Anika from Dural in Sydney, Australia has left us this great testimonial about her volunteer work in the Andes as well as her time at the Amazon Rescue Center in the Ecuadorian jungle.

The reasons she chose to come to Ecuador were because she found our Volunteer Programs in the Andes to be some of the most affordable on the internet. Secondly because she was training for the 20 Day Base Camp Trek in Nepal and wanted to spend some time at altitude.

The Andes Alpaca Ranch is an indigenous community located in the highlands surrounding Ecuadors highest mountain Chimborazo. It was the perfect choice for her acclimbatization training.

My time in Ecuador was memorable not only because of the amazing experiences I had there, but also because of the warmth and helpfulness of Wlady and Jake, the masterminds behind Ecuador Eco Volunteer. I spent some time volunteering in the Andes Alpaca Ranch, in a remote mountain community where I helped tend to the animals. Surrounded by a stark, almost moon-like landscape, it really hit home how hard these people work and what an impressive strength of character they have. It was absolutely beautiful there, and the people were warm and friendly and always ready to talk. It certainly tested my Spanish ability!

I also spent some time volunteering at the Amazon Refuge Center in the jungle. I had such a fun time. We built a cage door, which was the first time I’ve had to use a hammer and machete! It was hard work but we had such satisfaction when we completed the task. We spent some time taking the tayra for a walk, teaching her how to climb trees (and humans). It was such a different experience to the high altitude Arenal and I loved every minute of it. It was a wonderful opportunity and I would highly recommend that anyone wanting to take part in some grassroots volunteering and meet some fascinating people, to get in touch with Eco Volunteer.

As a volunteer she also took advantage of the discounts on our eco-trips for trekking and horseback riding (an avid horseback rider herself back home) Ill post photos of our high altitude horseback trip around the extinct volcano Chimborazo soon and here is a photo of Anika on Ecuadors most beautiful trek, the Lagoons of El Altar.

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  1. Why Volunteer Work is NOT for Everyone