• Ionian Dolphin Project

    Vonitsa

Accommodation for guests of the Ionian Dolphin Project is a two-storey house in the center of the village of Vonitsa

At the field station in Greece participants may relax or work on dolphin data after a day spent at sea

Our field base is 50 meters away from the seaside. It consists of the first floor of a two-storey house and is divided into two areas. The first area is an apartment with a large living room, an open kitchen and a big balcony, two toilets with showers (one for the research staff and one for the project participants), two bedrooms (for the staff) and the office. The second area is a large comfortable loft of 90 square meters with a wooden floor and windows on three sides (front side with a sea view). Team members will use this loft to relax after the long hours spent at sea, work on dolphin data, and sleep. Male and female participants will share the same quarters, but male/female areas can be divided by separators. Participants will sleep on bunk beds. Sheets and blankets are provided.

The field base

The dining room

The house is equipped with a refrigerator, a gas-stove, several computers used for research, and a printer. There is no air conditioning in the accommodation, however several fans are available to render the living conditions more pleasant during the warmest months. Smoking is not allowed in the house or onboard the research boat.

Participants will have their own bathroom, which may be shared by up to 5 persons ( maximum number of participants per team).

Electricity is 220 Volt. European standard connection is a two-pinned plug (no ground plug). If you need to plug equipment with ground plugs you may want to bring an adapter. Internet access won’t be available in the house, but there is an Internet café nearby that provides access for about 2.5 Euro per hour until late at night, seven days a week. Participants who bring their own laptops or cell phones will be able to get free wireless Internet access in most of the bars/coffee-shops on the seaside.

Vehicles are not necessary to move around in this small village. Everything (harbour, supermarkets, taverns, bars, post office, etc.) can be reached on foot within minutes. There is no self-service laundromat available but participants may use a local drop-off and pick-up laundry service. Otherwise, participants are welcome to do their laundry by hand at the field-base.

Team participants sleeping room

Team participants living room

IDP base

Food

Participants and researchers alike will engage in cooking and housekeeping shifts (on a rotation). Shared tasks will include meal planning and preparation. Please bring with you some recipes if you are not familiar with cooking. Dishwashing and house cleaning are also communal activities shared by all.

Shopping is usually done by project staff members in Vonitsa, where one can find well-equipped, modern supermarkets and ingredients for the most demanding palates. Vonitsa offers a choice of nice and inexpensive restaurants and taverns where participants may choose to eat dinner at their own expense (an average lunch or dinner costs about 12-18 Euro).

At the house there will always be a good provision of fresh water, ice, and juices. Alcoholic beverages will be available at your own expense, provided you make moderate and appropriate use of them.

Breakfast: Greek yogurt, cereal, biscuits, toast, butter, jam/marmalade, honey

Lunch: Salad, cheese, olives, freshly baked pies and excellent bread from the local bakery and fresh fruits.

Dinner: Pasta, rice, meat, seafood, cooked/stuffed vegetables, sauces, etc.

Snacks/Other: Crackers, fruit, tomatoes, olives, cheese

Beverages: Coffee, tea, milk, fruit juices, soft drinks

Water: Tap water (tastes good and is safe for drinking and cooking)

Please alert us about any special dietary requirements (e.g. diabetes, lactose intolerance, nut or other serious food allergies) as soon as possible. Accommodating special diets is not guaranteed and can be very difficult due to availability of food, location of field sites, and other local conditions.

Special note to vegans and strict vegetarians: Please be aware that it may be difficult to accommodate strict vegetarians and vegans. It may be possible to get meatless meals but vegans may have a problem avoiding animal products altogether.

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