Project details:
Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge is located 33km from La Ceiba and was named after the two rivers, Cuero and Salado, that come together to form a large estuary on the Caribbean Coast. It was created to protect the endangered Manatee population (10 % of the entire world population of manatees can be found at this project!) along with 35 other species of wildlife including jaguars, ocelots, boa constrictors, howler and white-faced monkeys, alligators and an abundance of fish life. It is also home to 198 different species of birds.

The forest was declared a protected area in 1987 and as a result, the natural wildlife within the forest is able to flourish here and is home to animals such as crocodiles, iguanas, monkeys and jaguar. There is also rich and diverse number of bird species including storks, kingfishers and hawks to name a few.

Why the project needs volunteers:
Many of the projects we work with lack the funds or the manpower to achieve their aims so volunteers are vital to the conservation of some of Honduras' greatest national treasures.

What kind of skills you need to go on this type of project:
Conservation volunteers will be hands on people who really enjoy the outdoors. You should be in good health and reasonably fit. You must be prepared to work well in a team and for some physical work. Enthusiasm, a positive attitude, resourcefulness and flexibility are all important qualities to have.

Your role as a volunteer:
We have a wide variety of Honduras conservation projects and the exact nature of the work may depend on the time of year and project you volunteer at. Typical activities include the maintenance of trails / signs, informal English teaching, monitoring wildlife, acting as a tour guide, and river patrolling.

Where the project is based:
The Manatee conservation project is located in a 13,000 acre tropical forest about 30km west of the town of La Ceiba on the north coast of Honduras. In order to get to Cuero y Salado you travel by car then a small railroad car propelled by poles, which will transport you into the reserve. Once there, volunteers will work both in the mainland and also in the mangroves of the reserve for this they will travel by motorboat. Volunteers get the opportunity to observe and learn about the flora and fauna in the region. Cuero y Salado is a magical place and a birdwatchers paradise.

Accommodation does vary however dormitory style huts sharing with other volunteers are the norm at some of our projects. It is useful to bear in mind that facilities may be very basic at some locations ie. limited hot showers, intermittent electricity.

You will need to arrive into Tegucigalpa (TGU) on your specified arrival date.

What exactly do i-to-i provide?

It may seem like a strange concept to pay for your volunteer experience. You'd be right if you think you shouldn't and the truth is you actually don't! Your placement is free; it's the benefits around it that you pay for. It's important to note that i-to-i is a travel company and not a charity. We provide a professional travel service. We are responsible for finding and assessing worthwhile projects across the world, preparing you for the volunteering experience and supporting you whilst you're there.

Here’s some more information about what your placement fee covers….

Project sourcing and assessment

We work with hundreds of locally run partner projects around the world and are constantly sourcing new opportunities. We visit all projects to check that they are worthwhile and legitimate and we also conduct a thorough safety assessment before we'll send volunteers there. More

Expert help-desk

Almost everyone who works for i-to-i has traveled extensively or worked overseas. This means we're a goldmine of information; we're always available to offer support and guidance before, during and after your trip.

Thorough project briefing materials

Once you book on to a project you'll receive a Welcome Pack that contains loads of general information about volunteering, about your chosen country and project, and a DVD about how to have fun and stay safe. We'll also give you advice on visas and inoculations.

TEFL training

If you are volunteering on a Teaching or Community Development project then a 40-hour Online TEFL course is included in your placement fee. This is an internationally recognised and accredited certificate that will help you to make the most of your time overseas. More

Airport pickup

It can be pretty daunting arriving in a different country for the first time… especially after a long flight! If you arrive on your project start date, there'll be a welcoming face at the airport to pick you up and take you to your accommodation.

Arrival orientation

Soon after you arrive you will attend a thorough orientation with our in-country team. This is to cover important safety and security information. You'll also get some tips about sight-seeing options for your time off and maybe even learn some of the local lingo!

Accommodation and meals

Accommodation is included with all projects and meals are even included with some. We only use locally-owned and operated accommodation so that part of your placement fee is filtering back into the local economy. Most projects offer homestay, guesthouse or shared volunteer houses as standard accommodation, but some offer the chance to upgrade to a more comfortable living standard. More

Local in-country coordinators

Your in-country coordinator (ICC) will pick you up from the airport and conduct your orientation upon arrival. All ICC's are English speaking and are locals of your destination country. They won't be at your project every day, but will be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you need them. More

24/7 emergency support

Aside from the local support from your in-country coordinators you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by i-to-i staff in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals Docleaf to be on hand in case of a situation that requires additional expert support. More

Ongoing training

The safety and security of our volunteers is paramount. For this reason we provide ongoing crisis management and emergency response training to our local teams around the world. At the end of 2006 we flew all our in-country coordinators to the UK for thorough training to help them offer the best safety to the thousands of volunteers they support each year. More

