GIVE BACK ON VACATION
Hawaii vacations that support animal rescue.
Are you an animal lover seeking an adventure with purpose? Join us for an unforgettable 2-day, 3-night experience volunteering with rescued farmed-animals on the beautiful Big Island of Hawaii! You'll get the unique opportunity to get your hands dirty and make a direct, ethical impact on the animals who call Big Island Farm Sanctuary home.
Big Island Farm Sanctuary is currently home to over 100 rescued/surrendered animals including horses, cows, goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, turkeys, cats, and dogs. This experience will provide participants with a meaningful educational experience caring for and connecting with rescued farmed and tamed feral-breed animals; working side-by-side with our founder, Paula Buck, and her dedicated animal care team.
Experience living and working at a farmed animal sanctuary
COST:
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Group (minimum 2 people, maximum 4 people)- $345 per person + $300 per group for 3 nights of lodging
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Private room (max 1 person): $345 + $300 for 3 nights of lodging
Sleeping accommodations for our voluntourist vacations is very limited! Depending on how many singles, duos, trios, or quads reserve their spot, we could have as many as 8 participants or as few as 2. Don't wait until the last minute to book.
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
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Lodging *
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Three meals a day on days 1-2, plus refreshments evening of arrival and breakfast morning of departure. All meals are plant-based. If you have specific dietary restrictions (such as gluten-free), please let us know so that we can do our best to accommodate you.
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Souvenir sanctuary t-shirt and cap
*Lodging is a clean and cozy 10x20 pod home that includes two bunk beds (sleeps 3-4), or a full bed and one bunk bed (sleeps 3-4), or one full bed (sleeps 1-2). Fresh linens and comfy pillows are provided. A shared common area that includes a bathroom, shower, and kitchen is available for you to use. The kitchen includes a fridge, microwave, sink, hot plate, coffee pot, toaster, cutlery, utensils, BBQ tools, etc. (pics coming soon).
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED:
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Airfare to and from Hawaii
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Transportation to and from sanctuary *
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Travel Insurance
*While you can Uber from the airport to the sanctuary and back, Uber isn’t always readily available on our island and can be very costly. We highly recommend getting a rental car. This will give you the freedom to come and go as you please and explore the island during your downtime.
ITINERARY:
ARRIVAL NIGHT ONE
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Arrive at the sanctuary any time after 4pm. We suggest stopping at a grocery store in Kona or Hilo (depending on what airport you fly into) to grab some snacks and essentials. Out of respect for the animals that live at the sanctuary, no meat, dairy or eggs are to be brought or consumed on property.
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7:00pm: Meet and greet with the other participants, our founder Paula Buck, and other staff. Refreshments available throughout the evening.
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9:00pm: Get some Zzzzs because tomorrow starts at 7 am!
DAYS 1-3
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6am-8am: Rise and Shine! Head on into the kitchen and choose between hot coffee or iced and a variety of continental style breakfast items. Sit outside and watch the gorgeous sunrise South Point is known for. We proudly serve some of Hawaii's best Ka'u coffee!
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7am-10am: Volunteer Time! We'll do a quick morning briefing with Paula and then team you up with staff so that you can help with feed, morning chores, and sanctuary projects (Projects can be anything from mending fences, paint projects, rock fence maintenance, building shelters, general cleanup, and more.). Volunteering is completely optional but highly encouraged.
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10:30am-12pm: Cuddle Time! Spend an hour or so with our residents, including horses, cows, goats, sheep, pigs, turkeys, and chickens. Many of our animals love to be brushed, cuddled, and hugged… and our pigs are always down for a good belly rub! Our founder will be available for questions and conversations during this time.
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12pm-1pm: Lunch! A delicious plant-based lunch awaits you in the kitchen. Lunch will be made to go, so you can choose whether to spend more time hanging around the sanctuary or head off for your own adventure. We'll give you plenty of options of popular Ka'u destinations, including South Point, Green Sand Beach, Punalu'u Black Sand Beach, and Volcano National Park.
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7pm-Pau hana: Dinner and Evening Fun! Each night we'll have something that promises to be delicious! Weather permitting, we’ll hang around the fire, make s’mores, talk story, and more!
DEPARTURE NEXT MORNING
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A Hui Hou! Checkout time is 11am. Continental breakfast and coffee will be available as early as 5:00am.
REQUIREMENTS
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Participants must be at least 21 years of age or accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Minimum age with a parent or legal guardian is 8 years of age.
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While you don't need to be in top physical shape to join our program, please know that there will be walking, bending, sitting, standing, raking, and lifting in weather that can be anything from sunny to rainy, and breezy to windy.
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Long pants are required while working on the sanctuary grounds. We also recommend long sleeves and, at the very least, strong (reef safe) sunscreen. The sun is ruthless here and the last thing you want is a sunburn ruining your trip. We also recommend sunglasses to help with the dust and dirt.
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Closed-toe shoes that you don’t mind getting very dirty. No flip flops or sandals for your safety. We will have muck boots available for you to borrow should you want to.
Reservations available beginning June 2023!