Volunteer in a Bear Sanctuary in Romania

A hands on experience working at the bear sanctuary including bear food prep & any other basic manual jobs that need to be done.
Be prepared to get mucky & just embrace it all.
You have privileged access to all areas in the sanctuary, that paying visitors dont get to see, enabling plenty of time to watch the bears doing bear things, which is so rewarding.
The bears' stories are so sad so it is such a pleasure to see them enjoying their new lives doing bear things amongst trees, grass & pools

If you have an interest in Bear’s this is one of the most amazing trips you will go on in Romania. You get to meet over 100 bears & work with them. You will also get to meet other animals there as well. You will stay in the beautiful town of Brasov where there is so much sightseeing you can do & so many different places to visit.
It is a very beautiful & amazing place to visit. Oyster worldwide were an amazing company to go with as they support you right from the very moment you book, they can organise your flights as well as lots of other things. They are there for you throughout your trip & support you on your return home. The one thing I would say is just go with an open mind & don’t put any expectations on the trip, just go with & have the most amazing adventure of a lifetime.

I really enjoyed my experience with Oyster Worldwide. I'd never booked a volunteering project on my own, so I was grateful at how friendly, welcoming and helpful the team were. They were regularly in contact and redirected me to someone who could help with booking flights when I was struggling to find a good one. I booked for a week at an animal sanctuary and thoroughly enjoyed my time there. Oyster provided airport transfers, which made the whole thing a lot less scary! I'd never been to the country before or travelled alone, so this was very reassuring.

When I arrived at my accommodation, a guide was there to greet me. He had also brought me a welcome meal, which I greatly appreciated as it was really late by the time I'd arrived, meaning there was no time for me to do any shopping. Essentials were provided in the apartment. These included: washing up liquid, toilet roll, hand wash, towels and washing powder. I thought that this was an unexpected but nice touch, as I ideally didn't want to waste money on buying these things if I was only there for a week. The accommodation was really safe, quiet and comfortable. A few other volunteers shared with me, which was nice for the social aspect. I was also given the opportunity to go visit some iconic places whilst I was there, one of which transport was provided by Oyster.

After the weekend, I began my experience at the sanctuary. Oyster arranged for a driver to pick us up and bring us back to the accommodation every day. We started work at 9am and finished around half 2 in the afternoon. One volunteer would be in charge of a phone given to us by the guide, which he used to stay in contact with us whilst we were at the sanctuary. If there was ever a problem, the guide sorted it out immediately.

Whilst I would've liked to spend more time at the sanctuary, what work we did do was rewarding and fun. The sanctuary allowed us to embark on the feeding tour too, which was amazing. We got to see a lot of what the tourists didn't, which felt special and worth every penny. My only regret is that I didn't stay longer!

I volunteered at the brown bear sanctuary in Romania for a week in May 2019. The sanctuary is set in an amazing rural location in the mountains and has a welcoming dog brigade. I was impressed with the conditions provided at the sanctuary. My most memorable highlight of the project was observing the pleasure on the bears faces as they enjoyed taking a therapeutic dip in the water.
Most of the volunteer work involves food preparation and it can be monotonous at times but it can also be fun and it is important to the bears since bears need a lot of food.
We were able to observe the bear feeding process on the last day and it was an amazing experience to watch the bears come out of the forest for the food and to see the bears enjoying the food we have prepared.
Brasov is a lovely town in a central location and the standard of accommodation provided by the project was excellent.

Getting to work with the bear sanctuary in Romania is an amazing trip that I would recommend to anyone with an interest in bears.
From start to finish this trip felt relaxed, manageable and worthwhile. I had an amazing time, made friends and came home with some incredible memories.
Oyster Worldwide were a huge part of my positive experience, I would 100% recommend them to anyone interested in volunteering abroad!

If you love animals and want to spend hours in close proximity to beautiful bears and amazing scenery then this project is perfect for you. The team at oyster are extremely helpful and accommodating making the experience the best it could have possibly been. The accommodation is amazing as it is right in the town close to so many restaurants, tourist spots and facilities. And getting to work in the sanctuary itself was a privilege.

I spent 2 weeks working at the Libearty Bear Sanctuary in Romania and this was by far the best experience I've ever had and it exceeded my expectations in many ways.

The booking process was easy and the payments are broken down into smaller chunks. Anne is always available to answer questions and help get you prepared. I was impressed with how smooth and stress free booking with Oyster was and they provide all the info you need before you go.

On arrival in Brasov, despite being delayed by traffic, Razvan (the Romanian rep) took us out for a welcome meal where we met the other volunteers. I was in a central hotel as the apartment was full but it was comfy and clean and only 5 mins round the corner. I was very well supported from the beginning to the end of my stay. Brasov is a gorgeous place to live and is filled with good food and friendly people.

Working at the sanctuary surrounded by the bears and doggy friends in such a tranquil and beautiful setting was, for me, an absolute honour and I would go back there tomorrow if I could. If you get stuck in and help with the work, the rewards are incredible. We got to ride along with the staff during feeding time and watch the bears enjoy the food we had prepared for them, It was amazing to see them freed from their previously hellish conditions and simply enjoying themselves in the trees and ponds.

I would recommend this project to anyone who loves bears or wants to make a genuine difference. You will be well looked after and make some great new friends along the way.

I truly could not recommend this trip enough.
The pre-trip organisation was excellent, and I went to Romania feeling very prepared. Upon arrival, I was met by Razvan - Oyster's Romanian representative, and shown around the accommodation, which was very modern and really lovely!
Spending time at the sanctuary was a dream come true. You can really tell that your money is being spent somewhere worthwhile, and that the work that you are doing there is really making a difference.

As I said before, I couldn't recommend this trip enough.
Excellently organised, and I felt that I had experienced a lot of the local area and culture through the organised castle trips.