Marine Conservation Volunteering in South Korea

I am motivated, responsible, and eager to learn from every experience. I am open to feedback and always ready to improve my skills. I value teamwork, communication, and adaptability, and I aim to contribute positively to any project or organization I join while continuing to grow both personally and professionally.

Traveling half way around the world to volunteer effort, time and energy on marine conservation takes trust. GoEco delivered, far exceeding any preconceived expectations and hopes we had before arriving on Naifaru. The entire team provided thorough support, training and guidance so that we could participate, contribute and perform to our utmost potential. We left with a tremendous sense of achievement, accomplishment and countless unforgettable memories.

Hi guys here the feedback I sent to AOA:<br><br>Jule and Gércia are doing an outstanding job! The program was very well organized, and all questions were always addressed – whether directly related to the tasks or more general matters. I felt well supported at all times.<br><br>I especially want to highlight how valuable it is to have a local Mozambican staff member like Gércia on the team. She not only brings maritime knowledge but also shares important insights about local customs and culture – a huge asset!<br>When Jule was away for a few days with another group, Gércia took over the leadership of our group, smoothly managed any changes to the plan, and handled everything very professionally. You truly have a fantastic team, and that deserves to be appreciated!<br><br>Food & Meals<br>The food was consistently delicious – thank you, Brodie and the Tilak Lodge team!<br>However, after two weeks, I noticed that some meals repeated quite often. It would be great if AOA could give Brodie a bit more flexibility and resources to offer more variety in the menu. I'm sure with more freedom, Brodie could surprise us with even more creative and diverse meals!<br><br>Scuba Diving<br>The guides at Tofo Scuba were excellent – professional, experienced, and always supportive. Whether it was the Advanced Open Water course, ocean safaris, or fun dives, I always felt safe and in very good hands. They made every dive a great experience, and I appreciated their clear briefings, calm presence, and strong awareness of safety and the environment.<br><br>Suggestions for Improvement – Equipment<br>There is definitely room for improvement when it comes to technical equipment:<br>There are clearly not enough GoPros/underwater cameras for the volunteers.<br>The printer is currently unusable due to empty ink cartridges – and no replacements were available.<br>Coming from a technical/IT background myself, I was honestly surprised at how outdated and overused some of the devices are. One or two new laptops or computers would make a real difference and improve the workflow on site.<br><br>Final Words of Appreciation<br>I usually don’t give such detailed feedback – but Jule, Gércia, Brodie and the Tilak Lodge team, as well as Ross and the Tofo Scuba crew, all deserve a big compliment. Thank you for this valuable and enriching experience!

I was a little uncertain about booking a volunteer trip with an organization I didn't have personal experience with, but wow! I'm thrilled I took a chance on GoEco. Their staff were incredibly communicative, helpful and supportive throughout the process - they patiently answered all my questions, guided me to a location that suited me and made sure I had all information I needed to ensure a wonderful trip. The Giant Tortoise Breeding Center volunteer experience in the Galapagos Islands was more than I could ever have imagined... filled with ideal balance of hard work, interesting learning, plenty of free time for diving/snorkeling/relaxation, connection with the local community and endless opportunities for Spanish practice. I felt supported by both GoEco and the IOI program. I'm already looking forward to my next GoEco travel opportunity.

The local connections the volunteer house provides for us is amazing. I can basically go to buy clothes, having surfing class, and getting a massage with discount from those connections. It feels like we’re embraced by the local community, and it feels absolutely wonderful!

The most memorable experience for me was to have a beautiful encounter with an enormous manta ray. It circled us for more than 20 minutes on our dive and it was absolutely incredible! But that was only one out of so many amazing, memorable experiences with animals as well as people!

I have to say swimming with the whale sharks was one of the most amazing things I’ve done in my entire life! Everyone in the boat with the same enthusiastic energy celebrating every time we would find a whale shark and jump with them, it was a trip I’ll remember forever!

My most memorable experience was looking forward to feeding the beautiful elephants each day and seeing their excitement when we would arrive. In even those little interactions, you got to know a little more about the elephant’s personality each time.

Individual experiences are not what make a trip of this sorts memorable. It’s all the people you meet. From this trip, so many individuals of varying backgrounds have touched my heart and greatly impacted my life.

