Oyster Worldwide
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✈️ ✈️ Welcome to Oyster Worldwide
Your Gateway to Extraordinary Journeys!
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Journey on a transformative travel experience with Oyster Worldwide, where responsible travel meets unparalleled adventure. Since our establishment in 2000, we have been the trailblazers in crafting meaningful and unforgettable journeys, offering over 70 handpicked programs across 25 stunning destinations worldwide.
🐾 Animal Welfare and Conservation Volunteering: Join us in making a positive impact on the world's wildlife. Our animal welfare and conservation projects provide you with the unique opportunity to contribute to the well-being of our planet's incredible creatures, creating lasting memories and leaving a positive mark on the environment.
💼 Paid Work Abroad: Take your career global with our paid work abroad programs. Immerse yourself in new cultures while gaining invaluable international work experience. Stand out in the competitive job market by acquiring skills that transcend borders.
🏞️ Adventure Tours, and More – Customize Your Adventure: Explore the world on your terms with our diverse range of options. Whether you're a nature enthusiast, culture seeker, or family adventurer, our trekking, tours, and family adventure programs cater to your unique preferences, promising awe-inspiring experiences and memories that last a lifetime.
🌟 Unparalleled Experiences for Mature Travelers: Age is no barrier to adventure at Oyster Worldwide. Our specially curated mature travel trips offer enriching experiences, cultural immersion, and the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals who share a passion for exploration.
🔥 Why Choose Oyster Worldwide?
✅ Two decades of expertise in responsible travel ✅ Over 70 handpicked programs to choose from ✅ A commitment to ethical and sustainable travel ✅ Unmatched customer satisfaction ✅ Memorable experiences that transcend boundaries
Join Oyster Worldwide – Your Passport to Extraordinary Adventures! Don't just dream of the world 🌏 make it your playground with Oyster Worldwide. Start your journey today, and let us redefine the way you travel ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️
Reviews 528
Karine Devouassoux
Sep 10,2023Nous avons passé une quinzaine hors du temps dans ce sanctuaire d'ours bruns. Mon fils et moi en gardons un très bon souvenir. Vivre quelques jours dans leur domaine est une très belle expérience. Le logement est près du centre ville et avons abusé des restaurants tout au long de notre séjour. Oyster s'est très bien occupé de nous. Nous sommes content d'avoir pu aider un peu en préparant les ice-cream des ours et en peignant les kilomètres de barrières. Bonne continuation à ce sanctuaire et belle vie à ces ours qui ont eu un début difficile.
Rory Stanley
Sep 09,2023I recently booked a fairly last minute trip with Oyster Worldwide to Costa Rica and I can confidently say I will be using them for my future travels!! The support beforehand was great, and any queries I had about the project or the country in general were answered very efficiently. There were lots of tips on the MyOyster portal beforehand which was very useful! The trip itself went very smoothly, all the transfers were bang on time and drivers were friendly. Volunteering with sea turtles had been a dream of mine for many years and I’m so glad I chose OW for this trip of a lifetime!! Great people, great trip, great memories!🐢
Dex Evans
Aug 31,2023It was a great experience - really well organised. Kate answered every query so promptly before the trip. Friendly people at Casa Crema and the night patrols were fun and interesting - I learnt a lot. Brilliant trip all round!
