Volunteer with Bears in Romania

I spent three months volunteering at the bear sanctuary in Romania. The location and the work is done there is amazing, and truly inspiring. It was incredible to be so close to the bears on a daily basis, and to help directly in their welfare. We learned all about their backgrounds and how the sanctuary is working to protect bears in Eastern Europe. Romania itself is a stunning country, and it was great to be able to explore the mountains, the cities and the villages at the weekends. Oyster were fantastic and offered great support. I would not hesitate to recommend them.

Having volunteered with sun bears in 2016, I couldn't wait to book another project working with bears. This project was a bit of a step up from sun bears, as they were only the same size as me!! This project allowed me to explore the city whilst spending the weekdays working up at the sanctuary. The volunteer supervisor, Razvan, was friendly and incredibly supportive for the duration of my stay. I was only in Brasov for three weeks, which was definitely not long enough, but I had the opportunity to get to know some of the bears and the other staff and volunteers. Although the staff speak limited English, the other volunteers all spoke excellent English. This meant we could chat while we worked, play music and get to know each other. In the evenings and weekends we could explore the city. There are a couple of very nice restaurants, and Razvan was great in recommending places for us to try. After the first two weekends of sight seeing local castles, I decided to use my third weekend to go paragliding. It was amazing and if you have the time, definitely consider it! I would highly recommend this project as a fantastic was to see the city of Brasov, whilst also giving something back to the country by helping with the care of the rescued bears. 4 weeks is enough to learn your way around the city and sanctuary, get to know the people and bears and settle into the routine. If you can stay for longer, it is 100% worth it!!

All of the Oyster Worldwide team were very attentive and made sure that I was ready for my trip pre-departure, took care of me during my stay, and even helped me with adjusting to life when I was back home. The accommodation included was lovely, and right in the middle of town. Easy access to loads of shops, restaurants and things to go out and see and do. The sanctuary was lovely - the staff were very friendly despite the language barrier, and the work was enjoyable. Spending time with the bears was fantastic - watching them play fight and splash around in the water was lovely, and I won't ever forget it. I'd highly recommend travelling with Oyster! They organise and sort everything for you! Attached is my video from spending 2 months in Romania! The length of the video is testament to how incredible this trip is - I really couldn't choose anything to cut out!