Top volunteer trips abroad for 17 year olds
Volunteer Experiences / 24 September 2025
With so many options available around the world it’s often hard to pick the right trip for you. We’ve chatted to volunteers who joined Pod trips overseas across the world to pin down the best 5 volunteer projects for 17 years olds! These trips allow you to explore new locations, meet new friends and make unforgettable memories on your first solo adventures abroad!
Volunteering with Pod Volunteer can also be an exciting way to complete your DofE Gold Residential award if that's something you are looking to complete.
What are the top 5 volunteering trips for 17 year olds?
Here is the run down of our top volunteer trips for 17 year olds:
- Under 18 Turtle and Marine Conservation in Greece
- Big 5 Conservation in South Africa
- Turtle and Wildlife Conservation in Costa Rica
- Elephant and Wildlife Conservation in Sri Lanka
- Elephant Care and Research in South Africa
1. U18 Turtle and Marine Conservation in Greece
Each summer Pod Volunteer runs special 1 week trips to Greece for 16 and 17 year olds to help the island charity protect turtle nests, release baby turtles and support conservation.
Aaliyah shares her experiences of the Greece U18 trip: “Wow, Wow, Wow! What an amazing trip! Life changing and affirming. I have met some of the most incredible people who will be friends for life.
The whole experience was phenomenal. The organisation of Alex, Gemma and the Pod volunteer team was second to none. Everything was taken care of, collection from the airport, educational presentations, food, trips out to the capital, the caves, a music festival, olive oil tasting.
Early morning beach surveys, snorkelling surveys and the opportunity to observe turtles in their natural habitat and provide a positive environmental impact was just wonderful.
I would recommend this trip - Turtle Conservation in Kefalonia to anyone. If you can go, please do as you will have the experience of a lifetime. I am looking forward to trying another trip with Pod Volunteer.”
2. Big 5 Conservation in South Africa
If you dream of spending your days out in a jeep on safari tracking the famous Africa Big 5 then this project is for you! Not only do you get to explore the vast wildlife reserve you will also support local communities by getting involved in gardening, sports coaching and helping local pets too.
Mia joined the group of volunteers at the Big 5 Conservation team this summer.
"Volunteering at the Big 5 Animal project was truly fantastic and life-changing. I had the most amazing 3 weeks in South Africa at the Big 5 Animal volunteering in the summer of 2025. Our activities included animal observation, nature conservation and community activities. We had a great camp life with other volunteers hanging out, cooking and dining together every day. Every weekday we were either out at the reservation/safari or helping out in the nearby village school or soup kitchen.
The weekends are free for other activities such as sand boarding, surfing, pottery or horse riding on the beach, or simply just chilling – your choice! Everyone was so friendly and helpful, and we all felt very safe and supported. We saw all the safari animals very close by; the elephants, hippos, giraffe families, rhinos, and lions which was just out of this world! This is the best in the world experience, and I would recommend a minimum stay of two weeks to really see and do everything that the Big 5 experience has to offer!
Pod was very reliable, shared useful information on what to expect from the volunteering and arrangements, and provided a global 24/7 contact for any emergencies/queries which I didn’t need to use.
The Big 5 Camp workers and organisers were the most amazing people and very knowledgeable about the Big 5 Reservation, all the animals, nature conversation and local community activities. They made my stay really special.
My experience was absolutely amazing and cannot recommend it more!"
3. Turtle and Wildlife Conservation in Costa Rica
Sophie joined our Turtle and Wildlife Conservation project in Costa Rica and she was able to head out on the beaches at night to locate new turtle nests as well as helping monitor exotic wildlife. Read all about Sophie’s trip to Costa Rica here:
“Volunteering with the turtle conservation was honestly one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life. The project gave me the chance to be surrounded by nature and contribute to protecting endangered sea turtles.
One of the most enjoyable moments for me was releasing some of the baby turtles into the ocean for the first time. Watching these tiny baby’s make their way to the sea was both emotional and rewarding. Night patrols along the beach to protect nesting mothers and helped relocate their eggs to the safety of the hatchery, was one of the best experiences as it was so satisfactory The work was physical and sometimes tiring, but it felt incredibly meaningful.
Aside from turtle work, I helped with wildlife monitoring, including birds, butterflies, and crocodilians. I also got to explore the nearby beaches, whale watching and waterfalls on my day off, which made the experience even more special.
The team at Pod was super supportive from the start, both before and during the trip. The accommodation was simple but comfortable, and I really enjoyed the sense of community with other volunteers — we cooked, ate, and worked together, and I made some great friends.
If you’re looking for something a little different and want to make a real impact while being surrounded by nature, I can’t recommend this experience enough. It challenged me, inspired me, and gave me memories I’ll have forever.”
4. Elephant and Wildlife Conservation in Sri Lanka
Travelling to the tropical island of Sri Lanka is a real adventure and gets you truly off the beaten path and following elephant footsteps! Waking up at dawn for bird surveys, tracking elephants in the forest, speaking to local farmers then ending the day watching the sunset over the lake each day on the Elephant and Wildlife Conservation trip is full of new experiences to write home about.
Harry and Louis were both 17 years old when they joined the team in Sri Lanka over the summer.
“This was an incredible experience eye-opening and extremely interesting I learnt many things about the culture and mostly about elephants and their behaviours etc. The whole experience was very smooth from the transfer being there when we arrived and everyone being very lovely. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for an adventure of a lifetime.”
“I had an extraordinary stay, I discovered and learned so many things! All the guides are very attentive and the organisation is perfect. I hope to be able to do this type of trip again!”
5. Elephant Care and Research in South Africa
Heading to our Elephant Care and Research project in South Africa allows you to learn so much about African elephants. Fergus and Mina joined the project this summer and they share their experiences here:
“This was my first time volunteering abroad alone and Pod Volunteer couldn't have been any more organised and supportive of trip to South Africa. I had the most incredible time with the elephants and made many unforgettable memories. I would definitely recommend Pod Volunteer and the Elephant Care and Research in South Africa to anyone interested in nature conservation and animals!”
“I had a very great time looking by after the elephants, and was able to learn some new things about the elephants. The people were very kind and I loved meeting them and then the guides as well. The activities were engaging and I was able to engage in new hands on activities. I also was able to cook for myself which I liked a lot”
