The Turtles of Nusa Penida

This trip for me was 2 weeks long and consisted of a 1 week stay in Ubud (just outside the city center) and 1 week on the beautiful island of Nusa Penida.
This trip over all was amazing and beautiful. Although the orientation week wasn't really tailored to my program specifically that was the turtle conservation, it was a really cool way to see some good spots of the country. Also VERY inexpensive to live here and eat well and go lots of activities.

When in UBUD: If you're looking for down time, good food, and/or a relaxing massage then the monkey temple forest Rd. is the place to go! When staying in Ubud we got to stay in a small village just outside with a 4$ cab ride or a 20 minute walk to the city center. Here is where I had alot of fun getting to interact with locals, try some foreign cusinines and do some shopping at the market (which is huge if you're a flea market junkie).

when in NUSA PENIDA: This island is MUCH more isolated than the city of ubud. Hot water doesn't exist unless you're drinking tea so prepare yourself for that! Working with the turtles here was the best part of my trip and I don't think 1 week was enough for me! The 1 week orientation takes up alot more time of your trip than you think so take that into consideration for when you get to the actual project. This island is also beautiful! There is so many look out points and places to go that everyday there is something to do after work. The uniform of "covering shoulders and wearing pants below your knees" also doesn't apply at this program! I made the mistake of strictly packing with the guidelines. You do alot of beach clean up and going into the tanks so you get hot and wet and bathing suits, shorts and tank tops are totally acceptable.