About i-to-i What i-to-i trips and TEFL are, how and why we do what we do!
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About i-to-i What i-to-i trips and TEFL are, how and why we do what we do!
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Argentina may not be the first country that springs to mind when you think of South American wildlife havens, but it actually boasts larger natural contrasts than any of its neighbours; the frozen landscapes of Patagonia to the south and tropical northern heat create a perfect recipe for a diverse natural world. El Puma Ecological Park in Argentina’s laid back provincial capital brings you face to face with the results as it nurses sick and injured animals back to health before releasing them back in to the wild. The project also runs a breeding programme to increase animal numbers so there’s a lot to keep you busy, before you head off to discover the rest of the continent’s hottest destination.
Today you will be met at the airport and taken to your accommodation. It only takes around 30 minutes to travel from the airport to your arrival point at your accommodation, so sit back and enjoy your first glimpse of Argentina! The rest of your first day will be spent unpacking and arranging any errands you need, such as heading to the bank, calling home to let them know you’ve arrived and buying any essentials!
If you aren’t able to arrange a flight to get you into Argentina on the designated arrival day then we’d recommend you fly in a day early. We can arrange an early airport pick-up for you including one night’s accommodation for an additional fee. Please call us for more information.
Today you’ll wake up to a gorgeous sunny morning and a local breakfast. You’ll then have an orientation at your in country team’s house. The orientation will take place at your in country team’s residence and will take you through what it’s going to be like at your project, dos and don’ts, how to stay safe, and it’s your prime opportunity to ask any burning questions that you haven’t yet had answered.
After the orientation you’ll have some time to relax and prepare before your first day at the project tomorrow.
Sunday is traditionally the day of rest; but feel free to look tradition in the eye and pack your day full of exciting things to do! Get out and about and see more of Posadas and your new community. Take your home stay family out for a walk and learn more Spanish!
Make the most of your free day, as your week is about to get busy when you start coaching!
Today you’ll be heading to your project for the first time and meeting everyone with two legs, four legs and maybe even eight legs! You’ll be accompanied to your project by our team, so you don’t have to worry about finding your own way to the project!
You’ll be introduced to the staff at the centre and be taken around and introduced to all the animals – which one is your favourite?
The following days will be spent getting involved in the project, learning everyone’s name and finding a routine that works for you, the staff and the animals at the centre. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to do too much this week, just sit back and see how it’s all done and get involved where you can.
It’s the weekend and you’re in Argentina – what would you like to do?
Misiones, where you are mainly based, has lot of touristy places to go sightseeing and to visit; it’s just a case of choosing what you want to do and going for it!
We recommend visiting the nearby Salto Encantado, an area of outstanding waterfalls and natural beauty.
The Yacyreta Dam, which spans the Paraná River is well worth a visit as well as the San Ignacio Jesuit Ruins, Santa Ana and Loreto Jesuit Ruins.
If you don’t mind a bus journey, a trip to the amazing Iguazu falls is well worth a visit. The bus journeys are fantastic in Latin America, the buses are all well maintained with aircon, TV, and food and drink included!
Spend your days working at the centre, getting stuck in with the ongoing work there, making new friends every day, eating local food (try the steaks!), travelling as a local and living as a local!
Sadly your last day is here already and we’ll bet that you don’t feel ready to leave! It’s time to pack up your bags and head on to wherever you have planned next.
The return airport transfer is not included, but our in country team will be on hand to help you with any arrangements that you need to make. Please budget around US$15 for your return airport transfer.
The animal breeding and rehabilitation center that we work with is near to Posadas and aims to promote the welfare of wild animals that are native to Argentina.
Their objectives are to help sick or injured animals that have been captured by forest rangers by nursing them back to health and to raise the numbers of native species by breeding them while in captivity.
The animals are rehabilitated at the center and then once ready, released back to their natural habitat, if possible. Animals include monkeys, birds, wild swine, jaguars, toucans, and other native animals. The centre works with the Ministry of Ecology of that province and depends on them for funding.
The centre you’ll be working at is located in the small town of Candelaria, located on the Rio Parana. Candelaria is known for its mystical Jesuit ruins, eucalyptus and pine plantations, and is the location of a lovely park that has a waterfall, canyon, and campsites. Please be aware that the staff do not speak much English, so we recommend brushing up on your Spanish skills as much as possible before you arrive in order to make the most of your experience and get settled in!
