Mexico Marine Awareness Experience
Earn your PADI stripes and discover the world of marine conservation in Mexico
Our Impact
Location
Volunteer In Puerto Morelos Community
Program Information
- Overview
- Enquire Now
- What's It like?
- Flights
- Live Updates
- Meet The Team
- Your Impact
- Cultural Immersion
- Our Ethics
- Parent Info
- Teacher Info
- Support & Safety
- Why Choose GVI?
- What's Included?
Overview
OverviewGVI has been operating in the area for over 12 years and is well respected and valued by our local partners. In the region, GVI is involved in marine conservation, providing critical marine research data to our local partners Amigos de Sian Ka’an and the national parks agency CONANP. GVI routinely train divers through all levels of the PADI system who then spend their time in the field monitoring a portion of the spectacular Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, focussing on fish and coral surveys and reef mapping. In Playa del Carmen GVI works alongside Save the Children, Quintana Roo Mexico, contributing to community development initiatives while focussing on childcare, teaching English, arts and crafts,
GVI routinely train divers through all levels of the PADI system who then spend their time in the field monitoring a portion of the spectacular Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, focussing on fish and coral surveys and reef mapping. In Playa del Carmen GVI works alongside Save the Children, Quintana Roo Mexico, contributing to community development initiatives while focussing on childcare, teaching English, arts and crafts, healthcare and animal rescue.
Project Aims and Objectives
GVI’s long-term involvement, capacity building and commitment to our projects, ensure that the service elements of your students’ trips are contributing to long-term sustainable projects helping to achieve our partners’ objectives. These local partnerships along with stakeholder discussions drive the service elements of our trips to ensure they are fully focussed on the most prevalent issues and produce the results required locally.
As a group, students will get a taste of the issues surrounding marine conservation and multiple resource use of this beautiful region, whilst experiencing life on the Riviera Maya. Students will be exposed to various underwater environments while learning or improving their snorkelling skills. As their skills and understanding improve, there will be time to reflect on what they have learnt and achieved and finally a fun side trip to round off the experience
Highlights
Scuba diving in the Caribbean Sea, immersing yourself in a truly remote tropical paradise, one of the world’s only remaining truly pristine environments; living in a beautiful part of a different country, with the opportunity to experience a new culture, food and way of life; learning about the Mesoamerican coral reef and how to identify the wildlife it supports.
Location
Our projects in Mexico are located south of Cancun on the Yucatán peninsula, close to the beautiful resort towns of Playa del Carmen and Tulum. The peninsula comprises the Mexican states of Yucatán, Campeche, and Quintana Roo; the northern part of the nation of Belize; and Guatemala's northern El Petén Department.
Pez Maya's short, mid, and long-term objectives:
All of our programs have short, mid and long-term objectives that fit with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This enables us to report on our collaborative impact across the world in a streamlined manner, measuring which UN SDGs we are making a substantial contribution to. Furthermore, this will help our local partners and communities measure and visualize their contribution to the UN SDGs.
Upon arrival to base, you will be educated about the history of the UN SDGs. You will learn about the specific goals of your location, the long-, mid- and short-term objectives, and also clarification of how your personal, shorter-term involvement contributes to these goals on a global level.
Our aim is to educate you on local and global issues, so that you continue to act as active global citizens after your program, helping to fulfill our mission of building a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference.
Learn about the long-term objectives you will be contributing to in Pez Maya:
1. Provide data to our partners on the overall health of the reef, to be used for coastal management within the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, and to have a better understanding of the Mesoamerican barrier reef system.
2. Raise environmental awareness within the reserve.
3. Minimise the environmental impact that Pez Maya visitors and other people have within the reserve.
4. Increase in-country capacity within our partners and community members in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve
Program Details
Enquiry Form
What's It like?
If you’d like to find out what the experience of joining a GVI project is really like, simply contact us and we’ll put you in touch with one of our many Alumni.
We’ll try to match you to an Alum based on your location, nationality, age, stage of academic career, gender, and program interests. This allows you to gain insights into the experience that is most relevant to you.
Depending on your location you might be able to speak to an Alum over the phone or online, or meet up with them face-to-face at a coffee shop nearby. We also run a series of small events around the world where you can speak to GVI Alumni, Ambassadors and staff members.