Supporting our projects

We don't fund our projects directly, but once a year they are all invited to apply for funding for special projects or resources from our registered charity arm, the i-to-i Foundation. i-to-i funds the operation of the i-to-i Foundation and is the largest single donor. Along with the generous support of our volunteers, we have distributed over US$200,000 in funding in the last two years alone! More  

Recruiting people like you

We make no secrets of the fact that part of your placement fee is reinvested in to recruiting volunteers just like you! The volunteers recruited in one week will typically deliver over 2000 man-days of service. The difference this makes to projects overseas is immeasurable. Many of our overseas projects rely on assistance from international volunteers, so it's necessary for us to put together brochures and websites to find the people who can support them. This recruitment process is vital to ensure programs have a constant stream of reliable volunteers.

The intangible benefits

Volunteering through a company like i-to-i has a lot of intangible benefits to developing overseas communities and the individual projects that we work with. To find out more about our placements. click here

What we will do after you've booked:

• Once booked on you will instantly receive a welcome email confirming your booking with access to your online account
• We will send a Welcome Pack in the post containing further information and a t-shirt, the information in this pack should answer most things you need to know
• Community Development and Teaching customers will receive an email introducing them to their Online TEFL course
• Community Development and Teaching customers will be requested to complete a police check (where relevant) or send through a reference
• We will contact you if we require anything else e.g. CV/resume for some projects, doctors note for medical conditions etc.
• We will hound you to complete your forms and pay your final balance when they are due
• We are available for any questions you may have on 800 352 1794 or operations@i-to-i.com
• We will prepare for your trip and send you an email with final project and accommodation confirmation 21 days before you go

What you need to do after booking your place with us:

• Book your flights
• Arrange suitable travel insurance
• Fill out some extra details through our online interface:
  • application from
  • travel details
  • insurance details
  • medical information
  • emergency contacts
• Complete your police check or request your reference (where relevant)
• Do your Online TEFL Course (where relevant)
• Make final payment at least 60 days before you go
• Make sure you have a visa for your trip if its needed
• Visit a nurse or travel clinic for advice on inoculations and malaria prevention
• Read all details and prepare as much as you can for your trip
• Take contact details of the in country team and where you're going in your hand luggage - just in case!
• Get on the plane!

Orientation Information

We aim to provide you with a safe and soft landing into your destination by picking you up from the airport, giving you an orientation that helps to settle you into the country as quickly as possible. It’s also the best time to ask any questions you have about your time in Honduras.

If you arrive on the arrival Date – Monday you will be met at the airport on that day (whether it is 12 in the morning or 11:59 at night. You will be taken to the Hotel Valle de Angeles where you will have the first day/night to recover from your flight. The hostel is within walking distance of local craft shops, bars and restaurants.

Note: If you’re arriving early we can arrange a meet and greet for you. If you require this please contact us to arrange this service. If you wish to make your own way please arrange to be at the address below on the arrival date between 7am and 5pm:

Hostel Valle de Angeles
Enfrente de Banco Occidente
50 metros detras de la iglesia
Valle de Angeles
Francisco Morazan.
Honduras

You should make your way to the hostel before 5pm.

Your orientation will take place the next morning and will introduce you to life in Honduras as well as important information about staying healthy and safe and information on getting to your project.

This is your chance to ask any questions of the team before starting work. After your orientation you will travel to your project, information on local transport and getting to your project.

From here on in you will spend your time with the project but the in-country team are there if you need them.

Insurance

It's important that you get adequate travel insurance for your i-to-i experience and as many of you will be working this often means standard policies won’t work. The good news is that no matter where your coming from we have already found a policy to suit you.

The best time to get your insurance is when you book your project as this means you can get a fully tailored policy exclusive to i-to-i, just ask your consultant for further details at the time of booking.

If you have already booked but still need insurance then you may still be able to take our tailored policy. If, however it was more than a few days ago then try the links below:

Australian customers - find out more here >>

All other customers - find out more here >>

Flights

As with insurance we advise you get these booked as early as possible to avoid high prices and to make sure you arrive on the right day. The i-to-i team is right up to date with the best deals no matter where you’re flying from; their insider knowledge could save you some time and money.

