I took part in this program in 2017.
When I was young, I dreamed of being an archaeologist and my dream came true in Perù.
We did many things in the field: measurements, excavations, cataloging, cleaning and the fatigue of work was shared with the group.
Staying in a host family gives me the opportunity to discover and meet Peruvian culture up close.
Cusco is an amazing city rich in history and monuments. During the weekends I visited Machu Picchu (of course) and I saw from there the sunrise, then Arequipa, the White City, and Lake Titicaca.
It was the first time I travelled alone on the other side of the Ocean, from Italy, and I didn't know what to expect. At the airport, PA staff welcomed me and organized a tour of the city in afternoon, in order to allow me to move on my own.

I volunteered through Projects abroad's nutrition program in Cusco. The contact with Project abroad's team in Cusco was fantastic and supportive, and the experience itself completely eye opening and thoroughly enjoyable! I spend most days in a Wawawasi, getting and idea of the typical foods and recipes used, as well as some of the challenges face by the group leaders there. We spent some time in the local markets too to become familiar with the produce available and prices. Towards the end of the placement I delivered a couple of presentations on the importance and strategies to increase the micronutrient content of the meals as part of the work to reduce childhood anaemia, and having analysed the menu at the Wawawasi provided some suggestions on portion sizes etc

I have a PhD in archaeology, and so when a one-month career break became possible I jumped at the chance to volunteer on an international project. Projects Abroad were so easy to deal with, and within a week my trip to Cusco was all booked.

A friendly volunteer coordinator met me at the airport, my host family were absolutely top notch, and the induction to getting into and around Cusco my the lead on the archaeology team was perfect. Soon I had a local sim card and phone number, and was all ready to go.

Made lots of friends, and had a life-changing experience. The archaeology in Peru is *amazing* and it was a total privilege to work with professional archaeology teams on World Heritage sites in and around the capital city of the Incan Empire.

Highly, highly recommend this programme!

Projects Abroad: Incan and Wari Archaeology is an amazing program that allows its volunteers the unique experience of experiencing both ancient and modern Peru. Participants learn all about what it takes to be an archaeologist and get to participate in real archaeological projects, including maintenance, cataloging, and excavation. The program is organized perfectly to have volunteers working throughout the week and giving them the opportunity to travel both inside and outside of Peru during the weekends. Evening are open for volunteers to explore Cusco during their free time, to explore museums, eat Peruvian food, and more. Weekly cultural events allow participants to experience Peru from a natives perspective. The staff is helpful, personable, and enjoyable to interact with.

I did the Nursing Internship in Cusco to decide whether I wanted to peruse a career in nursing or public health. Though it didn’t make my decision any easier it was still one of the most incredible experiences of my life! I felt like I gained more exposure here than I would at a health care facility in the States while feeling totally immersed in the culture. I had a wonderful host family (though I heard some complaints from others about their families. Some, however, were for cultural differences and other complaints were similar to ones you might hear from a son or daughter about their parent lol). I also felt that I had plenty of time to travel and good people to travel with. The people who work with Projects Abroad have plenty of gathering opportunities. They also host workshops based on your field, so I was able to do a suture workshop at the office! No regrets and no hesitations of doing it again!

My first experience with Projects Abroad was in 2016, when I did a high school project in Cambodia. I absolutely loved it - what a wonderful way to travel and see a country, by giving back to the local community. Travel with purpose has always been important to me, and it brings the opportunity to see more of a country than most tourists.
In June of 2018, I went to the Peru project for a month and absolutely loved every minute of it. I was dirty, sweaty, covered in monkey poo, mosquito bites and bamboo splinters, the showers were cold and tarantulas crawled up the outside of my bathroom fly screen - and yet there was no where else I'd have rather been. It definitely pushed my comfort zone and yet there was just something so magical about the forest. I learnt so much and saw so many beautiful things - I want to go back!

I joined the High School Special project in Peru for 2 weeks on the archaeology project and I loved it. It was only two weeks and I definitely should have stayed longer! It's such an amazing location and as a history geek, it was an amazing experience. Projects Abroad organised a trip to Machu Picchu as well, which I can recommend to anyone (it's a must see in Peru). My coordinator was so friendly and he really looked after us, and Dan on the Archaeology project is a brilliant teacher.
I then flew for one week to the Conservation project... again, I should have stayed longer and I would go back in a heartbeat if I could. That project was one of the best things I have ever done; living in the Amazon rainforest, surrounded by nature and helping protect one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet is an unforgettable experience. The staff here are great (special mention to Elvira who is so kind) and so passionate about what they do. You get a perfect mix of looking after rescued wildlife and conservation activities, so anyone who is passionate about animals should definitely join this project.
I can't recommend Projects Abroad enough!

Before I left to Peru I was quite nervous as I had never been so far away alone and really didn’t know what to expect from the project. I can now say it was one of the best things I have ever done and I’m happy that I took the plunge and really thankful for the way it worked out and the impact it had on me. I was teaching in a small school in a very poor area of Cusco. It was really hard work as the kids are quite behind in their learning and classroom discipline was scarce. However I really put my mind to trying to help them and help the teachers with their tough job. The reward was immense. The kindness and love from the children really struck me and they were so appreciative of my help. The staff in the Projects Abroad office in Cusco are so kind and helpful and genuinely nice people so that made being so far away from home a lot easier. Also it was great to get to know other volunteers and socialize with them as you are all sharing a unique experience. For me the experience was a perfect mix of voluntary work, traveling and socializing and I would really recommend it to someone looking for a unique gap year experience also in such a lovely, interesting country.