Flights
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Live Updates
Meet the team - Senior Field Management
Alejandro Vazquez
Deputy Program Manager
Introducing you to to Alejandros. He is the Program Manager of GVI’s Community Project in Puerto Morelo, Mexico. Alejandro's journey with GVI goes way back. He started in 2007 as part of GVI’s National Scholarship Program. After this, he went onto complete his Masters Degree.
Alejandros came back in 2013 to help run our community development base in Playa del Carmen, where he became the Program Manager. Before GVI Alejandros was an extreme sports guide. These sports include: whale watching, white water rafting, and rock climbing.
Miguel Angel Lozano
Program Manager
Miguel Angel is GVI’s Program Manager for the Marine Conservation Programs at GVI’s base in Puerto Morelo, Mexico. He has been with GVI for over a year now and loves it!
He has a background in Oceanography and a fun fact about him is that before GVI, he completed research on Bull Sharks.
Meet the team - In-Country Staff
Claudia Frederici
Field Staff
Kayla Moore
Science Officer
Meet Kayla,the Science Officer for GVI’s base in Puerto Morelo, Mexico. She is originally from Canada where she obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Marine and Freshwater Biology. She was originally a volunteer, when she completed her Dive Masters certificate. After the six months spent doing this, she was kept on as a Staff Member before becoming the Science Officer.
A fun fact about Kayla is that her favorite animals are dolphins, and she recently had the privilege of meeting a few on a dive!
Namate Sililo
Dive Officer
Meet Namate, one of the Dive Officers at GVI’s base in Puerto Morelos, Mexico. Namate was born in Zambia, but lived in the UK for much of her life. She has a Masters Degree in Aquatic System Science.
She was a volunteer with GVI, over three years ago. Her belief in marine conservation efforts is what made her want to come back and she is proud to be the first Diver Master at GVI’s hub in Puerto Morelos.
Your Impact
All of our programs have short, mid and long-term objectives that fit with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals or UN SDGs. This enables us to report on our collaborative impact across the world in a streamlined manner, measuring which UN SDGs we are making a substantial contribution to. Furthermore, this will help our local partners and communities measure and visualise their contribution to the UN SDGs.
Upon arrival to base, you will be educated about the history of the UN SDGs. You will learn about the specific goals of your location, the long-, mid- and short-term objectives, and also clarification of how your personal, shorter-term involvement contributes to these goals on a global level.
Our aim is to educate you on local and global issues, so that you continue to act as active global citizens after your program, helping to fulfil our mission of building a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference.
Puerto Morelos is the oldest port city in the Mexican Caribbean. The port has been used since the time of the Mayan empire, but its history as a modern port began in 1898. It was built to enable the exportation of gum from the gum tree and the wood of the dye tree, an activity that together with fishing were the main productive activities in the area.
The area has a unique diversity of ecosystems including low evergreen jungles, low swamp jungles, savannahs, coastal dunes, mangroves, cenotes, beaches, marine grass, and coral reefs. The reef of Puerto Morelos is part of the Mesoamerican Reef System, MBRS, considered the second largest reef barrier in the world and home to thousands of marine species.
Today, Puerto Morelos is part of the 120 kilometer tourist corridor, located between Cancun and Tulum. Tourism is the main economic activity of Puerto Morelos and continues to grow due to the development of large hotels as well as holiday housing along its coast. Local tour operators offer scuba, snorkelling, and free diving tours in the Caribbean Sea and reef lagoon, tours of or diving in cenotes close to the town, as well as sport fishing tours.
GVI also assists our partners in the local Mexican branch of the global charity organisation, Save the Children, with the manpower, logistical resources, and, in the case of the GVI Trust, finances. This is done to contribute to childhood development and education in the region.
English Language Lessons
Puerto Morelos is a popular tourist destination, and children and other community members can benefit from English lessons that help them gain the fluency in a language that assists with local employment at tourist hotspots. GVI participants also assist with English language learning.
Life Skills, Health, and Children’s Rights
Participants assist Save the Children with learning about their rights and mastering life skills.
Environmental Education
They also assist the community by conducting environmental education programs. The town of Puerto Morelos was once a fishing village, but is now part of one of the largest Marine Parks in Mexico. Fishing is still an important food source in the community and a common means of earning an income. Sustainable fishing methods and other means of protecting the natural environment are vital to maintaining the marine abundance that makes both fishing and international tourism profitable. Teaching young people and tour operators the importance of protecting their marine resources and how this can be done is vital to ensuring the future health of the reef off the coast of Puerto Morelos.