Suggested Trips

Mayan Ruins of Copan

• The most artistically advanced and elaborate of all the Maya Cities.
• Visit the Grand Plaza where you can find the Hieroglyphic Stairway
• Take photos of various temples including the ‘Temple of the Sun’
• Also visit the new Maya museums, the nearby hot springs and take part in various other activities around town
  

Lancetilla Botanical Gardens

• Largest Botanical Garden in Latin America
• A wonderland of tropical effusiveness and variety. Lancetilla holds the most complete Honduras tropical gardens.
• Explore the fascinating bamboo forest and enjoy a refreshing swim after a hike through the tropical jungle
• Located next to the famous Caribbean port of Tela, you will have an opportunity to enjoy some of the best beaches of Honduras
  

Lago de Yajoa/ Pulhapanzak

• Get a tour through and underneath the 140 feet waterfall for the best adventure of your life
• Lake Yajoa is a natural lake surrounded by massive 8000 feet high mountains
• The combination of vegetation and water create an impressively diverse habitat home to 373 species of birds
  

The Bay Islands

• The Bay Islands are Roatan, Utila and Guanaja
• The islands have an incredible amount to offer guests; superb scuba diving and snorkeling, kayaking, horseback riding, exploring vast mangrove alleys
• Home to the second largest barrier reef in the world where you can encounter the infamous whale shark, dolphins and a huge variety of other marine life
• The Bay Islands have the least expensive dive certification courses on the planet
• Each island has stunning beaches like West Bay in Roatan where you can soak up the sun then cool off in the crystal clear sea.
  

La Tigra Cloud Forest

• Considered as one of the richest habitats in the world, where there is the highest diversity of flora and fauna
• Wet, cool, primeval, La Tigra is a forest of singular enchantment, a wonder known only to those willing to climb to its height
• Home to more than 700 species of birds including the Harpy Eagle and the Quetzal, as well as rare mammals such as jaguars, pumas and monkeys
• La Tigra National Park is a cool retreat just a 40-minute drive from the capital Tegucigalpa making it a must see for even seasoned ecotourists
  

Pico Bonito

• Located just a short distance from La Ceiba
• Pico Bonito has a variety of nature trails, natural swimming pools, a butter-fly house and serpentarium
• The park also gives you a great chance to spot the keel billed toucan, white-faced monkeys and howler monkeys
• Go on a zip line canopy tour to get a ‘bird’s eye’ perspective of life in the tropical rain forest
• Experience some of the best white water rafting in Central America
  

Isla del Tigre

• A small (extinct) volcanic island on the Pacific Coast
• Forms an almost perfect conical shape and has an altitude of 2,583 feet above sea level
• Relax at the beach Playa Negra, named after the dark volcanic sands that characterize the island
• Climb to the top of the volcano to get a spectacular view of Nicaragua, El Salvador and of course Honduras
• Watch the stunning sun set while trying out the succulent sea food on offer

Country Guide

A little bit of history…

Long before the Spanish Conquest of the Americas, the Mayan settled in Honduras in the fifth century AD and established the city of Copán. Due to the decline of the Mayan civilisation, it fell to ruin in the 9th century AD. A myriad of indigenous people followed before the colonists executed their dominance in the 16th century. The Spanish were met with stiff Indian resistance as they made their settlement in the highlands. The British, meanwhile, focused their attentions on the Bay Islands and the Caribbean coast which served as a base for British pirates from the 16th to the 18th centuries. At the end of the 19th century, the country’s banana industry boomed and opened up export links with the US and UK. The banana industry was monopolised by US companies and for a time the country’s economic and political interests were heavily shaped by these company interests.

The country endured an unstable political and economic climate for much of the 19th and 20th centuries, aided by liberals and conservatives competing for power, military coups and tensions with its neighbour El Salvador. As the second largest country in Central America, it remains one of the least developed but optimism is on the horizon. In the past decade its economy has diversified to include tourism. And although the effects of Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and its heavy foreign debt have hindered development, it remains a democracy with a government that is looking towards the future with reform and a sense of openness in mind.

Best time to go…

Umbrella weather is from May to October but it can vary in different parts of the country. The Caribbean coast is wet year round with September and sometimes November to February seeing the heaviest rainfall. Inland it is typically dry from November to April. April and May can feel like an oven but the central highlands usually feel pleasant compared to the humidity of the lowland areas. The hurricane season, meanwhile, is from June to November. The busiest time to visit is around February to April.

Sights and sounds

The Mayan ruins at Copán are an archaeologist’s dream. But you don’t have to be a scholar to appreciate their stature and ability to keep you clicking away at your camera. It’s a vast site with over 4,000 structures including temples, intricate carvings, plazas and sculptures. In-between constructing advanced architecture and advancing its civilisation, the Maya also found time to have some fun and the site boasts the second largest ball court in Central America. The Hieroglyphic Stairway and Acropolis are other key structures that evoke what the Mayan world actually looked like way back when. The town of Copán Ruinas, around 1km from the ruins, has resisted being overshadowed by the mighty ruins and is itself a popular destination. Lined with cobblestone streets and white buildings with red-tiled roofs, it features shops, restaurants and a market; a good way to see the town is on horseback. For more Mayan wonders, the town’s Copán Museum boasts a comprehensive range of artefacts found at the site.