Peter
Aug 30,2023I had a wonderful week volunteering at the Libearty Bear Sanctuary this summer (2023). The accommodation was great, the local agent, Razvan, very helpful & friendly, the bears and sanctuary rewarding to help and Brasov itself a delightful town. The trip out was not perfect. Direct flights from Gatwick, just up the road from me, didn't start until the day after I got back(!) and a rail strike meant I had to leave very early and drive to Stansted. Meet and Greet parking was good, the 3+hr flight OK but no-one to meet me at Bucharest airport. After waiting 20 minutes I called Rasvan who apologised and got back to me a few minutes later to say driver had got held up but would be there in 10, which he was. From then on things went more smoothly though there were lots of detours to avoid traffic jams due to its being peak holiday season. After another 3+hours, we arrived at the flat in Brasov, where Razvan greeted me, and gave me an hour to get settled before taking me out for dinner. On the way back to the flat he showed me the nearby mini-market & greengrocers. On Sunday morning at 7am we left for the familiarisation tour of the sanctuary. It started to rain as we left the car park on the 4 hour tour. It was fascinating seeing lots of the bears for the first time and hearing some of their horrific back stories, which was why I wanted to come and help rather than lie on a beach in the sun. The rain finally let up as we walked back to the car and by the time we got back to Brasov we were nearly dry! After shopping in the big supermarket for breakfast, packed lunch and liquid supplies we went over the formalities of the contract and daily routine for the following week. It was a little daunting realising that I would be on my own most of the time but Razvan promised to introduce me to the driver and give me any specific instructions from the head of sanctuary in the morning. There were, of course, several workers around and about food prep but none spoke English and despite a few weeks of Duolingo my Romanian was not up to much of a conservation. The actual food prep is quite therapeutic and, provided you set up your work station carefully, not too demanding. You soon get into a rhythm - pick up product, stab/slash to open (Watch out for spray back!), mt into tray, bin packaging and repeat again and again. Then you look up for a moment and see a bear, in the enclosure just opposite, emerging from the scrub with 2 cubs :) Making bear ice-cream is specially fun as once you’ve half filled the tray with dairy and sufficient bread/cake you have to spend at least 5 mins kneading it slowly with your gloved hands – they like it smooth! The most difficult task is getting your gloves off quick enough to answer your phone as you don’t want to touch anything until you have! There was an extreme heat warning (35+) for the week I was there but as you will see it was broken by storms so take waterproofs. I was very glad I had a comfy, well worn pair of washable (hiking) boots for working in the food prep area even in the summer – you will be on your feet for hours and it can get messy. The other thing you must have is gloves - always have at least two pairs with you and preferably the thicker black sort. I was there at the end of July and wasps/bees were not yet a problem, but the flies… I had also worried that mossies or gnats might be a problem in the mountains, like in Scotland, but didn’t see any of either. One last tip - take a black sac to keep your belongings in as there is nowhere in the shed you will want to put anything down. I must also say that Oyster and Libearty were very happy to rearrange things for me. I couldn’t do Friday to Friday, I could only arrive on Saturday but wanted to visit Bran and leave on the Monday so I worked an extra day and was able to stay in the accommodation for the second weekend when I overlapped with the next guy and we went round Dracula’s lair together. Will I volunteer again? I’m certainly thinking about it for next year and would heartily recommend the experience to anyone who loves animals, wants to do something useful and is happy with their own company though I believe at times there may be other volunteers around.
Helene Thomas
Aug 25,2023Clear communication, realistic expectation for what to expect, available for questions. Working in the school was amazing to do something helpful and meet the children, meeting the elephants up close was magical and learning all about EHRAs work
Jake Dunbar
Aug 22,2023This was an unforgettable experience and I would highly reccomend travelling with Oyster. It was completely stress-free as everyone was helpful and events were explained clearly. Knowing that my work was helping the bears gave me a great sense of accomplishment and opened my eyes to how these animals were mistreated in the past, and still are being mistreated in other countries. The bears at the sanctuary are happy, healthy, and well fed-- the feeding tour was incredible and gives plenty of opportunties to take some fantastic photographs. My main portion of time working at the sanctuary was spent making the bear ice cream: mixing up dairy products and bread. I found this fun, but prepare to get messy! The town of Brasov has some wonderful views, plenty of nice walking routes, and many restaurants to try. I would highly reccomend walking up the hill/mountain near the apartment towards the Brasov sign as the views over the town make for some great photos. In terms of money, I would say that it is absolutely worth it. You seem to be able to get the most in-depth tour of the sanctuary available, the work is very rewarding, and the accommodation was of a very high standard. As a disclaimer, I recommend not paying extra for the Time Tunnel if you do the Bran Castle excursion at the weekend, as it was disappointing (it was just a lift that went down to a corridor with some illuminated portraits), but I do suggest paying extra for the Medieval Torture exhibition (if it's still there) as this was fascinating to learn about. I was only in Romania for one week and wish I had done longer. I will definitely consider doing this again, as it was an overwhelming positive experience.
Jack
Jul 24,2023Just back from an incredible experience at Kwantu game reserve in South Africa. I had two weeks over there and definitely wish I’d gone for longer. As I’m 17 I was one of the youngest in the group of volunteers but that didn’t matter at all because everyone was really welcoming and we had lots of fun. The accommodation and food was all great and I did lots of different activities across the two weeks all across the reserve. The staff at the reserve were all really friendly and helpful, and they helped booking weekend activities for me which was an amazing bungee jump. The My Oyster portal was really helpful before I went as it gave me so much information and Kate was great at making sure I had all the right paperwork as I was classed as a minor travelling alone. I would love to do a similar experience again in the future and would use Oyster again as they made the organisation of it all so easy.
