The Great Projects Recenzje 

Last April my two daughters and I spent 12 days volunteering at Samboja Lestari.
All three of us enjoyed it very much. It was a lovely combination of being on holiday, whilst at the same time doing something meaningful.
The BOS Foundation does an amazing job for the orangutans, most of whom have had a rather unfortunate start in life. By volunteering through The Great Projects Programme we could temporarily lend a hand.
Furthermore we had a nice group, comfy rooms and lovely food. In short: recommend!

I completed two weeks at Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Sanctuary. This has been a lifelong dream of mine, a bucket list item, which was finally getting ticked off. My travel consultant was amazing, always available to answer any questions no matter how large or small. My team leaders at the sanctuary were welcoming and guided us every step of the way. Staff at the sanctuary itself were so grateful for the help and resources we provided on a daily basis. There were so many highlights from my two weeks it's hard to pinpoint. Seeing orangutan on the pre release islands was definitely a highlight, I could have went home after that 🦧

I organised this trip for my mom (75 years old) and my son (16 years old). I think she was the oldest person there, and my son, the youngest. They have both said it was such an amazing experience for them. I cannot recommend this experience enough. My son learned so much about the wildlife and really enjoyed helping out feeding the animals. Even my mom found this hands on experience amazing even at her age. They found the staff incredibly friendly and helpful. It was very well organised. This experience will forever remain in their memories. Thank you!

OMG, where to start with my time in the orangutan sanctuary, and Mulu. Matang was wonderful. Dom and the team are so passionate about the work they do in rehabilitation supporting all the animals, and sharing the challenges they face with us by giving us an honest insight was incredibly humbling as well as informative. The orangutans have always been a fascination of mine especially on a mental plane as their DNA is so similar to humans. Watching these incredible great apes communicate, and learning more about their habitat was so interesting, as well as all the other wildlife looked after at Matang and I came to develop a special affection for the sunbears too. And then there was Mulu, a mystical magical place that totally captivated me. The caves are spectacular and need to be seen to be believed so awe inspiring is the landscape. Nelson, my guide was patient and generous with his time and knowledge, and the bat exodus was the icing on the cake, the bats were dancing for us for almost 15 minutes. Memories to be shared and never forgotten, this has been a truly special experience.

Had an amazing experience at the Kosgoda Sea Turtles Conservation Project in Sri Lanka. The team, led by Dudley Perrera, do an outstanding job in conserving sea turtles for future generations, but also go to great lengths to ensure that the volunteers have an amazing experience. Hot work in the sun is rewarding by daily sunset releases of one-day old hatchlings 😄

I spended one month in Africa volunteering with whale sharks and I had an amazing time! Would definitely recommend anyone to join some of projects if you get the chance too! I had some questions before booking my stay there and I got really good answers and service all the way through! The team from the great projects were so kind and fast at answering and I got a lot of useful help. My stay in Africa was also amazing! It was even more amazing than I could had imagined before arriving! We swam with the whale sharks and learned so much about them. The people at the place were so nice and kind. Everything was really good quality and we enjoyed our stay so much! I’m already interested in joining more of the great projects and I would definitely recommend to others!

My two weeks stay as a volunteer at Shamwari was absolutely fantastic and hands down one of the best experiences I have ever had in my life. Not my first trip to South Africa, but my first ever safari adventure and as a passionate lover of wildlife, seeing close up the big cats, rhino, elephant and the many wonderful species found there was truly amazing. The rangers at Shamwari were so friendly, great fun and knowledgeable. We learned a huge amount about the reserve and the animals which live there, we saw the vets in action and were lucky to have so many opportunities to watch and learn. Highlights for me were coming upon two male lions and watching at close range as they sauntered off in front our jeep, finding the cheetahs after searching fir a while, and watching the vets at work with elephant and black rhino. I also loved working with the rangers, clearing vegetation and participating in the vulture health clinic, quite something! This trip was an immersion in the beauty of South Africa and its wildlife and I will be back.
Our lodge was very comfortable and food delicious. Everyone so friendly and kind. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to anyone, young or old. You will have an experience that you will cherish all your life.

Seeing the wildlife up close was amazing. Interesting people of all ages and nationalities. You are put in mixed age teams for getting jobs done, which helps with mixing and socialising. A different holiday- I haven’t done a volunteer holiday before- but I definitely would again.