For a taste of colonial history, the nation’s capital Tegucigalpa, also known as Tegus (pronounced Tehgoos), has a good offering with its museums, churches and colonial architecture housed within its urban sprawl. Museo Nacional Villaroy is housed in an old presidential house and includes exhibits on past presidents, colonial and natural history, along with Pre-Columbian archaeological finds. Iglesia de San Francisco is the city’s first church and dates back to the late 1500s. The best views of the city can be seen from El Picachio, a national park that also includes a statue of Christ overlooking the city.

Honduras is also home to a diverse and abundant range of animal and plant species including over 700 bird species and 110 mammal species, from pumas to howler monkeys. Although not as developed as Costa Rica, Honduras’s ecotourism is of great interest for a country which boasts the largest area of virgin tropical rainforest in the North American Hemisphere in the region known as The Mosquito coast. La Moskitia, which also runs into Nicaraguan territory, is a unique area that’s largely uninhabited but teeming with wildlife. Within the region lies the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is the largest park in the country with green iguana, sea turtles and deer among its eclectic residents. The town of Palacios is the best base from which to explore the reserve as it offers food, shelter and flight services. For those looking for nature closer to city civilisation, a hike through mountainous Le Tigre National Park should quench the thirst. Close to Tegucigalpa and a good day trip destination, its cloud forest is home to lush vegetation and the likes of quetzal, monkeys and pumas.

For relaxation, Caribbean beach town Tela is a nice remedy from other tourist populated beaches. Much of it remains unspoiled and it moves a long at a steady pace with locals opting for bicycles to get from A to B.

Highlights: La Ceiba

The third largest city in Honduras, La Ceiba, is by no means third rate and its main pull lies in its party reputation and proximity to some of the best nature hotspots in the country.  It is the largest of the country’s Caribbean port towns and is a buzz of activity with bars, restaurants and shops to whet the consumer appetite. One of the highlights in its social calendar, is Carnaval, which celebrates the patron saint San Isidro. It’s held during the third week of May and lasts for 2 weeks, with the third Saturday in May the biggest celebration day. During this time, the city’s population swells to an additional 200,000 people from around the world. It’s a full-on party with live music, food, drink and frivolity.

But the city is much more than a guilty pleasure, it is also has an array of attractions for eco enthusiasts. On the city’s doorstep is Parque Nacional Pico Bonito, one of the country’s best known national parks, and features forests, rivers, waterfalls and a selection of wildlife including armadillos, wild pigs and doves. Its mountain peak is a lure for the super adventurous which, at over 2000m, is a challenging climb and takes several days to climb up and get down. Also within reach of the city is the Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge whose mangrove forests and coastal lagoons are home to several species including monkeys and manatees.

La Ceiba is also the launch pad for speedy island getaways with its regular ferry and flight services to the Bay Islands. The Bay Islands (Roatán, Guanaja and Utila) are prime destinations for snorkelling and scuba diving. Their extensive coral reefs are a main attraction and Utila is thought to be one of the cheapest places in the world to go scuba diving. La Ceibe ‘s Golosón International Airport also serves Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, Choluteca, Trujillo, as well as La Moskitia.

Getting around

Bus is the best mode of transport in Honduras to get to where you want to go on a tight budget. Services are plentiful and often run from very early in the morning to late in the afternoon. The cheapest fares are to be had on what is known as chicken buses, these are poorly maintained and crowded. For comfort over price, coach companies like Hedman Alas travel to major destinations in air conditioned style with mod cons like TVs.

Car rentals are available in cities but prices can be high, while taxis are good for short journeys in and around towns and cities. A flat rate is sometimes in operation but always agree on the fare before you set off as taxis aren’t metered.

Ferries depart from La Ceiba and Puerto Cortés to the Bay Islands several times a week. The Islands can also be reached by air with Isleña Airlines and Sosa Airlines running services to Utila, the cheapest Bay Island. While La Moskitia is serviced by Sosa Airlines, Isleña and Rollins Air, departing from La Ceiba.

Useful Links

www.lonelyplanet.com
Lonely Planet are leaders in the travel guide sector and their website is a great source of travel information.

www.fco.gov.uk
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s website provides up-to-date political news, travel advice and information on visas.

www.flyislena.com
Domestic airline Isleña Airlines.

www.hedmanalas.com
Coach company Hedman Alas serves destinations in Honduras and Guatemala.

www.laceibaonline.net/aerososa/sosaingl.htm
Domestic airline Sosa Airlines.

www.ticabus.com
Tica Bus serves routes throughout Central America including Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.