Gap Year providers with of the Gap Year Association of America.

Website

www.oysterworldwide.com

Founded

2006

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Community Photos

Farm work - including cattle, goats, and sheep.

A weekend away in Port Elizabeth visiting Addo Elephant National Park.

View of Chintsa Beach from the accommodation.

Impact 🌎

Sustainability

Oyster Worldwide is passionate about the importance of responsible travel. We want our projects to fit in with the local way of life, without having a negative impact on the environment, culture or economy. This means that we will only send participants to places where there is a real need and where we have been asked to work. Once there, they should fit in with the community, respecting their way of life and supporting, rather than taking, local jobs.

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Reviews

So I booked a Working Holiday in Australia - I realised quite soon after booking that the company had totally ripped me off. You can book directly with Ultimate Travel if you want the same service but without Oyster Worldwide being involved. When I addressed this with Oyster, I got a very angry response from Georgie who is in charge of the Australia trips who told me that my son was not suitable for these trips anyway. Really really recommend not booking with Oyster as they just make a few hundered quid by being the middle men between Ultimate Travel and the customer. In addition, Ultimate are nothing more than a travel outfit. They don't provide proper support for a working holiday visa. If you want to go for a working holiday visa I suggest you do it all by yourself because you do it by yourself anyway with one of these companies. Its a real scam.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?

I would not book through Oyster - I would do it all myself

Cons

A rip off
No proper support
They skim off money off the customer

Response from Oyster Worldwide

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, and we’re happy to address your concerns here. We’re sorry to hear that the programme did not meet your expectations, especially as we made significant efforts to support you and your son throughout the process. We appreciate that you chose to return a low star review rather than receiving a full refund. In this instance we were not willing to return this due to the beyond and above services that we feel we fully provided.

At Oyster, we aim to provide a full-service experience for those looking for support in setting up a fulfilling gap year abroad, including guidance on visas, accommodation, job hunting, and integration with other solo travellers. While some travellers choose to organize these elements independently, our programme is designed for those who want the structure, reliability, and expert advice that come with over 20 years of experience.

In your case, we understand that timing was tight with only a few weeks to arrange your son's visa, orientation, and job assistance. We worked closely with you to meet these timelines, including finding a solution to change the programme location ( against our initial advice), adjusting arrival dates to fit the best group schedules, and tailoring accommodation options to make sure your son would be comfortable.

We communicated with you and your son extensively, responding to your many questions across numerous emails and phone calls, all with the aim of setting him up for success. Our orientation programme is carefully designed to support proactive individuals who are eager to immerse themselves in both job searching and social connections. We find that participants who approach the experience with an open, engaged mindset tend to gain the most value from it, creating the foundation for a great year ahead.

While it seems this programme may not have been the right fit in the end, we genuinely appreciate your feedback and wish you and your son all the best in your future travels. Thank you for allowing us to clarify our approach and commitment to supporting our participants.

By Georgie Oyster on November 13, 2024

I have recently come back from my gap year and while I was there I spent a month working on the relationships between humans and elephants.

So why would I recommend Oyster?
I am so glad I picked to do this project with Oyster because they made me feel very well taken care of and looked after me before and during the project. They talk you though everything you need to know before the project takes place and what clothes and necessities you may need to pack.

So what does the project consist of?
I would do this project a million times if I could, and if you don’t believe me lots of people who were doing the project had already done it before and had come back because of how much they enjoyed it.

So the project is on a two week program and you have the option to stay from two weeks to 3 months. The first week is amazing because you build walls for the local community. Some days some of the locals will come and help, or a few kids will come and keep you company, that is amazing because you feel so immersed, it’s definitely a once in a lifetime experience.

The second week is spent tracking elephants. This was my favourite out of the two because you learn all about the elephants foot prints. We also managed to see a two day old elephant which we were lucky enough to name !!!

So why pick this project?
I think this project and Oyster have a lot of selling points. For starters Oyster takes very good care of you and help you organise yourself before the project starts so it doesn’t feel overwhelming. Secondly you are in the middle of the desert, I don’t think you could get anymore rural than that. You don’t really have much service so it’s lovely to disconnect for two weeks. You get to spend some time with lovely people who you may not meet on a day to day basis, people from different countries, locals, and different ages. You camp under the stars which is also amazing. Overall I would always recommend this amazing project, such a special experience!!

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?

I got to see a two day old elephant, it was the most amazing, breath taking and memorable moment

Pros

sleeping under the stars
amazing memories
helping the community

Cons

a lot of hard work
no shower for a week
exhausting

An incredible experience that I will cherish for life. South Africa is a stunning country! I took part in farm work, community outreach projects, work in the zoo and aquarium, and game capture. I had support from beginning to end, and all of my questions were answered.
The practical experience gained was fantastic, something that will stand me in very good stead for university. I made new friends, and gained so much confidence both in meeting new people and travelling solo.
Weekends were free to do whatever you wanted so you had plenty of time to explore and have fun. Would definitely recommend!

Pros

Practical veterinary experience
Travel and cultural experience
Support and safety

Cons

Having to say goodbye at end!

A hands on experience working at the bear sanctuary including bear food prep & any other basic manual jobs that need to be done.
Be prepared to get mucky & just embrace it all.
You have privileged access to all areas in the sanctuary, that paying visitors dont get to see, enabling plenty of time to watch the bears doing bear things, which is so rewarding.
The bears' stories are so sad so it is such a pleasure to see them enjoying their new lives doing bear things amongst trees, grass & pools

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?

