Galapagos Program Fees and Information

2 Weeks	4 Weeks	8 Weeks	12 Weeks	24 Weeks	Extra Weeks
$630	$730	$1030	$1290	$2120	$70

Read how your fees are spent or compare our prices with other volunteer organisations.

View our prices in other volunteer locations's or combine your stay in Galapagos with stays in other locations as part of a combination stay.

What you receive

Orientation upon arrival
24 hour support
Accommodation
Regular follow-up meetings
Ecuador culture introduction
Ecuadorian cooking classes

Apart from our fees, you must pay for:

Vaccinations and Visas
Airfares and all transportation to your project location
Health insurance
Food (about 4-6 dollars per day) and other personal expenses

Application Process

Our application process typically takes two or three weeks, but can be speeded up if there is a need for that. When we receive the initial application from you, we will send you our Full Application Form.

(1) Complete the Initial Application Form:
The first stage of the application process is to fill out the brief initial application form. Upon receiving this we will send you a link to our full application form.

(2) Complete the full application form:
Fill out the application form. After receiving this we will assess your suitability and place you on one of our programs.

(3) Placement info:
We will then email you your detaled placement information and an Invoice. If you accept the placement you should email us confirmation.

(4) Program Fee:
The program fee should be paid to us at least 2 months before you are due to start your placement. However please be aware that we have a limited amount of placements, so placements will only be secured when we have received your payment.

(5) Communication:
We encourage you to keep in touch and we are happy to answer to try and answer all of your questions.

Once you have made your travelling arrangements you should mail your time of arrival and the means of transportation and we will confirm your pick-up details.

Project Duration and Arrival Dates

For the majority of our Ecuador programs, you can join us for any amount of time from 4 weeks to 6 months. However, some projects have minimum time restrictions.

We recommend a trip of 3-6 months since it offers the best value. Regardless of the length of your stay, you will be able to learn some Spanish and you will have time to get to know a new culture, come to know its people, and form relationships that will outlast the duration of your stay.

Dates for the Year 2010:
Sat 07 Aug 10, Sat 21 Aug 10, Sat 04 Sep 10, Sat 18 Sep 10, Sat 02 Oct 10, Sat 16 Oct 10, Sat 30 Oct 10, Sat 13 Nov 10, Sat 27 Nov 10, Sat 11 Dec 10, Sat 25 Dec 10

Dates for the Year 2011:
Sat 08 Jan 11, Sat 22 Jan 11, Sat 05 Feb 11, Sat 19 Feb 11, Sat 05 Mar 11, Sat 19 Mar 11, Sat 02 Apr 11, Sat 16 Apr 11, Sat 30 Apr 11, Sat 14 May 11, Sat 28 May 11, Sat 11 Jun 11, Sat 25 Jun 11, Sat 09 Jul 11, Sat 23 Jul 11, Sat 06 Aug 11, Sat 20 Aug 11, Sat 03 Sep 11, Sat 17 Sep 11, Sat 01 Oct 11, Sat 15 Oct 11, Sat 29 Oct 11, Sat 12 Nov 11, Sat 26 Nov 11, Sat 10 Dec 11, Sat 24 Dec 11

Getting Here

Reception

Food

During your volunteer program, you will have use of the kitchen and all of the cooking facilities. Apart from this, the streets of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno are filled with places to eat. Many of them are open throughout the morning and some of them part of the night. You should plan to spend from $3 to $10 per meal depending on your choice of food. (ie. A local lunch of rice, beans, and meat) for $3, a seafood dinner with drink for $10+). There are a fairly wide variety of restaurants on the island, you can find traditional Ecuadorian food and you can also find typical “Gringo” favorites like pizzas, burgers, and brownies.

A great option available to you is to eat at your home stay. This costs $8 per day and you pay monthly. This $8 includes a complete breakfast, large lunch (different every day!), and a light dinner. Remember that in Ecuador, like most Latin American countries, families tend to eat their largest meal in the middle of the day. If you choose to eat at your home stay you will need to pay the monthly fee to one of the coordinators, David or Adrian, in Galapagos.

In Puerto Baquerizo Moreno there are also many grocery stores and mini markets.

Volunteer Work

Apart from teaching English, volunteers can teach math, sports, music, art, and run workshops. Our work in Ecuador can also involve teaching in orphanages, centres for children workers, children's hostels, and schools for adults. A typical day will involve between 2 and 4 hours or work, and weekends are usually free.

If you are not working in a school, your work schedule will be depend on the project you have chosen.

Accommodation

At the moment we are offering home stays, which means that you will be living with a Ecuadorian family where you can expect to live at the typical standards. You will be in a clean friendly environment but don't expect any luxuries.

Vaccinations

Hepatitis A: Recommended for all travelers.
Typhoid: For travelers who may eat or drink outside major restaurants & hotels.
Hepatitis B: For travelers who may have intimate contact with local residents, especially if visiting for more than 6 months.
Rabies: For travelers who may have direct contact with animals and may not have access to medical care.
Routine immunizations: All travelers should be up-to-date on tetanus-diphtheria, measles-mumps-rubella, polio, and varicella immunizations.
Yellow fever: Although yellow fever does not affect the Galápagos Islands immunization is recommended for anyone that will also be travelling to eastern parts of mainland Ecuador. It is also required for travelers arriving from yellow-fever infected areas in Africa or the Americas.

Insurance

One of the conditions of entry onto our programs is that volunteers have travel insurance. Most importantly the insurance needs to include medical treatment and repatriation in case of unforeseen accidents or illnesses. Volunteers should purchase insurance independently and bring a copy of their insurance certificate with them for their local co-ordinator to check before starting their program. Read our terms and conditions.

Visas

Please see our visa information page for details.

Certification

You will get a Travel to Teach certificate stating the time and place you have been teaching.