My wife and I spent 3 weeks on SanWild and had an amazing experience. From the word go we were immersed in the day to day running of the sanctuary, and were literally hands on with food preparation and distribution, cleaning and repair/maintenance tasks on the reserve. On top of that we assisted with the treatment of an injured rhino and on three occasions with the moving of lions into enclosures and associated medical treatment. Before we came we didn't necessarily expect to be cleaning wounds on a rhino's back or rubbing ointment into a (tranquillised!) lion's eyes, but that's what we did! Our other work was varied - we assisted with the release of one serval into the wild, cut back fallen trees that were blocking paths and repaired damage to enclosures, water pumps etc caused by elephant damage. And there was always time for informal game drives to witness the amazing wildlife on site. It was clear that the sanctuary staff have to react on a day to day basis to the urgent tasks that need addressed. That meant that concrete plans for the following day weren't always possible and some days felt like we could have done more than we did - for example lower priority work on the reserve such as clearing paths or repairing fence damage etc. We found this to be a little frustrating, but we understood the pressures that drove this. The staff were all very knowledgeable and supportive and gave us experiences that we'll never forget. I'd recommend SanWild for anyone who wants to experience first hand how a wild animal sanctuary runs and is prepared to get their hands dirty and get involved. You will see and contribute to the incredible work that is done to give these poor animals a new home, and with luck, experience some of them being released back into the wild.

I have had the most amazing time away. Dudley, family and staff were really accommodating and helpful. They wanted any volunteers to be kept safe and feel like they are part of the family. Certain things where good to know for example the safety at night time. As it’s a remote area to be sensible and also that the waves are strong so no swimming at the kosgoda beach. Bentota is like 15 mins on a Tuk Tuk and Dudley can provide with a number of his friend a sensible driver for good prices. There is also a supermarket like 10 mins the opposite direction by Tuk Tuk as it’s not safe to walk on ur own on the main road. Bentota has an incredible river safari and local beach where you can swim, surf and get food. Dudley / his family can offer u tours with there driver to elephant safaris, whale watching, train ride to Ella or anything if u ask patmier in the office. She can help you. With me being fussy with food the family were really helpful to cook foods I will eat and even offered us cooking classes after request! Kande the worker there patromdi there daughter, Dudley and his wife prastasta made every moment special and helped me make the very most of every day of my experience. Whether that be baby releasing, burying eggs, tank cleaning, feeding or watching mother turtles on the beach. I got to teach the cutest children English and climb little Adam’s peak There are friendly stray dogs everywhere that the local restaurants generally feed. So head to the shops and feed these lovely wild dogs if they are friendly to do so. What a fab time x

This is truly an experience of a lifetime. If you have a love for animals and volunteering, this is the perfect match.
This is a quality organization who really cares about their employees, their volunteers and the animals. I encourage you to go, experience, learn and love. You will have no regrets.

Just getting our breath back from having had this amazing experience. Thanks to The Great Projects for affording us this opportunity and for making the whole process and experience easy throughout. Spending time in the company of these amazing animals is a privilege not to be taken lightly and for which will always be grateful. The project is a raw, emotional and physical challenge but worth it for every minute. Contributing to the care and development, preparing food and providing enrichment to the Orangutan and working on infrastructure projects is so rewarding when you get to see what a difference it can make to both the ones who will ultimately reach release to the wild through the hard work of the BOSF, its workers and the volunteers, but also to the unfortunate ones who will not make it that far but are ad will be looked after and loved at Nyaru Menteng. The bond with each Orangutan grows quickly when you spend time around them and particularly when you get to know their back stories, some of which are very sad indeed. Their personalities are incredible to witness. The people around you can make such a difference to any experience. We went as a couple and were so fortunate to have been paired for this experience with a wonderful multi national team of 6 other volunteers who worked hard for each other, laughed together, ate together and grew close over the weeks. I think that it is fair to say that we had a blast and have all made new life friends. Lastly, but certainly not least, throughout our time we were looked after and led by Cess, our project leader and Melda our BOSf team member who made the experience what it was for us all and made Orangutan Warriors of us all! Thanks so much to you both and to Borneo, its chaos and its lovely people x

Oh my goodness! What a trip! Keep pinching myself thinking I dreamt it! From the amazing hosting from Justin and Monica to the experiences on the reserve (cheetah sporting, zebra relocation, bush walk, working with school children ) and then to be able to go and discover more of the area on the weekend. The accommodation was lovely and the ladies who work there true rays of sunshine! Cannot stop recommending it to friends and family! Will defo be doing another experience with these guys!

