I spent three months on Mayreau volunteering here, and it was one of the best times of my life. The dogs were amazing, the workload was fair, and the island literally looks like a postcard! With that being said, this experience definitely isn’t for everyone. I think it takes a certain type of person to thrive in these simple living conditions,
… read more especially only a year post-hurricane, which Gill makes extremely clear from your first point of contact.
WORKLOAD:
On an average day with around 4 volunteers, there’s only about 2-3 hours of work in the morning and 1 in the evening. At Gloria’s, you start the morning walking the 5 dogs that live there (the “G-pack”) down to the beach. After the walk, we go on rounds to feed/water/medicate the “at-risk list” of dogs throughout the village. If there’s any time after that before the afternoon heat (and if you have some spare energy), you can walk some of the dogs that are tied 24/7. Then you have the rest of the afternoon off to hang at the beach! It starts to cool off around 4:30, which is when we walk the Dog House pack, and if possible walk Gloria’s pack again. The hills on Mayreau are no joke, so be prepared to walk at least 70+ flights a day. When it was just me and one other volunteer, I was walking around 20,000 steps and 120+ flights, however it’s rare for there to only be two people. While I’m not a vet or vet nurse myself, working alongside them was fascinating and I learned so much. Being able to help with spays/neuters was a very interesting experience for me, and I was able to pick up lots of diagnostic techniques and learn about different medications and their uses.
ACCOMODATION:
There are two volunteer houses: Gill and Steve’s lovely wooden house (aka Dog House), and Gloria’s. I was at Gloria’s for the entirety of my stay, however some volunteers went back and forth as people came and went. Each house has its own pros and cons. Dog House has an incredible view and a heavenly breeze coming through the balcony, but the water situation is a bit more complicated. You have to turn a pump on and off if you need running water, and I would recommend boiling water before drinking to be on the safe side. There’s a nice outdoor shower though!
Gloria’s house gets much hotter than Dog House since the breeze gets cut off, but has running water that I felt safe drinking without boiling. It overlooks the village, so sitting on the balcony can get pretty entertaining sometimes if you like people-watching. There’s a portable shower pump that you put inside a bucket that functions just like a regular shower, and after my first month we got a brand new fridge! I felt like the bedrooms in Gloria’s also provided a bit more privacy than at Dog House, since they were proper rooms instead of a loft and a sectioned-off area. At each house there are two functioning burners to cook on, however there are no ovens or microwaves available. It was honestly a surprisingly easy adjustment though!
FOOD:
Food isn’t provided in this Workaway, so you’ll have to pay for your own. I recommend getting as much as you can in St. Vincent before you head to Mayreau, as most things are significantly cheaper on the mainland and there’s much more variety. There’s not really fresh fruits or veggies available on Mayreau, so stock up in Vincy! I lived in LA for a few years before coming to Mayreau and I’d say the prices on-island were very comparable to back home. There are three small shops on the island, and different shops are cheaper for different things so it takes a while to figure out where to go for what. They’re usually open in the morning until around noon, then close again until 4pm.
THINGS TO DO:
Since it’s too hot to work in the afternoon, you typically have a lot of free time. There’s not a lot to do on Mayreau, so we spent a lot of time at the beautiful beaches. Saline Bay, where the ferries dock, has plenty of shade available and a great reef for snorkeling. Twassante Bay is one of the closer beaches, and there’s never anybody there so it’s very peaceful. Saltwhistle Bay, about a 20 minute walk from the village, is the most popular for yachts and is absolutely breathtaking. Since there’s more tourists there, there are bars and restaurants on the beach. On the windward side of the island, just a short walk from Saltwhistle, there’s a new resort opening with a restaurant and good wifi. If you’re interested, you can also take a half-day trip with Papa San to the Tobago Cays for 150ec per person to snorkel and swim with the sea turtles.
SAFETY:
As a 22 y/o solo female traveler, I can say that I never felt threatened or truly unsafe in my three months in Mayreau. As long as you understand basic dog body language there’s not much to worry about there. While the local men certainly like to flirt, they’re mostly harmless and I was never concerned for my safety. I was never worried about break-ins or theft since the dogs provide the best security system available! As long as you use basic common sense that you’d use anywhere, you’ll be fine!
CONNECTIVITY:
Post-hurricane, there’s no Wi-Fi available in either of the houses. Even just during my stay, however, more places throughout the island began offering free Wi-Fi, which made life much easier. I would definitely recommend getting an eSIM for communication between volunteers and with Gill. The two SIM companies are Flow and Digicel — DEFINITELY go with Flow, I learned the hard way that Digicel’s connection on Mayreau is very limited lol.
Gill and Steve are such kind and understanding people. Gill makes sure to put the comfort and safety of her volunteers first and I always felt 100% supported. She also makes expectations and living conditions extremely clear before you arrive, so you aren’t surprised by anything.
My time here was truly unforgettable and I miss the dogs so much already. Despite their hardships they’re some of the sweetest pups I’ve ever met, and it kills me that I couldn’t adopt them all! I met some amazing people on the island, got tanner than I’ve ever been in my life lol, saw some incredible marine life snorkeling, witnessed a sea turtle hatch while walking the dogs, and learned so much about myself. I hope to return to Mayreau as soon as I can!
Plant care
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