S.AMERICA - recommended company?

so I am starting to plan a gap year for 2009/2010, the rough plan is as follows:

- clubbing holiday with friends
- work for 2/3 months in UK
- ski season until aprilish
- travel south america
- go to uni (place at oxford)!

in s.america I'd really travel around peru/bolivia etc. and ideally would like to do some kind of conservation perhaps rainforest or marine. Has anyone any rough ideas for companies offering things like this? And a rough budget? I really want a varied trip and wouldn't enjoy not having any freedom.

Thank you!

Reply 1

KayleeLand

If you don't enjoy not having freedom then why on earth do you want to do it with a company that is going to plan your holiday so rigid you will feel like a soldier? That is why people pay the dough!

The best thing to do is www.volunteersouthamerica.net the guy who runs it posts on TSR too!

Reply 2

CigarettesByCandlelight

i-to-i is a good volunteer company.
You can search by country or volunteer project type on there I think. Think of about £450 fo 2 weeks and then £100 to £150 per week after. Accomodation and food included.
Projects are usually only monday to friday with weekends plus one day off every 2 weeks / month for you to do what you will in. Bear in mind, though, that on a rainforest project you may be way out in the sticks and so have no real chance of doing anything / going anywhere even on your free days.
There is plenty of variety on environmental volunteer projects (you could be working in the rainforest clearing pathways one day, going out counting animals another, giving tours on another and if you're near "civilisation" so to speak, teaching the local community about the importance of being enviormentally friendly the next!), however, you would need to bear in mind that you would be there to do a job not to travel and see lots of different things.
I think you can have a lot of fun volunteering, just don't expect too much freedom or the variety you'd get from travelling round a country.
I hope you have a lovely time whatever you do.

Reply 3

PeePooQueen

I went away to volunteer in Sri Lanka through an organization called projects abroad. the placement, date and program duration is very flexible. I worked 5 days and have weekends to travel. I had a great time working with the children. the local staff are very friendly and helpful too.

hope you;ll find something good!

goodluck

Reply 4

hollo

I also recommend the volunteer south america website. I've never actually done any of the projects mentioned on it but I have been using it to look for charities I could work with during my gap year and there are a lot that seem really good and a much more cost effective method than one of the big gap year specialists.

Reply 5

lulu 007

If you go on the countries official web sites they might have links to more local businesses that offer similar packages to big international companies....
I'm also looking to go travelling in S.America. I'm looking at going through Suriname and French Guiana. I'm also finding it quite hard to find the right information...
I also recommend looking at the foreign office website as they have good advice on areas that you should avoid in countries!!!
hope this helps....

Reply 6

lulu 007

I suggest looking at the websites of the countries that you are thinking of travelling to, they may be able to give you more information about local projects and companies...
I'm also thinking of travelling in S.America( Suriname and French Guiana) however i have also found it hard finding the right information....
I also advise looking at the foreign office website as it has good details of where to travel to in certain countries and areas you should avoid...
Hope this is able to help you in some way....