Program Reviews

Guatemala 2019 was my first expedition with Animal Experience International. Even though I had been considering an expedition for nearly two years, I could not quite make up my mind which expedition to do. When Nora told me about the Guatemala expedition, I signed up right away. Nora and her team at AEI made the whole process easy and anxiety free – from assistance with flights, to advising on the gear to bring. She was always available to answer my questions, no matter how simple they were. In my moments of self-doubt, she cheered me on and gave me the confidence to persevere. Nora is part leader, part travel agent, part therapist and full time lovely person! Even though I tried not to have any expectations for the trip, what I really wanted to do was vacation with purpose. And that is exactly what I did! During the expedition, I was particularly impressed with the dedication of the staff at the wildlife sanctuary in Guatemala and the success that they have had in rehabilitating wild animals, most of whom were confiscated from the black market trade. The staff made the volunteers feel welcome, provided training in animal care and animal behaviour, answered our many questions and were genuinely thankful for the work that we did. The success of this volunteer placement is also an attestation to the diligence of AEI. Nora and her team carefully and methodically investigate each volunteer experience before partnering with them to place volunteers. They are committed to making every volunteer placement a safe and happy one! In the end, I came home inspired by courageous people who persevere day after day and take joy in every howler monkey, toucan and anteater saved and returned to the wild. I am ready to sign up for my next AEI adventure!

This project exceeded my expectations. I could not believe the amount of hands-on experience from the very first moment I got there. I went with zero experience and left with the helpful knowledge to volunteer with confidence in other places. I highly recommend this project for any new or experienced volunteer who loves animals and wants to be part of making a difference. Thank you AEI for making this valuable experience possible for me.

I discovered AEI a couple years ago while doing research in preparation for my year abroad. I am a massive animal lover, and am extremely passionate about ecotourism, therefor when I came across this incredible organization it almost felt too good to be true. After speaking with Heather, I decided on 3 months in Australia working with sea turtles and 3 months in Thailand working with the Elephants and Wildlife. AEI was INCREDIBLY helpful in all aspects of planning. I had never traveled abroad alone before so I was quite nervous to be planning this massive trip. This 6 month adventure turned in to me spending 2 years abroad, and visiting more than 18 countries! I had no idea that this trip would change my life in the way it did.

This rescue center is truly one of a kind. The treatment of the animals, the diversity of the species, the hands on work with the elephants, and the incredible friends you make is an experience like none other. I was lucky enough that as a long term volunteer I was able to attend an elephant rescue, and witness with my own eyes taking her out of her life of torture and settling into her new free home. It was without a doubt the most breathtaking experience I have ever witnessed. I was lucky enough to be asked to return as a Tour and Educational guide where I lived there for another year, watching many amazing animals be rescued and I was able to education people on the horrors these animals face on a daily basis.

None of this would have been possible without the immense support of Heather and Nora, and I can not thank them enough for the life changing opportunities they have provided me with!!

I discovered AEI a couple years ago while doing research in preparation for my year abroad. I am a massive animal lover, and am extremely passionate about ecotourism, therefor when I came across this incredible organization it almost felt too good to be true. After speaking with Heather, I decided on 3 months in Australia working with sea turtles and 3 months in Thailand working with the Elephants and Wildlife. I had no idea that this trip would change my life in the way it did. The people in Australia quickly became my family. Spending 5 days a week on the island with the turtles and being able to just walking into the water onto the Great Barrier Reef is something that only dreams are made of. To this day, the people there are some of my closest most cherished friendships I have ever made. Leaving Cairns was one of the hardest things i've ever done, so hard in fact that after my 3 months in Thailand I actually went back to visit and stay with the owner of the rehabilitation centre for another couple weeks!

None of this would have been possible without the immense support of Heather and Nora, and I can not thank them enough for the life changing opportunities they have provided me with!!

Animal Experience International is such an amazing organization who helped me make my dream of going to Australia come true! Nora and Heather are extremely easy to get in contact with and are always there to help in any way! The application process was easy and once accepted it gets even easier! They worked to make sure that my trip was everything I expected it to be! I cannot thank them enough for making what I thought was going to be a hard process extremely easy! Can't wait to plan my next trip with AEI!!

