Overview
Vacancy: Venezuela: Caribbean + Rainforest, Teach + Trekking
Company: The Leap Overseas Ltd
Category: Multi Activity Gap Years (Conservation, Community development, Teaching English)
Dates: Jan, April, July & Sept (for 6 or 8 wks)
Cost : From £1760 - £2780
Description
Calling all adventurous spirits! This amazing and varied placement gives you the chance to experience three wildly different environments and four incredible volunteer projects in Eastern Venezuela, making a real difference to the lives of it’s indigenous communities.
Travel from the white sands and warm Caribbean waters of Playa Colorada, onto the lush pineapple plantations of Caripe learning Spanish along the way before heading upto the Gran Sabana, high in the Andes for the ultimate Latin American experience.
Starting at the coast, you will spend your first 5 weeks working on two volunteer projects – renovating a famous palm-fringed beach called ‘Playa Melisa’ located on the beautiful island of Arapito, and running an after-school fun club for local kids.
Then move upland into Caripe, where you’ll help to restore mountain trails and breathtaking bat caves whilst working on a reforestation project to protect indigenous tree species.
Finally, you’ll be treated to a 2 week expedition to La Gran Sabana, located in the South-eastern corner of Venezuela at the border with Brazil and Guyana. These mystical highlands are one of the oldest rock formations in the world and the remains of when the South American continent was still attached to Africa. Scale spectacular table-top mountains, called the Tepuis, waterfalls and trek through pristine jungle to encounter the primitive and spiritual Pemon Indians and perhaps even an extra-terrestrial experience!
To brush up your language skills and help you on the projects, 10 hours per week intensive group Spanish lessons will kick off as soon as you arrive.