Plastic Pollution Cleanup
We have weekly beach cleans where we collect the rubbish that washes up on our beach and classify it into different categories depending on their source. This information is recorded and sent to our partners for analysis.
All these initiatives allow us to offer support to the conservation work, the community and our local partners, and to address many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, such as #4 – Quality Education and #14 – Life Below Water.
Please note: Both conservation- and community-focused programs are offered at this location.
Our Partners In
Project Objectives
GVI Puerto Morelos Community, Long-term Objectives
1. To improve the quality of education at the ludoteca, and in the local community.
2. Increase the quality of the educational resources at the ludoteca
3. Increase in-country capacity by providing training to our partners and local members of the community.
Cultural Immersion
Engaging intimately with a new context teaches not only global awareness but adaptability and critical thinking, skills highly valued in the modern marketplace. Local and cultural immersion is encouraged on all our programs around the world, and is also one of the most enjoyable aspects of your experience. Luckily, there are many activities you can get involved with in your free time, or before and after your program. On our community programs the focus is on cultural topics, while on marine or wildlife programs the emphasis is more on the environmental element. Use your evenings and weekends to explore diverse and eclectic topics like Theravada Buddhism in Laos or how plastic pollution and climate change affects Indian Ocean coral.
Festivals
- January: Christmas continues until the sixth of January in Mexico. On this day every year, the largely Catholic population celebrates el Día de Reyes, the Day of the Three Kings. Traditionally Christmastime presents are open on this day.
- April: The traditionally Catholic holidays of Holy Week and Easter are honoured with parades through the streets, attending mass at the local cathedral, and quiet meals with family.
- September: On the sixteenth of September, Mexico celebrates its independence day, Cinco de Mayo. Parades and feasts featuring national favourites like the Jarabe Tapatío dance and black bean tamales with mole sauce are popular.
- November: The iconic Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is celebrated each year on the 2nd of November. While this is considered a Catholic holiday it incorporates indigenous customs that are much older.
- December: As a mainly Catholic country, Christmas is celebrated with great fanfare throughout Mexico. For nine nights up until Christmas Day children travel door-to-door singly a traditional song. The activity and song is known as posadas and represents the story of the parents of the Christ asking for shelter. Nativity scenes are more popular than Christmas trees in Mexico.
Music
Probably the most easily identifiable Mexican style of music is the Mariachi band, featuring guitars, violins and trumpets. This form of music is actually more unique to a specific region of Mexico, Guadalajara, and only evolved later in the 18th century. It is difficult to separate out the colonialist influences from the indigenous influences, but what is known is that Mayan cultures did have bands featuring among other instruments, drums, trumpets, and maracas. There are many usually opportunities to watch Mariachi bands perform during your time in Mexico.Dances
The Jarabe Tapatío is the most well-known of all Mexican dances and is considered the country’s unofficial national dance. The dance is performed by a male and female partner. At one point during the dance, the male partner, drops his hat and the couple dances around the hat. This has earned the dance the name ‘the Mexican hat dance’ in English-speaking regions. Other Mexican dances include La Bamba and Polka Norteno. A popular dance in the Yucatan region is the Jarana. GVI programs in Mexico allow you can participate in dance classes in evenings or during weekends.Cuisine
Possibly one of the most popular reasons to travel to Mexico is to sample authentic Mexican cuisine. Many of the world’s most widely used ingredients such as tomatoes, chillies, avocados, and cocoa beans, are indigenous Mexican crops that spread to other cultures as result of colonialism. By traveling to Mexico you can sample these flavours through the eyes of the cultures that first discovered them. Tacos, tamales, enchiladas, burritos, quesadillas — while these are household names and most of us have tried them before, both Mexican nationals and international visitors would agree, they are best enjoyed within the borders of Mexico itself.Religion and Local Customs
Most of Mexico’s population ascribe to the Catholic religion, also due to colonialism. The country’s capital, Mexico City, is home to the most visited site of religious significance for Catholics around the world, the Basilica of our Lady of Guadalupe. Much of Mexican Catholicism is influenced by customs unique to the indigenous cultures that predate the colonialist era.Languages
As a result of colonialism, Spanish is overwhelmingly the most commonly spoken language throughout Mexico. As the second-most widely spoken language in the world, visiting Mexico is a great opportunity for learning Spanish and you will have plenty of opportunities to learn Spanish on our community development programs. You can even book extra Spanish language lessons for an additional fee. The indigenous languages of Mexico number over five dozen, however, they are not widely spoken, and are considered ‘endangered languages.’Our Ethics
Below is a list of core ethics and best practices we believe are essential to the operation of high quality, ethical volunteer and sustainable development programs. We believe that all responsible volunteer and sustainable development operations should focus upon these principles. If you are considering volunteering, these are some of the key considerations you should question, to ensure that your time and money contributes towards positive change.