Eileen Griesser
Jul 24,2023My daughter and I spent a wonderful week in Romania volunteering at the Libearty Bear sanctuary in Brasov. Everything was so well organized from start to finish. This program is so finely tuned, we can only compliment and applaud Oyster. The local director, Razvan, goes above and beyond expectations to ensure a rewarding, fun and safe experience. Our accommodations were great and so close to Old Town Brasov with its many historic sites, restaurants and stores. We had plenty of free time to sightsee in Brasov and surrounding area the weekend before starting and after work in the afternoons/evenings. We were driven to and from the volunteer site each day. Our work involved sorting through and preparing food for the bears. While it was somewhat messy at times the work days are broken up into manageable shifts and included a guided tour of the sanctuary and a free morning to watch the bear feedings. We consider it a privilege to have had the opportunity to see so many bears up close. We learned a lot about brown bears and how and why the sanctuary was started. We highly recommend this amazing Oyster program!
Leonie Corsten
Jul 19,2023I always wanted to spend some time in Australia and it was my biggest dream to combine it with horse work. The programme helped me to make my dream come true! There was a lot to learn during the training week and the trainers really took their time to explain and show everything to us. We were taught in a small group and all of our questions were answered - and believe me, we had lots of them. ;) After the training week it was time for the real job - and the preparation week came in really handy for it. It's hard work and of course you get dirty, but I loved every second of it - the people, the horses, the landscape and the weather! If you love horses and have horse experience, then this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you shouldn't miss out on!
Sanne Minnema
Jul 19,2023Learned a huge amount in the training week about the way horses are kept and trained in Australia while getting to experience the way they manage a working farm as well. Very kind people and very welcoming! Everything was organised and I got to work at a place where again I learned a huge amount while enjoying the Australian weather and the amazing people!
Barbora Koutova
Jul 12,2023Just come to me…. Maybe is time for another trip with Oyster … I have been 3 times with you and love them all …Melaka ZOO in Malaysia 🙉 Monkeys in Ecuador and turtles 🐢 in Costa Rica ….last trip must be 3 years ago… and I start missing those trips…. Barbora Koutova
Deborah
Jul 05,2023I was looking for a unique and fulfilling vacation this year, and wow, did I find it with Oyster! I spent a week volunteering at the brown bear sanctuary in Romania and was extremely satisfied with the experience. The sanctuary and its 100+ furry residents are awe inspiring, and it feels good to contribute to the well-being of these animals who have overcome unimaginable challenges. I can't speak highly enough about the outstanding service provided by the Oyster office and field staff. Roger and Razvan promptly and thoroughly answered all my questions, and went above and beyond to ensure I was prepared for the trip and well taken care of throughout my stay. One special aspect to volunteering here is the chance to see the sanctuary as an insider, with access to areas that regular tourists never see. Although the work itself (in most cases, food prep) is not glamorous, it’s well worth the effort because it results in happy, well-fed bears. Volunteering here can involve multiple hours of being on your feet and walking each day, but this was more than welcome for me as my real-world job is all too sedentary and I love to hike. The sanctuary is situated in beautiful oak forests at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains, so there is really no better place to do all that walking. While Oyster’s website may initially give the impression that they primarily cater to gap year travel, they are much more than this. They have projects suitable for mid-career and mature travelers, as well as families and youth. Check them out!
elizabeth romo
May 25,2023I am a podiatric medical school student in the USA with a strong interest in global health. I had initially researched many medical programs abroad and the oyster worldwide program ended up being the best. The directors were always professional and replied to my emails in a timely manner. As I began volunteering in Braşov, the medical staff I worked with were very kind and helpful. Also, many patients were happy to see us which is a great sign. Inclusively, I had learned a little bit of Romanian which allowed me to communicate with patients. I enriched my medical experience as I was simultaneously welcomed by the Romanian hospitality: a unique experience that this program offers.
Tilly Lynk
May 20,2023I took the CVNZ conservation trip to New Zealand for two weeks and I wish I stayed longer. I loved every moment, especially the conservation. The people that I met on my short time on the trip became a little Nz family to me and I’m very sad to be going. The work was rewarding, fast paced, at some points tricky and exhausting but the team makes it fun. The other activities and fun days we also did make it completely worth it! Living in a house with just other volunteers was daunting at first but it was a really fantastic expensive and i have made some lifelong friends and memories. We got our weekends and evenings off to head to local places and sights and really got to feel like locals. Many thanks for all your help Oyster!
