You will arrive in Nusa Penida on Sunday, and will have a short introduction on the beach to get familiarise yourself with your new exciting surroundings! Thereafter, you will get to know more about Nusa Penida, facilities, places to visit, etc.

Turtle Conservation & Rehabilitation Volunteer in Nusa Penida – Schedule

Monday

Following breakfast, you will see a presentation about the Turtle Conservation project and also receive a project briefing which will help you to understand the do’s and don’ts at the project. After that you will engage in the typical activities you’ll be doing throughout the week, such as feeding the turtles, cleaning the tanks, catching live food for turtles and also cleaning the beach. In the evening, you will then see a documentary about Turtles which will help you to widen your knowledge about these amazing creatures.

Tuesday

After having breakfast on Tuesday, you will start cleaning the tanks, feeding the turtles and collecting seaweed and live food for turtles. In addition, you will also create turtle toys, clean the beach and provide medicine for injured turtles if present.

Wednesday

After breakfast, you will start cleaning the tanks, feeding the turtles and collecting seaweed and live food for turtles. In addition, you will also create turtle toys and provide medicine for injured turtles if present. In the evening, you can play either volleyball, badminton or football.

Thursday

On Thursday, after breakfast, you will be cleaning tanks, feeding the turtles and collecting seaweed. You will also continue creating turtle toys and provide medicine for injured turtles if present.

On either, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday you will visit an amazing location called Crystal Bay which has a breathtaking view. Your local coordinators will decide the day on which you visit this exotic location.

Thursday night will be a special one for you to enjoy the welcome and farewell dinner by a Bonfire at the beach. Further, this would be a great opportunity to get to know the newcomers and say goodbye to those who are leaving.

Friday

On Friday, after having breakfast, you will feed the turtles and get an amazing opportunity to release turtles to the sea. However, please note that this opportunity is only if you are leaving the programme this week. If you continue another week at the project, you will engage in the regular activities at the turtle conservation centre. After lunch, you can engage in all the usual activities. These include feeding the turtles, cleaning tanks and measuring the turtles’ growth.

Other activities you might engage in are as follows:

• Cleaning the beach
• Making garbage bins for local area
• Making Turtles/Environment campaign for local area
• Releasing injured turtles after treatment/ clean private beach
• Turtles site construction work: such as extra turtle tank or wall, painting the walls etc.
• Collecting turtle information such as length of carapace, size of flippers, checking its weight etc.

Although there aren’t many shops or activities available on Nusa Penida, you will nearly always be close to a beach that lets you soak up the rays of the sun or go swimming during your free time.

Evenings and Weekends

At the end of your day as a Turtle Conservation & Rehabilitation Volunteer, here in Nusa Penida, there’s lots to explore! Alternatively, you can simply relax with new friends back at your accommodation. In fact, many of our volunteers enjoy mixing with their new volunteer friends during the week and plan their weekend adventures together!

Please note: This schedule can be changed and/or amended depending on weather conditions, local conditions and unforeseen circumstances.

Things to do:

On the island, you can visit the many caves, beaches and waterfalls on the island, as well as head to Manta Bay. Here, you can go snorkelling and watch Manta Rays in their natural habitat. In addition, you’ll find several historical temples, and of course, a very vibrant and friendly community to get to know whilst you are here!

Nusa Penida is a popular bird sanctuary and is also considered ideal for diving, with Penida Bay, Batu Lumbung, Batu Meling and Toya Pakeh, amongst the best diving spots. During your visit to Nusa Penida, some of the activities you may engage in will be trekking and mountain biking, birdwatching, diving, and spending plenty of time in nature.

About the Accommodation

Our accommodation at Nusa Penida is basic, but comfortable and you can expect to share a room (dormitory style) on a single-gender basis.

Food Arrangements

Indonesian food is tasty and diverse and you can expect to experience a myriad of flavours and meals during your stay. Typical dishes include mie goreng (fried noodles and vegetables), nasi goreng (fried rice and vegetables) or gado gado (mixed vegetables with a satay sauce). Further, for those who don’t eat meat, don’t worry! Indonesian cooking uses a lot of tofu and tempeh (soybeans), and we also provide western dishes too for picky eaters! Breakfasts are varied and include pancakes, fresh fruit, toast etc.

Facilities

Nearby, there are many ATM’s, and there is Wifi available at the house, so you can catch up with friends and family. However, you may prefer to get a personal Sim card for your mobile, which you can buy at the local shop.

Capital: Jakarta
Language: Indonesian (official)
Currency: Indonesian rupiah (IDR)
Time zone: UTC +8

Indonesia, a Southeast Asian nation made up of thousands of volcanic islands, is home to hundreds of ethnic groups speaking many different languages. It’s is known for its beaches, volcanoes and jungles sheltering elephants, tigers and Komodo dragons. On the island of Java lies Indonesia’s vibrant, sprawling capital, Jakarta, and the city of Yogyakarta, known for gamelan music and traditional puppetry.For learning culture and gaining experiences you’ve never thought of, there is Indonesia, one of the most interesting countries in the world. With around 300 ethnic groups, each with cultural identities developed over centuries and influenced by Indian, Arabic, Chinese and European sources, Indonesia has many cultural experiences ready to be discovered.

Bali
Dubbed the Island of the Gods, Bali is one of the more than 17,000 islands that make up the Indonesian archipelago. Due to its location off the coast from the mainland and unique culture and religion from the rest of the country, Bali is often treated as a destination of its own, “if you’ve only been to Bali, you’ve never been to Indonesia”.

With its pristine beaches, its unspoilt waters ideal for surfing and diving, its lush mountains, its never-ending rice terrace and volcanic hillsides, its spiritually-infused culture and more, Bali has quickly become a must-visit and it often makes its way on everyone’s bucket list.

Flores
Flores is located the East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia. It has adventure, eco-tours, and mountain climbing interspersed with visits to prehistoric heritage sites, traditional villages and cultural events. It has some of the world’s most exotic marine life. And if you want to see the famous Komodo Dragons alive, this is the only place in the whole world which gives you the experience. You can visit the Komodo dragons in their natural habitats in the Komodo National Park islands. Here you will witness the natural treasures still trying to survive in its purest forms.

Flores is a multi-religious and multi-cultural island where 60% of the people are Christian, 20% Islamic and 20% Hindus and Buddhists. The holidays for Flores are similar to the general Indonesian calendar.

Flores, though one of the main islands in Indonesia, is still trying to keep up with the rest of the country. Evidently, its exceptional natural treasures need more care and its warm hearted people need more support.

Climate
Temperatures are pleasant, varying from 20-33 degrees celsius year-round. The monsoon season strikes in November and makes its way until March, bringing in humidity and a significant amount of rain. However, this usually does not stop people from visiting, as the rain usually begins in the late afternoons and evenings, meaning the daytime remains sun-filled. From June to September, the weather is dry and there is not too much humidity in the air.

Culture
Indonesia is a haven for customs and this can be seen in every corner of the islands. Not to mention the fact the these islands themselves have their own traditions and customs which are different from one another.

A good example of this can be experienced in Bali, where small offerings containing flowers, rice and even cigarettes (sesajen) are found in every house, restaurants, stalls and even at the check-in desks at airports. The offerings are set with burning incense sticks and sprinkled with holy water three times a day before every meal.

There are roughly 20,000 temples spread around the Bali island and, because the Balinese are masters of sculpture, the temples are guarded with statues of gods and goddesses.

Keep, in mind, however, that the Hinduism you will see in Bali is often different than the one seen in India.

Take a look at our latest gap year volunteer projects in Indonesia below or get in touch with any questions you have about volunteering in Indonesia.