Program Reviews

It’s hard to write a negative review b/c the animals, mission & support staff at Chipangali were wonderful, but the overall experience wasn’t positive. We DID NOT have a positive experience with GoEco or Chipangali & recently left a two week volunteer program half way through.

We tried to be as empathetic as possible & give Chipangali the benefit of the doubt but due to multiple people getting sick left & right, the lack of COVID protocol, repeated bullying for wearing masks, a very uncomfortable physical encounter with a member of the Chipangali family, lack of volunteer training & hospitality, constant power outages & lack of cell service, we felt trapped in a rapidly deteriorating situation. Every day another issue occurred that was unacceptable or unprofessional i.e. we were called “brats” to our faces as a general greeting, rat feces found in volunteer food, multiple animals died due to lack of appropriate shelter, despite no volunteer training mistakes are apparently your fault & questions are ridiculed, etc…

The GoEco support team is apathetic & communication is dismal. The response times are 4 days for emails & 2 days for something urgent. After our experience with them, it’s hard to believe they advocate for volunteers or have their best interests in mind. For example, GoEco never informed us of a mandatory 10 day quarantine in Zim, we had to inform them & then chase down answers for days to see if we could still get into Zim. Nor did they tell us ALL other volunteers had cancelled or were leaving early due to COVID cases at Chipangali. GoEco's preparation docs don't inform you that USD cash is useless if not printed after 2006 & ATM's and cards don't work so you're effectively trapped without money if someone can't lend you money. The most traumatic issue was after a negative physical encounter with a member of the Chipangali family, GoEco’s answer was a copy & paste “we’re sorry, we will review this…”

Since forever, my dream was to go volunteering abroad whenever I had the chance. After so much search (and afraid of covid) I ended up going with GoEco to the marine conservation centre in the Maldives.

It was the best thing I could have ever done! Unfortunately (and because of covid) it was just the staff, me and another volunteer, but we still had loads of fun, and it felt so enriching to get to know the "real" Maldives and its culture. The locals are super nice and ready to help, and working with the marine turtles was incredibly joyful! Also understanding the dangers they face out there and our environmental responsibilities made me look at the world from a different perspective. Thank you :)

I've done 3 volunteer programs with GoEco and every experience was incredible! The staff is helpful with getting you to and from the program, and are always friendly. I felt that I could contact them at any time and everything went smoothly.
My most recent experience with the Maasai Mara program was particularly special. I got involved in some real conservation data collection and stayed in the wild for three weeks. The data collection goes straight to research programs in the area and the conservancy works makes sure that the area remains clean and balanced. I saw nearly every animal present at the conservancy and enjoyed watching the interactions. This is the real wild, so be prepared to see nature in its purest form and to stay in basic accommodation. The conservancy does a great job of being respectful towards the animals. The drivers are knowledgeable and efficient. Also, the food is amazing!
Would highly recommend for a rewarding experience that helps you get ahead in your career. Plus you make life long friends from around the world!

I was placed in the project on the Caribbean side and it was such an amazing experience. I loved the fact that there was no service as it allowed me to fully immerse myself in the nature, people and work around me. I met so many incredible people from all around the world and learned all about their lives and past travels by talking to them on patrol and hatchery shifts. I was able to assist in a few hatchling releases but I unfortunately did not see any nesting turtles on patrol. However, it was still so fun and rewarding to participate in the shifts. I had to leave early and abruptly because of a medical situation, and since I knew I would not have service I gave my mom Zoe’s, Lorenzo’s and Cristina’s contact information before I left. They were extremely helpful and quickly made accommodations for me to leave and I was so thankful for that. I cannot recommend this project enough, it was truly one of my favorite adventures.

This was a life changing impact working with all of the animals. I learned so much and know that l made a difference by being here. We helped so many hurt animals and in my time there we were even able to release two of them. I would highly recommend anyone to go to moholoholo wildlife rehab center to volunteer. Everything there is amazing and the mountain view is breathtaking. Families can go, groups can go, or you can even go by yourself like l did. If you're thinking about going, do it. You won't regret it.

I had such an amazing experience working at Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage in Zimbabwe. The Go Eco & Chipangali staff were both friendly and professional. I learned a ton and got to work with and care for some amazing animals such as lions hyenas and monkeys. I got to meet friends from all over the world as well. Other highlights of the trip included going on a few safaris and traveling to see the beautiful Victoria Falls (one of the original seven natural wonders of the world!) Definitely recommend and would like to return!!

I recently traveled with GoEco to Belize on May 16,2021. I stayed for 2 Weeks and was taught how to scuba dive! I was very nervous as the open water isn’t my first Love but quickly over came my fears with the help of the master divers. If that wasn’t exciting enough we also learned about reef conservation and spear fishing invasive species! Since Lionfish have poisonous spines they took their time teaching us proper filet skills as well. I was honestly surprised and grateful at how well the people on the island took care of us. They would encourage us to practice our skills in open water over and over until we got it right. They fed us great food and we had presentations almost every night on familiarizing ourselves with fish identification and marine life we could expect to see. They take great pride in their job, timely with the dive schedule and more importantly made me feel safe out their on a small island with nothing in sight. It was such a beautiful experience and an adventure I will never forget, as I met so many amazing people with common goals and interest as myself which made it easy to get along! Will definitely join in with GoEco again. A big thanks to the teams who put this together ;) - DIANA C.

As a young female traveling to Central America by myself, I was apprehensive about making the trip. However, I have now been here for 2 weeks and have loved every minute. The people are wonderful, the food is delicious, and the dives are beautiful. Monday-Friday when we are on the island, everyone is always happy and I feel completely safe. On the weekends in Placencia, I am never alone because the volunteers hangout. This trip has truly been a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so grateful to GoEco for suggesting the Belize Private Island Marine Conservation Experience. 11/10! And I would definitely recommend this program to everyone and anyone!

I think the thing that I found most surprising about coming here, is how incredibly important the social aspect of the experience is. I think most people would have certain expectations and ideas regarding the animal caretaking and the work alone. However for me, the importance of the social atmosphere and how big of an impact that made on the total experience came as a shock. So not only can you expect interesting and rewarding work, but also the opportunity to meet friends for life. So to anyone considering or contemplating, don’t. Just do it.

I can not express enough how much I enjoyed this experience. And the people I met. Not everyone pays money to go out of their comfort zone into a foreign country and volunteer, therefore I was placed among a group of people with the same mindset. Wonderful people, I feel so fortunate to meet. And that was just the people. Working close to animals, with feeding and maintanance, I enjoyed the activities we did on the project. Also, every week we'd get a day off to travel (with some of the new buddies we've meet), and another halfday with the whole team to go somewhere they'd recommend. On project, it quickly became apparent this is one good way to travel.