Operation Wallacea - www.opwall.com

This summer I went on OPWALL's expedition to the Peruvian Amazon, and had the most incredible two weeks! I was very nervous about the trip, having never travelled outside of Europe before. But OPWALL's extremely high level of organisation in the run up to and during the trip was hugely reassuring for me, with numerous presentations and a 'webinar' beforehand, alongside the expedition's 'training page', providing a wealth of invaluable detail and ensuring that I was organised and well-prepared.

I will never forget the time that I spent out in the field in Peru with OPWALL. Numerous different surveys and lectures kept us busy and we saw some the if most incredible species, from the three-toed sloth to the pink river dolphin and the black caiman. The up-close encounters to which were treated when measuring, weighing and ringing the countless different species are not experiences which could have been replicated anywhere else in the world. To top it all off, the OPWALL team consisted of a group of incredibly friendly and highly knowledgable experts in the field who, alongside the wonderful local guides we got to meet and work alongside, made the whole experience all the more rewarding and memorable. I met some incredible, like-minded people with whom I'm sure I will always stay in touch, and I would not hesitate before signing up to a future expedition with OPWALL.

Just returned from a school trip from Ecuador. Opwall was fantastic in the run up to the trip and the preliminary meetings with the pupils and their parents were excellent.

The pupils were kept completely focussed and the rainforest activities and lectures from the scientists were very valuable. The second week in the cloud forest was fabulous. Stunning views and again, very worthwhile activities.

This is the second trip I have run with operation wallacea and I am hoping to use them again in a couple of years time.

What is there even to say besides those 4 weeks were the best of my life, the staff were amazing, everybody out there was amazing the research was so much fun, but if you're really considering doing this, there's something you need to know. Your life will never be as good as that moment when you're lying on the beach after scuba diving, with the most amazing girl you've ever met lying next to you. You both have all the time in the world to fall in love, but then it'll all be over, suddenly you'll both be back in your separate countries miles and miles apart. There's so much you didn't tell her and now it's months later, but you just can't get this girl out of your head, there's nothing you wouldn't do just to kiss her one last time. It'll break your heart. So...yeah...thanks for ruining my life opwall.

I went to Indonesia with Operation Wallacea (Hoga), to do my research for my undergraduate dissertation.

First of all, we had several webinars and email correspondences, in order to prepare my trip.

On Hoga, we started with an RST; Reef Survey Techniques course. We learned about reef animals, sampling techniques and how we should combine everything at a later stage for our dissertation research. This course was absolutely great and the basis for my research. It was really useful and they taught as really well!

During my research, talks were given by different scientists, as well as lectures about statistics, giving presentations and how to write our dissertation.

Furthermore, we had meetings with our field supervisor and other science staff, which was REALLY useful for my work. It was great to work with scientists, and get help from them.

But also the not working related part was great, weekly socials, evening chats and film showings, as well as just hanging out with friends you made there, no matter if they were students or staff. It was a great atmosphere and I can only recommend this.

I hopefully will be able to go back, either as student or staff.

Thanks Opwall for this great experience!

I spent four weeks on Hoga (marine site in Indonesia) this summer. I got my PADI qualification in the first week, did the course on reef survey techniques (RST) in the second week and went on to work with different projects and people in the last two weeks.

Volunteering on Hoga is a great opportunity for anyone interested in marine research and conservation. It was definitely an interesting time, I learned a lot and made a few new experiences. I didn't have any diving experience before but I really enjoyed it. Being under water and seeing the diversity of a coral reef is absolutely amazing!

The staff on Hoga was very helpful and inspiring. All the lectures and projects supervised by the science staff were interesting and well structured. The diving staff was exceptional, having only a week to learn how to dive seems challenging but it worked out fine for everyone. The site manager was also very supportive in dealing with all issues and questions I had.

The accommodation is very basic but I think that is fine as our standards cannot be as high in Indonesia as they are back home. Everyone stays in huts on site, each hut is shared between two people. We didn't always have electricity in our hut which wasn't perfect but it is normal for a remote Indonesian island. I'd recommend bringing a good torch (flashlight), which is also necessary to walk around after dark (and it gets dark very early). I would also recommend bringing a laptop or tablet. There are computers on site but they are very old and extremely slow, even for Hoga standards.

The food was pretty good, a lot of fish but also vegetables and other Indonesian dishes so it doesn't get boring. Bread rolls and toast is available all day in case you get hungry between meals.

The amount of money you pay to be there seems like a lot but you do get a lot for your money so I think it's worth it.

The reason why I only give 3/5 has nothing to do with the quality of staff or the site. Prior to the expedition all reviews I read were along the lines of “best time of my life” and “most awesome experience ever”. I didn't realise that it can also be very challenging. Getting used to a different climate, time zone and environment (and diving!) can be difficult enough and there is not a lot of time to relax and “arrive” properly. I was so busy every day (sometimes from 6 in the morning to 7 at night) I found it difficult to find a quiet moment to get used to my new environment. I was very tired at the end of the day and that made socialising and finding new friends very difficult. The first two weeks (PADI and RST courses) were especially challenging, because I had lectures and dives all day and I also had to revise for the tests at the end of each course. This left very little time for the sleep I needed and even less for socialising. Sometimes I almost fell asleep at dinner. Also, being in a confined area like an island was a new and strange experience for me. There are only so many places you can go to (main lodge, the library and your hut) and seeing the exact same people every day for four weeks can be tiring.

