6-Weeks-Volunteering for a Turtle Conservation Center in Bali was the Decision I Will Always be Proud of Ever Making

Having grown up in a small town in the lower part of Austria, I spent a lot of time as a child on a lovely farm with tons of animals. As I grew up, so did my love for animals and my passion for the animal conservation world. So here I am, in Bali, volunteering for a Wildlife and Nature Conservation Center. It did not take me long to get here, exactly a month after having a Skype call with Bali Internships, I was already in Bali, ready for my service! Bali Internships was extremely helpful and fast-responsive throughout our preparations for my program in Bali, and I very much appreciate it.

My first day began with a long tiring flight, but thankfully I was picked up at the airport on time so I did not have to wait furthermore. As soon as we left the airport, I was immediately taken to the house I would be staying in for the next 6 weeks. Everyone was asleep by the time I reached the house except for this one Germany girl, whom I was VERY happy to meet. I was honestly feeling quite anxious about having to speak English, so meeting a person who spoke the same language as I do on my first day in Bali felt like a total blessing.

On the next day, which was Sunday, the Germany girl showed me around the house area and I took some time to get used to my new place. The house was not located in a touristic area, which scared me at first. But after visiting the actual tourism spots, I felt quite lucky for living away from all the tourist-buzzes. Not only that, there were beautiful ricefields around and it was honestly perfect for taking a run (provided if the heat allows you to!).

Monday, was such a lovely introductory day for me. Accompanied by Rima, it took me about 15 minutes to get to the center from home, by bike. Everyone in the center, from the staff to the other volunteers, were all kind and sweet. The work itself felt truly beneficial for me. First, I have to actually understand about turtles, since one of my tasks as a volunteer is to guide the visitors and acknowledge them with enough information about turtles, the dangers they are faced with, their roles and importance in the eco-system, and how to help save them. Second, it indirectly improved my English speaking skills as well as boosting my confidence.

I only work in the center for 4 hours a day, which means I had loads of free time. During my free-time I would sometimes hang out with my fellow volunteers or the center’s staff since most of them were just as young, so we got along pretty easily. I barely missed any sunset, for I always had time to watch them after-work, and going to different beaches each day had become my routine. I also had an afternoon trip to the South area of Bali with some Australian friends I made on the beach days before. I went shopping and visited thousands of cool cafes around Bali, and it was the best time of my life! I am so proud of myself and my decision of coming to Bali. I had learned and received much more than I ever expected, and I will definitely come back to the Island of Gods.