I did the sambojia lestira orangutan project and it was an Absolutely incredible experience! It was everything I was hoping for and more. The organisation of the program from the staff is fantastic! The activities are well thought out and days off are well timed and include amazing sightseeing. The lodge is a beautiful place to wake up every day and listening to the sounds of the jungle is something else. The food was amazing and well catered for every diet.

Exceptional project - a totally amazing team of Coordinators who are so dedicated to conservation. Saw the Big Five and more. Helped in an orphanage which was a privilege. The group I was with were all like minded so everyone got on. I would recommend everyone to work in Shamwari!!

I had the best time volunteering for The Great Orangutan Project at the Matang Wildlife Centre in Borneo. I felt very privileged to be able to experience caring for the animals and be so close to them, it’s something that will stay with me forever. It’s hard work but very rewarding. The staff at the centre were great too, you could see how much they loved the animals in their care. In addition to the volunteering work, we trekked through the jungle to a waterfall, did a nightwalk and visited Semenggoh Wildlife Centre to see more semi wild orangutans. We were very well looked after, the week was really well organised - thanks Em! I met some great people too, it was really fun staying in the jungle lodges and bonding with like minded people. I would absolutely recommend booking this project, you won’t regret it!

Having never volunteered before of all the companies available I settled on The Great Projects, and I’m glad I did. From my first enquiry Mags was extremely helpful with my questions. What is advertised is exactly what I got, really good value too.

Being hands on in a wildlife sanctuary is a chance of a lifetime from walking with cheetahs, feeding meerkats, playing with baby baboons to project maintenance. No two days are the same. The food is plentiful and healthy with vegan and vegetarian options available.

An array of nationalities and ages ranging from 17-70!

I would definitely recommend doing this trip through The Great Projects

It was an adventure and a challenge, we are proud and happy that we did it. The accommodations are simple, but you have everything you need. We had to go beyond our comfort zone, especially because of the humidity, but you can manage it well for 2 weeks. Time flew by because variety of different activities, enough breaks, e.g. after lunch, before we continued. But do not be afraid, the effort you spend is up to you and your condition, no one is forced to go beyond borders. The other activities such as a boat tour, night market, trip to Palankaraya, rainforest tour with guide and hilltop track were interesting and fun. The two volunteer coordinators Cess and Melda were great, warm-hearted and they had an eagle eye on our safety. They had a lot of information about the orangutans. We were a great group and grew together after two weeks. We will never forget the encounters with the wonderful orangutans. We had many opportunities to get closer to them (without touching). And we are so impressed by the team of BOSF in Nyaru Menteng, they are doing such a great job. The whole organization with Great Projects went smooth.

It was all amazing; well maybe not the mozzies. Lauren was really helpful when I was booking, Cess and Oyo looked after us all week. My favourite was seeing Bumi the orangutan pop out from forest school to watch us paint their jungle gym. Also, seeing the Orangutans on the pre release islands, while we were waiting for our second covid test. Making and giving the enchrichmeant activities was very rewarding. The hill top walk was hot but the views were worth it. I can't wait to go back and see how the man made islands are developing. Thank you all for an experince of a life time.

All in all this was a great trip. The gorilla trekking was definitely the highlight but we also had a great time on the game drive and the chimpanzee habituation. I felt that the level of volunteering was a bit of a token effort and would have liked to of spent more time doing this. The days spent volunteering could have started much earlier and finished later with less free time. I feel that the Potters Village visit should be removed from the itinerary as we were not even allowed to walk around but understand that this is a recent change. We requested to stay at the lake where we did the conservation/tree planting and this was an excellent addition to the trip but again the tree planting was a token effort and I felt we could of done a lot more to help. Peter and Denis our guides were absolutely amazing and I couldn’t fault them. They adapted the itinerary to suit our requests and allowed us to go back to the school a second time to do more painting in our free time. I would 100% recommend this trip as an excellent insight into life in Uganda and I would definitely look at another trip with The Great Projects.