The mystical Jesuit ruins of San Ignacio Mini are 34 miles to the east of Posadas and are a must see while you are there.
Due to the lack of financial resources, the expertise and funding provided by private groups and international conservation agencies is essential to supplement what the Ministry of Ecology provides.
This centre needs assistance in taking care of the animals, and volunteers will make up a substantial proportion of the labour force. It is also important to help highlight the importance of protecting Argentina's wildlife, which has long been victim to trafficking
Current duties may include feeding the animals, cleaning and repairing all animal enclosures, building new enclosures, giving guided tours of the centre to any English speaking visitors, observation and data collection of the animals for research.
You may also travel around the province with the staff who look for injured animals. We strongly recommended that you speak at least basic Spanish for this project.
Needless to say the biggest requirement for this project is a strong love of all animals, as well as the readiness to be involved with the more basic duties that will be required. You should be committed and willing to help out wherever needed as the work is hard and can involve long hours.
A love of the outdoors is also essential. As staff at the project do not speak much English at all, you should ideally have a basic conversational level of Spanish or take lessons before arriving into the country and be willing to work on this while at the project.
You should bring casual clothes and suitable shoes to work in that you do not mind getting dirty. You are likely to be working hands on with the animals and can be very boisterous at times so wearing long sleeves is a good idea.
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 fora the volunteering experience and supporting you whilst you're there.
Here’s some more information about what your placement fee covers….
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
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.
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 how to have fun and stay safe. We'll also give you advice on visas and inoculations.
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.
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 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
Your in-country team will arrange a pick-up for you at the airport and will conduct your orientation upon arrival. All coordination teams 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
Aside from the local support from your in-country team you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by our response team in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals to be on hand in case of a situation that requires additional expert support. More
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. We also fly in our in-country coordinators to the UK regularly for thorough training to help them offer the best safety to the thousands of volunteers they support each year. More
We don't fund our projects directly from the project fee that you pay us. Instead we choose to support a number of projects every year through a grant scheme for tangible long-term initiatives. In the last 3 years we have distributed over US$250,000 to our most needy projects to help them in the great work they do.
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.
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
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.
EU Customers – find out more here >>
Australian customers - find out more here >>
All other customers - find out more here >>
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.
If you are arriving before your designated arrival date, we can arrange for an extra meet and greet service for you. For an extra supplement we will be there to meet you at the airport and take you to your orientation accommodation. One additional night a
The cost of this Early Pick-up service is US$ 56.00
During your time with i-to-i you will be staying with an Argentinean family in home stay accommodation. All of our home stays are located within a short walking distance of each other and are operated on a shared basis of two people sharing.
We have been sending volunteers to these families for many years and all provide clean and safe accommodation whilst being extremely friendly. You will not only be welcomed into their home, but also their family.
Although your new family will speak some English, you will find you enjoy your time and get more out of the experience if you try to speak as much Spanish as you can during your time with them. So remember your phrasebook and don’t be nervous about giving it a try!
You’ll have a shared bedroom with another project participant of the same gender as you. If we aren’t able to place two people together, we’ll make sure you’re as close together as you can be. Each bedroom has two single beds and storage space for your luggage. Basic bedding will be provided but you are welcome to bring a sleeping bag if you plan to go travelling at the weekends. We’d recommend that you bring your own padlock to keep your valuables secure.
There is a shared family living space so you might like to take items such as playing cards or books to bring in to the family space. Your new family will be keen to spend time chatting and getting to know you and we’d encourage you to get as involved in family life as much as possible. The bathrooms will be on a shared basis with the family and have running water, shower and Western style toilet. There isn’t a huge demand for hot water because the weather is already hot, and you’ll find that you won’t miss hot showers all that much!
All of our home stay families are based on the outskirts of the city in safe neighbourhoods. The communities are all based in the suburbs of Posadas, a lively city which has a population 250,000. Posadas boasts interesting markets, friendly cafes, cinemas and museums, and there will be plenty to do on the weekends.
Depending on which project you are working at, your commute in the morning could take up to 30 minutes by public bus. You will be travelling with other participants on the building project and we’d recommend that you budget around US$15 per week for this cost.