Working with the elephants was amazing hand and experience of a lifetime but it's not for the faint hearted it is hard work especially in the heat and humidity but so worthwhile. The Thai people are lovely and the staff that worked there are two it is a very well run organisation

These past 3 months in Korea have been a dream. I’ll be real the whole waiting through covid thing wasn’t easy, but actually landing in Korea was a literal dream come true. My interest in Korea kinda grew exponentially over the past few years after watching about every Korean drama I could set my eyes on (I know… basic) but I quickly felt like it was the place for me. My internship there confirmed this. I come from a fashion/design background and my host company basically couldn’t have been any more perfect, working alongside young Korean fashion designers was such good experience for me and my future. I learnt so much and took so much inspiration, that in itself I think is super valuable. Work aside, I probably don’t have to say how amazing Seoul is. I think I had a bit too much fun and a bit too much food (at least if I’m listening to my waistline). Also now I think back to it I’m super grateful Meiji arranged the accommodation for me, I just don't have the patience for that especially in a language I don’t speak. So basically if you haven't got it by now, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS. I literally can't thank Meiji enough lol I feel like it’s going to be real hard to match this experience.

I'll start by saying that if you have the means to intern abroad then you should simply do it, there is truly no other experience like it. That said, do I recommend Meiji Internships as an internship provider? All I can say is that they made everything nice and simple for me and were there every step of the way. It can be very intimidating to find accommodation on your own, especially in an Asian country where you don't even speak the language, so for me it was really a no brainer to seek for help. Since I wanted to do my internship in Korea it just made sense for me to go with Meiji instead of other providers because they specialize in Asian countries and that just made it seem like they would know better than companies that aren't specialized in any particular region. From the beginning it was clear that they knew what they were doing, they were always polite, friendly and made sure to tailor my internship experience to my needs, I'm very happy with the company I was assigned to and more than just working I had a GREAT time in Seoul.

The most memorable experience for me was meeting the other volunteers who were there for the same 2 weeks as me. The girls had such amazing hearts and energy, such a pleasure to volunteer alongside such enthusiasm and dedication!

The rice terraces were by far the most beautiful views during this trip. The Sichuan Opera and dressing up in the costumes was an unforgettable experience. I enjoyed the food (I don't eat spicy food) but the coordinators always took care of me!

My two months helping homeless children and supporting them with educational activities was a very intense, yet rewarding experience for me. Initially, I wanted to engage in other social projects with animals and street dogs in Korea. Meiji recommended me to consider this type of volunteer internship as it is becoming a social problem in Korea and it would give me a good insight in how I could develop my skills for helping others. I really felt that my communicational and organisational skills improved tremendously, not to mention of all the great Korean & international friends I made during my time. I booked my own accommodation as I went with the placement package. If I could change anything I would have booked my accommodation with Meiji. The other Meiji intern I met had a really good time there and made a lot of friends. The sharehouse that I found by myself was not the cleanest and quite far away from my internship placement.

Being all together, the volunteers and the coordinator. The coordinators put a lot of effort into the daily life and try their best to help us at all time. I love how the taught us the Fijian dance, that was a lot of fun.

The entire experience was way above our expectations. Everyone is Bali so nice. Having a private room in a home with a local family gave us a true insight into Balineese culture etc. The adventure service combo was very special. s a fantastic organization to work with. All of the directors of the program were terrific. Dian was a great person to have for orientation week. Super enthusiastic, informative , and fun.

So grateful I had the opportunity to visit Tel Aviv and experience it’s magic, beauty and most delicious cuisine. I had so much fun at the bakery and the staff is so warm and friendly. I immediately felt like we were a family.

The entire experience was way above our expectations. Everyone is Bali so nice. Having a private room in a home with a local family gave us a true insight into Balineese culture etc. The adventure service combo was very special. Loved getting out. All of the directors of the program were terrific. Dian was a great person to have for orientation week. Super enthusiastic, informative , and fun. Airport pick up very nice.

During my time with GoEco in Thailand, it felt as though there could have been more of a focus on volunteering but overall had such an incredible experience and would definitely do a trip like this again!