Roatan, Honduras with World Vets — Hillary Bush Photography

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. This means that if you click on the link and make a purchase, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own, and I will never link to something I don’t truly use and trust myself.

Last March I spent a week volunteering in Roatan, Honduras with an organization called World Vets. They provide veterinary medical care and community outreach in many developing nations around the world. The majority of World Vet’s programs are spay/neuter clinics and equine/livestock welfare. The trip I went on is unique in that it is their only wildlife-focused experience. It is meant as a training opportunity for pre-veterinary and veterinary technician students, with only a few licensed veterinarians and technicians on the trip. As a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) with experience working with wildlife, this felt like a good opportunity to give back to a community and to the next generation of veterinary professionals.

I’m not going to lie, I had some anxiety leading up to this trip. I was really excited right up until it was time to go to the airport. This was the first solo international trip I had taken in years. Sure, there would be other people volunteering with me, but I didn’t know a single one of them. My husband encouraged me, and once he dropped me off at the airport, I started to feel better. I just kept reminding myself that it was only for just one week.

The World Vets wildlife program is a relatively new one, and there had only been a few other trips before mine. There were definitely some wrinkles to iron out, but overall it is a promising program and I really enjoyed my time. We spent our week working with a wildlife rescue sanctuary that houses and re-homes animals saved from the illegal pet trade. The bulk of our work was examining and neutering several juvenile capuchin monkeys. We also did physical exams on a few other species including a tamandua, jaguar, peccary, spider monkey, sloth, and coati. We packed a lot into our time at the sanctuary.

There was time built into the trip for fun, as well. Roatan is a small island off the coast of mainland Honduras. While Honduras has a reputation of being dangerous for travelers, Roatan doesn’t see as many of those issues, though it’s always smart to be cautious.

Island Fun

Roatan is a popular diving and snorkeling destination. On our first full day on the island, the whole group went out snorkeling. The owner of the hotel we stayed at acted as our guide, and provided kayaks and snorkel gear. We kayaked out over the reef before getting into the water. The water was so warm and clear. We saw a ray, a sea turtle, many beautiful fish, and coral. I bought a special waterproof case for my phone and got some fairly decent pictures.

After our first two clinical days, we had a day off to relax and enjoy the island. One of the girls in the group arranged for a few of us to go horseback riding on the beach with El Rancho Barrio Dorcas. I am not a frequent rider, but I have been on trail rides and went to a two week horse camp as a teenager, so what could go wrong? These horses required a little more skill than your average nose-to-tail trail ride, but they were pretty cooperative, and there was a guide with us the whole time. Riding on the beach was a big highlight of the trip.

Our hotel was right across the street from the beach, so of course I spent the rest of my limited free time there. The water was calm and warm as bath water.

Lodging

We stayed in the West End, which is a more touristy area of Roatan, at a hotel called The Sea Breeze Inn. It was walking distance to many restaurants, bars, and the beach. It certainly wasn't fancy, but it was clean and comfortable. The room had a mini kitchen stocked with dishes and utensils. I purchased some snacks and cereal at a grocery store on the way from the airport, and the hotel provided a 5 gallon jug of drinking water for $3 (USD). I stayed in a suite that slept three – two single beds in the main room, and a double bed in the second room. There were a couple of cats and a sweet dog named Olaf who all live on the property with the hotel's owner.

Food

Costa Dulce: This delicious gelato shop was right across the street from the hotel. I went to it a few times during my stay and they had some new flavors each time.
Ginger’s: This restaurant was right on the water, and had a fun island atmosphere. I had a delicious piña colada here. And a bonus is that you can pay with PayPal.
Beach House: This was a small restaurant attached to a hotel of the same name. This restaurant accepted credit cards with no extra card fee.
Por Que No?: This restaurant and bakery was a short walk from the hotel. I wasn't the biggest fan of the veggie burger I got for dinner, but the deserts were amazing! I went back the following night for another. There are many options, but I really liked the desserts made with cake and a banana covered in chocolate. They accept credit cards here, but there is a 15% extra card fee.

Worth noting

I suppose I should mention that many places on Roatan are cash only, and the only ATM in the West End was out of money the whole time I was there. I recommend bringing ~$25-50/day in cash depending on your spending habits. Be sure that you bring smaller bills. I did not have enough cash with me, and ended up borrowing some from others and seeking out places that accepted PayPal.

My week spent volunteering with World Vets left me feeling fulfilled from the work we did with the wildlife sanctuary, but more than that, I had fun and made some new friends. I definitely recommend finding some way to give back to the community when you travel. And try getting out of your comfort zone!