Frequently Asked Questions

If you have any questions not covered by our Ecoteer, travel and eco-lodge/projects FAQs then please contact us.

Ecoteer Questions

Why should I join Ecoteer and not another volunteer organisation?
The main reasons for joining Ecoteer are the cost benefits. Ecoteer placements all cost the minimal amount. Projects do vary but in general all you need to pay for are transportation, insurance and spending money. Accommodation and food are generally covered.

Ecoteer placements also tend to have a greater emphasis on your participation with the local community. You give the locals money when you spend it and you learn a great deal through these interactions, rather than volunteer placements with Western people of your own age.

What sort of volunteer placements does Ecoteer offer?
We offer three types of placements:

1. Ecolodges. The key points to be aware of are:

• Improved future employment prospects
• Many diverse activities can be found amongst the lodges
• Interaction with tourists as well as locals
• The chance to learn and use business skills
• Often free food and accommodation
• Transport from a large settlement such as a town or city to the placement is often provided, probably travelling with tourists
• Opportunities to teach the employees your language
• Limited direct conservation work with wildlife viewing
• Work with mainly the local people but also opportunities to liase with tourists
• Direct communication with the lodge owner or an employee
• Mid to long-term volunteers preferred (3 - 12 months)
• If you have basic skills in different languages then lodges may provide you with the chance to improve these skills

2. Conservation Projects. These offer:

• Participation in worldwide conservation efforts
• Involvement with the local fauna and flora
• Creation of team spirit
• Short-term (1 - 5 months) volunteers. There are few long-termed placements
• Work with people of different backgrounds
• The chance to specialise in one species or one specific eco-system
• A high feel good factor
• Generally more expensive due to food and accommodation costs

3. Humanitarian Projects. People with a medical background would be advised to consider these types of projects due to their expertise. These involve:

• Physically helping deprived people
• If you volunteer long-term you will be able to witness changes in the people you are helping
• Long-term volunteers preferred (6+ months)
• Day-to-day interaction with locals
• You will need to be able to speak fluently in the host's language
• Opportunities to teach school children
• Many humanitarian placements provide free accommodation and food (international transport not included). If humanitarian placements require certain skills, such as a medical qualification, then they may be paid due to the longer duration of these types of placements
• Very high feel good factor but can be very emotional due to the nature of the work

I've found a placement. Now what do I do?
Find a suitable placement and then submit the web form to Ecoteer. A small administrative fee is required and can be paid by PayPal or a cheque sent by post. You will be issued with an Ecoteer account that you can use to login to the user area. In this area you can view the contact information and full details of all placements, not just the one you are most interested in.

It is your responsibility to contact the placement and arrange the details. Submitting payment to Ecoteer does not guarantee you will be accepted by your chosen placement, but 90% of applicants are successful. We also have plenty of alternative placements.

Direct communication between you and the placement is strongly advised to build a friendship with the co-ordinator and to ensure you know what you will be doing when volunteering!

Can Ecoteer arrange the placement for me?
Unfortunately not. We are a small organisation and to arrange each placement would be too costly for us. We can only provide you with the contact details for the placements in return for an administrative fee to cover our running costs.

However, we will strive to provide you with the benefit of our own experiences and try to answer any questions or concerns you may have.

Do I need insurance?
We STRONGLY emphasise Ecoteer can not be held responsible for any damage, loss of belongings, health problems etc. whilst you are on placement. Therefore we recommend you have your own personal travel insurance.

Are the placements safe?
No international travel is 100% safe because there are inherent risks to travelling through unfamiliar countries. However, through the links in our resource area we offer travel advice for every country. Please check the travel safety section before applying for any placements. All placements are either tourist destinations or long-term projects that are used to having volunteers so safety whilst on placement is generally high.

What about language problems?
We will advise you to not go on any placements where we think language will be a major problem. Once you have applied for a placement we will provide further advice and assistance.

What sort of people volunteer with Ecoteer?
Anybody and everybody! We accept people regardless of age, ability or race. A desire for new experiences and a willingness to learn and help is most important.

What if I want to cut my placement short or extend it further?
As you are volunteering you may terminate your placement whenever you want. Leaving early would not affect any placements you do through us at a later date. Extensions of placements is totally up to the project or eco-lodge co-ordinator but in general extensions are welcomed!

What if I want to backpack at the same time? Can I mix the two?
Of course - you can do anything before or after the placements and you may have some free time during your placement, allowing you time to travel around the country.

Can more than one person go on the same placement?
Yes, as long as the placement has room. Going on placements in groups of two or three can benefit a lot of travellers.

Travel Questions

How do I get to my placements?
You will be responsible for the main portion of travel to your placement. However, due to the remoteness of the locations many of the placements will offer you transportation from a nearby settlement.

What is the best company to fly with?
We strongly recommend you contact the airlines directly rather than through an agency. Flight times and costs differ depending on where you are going and when you are travelling. We provide contact details for some budget airlines, although don't expect too many luxuries if flying low cost. We also recommend you to wait to buy the majority of your flight tickets when you are in the country you are departing from.

Eco-Lodge and Project Questions

How do I register my project or eco-lodge with Ecoteer?
To register your project or eco-lodge simply email us at contact@ecoteer.com or complete the web form on our contact page. If you have any questions before registering them then we will be happy to discuss them with you.

What benefits do I get by registering?
Each registered project and eco-lodge will have an individual web page to promote itself to potential volunteers. You will also get news on updates and achievements of the site. Plus, all registered projects and eco-lodges will get a portion of any donations that Ecoteer receive.