We want to constantly develop our own understanding of ethical best practice. In so doing, we aim to provide an exemplary industry standard for other education institutions, international development organisations, and social enterprises. Our Badge of Ethics stands for the drive to always do good, better. Find out more, click on the Badge below.
Our 10 Ethical Commitments
Locally Driven, Collaborative Projects
We aim to design all our projects in collaboration with local organizations and communities and ensure that they are locally driven.
Clear Objectives & Sustainable Outcomes
We aim to clearly define short-, mid-, and long-term objectives with sustainable outcomes for all our projects.
Impact Reporting
We aim to track, record, and publish the impact of each of our projects.
Working Against Dependency
We aim to build in-country capacity by assisting local organizations in becoming self-sustaining.
Responsible Exit Strategies
For each local organization we work with, we aim to have a plan in place for withdrawing support responsibly.
Clear Roles & Specialized Training
We aim to ensure that ever participant is assigned a clear role and that they are fully trained and supported to carry out their work by specialized staff.
Respect for all
In all our actions we aim to respect the skills and efforts of all and seek to protect the rights, culture and dignity of everyone who engages with GVI.
Local Ownership
We work to ensure that credit for the results of any project, along with any data collected, research conducted, or Intellectual Property developed, remains the property of local organizations.
Transitioning from the Orphanage Model
We do not condone and aim to withdraw support of orphanages and residential care centers.
Child and Vulnerable adult policies
We will live by our Child Protection and Vulnerable Adult policies.
Continual Development
As an organization, GVI is committed to striving toward best practice, and to educating both our potential participants, our partners, and the world at large about them. Both the volunteering and sustainable development sectors are increasingly, and rightly, under scrutiny. Many recent local and global articles highlight poor practices and questionable ethics. GVI is widely recognized for striving to apply global best practice in the volunteering, education and sustainable development sectors throughout our operations by reputable organizations such as ChildSafe.
However, global best practice is always evolving and we dedicate both time and resources to engage with internationally respected experts and learn from the latest research to ensure our programs both fulfil their potential to create maximum positive impact, and minimise their potential to create unintentional negative impact. Along with and as part of the sustainable development and volunteering community, we are constantly learning and applying this learning to practice. We do not always get everything right, but we seek feedback from our community members, partners, participants and our staff, and react accordingly. We know are already doing a great job, and feedback we have received confirms this, but we aim to do even better and are continuously refining our operations to improve upon our already excellent reputation.
Parent Info
‘If only every student could do this. It changes your life in all the right ways,’ says Chris Heritage, parent of Luke Heritage, one of our teen volunteers who has participated on two GVI programs, one in Costa Rica and another in South Africa.
We are a parent-run organisation that is incredibly serious about health and safety, and increasing the impact, as well as the long-term career benefits of our programs. Our programs help young people develop the skills to select a career path that is personally fulfilling, and live a life aligned to the well-being of our planet and the global community.
Ken and Linda Jeffrey, whose son Sam volunteered with GVI in Thailand, talk about how the experience affected Sam. He also went on to volunteer with GVI again in South Africa. ‘I know it sounds like a cliche but in a sense, he did go away as a boy and he came back as a young man. Both of us could recommend GVI without any hesitation to any other parent thinking about exploring an opportunity for their children to explore the world and to see different parts of it.’
Parent Info Pack
Download the Parent Pack and learn more about:
Our staff: All our projects are run by staff, selected, vetted, trained, and managed by our central office.
Health and safety: Our safety practices include a child and vulnerable adult protection policy and high participant ratios.
