Bali Coral Reef Restoration & Diving Volunteer

“I was made a better diver who’s totally in love with the ocean and its’ residents, after participating in the coral restoration program for a month. There are multitudes of reasons that I recommend this program.

The first advantage here is their schedules’ flexibility. From Friday to Monday morning, we would gather up and work on the reefs. We get to enjoy the natural reefs on the way, too. On days off (tues-thurs), we can arrange short trips to visit other beautiful places in Bali which is a must-do. This sort of balanced mix of work/play makes a perfect vacation.

Secondly, the villa is well-maintained. The staff were very friendly and helpful, the rooms were clean, and the view was gorgeous! Every day we get to enjoy the sunrise and sunset view of Mt. Agung. Our small villa felt like a welcoming home to me. What’s better was the accommodation and food are included in the package alongside the dives.

Most importantly, I was here for opportunities to restore the reef hands-on, as well as learning about the ecology of reefs, and was definitely not disappointed. You get to see ongoing restoration projects spanning several years and the results seemed promising. It brings so much joy knowing that the reefs that you worked on are going to thrive in the near future.

I wholeheartedly thank all the members working there and I wish everything well for all the local programs here.”

This project is truly brilliant! From day one Kyle is there to give you all the support you could ever need and more, from explaining the daily schedule to talking you through the dives and even arranging taxis for you if you want to go and explore! He cares so much about the work you do on the project and is incredibly knowledgeable about the corals and reef inhabitants. The work feels very rewarding as you can literally see where the older artificial reef is working, so you know your work is really important. The project location, accommodation and food are wonderful too! You even get three days off a week to explore other areas, so I went to the Gilis and Nusa Penida, and again Kyle helped organise these! It was amazing, I can’t fault it!

I joined the Bali project in May and stayed for a month, I joined with my boyfriend and we were supposed to only stay for 2 and a half weeks, we ended up loving it so much that we extended the trip. I made so many great friends at the project and ended up going on trips with them around Gilli Trawangan, Lombok and Nusa Penida after and during the project. When I started the project I had never dived before so I was quite nervous when going but the diving instructors are so chill and lovely and really inspired me to get my advanced diving certification aswell. We also made some friends from a nearby project and went to really fun bar in Amed which plays cool music. Every night we would either play cards, snooker or just hang out with music by the pool. The lodging and the view is incredible, it has been the best project I have been on so far! I would highly recommend to anyone to join the project and also to stay for a longer time to see all the great things that Bali has to offer.

The project was one of the most beneficial and enjoyable things I’ve done so far in my life, from learning new and crucial skills such as becoming a qualified and environmentally conscious diver, to immersing myself in Indonesian culture and making new friends through all the experiences Bali has to offer. This project has it all and I highly recommend it to everyone.

Personally, my stay was an unforgettable experience. I must admit, though, that it wasn’t only for the conservation side of it, but mainly because of the interpersonal exchanges that I had for 3 months. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed our daily activities: building structures, deploying them, and witnessing through our weekly dives the tangible impact that our labour had on the reef. However, the friendships, the conversations, the social interactions… those for me were the highlight of my experience.

This project gave me the opportunity to meet AMAZING people. People with whom I was able to build super strong bonds that I hope will last through time and distance. I was able to be myself (no place to hide really) and I felt like who I’m as a person was appreciated. Not sure if it was because of where I was in my life, but I felt that I met the people that I was supposed to meet, and that they helped me grow and gave me a different outlook on certain aspects of my life. In a way, it was a healing experience for me.

I also have to say that my experience would not have been the same without the outstanding local team. They’re the sweetest people ever. Always a smile, always ready to help, and always trying to make our stay the best possible. And they work hard, long hours, morning to night, always with the best attitude. They also became a pivotal aspect of my stay, as they became my family while I was so far away from home.

I think my stay in Bali was exceptional because I went there with no expectations whatsoever and because I had done some research beforehand. I knew I was going to a place in the middle of nowhere. I knew I was going to be sharing almost everything with other people and that I was going to have basic amenities. I also knew that I was going to a tropical location, where I was going to have to deal with animals, bugs, etc. I was open to all of this and to another culture, to different flavours and to different ways of doing things. I think this helped me focus on what really mattered to me, so I could enjoy every moment even more. I saw many people struggling, because they expected to find their own country (with all that encompasses) in Bali. Therefore, if someone would ask me for advice, I would tell this person to be a white canvas and to have zero expectations. It takes a few days to adapt to the change, but if you go with an open heart, the outcome could be truly amazing.

It’s been almost a month since I left, and I think of what I lived there every single day. I was heartbroken to leave and now I feel like I left a piece of my heart in Bali. I hope I will be able to go back and visit everyone soon.

My time in Bali with the project was genuinely one of the best decisions I’ve made. The local team are all glorious people and the programme is really well put together and so much fun. Make the most of it by getting involved with all of the building and diving sessions. The food is amazing (thank you chefs) and just know that you’ll be well looked after. Kyle, Ketut, Sukma and Danda will make sure you have everything you need. Try and explore as much of Bali as you can at the weekends, they’ll be a great group to do this with so not to worry if you’re travelling solo as I was – you’ll make pals quickly. The best bit of advice I could give is to make sure you spend time getting to know the locals and their families, they’re all super friendly and a laugh so don’t be shy. I sobbed when I left and I’m not the only one! I couldn’t recommend it more.