Program Reviews

The project was great and really smoothly run out in Thailand. And because everyone is so laid back out there it was very relaxing. The first week exploring temples, both ruined and new, was very interesting and making bracelets and Thai meals was enjoyable. But I was really looking forwards to the elephants the most, and although everyone said they thoughts two weeks was too long, in the end i didnt think it was long enough!!

Everyday we went out to cut down banana plants and then take them to feed the elephants. We would then ride them before lunch. My first week in Umphang was marked by a lot of rain so unfortunately we were unable to get in the water with the elephants. But the second week dried up and we rode the elephants up and down a beautiful river and got in the water with them. The young elephant would constantly splash us and loved diving around in the water. With only 5 volunteers in the second week there we only had three elephants (We wouldnt have been able to collect enough banana plants for all of them) but it allowed us to form closer bonds with them, and their mahouts. Mogee was my favourate elephant :)

I felt welcomed and safe throughout my entire trip. Walking in the mountains and seeing the gorillas was great. To ensure that the gorillas remained safe from human infection, good physical fitness was required. The staff took great care not to disturb the gorillas in their natural habitat. The guides were good, and altogether I had a wonderful experience.

I was immediately met at the airport by my volunteer coordinator and guided to the house. The transfer to the project was quick and informed me about the local village. The briefing was excellent as it told me everything I needed to know as quickly as possible and ensured that I knew everything about what I was going to do. Everything that I expected to do on this project was fulfilled if not more. The project gave me more opportunities than I had expected and I learnt a lot on the course. Everything was organised so well and my days were planned out carefully. I never had a moment where I was unsure of anything. Everything I did I felt was helpful or was beneficial to the kids and the school.
The opportunity to teach and to make decisions about what ages you want to teach whether or not you want to teach in the morning or the afternoon made the project very flexible which I liked.The fact that you can choose the length of your stay is a great aspect of the project as for some individuals shorter stays make work better whilst for others longer. There was a lot freedom given to the volunteers and we had weekends to do whatever we wanted including excursions. The joint meals are a nice way of mixing all the volunteers and the way that the projects are run by one coordinator ensure that you can always ask questions and be advised.
My experience at Frontier was amazing; I would like to thank my project coordinator Clare for always being helpful and flexible and good company. I thought the relationship that Frontier has with the local schools and communities is extremely impressive and this was really helpful for my experience. Thank you to everyone who organised my project and I will definitely be using the company again and recommending to my peers and others that I know. It was truly an incredible experience!!!

I was fortunate enough to partake in the MGM project in 2013. As an intern on the project i learnt alot of the day to day running of an NGO which will be of great help in future life. The project itself is doing alot of good in the area and this is clear from the reaction to volunteers from the locals, they are so friendly and in a short space of time i made some life long friends.

The other volunteers and staff you meet on the project will stay with you forever. Just by being on camp you socialise 24/7 and have some great times (party nights included).

The diving for the project is the best thing, getting 2 dives a day usually on pristine reefs with diverse marine life cannot be beaten.

All in all i enjoyed the project so much i am now actively supporting frontier and returning to Madagascar project as soon as possible !!

I have been working with Frontier in Madagascar for a month now, and so far my experience has been fantastic. I have been based in the town of Hell-Ville from where I have been managing Frontier’s community programme. The partnerships with school and other teaching institutes are well established and offer new volunteers the opportunity to engage with the local community while making a telling contribution to education in the area. On our field site the Frontier personnel are wonderfully enthusiastic and knowledgeable with an infectious energy that really enriches the volunteer experience. This, of course, is only augmented by the location. There is no better way to say it; Nosy Be is a dictionary-definition paradise with pristine beaches, crystal clear waters and breath-taking scenery. Ultimately if you want to travel in Africa, experience a new and vibrant culture while learning new skills and seeing some of the world’s best and most exotic wildlife in a picture-perfect location there is no better way to do it than with Frontier Madagascar!

It was an amazing experience for me and I really enjoyed it! Here I met some new friends from different countries. I enjoyed teaching and I like kids so much.Siem reap is beautiful. I love this city and people here are very nice.

Thanks for every help from Frontier.

Since wanting to come here for so long I finally am here,it has taken a while to sink in.

Madagascar is absolutely unique and incredible with some amazing rainforest.The camp has been very friendly place to be, with really down to earth staff.