Staying in touch: See what’s happening on base, by following a hub’s dedicated Facebook page.
Free parent consultations: We would love to talk to you about exciting opportunities available for your child.
Teacher Info
Additional Teacher InfoGVI runs curriculum, CAS and experience focussed service learning opportunities around the world on multi-award winning trips. With over 25,000 travellers since inception, GVI’s know how to ensure safe, life-changing challenges that make a real difference, fostering global citizenship and intercultural understanding. Staffed and resourced by GVI all year round, our projects offer unique opportunities to engage in long-term, high impact work, whilst experiencing deep cultural immersion and some adventure.
A teacher travels free with groups of ten or more students!
GVI provides 24/7 support from our experienced staff who are based full-time on the ground, as well as support from HQ. An experienced group leader will accompany the group, taking overall responsibility for the safety of the group.
Please note prices are subject to seasonal fluctuation and will vary depending upon the needs of the group.
**Optional extras include travel insurance and flight services
Example Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Cancun Airport and Transfer to Base
Your team will be met at Cancun International Airport by a GVI staff member or appointed representative. The group will travel immediately to the project location near the town of Playa del Carmen on the beautiful Yucatán Peninsula. Students will be accommodated in dorm-style rooms and will have a chance in the afternoon to relax and settle into their rooms and new surroundings. During the day the group will sit down to a presentation on GVI's health and safety requirements while in the country. The group will be introduced to the field team and will gather again in the evening for a sit down meal and a chance to chat about what’s to be expected in the coming days.
Day 2: Welcome and Orientation
The next day will include a welcome presentation and introduction to the history and background of the conservation efforts GVI is involved in, in Mexico. We will explore the local area and learn a bit about the culture and language.
In the afternoons, the group will take part in various team building beach activities, cementing their bond for the coming week.
Day 3-5: Snorkelling and marine conservation awareness
Over the next two day's the group will learn the art of snorkelling. Guided by GVI field staff they will learn the do’s and do nots as well as handy techniques for looking a little closer at creatures, coral and fish without the advantages of a dive tank. They will snorkel in a number of environments and be exposed to a variety of coastal marine ecosystems.
The group will be immersed in various areas of conservation and environmental awareness. The group will be exposed to different conservation issues concerned with the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, learn basic fish and coral identification, as well as techniques used in marine research and monitoring, take part in beach cleans, listen to lectures and workshops by GVI field staff and local partners on the effects of tourism and development on coastal ecosystems.
Each evening there will be time for group and individual reflection and a debrief of the day's activities and highlights
There is also the option for groups to gain further knowledge of diving, by taking the PADI Open Water Diving Course.
Day 6: Exploring Mexico
At the end of the busy week, the group will have a chance to do some sightseeing and enjoy a few local attractions. To continue the marine awareness focus of the trip, we suggest a snorkelling adventure at Akumal. Students will have a chance to snorkel alongside turtles feeding on sea grass; a truly unforgettable experience! If arriving in season, there may also be a chance to learn about nesting turtles and hatchlings as well as the conservation issues surrounding their protection.
There may also be an opportunity to visit a Cenote; natural swimming holes formed by the collapse of porous limestone bedrock, which have revealed a secret subterranean world of groundwater pools. Most cave cenotes have fresh water that has been meticulously filtered by the earth, making them so clear and pure that you can see as if not underwater at all. The team will learn about the system of cave cenotes that spread through southern Mexico and hear why Mayan’s regard them as ‘sacred wells’.
We will end the day at a local Mayan Ruin, taking a peak view into the lives of the ancient civilisations that inhabited the region and relishing the gorgeous views of the Yucatán coastline before heading out for a last traditional Mexican meal.
Day 7: A Fond Farewell
GVI field staff transfer the team back to the airport and bid them a fond farewell! GVI will endeavour to keep the group informed of any updates there might be in the field and with particular reference to the projects volunteers contributed to during their time in Mexico, through "GVI LIve" on social media.
**Your trip can be extended to include additional side trips and / or further service work.
Support & Safety
We won’t sugarcoat it — traveling abroad is usually a complex process that carries an element of risk. But this is exactly why we’re passionate about providing extensive support throughout the process as well as the highest safety standards during the in-country phase. We believe that volunteering abroad should not only be impactful, but an enjoyable experience that carries as little risk as possible. This is exactly how we’ve been able to maintain our reputation as the most highly respected volunteering organisations in the sector over the past two decades.