Settled by indigenous groups since around 10,000 BC, Argentina was marked as an Inca civilisation from the 1480s when the Inca’s conquered the northwest part of the country. In the northeast, the Guaraní tribe flourished while the Pampas and Patagonia regions were home to nomadic cultures, including the Mapuches. The foundations for the Spanish conquest of Argentina were laid down in the early 16th century which culminated in the founding of colonial cities, most notably Buenos Aires as a major trading port. Argentina became fully independent of Spanish rule by 1816 and by the 1860s the country had built itself up as an attractive destination for migrant workers. Buenos Aires’ economy was in full swing and the city’s population ballooned with European immigrants including Italians and Germans. These prosperous times were not without calculated tragedy. In 1879 the minister of war, General Julio Argentino Roca, carried out a process of extermination against the indigenous people of the Pampas and Patagonia regions. This became known as the Conquista del Desierto (Conquest of the Desert).
With not enough industry for the growing population combined with the effects of the Great Depression, the country’s booming economy could not be sustained into the 20th century. It was in 1946 that one of the country’s best known leaders came to power, Juan Perón, who, with the support of his wife Eva (Evita), strove to give greater political rights to the working class and women. But a grim economic landscape could not prevent him from being ousted from power. The 1960s saw social and economic unrest in the shape of political kidnappings and guerilla warfare. In 1973, Perón briefly returned to power before dying of illness the following year. A wave of violence erupted in the country during 1976-1983, a period that is referred to as the Dirty War, whereby the military government sort to rid the country of its opposition and leftist groups using harsh tactics. It’s thought that around 30,000 people ‘disappeared’ during this time. Following its defeat by the British over The Falkland Islands War, democracy returned to Argentina and a civilian government came to power.
A period of seemingly economic well-being during Carlos Menem’s term as president from 1989 to 1999, where the middle classes were comfortable and the peso was pitched against the dollar, was a slight calm before the storm. He was accused of corruption and by the end of his presidency the country was in economic crisis. The country has since been steadily bringing itself back from the brink and toward long-term stability.
The seasons in Argentina are reverse to those experienced in the northern hemisphere, with January and February the hottest months while jumper and jacket weather is usually July to October. Buenos Aires is best visited when the temperature is mild and the streets are comfortably full; the city’s best suited to autumn (March-May) and spring (September-November), while summer (December-March) sees its streets deserted. During the summer months, beaches and resort towns are busy and Patagonia and the southern Andes are ideal destinations as the days are longer and warmer. A good time to head northwest is during winter (June to August) or spring when it’s drier and cooler. The ski season, meanwhile, runs from mid June to mid October and the slopes are at their busiest during July and August.
January, February and July are the big vacation months in Argentina so expect a healthy flow of visitors to popular tourist spots during these times, together with higher travel and accommodation prices. There are several festivals that are worth experiencing. Carnaval (Mardi Gras) takes place the week before Lent and is celebrated throughout the country and the Gaucho Parade in Salta in June sees Argentina’s own cowboys in full regalia.
Flying is the most attractive option especially for long distances in what is Latin America’s second largest country after Brazil. It’s best to shop around the country’s major airlines for the best fares available. For frequent flyers, national airline Aerolíneas Argentinas offers an air pass with discounted domestic flights but it must be purchased outside of Argentina. Most domestic flights are linked to Buenos Aires; flights from Buenos Aires depart from Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP), 20 minutes from the centre by taxi and some domestic flights leave from the international Ezeiza (EZE) airport, which takes around 45 minutes to get to from the centre.
Buses are the most popular mode of transport and there’s a variety of bus companies to choose from like Andesmar that serve major and remote destinations in air-conditioned comfort. Security is good and overnight services are available for long haul journeys. Sometimes two classes of service may be available, común and diferencial, with diferencial the better class. Local buses, known as colectivos, are efficient and can get you from A to B in good time. These are usually numbered and the final destination is in prominent view but it can be confusing as the same numbered services may travel different routes so it’s a good opportunity to use your Spanish and check with the driver. Depending on the city, buses may accept coins, prepaid cards or tokens only so it’s best to check before you board.
Car rental is a good possibility for getting around, if on the expensive side. The roads are generally good; like anywhere, it’s the other drivers that you need to look out for. Police checkpoints occasionally stop drivers so it’s good to have registration, licences and insurance details close at hand. Tolls also exist on some highways.
We work in partnership with hundreds of established projects that are run by local communities. The information on our website comes directly from the projects and we work with them to ensure this information is as accurate as possible. However, due to the very nature of the projects themselves the exact details of what happens on a daily basis can change with little or no notice. If you have travelled with us and have any updates to this information, please let us know.
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