Baby bear just chilling right at the top of a tree

This experience was absolutely life changing. I realized exactly what the baboons and vervet monkey took to just survive. The owners , Bob Nd Lynne, I cannot day enough. Even though very demanding ( at times did not think I could make it, but it was so rewarding and I learned strength I never knew I had. The poverty and government are devastating and the fact I felt I made a difference changed my life. I met friends I will keep for life and actually plan on going back next year. If it wasn’t for. Anne Smellie with Oyster I would not have had this experience. Thank you for all.

What would you improve about this program?

At least one day off as volunteers get burned out and then we are not help to anyone much less the monkeys. Changing jobs daily because it becomes monotonous and boring.

5.00 •1 review

Embark on a Thrilling Journey in Canada's Ski Paradise! Whether honing...

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Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

From a very young age, I have always wanted to travel and have had a passion for animals, particularly our primate friends. Coming across the Oyster Worldwide website, I was instantly taken in by the range of places you could travel and projects you could take part in. Whilst various projects caught my eye, I was most attracted by 'Volunteer with monkeys and baboons in South Africa'. Oyster provided lots of information about the project and throughout the process maintained good communication.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

Oyster answered any questions or queries I had and told me everything about the project and country, from waking up, sleeping and going to bed, that I may need to know. A lot of this included preparation before departure, such as required injections and a 'kit list'.

As an under 18 traveller, Oyster informed me on what documents I would need to travel to South Africa and what injections I would need. With this information, I went to my local doctors/ pharmacy to get the required tablets/injections and arranged for a lawyer to sign the relevant documents. As you would expect with any trip, I had to ensure I had all the kit I needed, but Oyster made sure I knew what I needed.

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What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Volunteers really help the centre that I went to in South Africa and, truly, the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. It can be very hard work, but it is very rewarding and an amazing experience. Also South Africa is an amazing country and those staying out there for a longer period should make the best of what the country has to offer. There all sorts of amazing places you can visit or activities you can try, such as visiting Kruger National Park.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

An average day would start off by waking up at 6:30am and commencing work at 7am. We would do two hours of work before breakfast at 9am. This work would include cleaning enclosures or food preparation for all the animals (chopping up the food and feeding). Work would continue at 10am to midday and also from 2:00 to 4:00pm. This work could include bug catching (for the bushbaby), weeding, cleaning food, cleaning crates, unloading food trucks, harvesting (chopping grass with machetes), monitoring and afternoon food preparation.

At midday, we would go on the 'baboon walk', where we would take the baby baboons down to the river to sit and play with them. We would have one hour for lunch and once a week we could go to town to buy whatever food and drink we would like for that week. Before dinner, participants liked to spend time in the baboon and vervet monkey enclosures (sit with the animals), relax and shower before dinner at 6:00pm.

During our free time, volunteers would often spend time in 'the hide', a place to relax and have fun with each other. As a tradition, on Friday evenings volunteers have the chance to go out for dinner to take a break from the centre and have a fun night and on Saturday nights we would have an authentic South African meal made on a Braai (South African BBQ).

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

As both my first time travelling alone abroad and my first time travelling outside of Europe, I was slightly apprehensive about the journey there. However, ultimately it was stress free and reasonably simple. I was also slightly anxious about travelling to a country with an entirely different culture, unsure if I would manage to settle in.

However, everyone there was very welcoming and we had a lot of fun together. Since leaving the project, I have kept in touch with other volunteers. When you join the volunteering team at Riverside Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, its like joining a whole new family.

What did your project mean to you?

Home in England, I'm in college Monday to Friday, and working weekends. Going to South Africa and experiencing a new culture and a hands on experience with baby baboons and vervet monkeys, especially when you see the importance of your hard work, was truly special.

On multiple occasions, such as when I was sat in an enclosure with five monkeys down my top, or on a walk with four baboons clinging on to me, I was struck by a moment of disbelief to where I was, doing what I was, and a feeling of how fortunate I was to have this opportunity. The weather, the people, the food; it was all an unforgettable experience and something that I was enjoying so much, despite it all being so different to my home comforts.

Emily Gilford

2018 Alum

Amber Jones

2013 Alum

Daniel Halder

2012 Alum

Dom Sutton

2013 Alum

Leah Arnold

2008 Alum

Becky Langman

2012 Alum

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Why did you choose this program?

I chose this program because it allowed me to Ski a lot and improve my skiing massively whilst also meeting new people and having the time of my life. I knew I always wanted to do a ski season, and this just seemed like a MUCH better way of having one than being a chalet host - and I think everyone who was on the course would agree.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

I organized mine through Oyster Worldwide (at very late notice). They were amazing and so helpful, especially seeing as I asked to book it literally 2 weeks before. All I had to do was give them my details and make the payment. It was all so smooth and easy. They then sent over all the information I needed and before I knew it I was on the plane to Austria.

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What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Don't stress about the German side of the exam if you haven't done any before. By the time the exam comes, you are very familiar and you are given a lot of help.

The same goes with the skiing aspect too. We had people on my course who had only done one week of skiing who managed to pass with lots of practice and hard work.

Also, don't over pack!

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

The training weeks on my course were 6 day weeks. We would meet on the mountain at 8:30 (taking a short bus). Then we would ski all day until 3 with an hour for lunch in the middle. Then there was often some aprés after the day of skiing, except on days when we had a lecture regarding the theory side of the exam. Then nights would either be in your accommodation, having dinner out, or going out in Kaprun. Then on Sunday was a free day skiing!!!

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

Honestly, I was most worried about who would be there and whether I would make friends. But after as little as an hour I realized that there wasn't anything to worry about. Everyone is friendly and fun and all looking for the same experience. One week in and you feel like you have known them for months.

Website

Founded

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Response from Oyster Worldwide

Alumni Interviews

Edward Griffiths

Why did you choose this program?

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

What did your project mean to you?

Staff Interviews

Olivia Cassidy

Why did you choose this program?

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?