Included Activities
There is 1 experience offered per month. Volunteers on longer durations will not be eligible to repeat Experiences. Please note, Experiences are subject to change or substitution and are optional. Volunteers who elect, or are unable, to participate will not be eligible for any refunds. Volunteers must ensure their travel insurance covers any activities.
Island Conservation Expedition to the Seychelles
• Learn to cook traditional Seychellois Creole dishes
• Experience traditional moutya dancing on the beach
• Stargaze and learn the southern constellations
• Hike to the top of Mount Curieuse
• Stand up paddleboard at sunrise
• Visit Vallée de Mai in Praslin National Park
• Spend the day at a secluded beach
• Sleep under the stars on Mount Curieuse
Free Time
Volunteering with us not only allows you to participate in programs assisting disadvantaged communities or endangered ecosystems, but it also offers wonderful opportunities to travel in the local area in your downtime or further afield either before or after your program. Below is some information on trips and travel options in the Seychelles.
Optional Side Trips
Volunteers may have the opportunity to visit the islands of Praslin and La Digue. Praslin is home to the Vallee de Mai (a world heritage site) thought by early explorers to be the original “Garden of Eden”, that is home of the famous Coco de Mer palm tree that produces the huge double nut famous for its provocative shape. La Digue is the picture perfect tropical island, small and intimate with quaint guest houses and arguably the most beautiful beach in the world - Anse Source d’Argent.
Public transport is cheap and frequent and many parts of Praslin can be explored easily by catching a bus.
Accommodation is in shared (mixed gender) dorm rooms (up to 10 people). The tap water is safe for drinking on the expedition base and there is cold running water available. Bathroom facilities are shared but split-sex, and participants also share base duties, including cleaning and other chores. Refridgeration is available for communal food only. You need to bring your own mosquito net and bedding. A bedding set is essential - 2 single bed sheets (preferably one fitted for mattress and one flat for your top sheet) and a pillowcase. A 2nd set is useful for washing days.
If you need to stay additional nights before or after your project you need to book these separately, ask your travel consultant for help.
Arrival
Most volunteers arrange international flights to Seychelles' main international airport on Mahe Island, arriving on or before the expedition start date. They will then need to transfer to Praslin Island via ferry or via a domestic flight. Ferries usually run once a day however flights run multiple times a day.
Pick up will work as follows:
1. Participants book flights from their home country to Mahe and from Mahe to Praslin to arrive on the Friday
• The internal flight is around 100 GBP
• There is a flight every hour from 09:00 every day
• Alternatively they can take a ferry from Mahe to Praslin which runs twice a day and GVI will also provide pick up from the Ferry port on Praslin should participants prefer to transfer to Praslin via Ferry (11:00 - 13:00 and 18:00-19:00)
2. Participants will have pickup from Praslin airport to pre-program accommodation within a pick up window. (Pickup window Friday 11:00 to 13:00)
3. GVI will have a new meeting point on Saturday on Praslin at Cote D Ore.
4. GVI will arrange the boat taxi from Cote D Ore to Curieuse on Saturday.
It is highly recommended that you arrive at least a day or two earlier if possible, to recover from jetlag and acclimatize. Most people stay in the villages on Cote D'Or, Baie St Ann or Grand Anse, which are all close to beaches, shops and restaurants. Please note that if you plan to stay on other parts of the island you will be required to make your own way to one of the pick-up points.
Below is a list of accommodation previously used and currently certified on Praslin, these are the pick up points:
Coco Bay Villa
Mango Lodge
Pirogue Lodge
Departure
Departure: Departure flights from Mahe should be booked for late afternoon/evening, as the ferry leaves to Mahe quite early between 08:00 and 09:00 it takes 1 hour by ferry to Mahe, and then 30 to 40 mins to the airport by taxi.
Meals while on project are included. Participants take turns to prepare meals for the group. Food is basic but nutritious, and primarily vegetarian with optional fish or meat available no more than once or twice a week. Breakfast could be porridge with fresh fruit, or occassionally pancakes or cereal, lunch and evening meals may include pasta, beans, rice, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, etc.
Internet Access
You will have access to long distance communications whilst on the program, but make sure friends and family know how often they can expect to hear from you. Participants typically use internet cafes to keep in touch, with access to internet about once a week. Local SIM cards and pay-as-you-go credit can be bought affordably in the Seychelles and the signal is good in most areas. Contact your mobile/cell phone provider for more information before travelling.