Again, I'm not criticising Operation Wallacea for this, it is just my personal experience and it might help other people to be aware of this when preparing for their trip. It is definitely a great experience but I think four weeks was enough and I was happy to go home at the end of my time on Hoga.

I spent 4 weeks as a research assistant in the Cusuco national park in Honduras (the terrestrial site) and it was hands down the best experience of my life. We spent the time between Basecamp and 4 other satellite camps, trekking across the park between each one.

There's a definite sense of friendly informality between all of the staff and students, with the experience still being focused on the research.

I appreciated the ability to choose which 'team' you wanted to work with each day (herpetofauna, invertebrates, birds, habitat data, bats etc.). It means you can really tailor your experience to your interests. It's clear from working with the staff how knowledgeable and passionate they are about their specialist area.

Along the way I met incredible people, made some amazing new friends from all over the world, and saw first-hand the richness and diversity of the park. The guides were also great; very knowledgeable about the area and local wildlife, and I always felt safe.

I think the only downside is the cost; it was a lot of money, but I suppose when you experience first hand what the money goes towards; paying the guides a decent wage, and providing a comfortable experience in the middle of the rainforest, as well as simply funding all the important research you can see why it's so expensive.

One more comment I have is that the brochure doesn't give a true idea of quite how mountainous and hilly the park actually is: it's VERY steep, which was fine for me, but I didn't get a real idea of how tough it could be.

Overall, it was an outstanding experience and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone.

Thankyou Operation Wallacea!

I loved every single second of it, and do not regret the amount of money I spent. It was an experience that has shaped me for the rest of my life, and has hopefully shaped my career in some way. I've made new friends for life. I was very nervous about meeting everybody, worried that for some reason I wouldn't fit in, but now I know how silly that is. All of the staff were great, and all of the other research assistants were too. The lectures were interesting, and handling the animals was a fantastic experience. I am now not so terrified of snakes, spiders and ants. Especially since I shared a tent with ants for two weeks. Some of the transects could be quite challenging, but it was all part of the experience. My weeks in the rainforest were my favourite, but the two weeks at the marine site were also fantastic. I absolutely loved the turtle walks, watching the baby turtles make their way out to the water. I'm so pleased I learnt to dive, and now I'm excited to try diving in England, and hopefully in other countries I visit.

There are a few things I wish I had known before I had gone. I should have packed a couple more items of clothing suitable for the marine site. I packed clothes suitable for both, but it would have been nice to have worn shorts that weren't jungle shorts that went down to my knee. I wish I hadn't bought binoculars; they took space up in my luggage, and I only used them once. It depends on your interest in birds though. Also, I should have taken more of my nice tasting rehydration salts. I was not a fan of Opwal's stock!

But thank you Operation Wallacea. I wish I had known about this in high school as I would have done this a lot sooner had I known.

I am so glad I decided to go on the Opwall trip to South Africa, it was 100% worth all the money worries and well worth every pence I payed. The month I spent in Balule reserve with Opwall has been the best time in my life so far. I got to observe so many fascinating and majestic animals. I saw lions at a kill, huge breeding herds of elephants, watched a buffalo herd run across the road in front of us in front of a back drop of the beautiful African sunset, and saw a leopard stalk across the front of camp at night. I miss listening to the hippos 'laugh' in the morning and falling asleep to the hyenas howling at night. I met so many like minded and friendly people while I was on the trip. I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in animals, conservation or just looking to have an adventure.

It was a life changing experience for me and has assured me that conservation research is the path in which I wish to follow.

I loved the fact we got so stuck into the research and it was all very hands on. Not only did we have plenty of time with the animals, we also got time to experience the culture and what it was like to live there. I couldn't have imagined a better trip.

I have just come home from an amazing 6 weeks in Honduras with Operation Wallacea, where I undertook research for my final year undergraduate dissertation, based in Tela.

My experience was fabulous from the moment I stepped off the plane - we were greeted by a member of staff and were soon on the way to Tela. On the very first morning, we got diving right away. As a qualified diver, I got straight into the Reef Eco course, which was really useful and interesting. Those who were not qualified to dive began the Open Water course. After a week of diving, I began research for my dissertation.

The support in terms of preparing to research for my dissertation before arrival and during my stay was incredibly good. The supervisors are very knowledgeable in their field and organise regular meetings on site to review progress.

In free time, we went swimming in the lovely warm sea, or visited Tela town centre where we once went for steak (so yummy!!). On another occasion we went to a National Park and saw howler monkeys and went snorkelling in a beautiful bay.

I guess the only downside is the cost but Opwall are really supportive when it comes to fundraising and for me, my experience was worth every penny.