Galgos in Spain was a life changing experience.
Of course travelling alone was scary at first and I did experience homesickness the first couple days. However, Nora (staff of AEI) and Charlotte (Founder of 112 Carlota Galgos) were both so helpful during this time and made me feel more comfortable and able to enjoy myself.
Charlotte is an incredible person who has dedicated her life to helping these galgos which was incredibly inspiring to see and be able to be a part of.
The entire experience was amazing and getting to spend all this time with dogs was a dream, They are incredibly gentle which was amazing, after all they have been through.
I couldn't have imagined this experience being any better and it has made an impact on me that will last a life time. I strongly encourage any dog lovers to go on this adventure, you will not regret it!

My son and I did this program together for 1 week. I found the hostel that was recommended by the Turtle Center to be absolutely wonderful! There is a 45 min ferry ride over to the island each morning and evening, but the boat is large and steady. We spent most all of our time at the center preparing food, feeding, and cleaning turtle pools. Although it is hot in the summer, the entire area is shaded and the center employees were all very easy to get along with. We got to know each of the animals during our brief tenure; there were 6 when we arrived and a 7th came during our stay. Each afternoon there was time left to do something on the island before the evening ferry came to take us back to Cairns, wear proper shoes and do the hike to the top of Fitzroy!

I visited Kanyana Rehab Center through the organization Animal Experience International. I had a wonderful time and would highly recommend this trip and organization to anyone looking to work with animals overseas. Although this program is geared toward vet students, it can be beneficial to anyone looking to work with animals. I have an MA in animal behavior and was hoping to test out my ability to apply enrichment and behavioral psychology to a rehab settings. Through AEI I was able to travel abroad, get work experience, and work with exotic animals. I was even able to see my own ideas be put into practice. Because working with animals abroad is so popular, there are lot of scams and non welfare friendly vacation options out there. AEI is 100% reputable and I would recommend it to anyone looking to increase their work experience (and life experience). AEI is very professional and will take care of you every step of the way!

Planning a trip with Animal Experience International was fantastic. Basically I picked my preferred experience & travel dates, and they arranged nearly everything. In terms of what I needed to do, they gave me clear instructions to pack & prepare. They made it so easy.

When I had a tragedy at home (the illness & loss of my dog) and thought I needed to cancel the trip, they were extremely compassionate and supportive. They encouraged me to reschedule at a later date, without penalty, and I'm so glad I did!

While I was at ARCAS, I met other volunteers who had arranged their trip with different agencies. Most of them had paid more and gotten less out of it! I really felt that AEI was my guide and backup, and invested in making sure I had the best possible experience. I highly recommend them.

ARCAS itself was everything I had hoped and expected - as I had been well-prepped by AEI. I was working closely with the animals every day: cleaning their cages, preparing their meals, and observing their behaviour. As a vet, I had several opportunities to help out the veterinary staff as well. I learned how to handle the parrots, and a lot about how rehabilitation works. I am amazed at what they are able to achieve there.

I also highly recommend the 2-day trip to Tikal. Beautiful and awe-inspiring!

AEI is a wonderful company that runs amazing volunteer programs! I went on the Kenya 10-day group expedition and had an awesome time. Everyday was like a safari, driving around Soysambu Conservancy seeing all of the animals (zebras, giraffes, and so many more!). We truly made a difference in our de-snaring efforts, monitoring giraffes, and monitoring birds. We were very comfortable during our stay on the site and even had all of our meals cooked for us - we were well cared for! There were even some surprise experiences that were completely unforgettable, like sleeping in a treehouse, going on a night safari to find lions, and visiting the Elephant Orphanage and Giraffe Centre in Nairobi. We had a great balance of volunteering to help animals and wildlife, while exploring the natural beauty of Kenya. I'll remember this trip for the rest of my life, and I'm already looking on AEI's website to see where I can volunteer next! If you'd like to check out my full review with tons of photos, check out my blog: http://justinpluslauren.com/volunteering-in-kenya-for-anima…