I'm currently in the middle of my Btec, which I think will really boost my qualifications.

I spent four weeks in the rain forest of the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica on the frontier project 'Big cats, Primates and sea turtle conservation.'
When I arrived in Costa Rica , puerto jimenez a frontier member of staff met us at the air strip and we all stayed the night in the town before heading out to the camp. This was a great as it allowed me an the other volunteer which i had not yet met to get to know each other also to explore the town on our own. At camp I did not know what to expect of the camp but when we arrived i was amazed at the quality. There was a flushing toilet and handmade showers which made settling in much easier. I chose to sleep in the hammocks which i can honestly say are the most comfiest things to sleep in! All the staff members were amazing I felt like I had known them for years and they became good friends by the end of the month. This project is set in the most beautiful place with huge biodiversity , you are surrounded by so many amazing animals and birds. All the surveys were really interesting and gave an insight to animals in the tropics. Every morning you would be woken up by your natural alarm clock , the Howler Monkeys ,the day would start around 8 am after making granola for breakfast the group split up and set off to do different surveys around the rain forest. I loved doing the surveys , especially the primate ones. Observing different troops of monkeys in the wild was an amazing experience as well it taught me how to record data which will be helpful for future projects.
All the surveys were really interesting and gave an insight to animals in the tropics. In the evenings after dinner we were able to go on night turtle walks on Peje beach walking 18km in one night . Despite it being physically exhausting it was extremely rewarding when I finally got to see and touch an adult Olive Ridley Sea Turtle.. My best memory from camp is when I was hanging out my washing to dry when out of the forest came a troop of capuchin monkeys and they all just swung through the trees only a couple of metres in front of me. On Sunday when there was no surveys I would walk down to the peaceful lagoon on the beach with a couple of volunteers an just relax for a few hours staring out at the Pacific. Every Saturday night was party night where we would have a couple of drinks and play card games with the frontier volunteers and some of the osa volunteers. I met so many interesting people from all over thee world. I made such good friends out there and had such a good time I was sad to return home! There are endless memories from my trip to Costa Rica , I would definitely recommend this trip to anyone. Pura Vida !!

The only concern I had was I took certain things with me which I was told I was told to take but were not needed.

Just finished my fourth week and I can't believe how fast the trip is going! Finally arrived in Cofradia on a chicken bus, which was definitely an interesting experience. Imagine an old American School bus filled with as many people as possible and loud music playing! Me, Emily, Caroline and Jeevan went to our homestay, who were really welcoming and friendly. It was great to try some local Honduran food, and we especially liked Gringas- which were like folded pizzas. At the school me and Jeevan took the Kindergarten class and taught them some basic English words. It was a little intimidating to take charge of a class, but the kids were great and we had loads of fun playing with them. My favourite was Eddy, who growls at you when you ask him if he has a girlfriend! My highlight of the week has to be when we saw Spiderman in 3D in San Pedro Sula. The cinema was awesome with big, reclining leather seats and the film was plenty good too!

I have spent 4 weeks in the forest of Costa Rica and have had the most exhilarating experience. Not only have I learnt a lot about such a wonderful area, I have also had the opportunity to expand my field research skills, design and implement my own survey and boosting my confidence and enthusiasm.

Carrying out a BTEC certificate allowed me to focus on gaining further field research skills and learn about an area that I am unfamiliar with. I would recommend the 4 week BTEC to anyone who wants to gain some experience in planning their own field research. The staff on site were more than happy to help discuss ideas, provide support and assist with the surveys.

Life on camp was rather relaxed and the campsite was wonderful. Having flushing toilets and showers was a definite comfort, as well as having my own tent for some privacy. The food was vegetarian and really delicious, we ate really well and it was fun to cook for the group – the others were also keen to help out too. I felt safe on camp and during the surveys and other outings. We had a lot of fun during the trip, including trips to the local bar, games nights and fancy dress. There really was something for everyone.

The experience as a whole has been amazing. The location is perfect to experience all sorts of surveys rather than focusing just on one type. I have seen so much wildlife here and had a chance to learn about research, how to use my camera and gained more experience of planning and carrying out my own research. I feel that I have also gained more confidence and have definitely had an enthusiasm boost which I am going to apply when I get home to my PhD proposal.