When you think of the Maldives you might picture private islands encircled by white sandy beaches and calm, turquoise waters sparkling. You may imagine yourself sleeping to the sound of gentle ocean waves, lapping beneath your bungalow, perched atop a shallow beach. The Maldives is often thought of as a destination for luxury tourists, but there is a lot more to this beautiful country than meets the eye.
Now in addition to imagining yourself in a seaside bungalow, you can also picture yourself on an authentic volunteer holiday in paradise. Enjoying the sand and sun while working alongside local people towards marine conservation and preserving the pristine environment of the Maldives. You can thank the recent boom in ecotourism and public interest in protecting the environment. Unfortunately, as with many seaside resorts, plastic waste and other non-biodegradable materials have caused detrimental effects on the environment. Furthermore, coral bleaching has become a significant problem on the majority of the country’s 200 inhabited islands.
Luckily, there are some key organizations in the Maldives that care about the environment and are making a huge effort, on a local level, to involve not only tourists but also community members to raise awareness of this situation and help make a difference in protecting this fragile ecosystem.
Bamba Experience works with dedicated local partners on the island of Maafushi to offer a complete Maldives Voluntour Island Hopping Adventure. During which you have the chance to help protect the delicate marine environment. You can work towards protecting endangered marine turtle and fish species, beach clean-ups, community education and more. Our voluntour program brings together tasks like educating local businesses on waste management and hands-on work in the marine environment like conducting reef surveys, cleaning reefs and beaches as well as planting trees and coral. Our partners have been working non-stop since founding their program in 2012. Their goal is to bring travellers to experience an authentic perspective of the country while supporting local communities.
Rest assured that this trip is not all work and no play. You will be welcomed on arrival with a free day on Hulhumale island. Then take a tour of the bustling city of Male before taking a ferry to Guraidhoo. Here you will feast on a traditional dinner at a local family home before a snorkel and island life tour. End your trip by relaxing in a comfortable resort in Gulhi after a week of hard work on the volunteer project.
Join forces with local grassroots organizations supporting environmental cleanup in the Maldives by participating in a volunteer program in this beautiful country. Push for initiatives like community awareness, reducing the use of plastic, eliminating plastic straws, cleaning up the beaches and coral reefs. There’s no better time to get started than now. Especially as due to climate change the Maldives may not be around for as long as we think.
Have you been to the Maldives? Let us know about your experience in the comment section below. Or tag us @bambaexperience or #bambaexperience to be featured on our website.