Angela Hooper
Apr 30,2023Volunteering at the Bear Sanctuary - Wow! This was an amazing trip, with everything being so well organised and thought of. Right from my first inquiry where Roger listened and advised me, throughout all the booking process, (amazing personal portal tool), and up to the trip, I felt like I had good support from Roger and the Oyster team. During the final days of build up, Razvan (the man on the ground) took over the care, and he became like a caring big brother throughout the trip. He's been brilliant, supportive, helpful, and great fun throughout the stay. The delightful driver, Ovi, was amazing, knowledgeable and fun. He made the daily journeys a great experience. Then comes the sanctuary, and that's just amazing. The team work hard and care so much for the rescued bears and other animals, they welcome the volunteers and help them get the tasks done. It's stunningly beautiful there, and you get a sense of peace while working hard and walking a lot. The tasks can be hard work, but you're left to work at your own pace, take a break with some photo time, or just wander and enjoy the animals and the scenery. The flat in Brasov is lovely, has everything you need, and is so safe and central, you have everything you need. Also, there's Razvan's beautiful cat "Acorn" who likes to welcome you home with lovely purrs and hugs! Brasov itself is a gorgeous town, so much history, scenery, and a sense of community to it. A lovely culture of street food, shops, town events - all very welcoming and friendly. The whole trip from start to end has been so well organised and prepared, with every detail taken care of and thought of. I would recommend this adventure to absolutely anyone - do it and enjoy the adventure!
D West.
Apr 29,2023Roger was very helpful with any queries I had prior to the holiday and I had plenty as it was the first time, I would be travelling alone. The whole experience was run smoothly from being picked up at the airport , to meeting our guide and support, Razvan, to the taxis taking us to and from the bear sanctuary daily . Each day Razvan , contacted the manager of the sanctuary and we were informed by phone, what our job entailed for the day. Any queries or problems he could be contacted to sort them out. The work at the sanctuary is hardwork, but rewarding as you know it is helping, and allowing the regular workers to get on with other things. You can work at your own pace and if you organise your work area it makes the work easier. You do have to walk quite far every day to get around the sanctuary and at places it is up hill. You get time to take photos and enjoy watching the bears and the other animals around and you see areas , that the general public dont get to see. The views around the sanctuary are incredible and the nature as well. The Oyster flat you stay in, is basic, but clean and in a lovely location in the historic part of beautiful Brasov. Take a bit more cash than is suggested by the company as like everywhere inflation has gone up alot in Romania recently. If you love animals and nature and wish to have an amazing experience and are willing to work , then this holiday is for you . If you are worried about travelling on your own, then dont be , you are well looked after and supported during this experience, Razvan thinks of everything and cares about you.
Neil
Apr 29,2023After a very disappointing Japan Dragon trip in March 2020 due to Covid lock downs. Georgie at Oyster Travel went out of her way to be helpful,and was very professional in rebooking another trip for me with Dragon trips in happier times. I would have no hesitation in recommending her to book your next amazing travel experience.
Amy Ketterer
Apr 21,2023Kate with Oyster has been tremendous as my guide to all things pre-departure! My questions were answered efficiently, and always politely, Kate checked in regularly and assured me of everything I needed along with time frames. She was so supportive of my reality in needing to renew my passport. Never critical, never condescending, despite my ridiculous mistake of letting it expire in the middle of Covid! I could not be more complementary of all that Kate did to make this trip come together. I am at the departure gate right now as I head off to Thailand and want to say thank you thank you thank you!
Bailey Crosskand
Apr 11,2023The last few weeks I have been travelling around South East Asia with Oyster Worldwide, completing my Gold The Duke of Edinburgh's Award. This has been a truly once in a lifetime experience, meeting many new people from all around the world and learning about the Asian culture and lifestyle. From volunteering at an ethical elephant sanctuary in Chaing Mai, Thailand to partying on a yacht in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, I enjoyed every second of it. Oyster Worldwide have been super professional and helpful throughout the whole experience and made a complex and daunting trip, a breeze in the park!
Mollie
Sep 11,2023Overall, the experience I have had has been pretty good. HOWEVER Don’t use Oyster when booking the city work Australia programme. Book through the actual company providing the experience. I paid £995 for this experience and was disheartened to know that the other people in my group only paid around ~£500 for the same experience. When I contacted Oyster demanding to know what the other ~£400 contributed to, I was sent a patronising email explaining that they use it to pay their workers wages along with other useless, already provided services. But don’t worry!! They plant a tree for you!! The extra payments that I made went towards a SIM card (provided free by the actual company so this was useless), a my oyster account (what a privilege, would have been fine without it), breakfasts and other meals that were never available, and ‘help’ in other areas. At no point during the booking process was it made obvious that they were an agency, so I feel very mislead. I would request a refund however they like to brush off negative feedback and will most likely only respond to the first sentence of the review stating that the overall experience was pretty good; this had nothing to do with Oyster and everything to do with Ultimate Oz who were AMAZING.