Meet the team – it’s Keely!

After joining Global Action in November as our Greece Destination Manager, Keely went to Western Greece to check out the nature reserves our Dolphins teams will be visiting, and sample some of the local cuisine (for quality control purposes, of course…).

We asked her how it went, and this is what she had to say:

What were your expectations of Greece before you went?

I was very much looking forward to experiencing mainland Greece – I have visited the islands before, but it was great to see different areas of the country and how there is so much variety here including ancient history, wildlife interactions, incredible food, local music and some very friendly Greek locals.

What was the highlight of the trip for you?

Meeting some of the most friendly people who we work with – they are all locals and very passionate about their country and the initiatives which they are supporting. It’s always such a great experience to get past the tourist sites and see an authentic version of the place you are visiting – real people in real communities.

Another absolute highlight was the Nokopolis – ruins from the ‘City of Victory’ – currently going through Unesco World Heritage status. It’s very impressive.

What has been the steepest learning curve?

Learning about the vast amount of the birdlife and abundance of marine life in the area. I was truly shocked and didn’t know western Greece has so much to offer. We were driving along and there were some flamingos in the wetlands to the left of us. I had to ask my guide to stop the car so we could take a closer look and within the next 20 minutes there were a group of Pelicans, it was truly amazing! It is often lesser travelled than other areas of Greece including the islands, I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a little bit of everything.

Do you want to go back and why?

I would love to go back to Greece and travel in the warmer months when there is even more marine activity and different flora and fauna to spot. The food is incredible and the people are so warm and friendly. There is so much to do and see whether you are into wildlife, history or pure natural beauty.

What do you think makes a Global Action trip different?

Global Action trips have a unique way of not just being a very interesting and engaging project for the students – they have real world learning opportunities and interactions with the local people and environments they will be travelling to. It’s a great mix of fun and learning.