Support
Once a participant books, our support team will oversee their pre-departure journey. This helps to bridge the gap between program enrolment and arrival at one of our field bases. We will ensure that you are provided with all the necessary information required to apply for visas, background checks, and any other documentation.
Safety
Once a participant books, our support team will oversee their pre-departure journey. This helps to bridge the gap between program enrolment and arrival at one of our field bases. We will ensure that you are provided with all the necessary information required to apply for visas, background checks, and any other documentation.
Health & Safety Case Studies
HOW GVI UPHOLDS HEALTH AND SAFETY
It takes courage to book a GVI program, get on a flight, and head off to somewhere new. Volunteering offers a level of cultural immersion that typical backpacking or holidays just can’t achieve. This is why thousands of people around the world participate in paid GVI programs.
GVI’S COMMITMENT TO SAFETY AND SECURITY
As the saying goes: ‘Expect the best, plan for the worst’. Cliched or not, we take it to heart. This tenet is at the core of how GVI operates when it comes to promoting the health and safety of our participants, staff, and local community members at all of our 20+ bases around the world.
HOW GVI REMAINS PREPARED FOR NATURAL DISASTERS
The weather isn’t just a topic for polite small-talk here at GVI. We have emergency action plans in place for all scenarios. So when the weather, or other natural forces, takes a nasty turn, we are prepared to respond to stormy situations.
HOW GVI MANAGES PARTICIPANTS EXPECTATIONS
Once GVI has matched a participant to a program that suits their passions and goals, our team aims to set the right expectations for them. In the event that false expectations around a program are created, the GVI team takes immediate action to ensure that the situation rectified.
Why Choose GVI?
There are many reasons why you should consider GVI for your group trip. Allow us to take you through some of the important points:- GVI has over 15 years of experience - Since we began in 1997, we have sent over 20,000 young people on trips all over the world. Most describe their experience with us as life-changing with a 95% approval rate from our customers
- We are a ground operator - We run and staff our projects 24/7, all year round which means we understand and know the area you will be visiting enabling us to deliver a high quality level of support, safety and training at very competitive prices
- Our variety of programs is unique and unrivalled - We offer language courses, community and conservation projects, leadership programs, cultural immersion, adventure activities and mountain trekking.
- Peace of mind - You know that our projects make a real and positive impact on the local communities you visit. Since we started we have developed over 150 projects around the world.
- Project ownership - We run our projects in partnership with local communities, according to the needs on the ground, so you know they are genuinely worthwhile
- We are different from most other school providers - We already have projects and programs in place. We have been working in these countries for over 15 years and are working hand in hand with the host communities to ensure their needs are being met.
- Teachers/Educators travel free
- Safety is our priority - We have comprehensive safety and back up procedures in place.
- Flexibility - Our trips are available all year round so you tell us when you want to travel.
- The GVI Charitable Trust - Enables your school to stay involved with your program after you return home.
- Students will automatically become GVI members, enabling them to benefit from discounts on any future GVI trips.
- There are opportunities for students to be GVI Ambassadors – excellent for university and college applications.
What's Included
- 24-hour emergency phone
- 24-hour in-country support
- 24/7 back up and support
- A dedicated trip co-ordinator
- Access to Alumni Services and Discounts
- Access to local medical facilities
- Accomodation
- Airport pick-up (unless otherwise stated)
- All necessary project equipment and materials
- All necessary project training by experienced staff
- Comprehensive health and safety procedures (Emergency Action Plans and Risk Assessments)
- First aid equipment
- Flight bookings service on request
- Food and drinking water
- Group leader
- Highly experienced and well qualified GVI field staff
- In-country support
- In-country transport costs
- Insurance on request
- Location orientation
- Long term experienced staff
- Meals while on project (except on work placements for long term internships)
- Pre-departure information
- Risk assessments
- Safe and basic accommodations (usually shared)
- Up-to-date safety and country information
- Welcome meeting
What's Not Included
- Additional drinks and gratuities
- Additional spending money
- Extra local excursions
- Flights
- International and domestic airport taxes
- Medical and travel insurance
- Personal items and toiletries
- Personal kit
- Police or background check
- Vaccinations
- Visa costs (where necessary)
- Visas