Program Reviews

I stayed 3weeks on Isabella volunteering in the tortoise centre.
Volunteering and visiting the Galapagos Islands were both on my bucket list so not only a lifetime achievement for me but I'm happy to say I loved every minute of it.
Mornings are spent at the tortoise centre - learning and working (not too hard!). Although because my Spanish was very limited, it was a struggle for me to understand all that was being said.
Afternoons, evenings, and weekends are free to do what you want. Lots of times to explore the local area, on foot or cycle; and lots of time to tick off those must see sights. Also an opportunity to meet new people from all over the world.
I stayed in the volunteer house so lunch and dinner was provided in a wide choice of local restaurants. Cooking facilities are available in the house for breakfast. Room was ensuite.
IOI staff are always on hand to help with any problems, or to answer any questions.
Although it wasn't cheap, what price can you put on a once in a lifetime experience.

I had an absolute blast volunteering for 3 weeks at the Tortoise Breeding Center on Isabela! I spent the mornings at the center doing a variety of tasks such as feeding the tortoises, maintaining their enclosures, landscape work on the grounds and even painting informational signs. Since I had free time every afternoon and on weekends, there was more than enough time to partake in the popular tours based on the island as well as enjoying Puerto Villamil town itself. I would recommend staying with a host family as they will help you really get to experience the island and they are all amazing people. I enjoyed my time volunteering so much that I extended my stay a week (thanks to the quick help of the lovely IOI team) -- if you are wondering how long you should stay, go for as long as you possibly can, you won't regret it!

I loved everything! The experience was so amazing from the start and I would absolutely recommend to anyone considering. The staff were really helpful in getting me there and helping to get me settled, and were very accessible the whole time I was there. The food was incredible and a great way to experience local Ecuadorian cuisine. (Definitely try an empanada!) The town and the people are so awesome, the beach is amazing, and the adventures are endless. I wish I could've stayed longer! Bring bug spray!

The work was tough but the experience was fantastic. If you want to get to know as much as possible about organic coffee growing, Walter will spent time with you and tell you everything he knows. It's essential to speak some Spanish to make the most of this opportunity. You will get involved in lots of manual labour but if you are outgoing and inquisitive, you'll really enjoy this experience. I'd certainly say that you need to like dogs as there are three rather exuberant ones which can be a little daunting at first. It really was an insight into how tough it is to be an organic coffee farmer and what life is like on the farm. I loved every minute of it!

I spent one week in the Turtle Nest Monitoring team and one week in the Ecotourisn Team. For me it was a perfect mix of both activities. I felt very welcomed from the first second on, I was blessed with a wonderful caring family and I don’t want to miss this great time on Isabela Island. You can feel and see that IOI really cares about nature and the community, to be a part of this was a great experience. The mix of working, spending the time with your family, have time to explore nature by yourself or with other volunteers was so much fun and overwhelming. I hope I can stay in contact with many of them. Even if I immediately learned that my Spanish was very rusted, I am more than happy I have chosen to stay with a local family - people and so caring, openminded, friendly and thankful! There are so many things you can do - from snorkeling to biking, diving, hiking…. You will love this beautiful landscape.

I spent two weeks with IOI in The Galapagos on Isabela Island. I would do it again and I wish I would have stayed longer!

Positives:
*Pre-departure Communication
*On-site Volunteer Coordinators
*Responsiveness
*Accommodations
*Food
*Free time

Learning:
*Learning was lacking and I wasn't sure exactly what and how I was contributing for the Sea Turtle Nesting program. There was not a great deal of time explaining Who, Where, What, When and Why. It would have been nice to have met the person who was in charge of the Sea Turtle Program and what their objective was (other than the obvious of saving sea turtles).
The Galapagos Program was a little more informative as we were interacting with the Parque Nacional employees who were knowledgeable.

I spent 3 weeks on the Tortoise Breeding Centre programme ran by IOI a few weeks ago. The experience was amazing. It was so much fun working with the Giant Tortoises everyday, you really got to know some of them and learn their characters. The working day was 8am - 12 which meant we had the entire afternoon to snorkel, relax on the beach, surf or just stroll around. I have to mention the accomodation is beautiful too :)
All in all I would throughly recommend this programme. I booked through Working Aborad and they were also amazing. I will definitely be back.

My wife and I stayed in Cocodrilo with Nene for two weeks in March 2020. The program was well run and Nene was a great host. The chef, Marie, was a fantastic cook/personality. We felt very welcome throughout our stay and ate very well! Mornings were spent helping Nene perform various conservation activities - lots of snorkelling. Most beaches were accessed by bicycle so we ended up pretty fit by the end of the program. We also spent a few days collecting seeds in the forrest and planted them on the beach. Afternoons we spent relaxing and interacting with the local community. It was amazing to spend time living as a local and helping the community where we could.

Once-in-a-lifetime experience working at the Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre on Isabela Island. IOI put us under the care of the Galapagos National Park, and we worked for 6 weeks at the centre. It was a far cry from our usual jobs in the city, and felt a little bit like being a zoo keeper; feeding the tortoises, clearing the enclosures, cleaning the ponds, supporting park staff with daily tasks and more.

What a privilege to contribute to the conservation of these endangered species - every day we felt like our work was valuable, and I loved sharing my newly-acquired tortoise knowledge with visitors to the park.

We were close to nature the whole time, seeing flamingos, marine iguanas and mangroves on our walk to and from work, then working every morning next to the giant tortoises. In the afternoons we were free to enjoy Isabela island, from hiking the volcano to surfing the beaches and snorkelling offshore. Highly recommended.

Not really sure the impact my 3 weeks in the turtle walk program made and feel like I could have stayed in the Galapagos for less money, but without hesitation I give this program a 10/10 and highly recommend to anyone wanting to be more than just a tourist. Walking a beautiful beach every morning / afternoon with purpose is a wonderful feeling. With IOI you are instantly plugged into a local and volunteer community and can see first hand the value of all the different programs, which are efforts I gladly support. I deeply miss the splendor of this island and applaud the efforts of IOI!