If you want to volunteer and make a real difference to Africa’s wildlife, gain new ecology and conservation skills, or just enjoy an unforgettable gap year adventure, this is the perfect travel experience for you!
Plus with a dedicated travel week full of activities and adventure there's something for everyone!
4 Weeks wildlife volunteer working on over 12 conservation projects in the greater Kruger National park (South Africa). Perfect for anyone wanting to volunteer and make a real difference with Africa's wildlife, gain new transferable skills relating to ecology and conservation or even as part of a gap year or adventure travel experience!
You’ll be living on a big 5 reserve which is part of the world renowned greater Kruger National park. Play a crucial role with our conservation projects and explore South Africa.
The Projects
- White rhino behavioural research
- Anti-poaching patrols
- Catching, Ringing and releasing birds
- Camera trap surveys
- Small mammal humane trapping and surveying
- Wildlife handling and presenting at local communities
- Wildlife rehabilitation and rural vet work
- Invasive species removal
- Tree surveying
- Local community socio-economic engagement
- Sustainable agriculture development
- Tracking wildlife
- Reserve management and upkeep
- Your own projects
- And more
What's Included
- Airport transfers to and from the reserve
- Accommodation during your stay
- Transportation in south Africa
- Guides/tour leaders are included for all confirmed excursions and group activities
- Food and drink – (excludes any personal extras and weekend town trips)
- Entry to sites
- All itinerary/activity equipment is provided
- Wi-fi Access
- Over 12 projects and other activities
- A dedicated week of travel
- Meet and greet event in the UK
- Fellow volunteer contact list will be sent out prior to departure
- 24-hour emergency onsite support
- TTA member so 100% financial security
What's Not Included
- Flights (Or other transportation to the meeting point)
- Travel insurance
- Visa's
- Vaccinations needed for travel
- Any optional activities
About Travel Week
You'll leave your bush base camp and hit the road, explore South Africa, stay at various new sites as you see different environments, stunning landscapes and meet other conservation groups plus have a go at some incredible adventure activities!
Activities Included:
- Micro-light flights
- White water tubing
- Cave exploration
- Adventure centres
- Mountain hikes
- Panorama drives
- Tame elephant interactions
- Visiting sights of interest
Highlights
- Get to the frontline of conservation – As a volunteer and or gap year traveller, you’ll play a crucial role with over 12 incredible and important conservation projects. And if you’ve got your own ideas or ambitions we can help implement them!
- Get adventurous – During your travels, you’ll stay in new places and locations. Witness the breath-taking beauty of South Africa and its natural wonders. Plus exciting activities like mountain hikes, microlight flights and white water tubing.
- Get helping the experts – Help vets with emergency call outs responding to injured animals, work at wildlife rehabilitation centres with orphaned animals, nursing, feeding, health checking and handling them.
- Get involved – Work with rural communities; Improve and uplift, helping break the poverty cycle and creating more sustainable livelihoods and futures. Work with local groups to protect wildlife.
- Get up close and personal – A life changing experience awaits. Meet Africa’s iconic and enigmatic wildlife via safari viewer and on foot as you explore the reserve you’ll be based on and the world renowned Kruger National park.
Placement Itinerary
Conservation focus: Day 1 - 14
You'll be collected from the meeting point, Hoedspruit airport - East gate and taken back to the reserve.
Staying at a bush camp in the heart of the African wilderness, on the banks of Oliphant’s river teeming with wildlife, you'll be taking part in important conservation work throughout the reserve and the surrounding area.
During conservation work the days often start early at 6am and finish around 5pm.
This is a must as animals are most active during dawn and dusk, ensuring you get the best sightings and data when conducting surveys, ringing birds and beating the midday heat on bush walks and drives.
As the work itself is so rewarding and fun, you'll quickly get into the routine.
Travel Focus: Day 15 - 21
During travel week you'll leave your home away from home to hit the road and stay at various other sites and locations around north east south Africa. This not gives you a chance to see less well known environments and biomes you wouldn’t of encountered or even of imagined such as temperate rain forests or mountain escarpments.
This is a great chance to explore some of the beautiful scenery found in South Africa.
Along the way you'll also involved with other conservation and wildlife organisations and groups such as animal rehabilitation centres, sanctuaries for elephants and primates or endangered species breeding centres. Giving you a greater perspective on conservation work in South Africa.
Plus you'll spend a bit of time having a go at exciting activities that are to good to miss out on.
From exploring hundreds of millions of year-old cave systems, mirco light flights, climbing and hiking up mountains, horse riding safaris, panorama drives and more.
Conservation Focus: Day 21 - 28
During the final week of your stay once again you'll be working on the various conservation project we at Hamba Africa run both independently or in conjunction with local groups and experts.
This final week will give you a chance to learn as much as possible, get those last photos of favourite animals and make a few final memories with now good friends.
Farewell dinner: Day 27 during your final night with us, after your last day of activities there will be a farewell dinner full complete with speeches, toasts and perhaps the odd tear.
Departure: Day 28
Your guides will take you back to Hoedspruit airport for you to make your way home or perhaps to your next destination safely, bidding you the fondest of farewells.
Optional Days:
During your time with us, we've set aside an optional day during week 2 and week 4.
These days give you and the group a chance to do anything your most excited about in the area, how you spend these days is up to you and the group!
This could mean a group fishing trip, visiting a local craft centre or having an extra game drive or go at your favourite conservation project. Its entirely flexible! Talk to your guides during your stay to organise these as well as ask their advice on what’s going on in the area.
Please note: During optional days, costs for external activities not provided by Hamba Africa aren’t included in your placement cost.
Weekends:
Town trip: Saturday
On Saturday you and the group, together with your guides will go into the nearby town of Hoedspruit to stock up and resupply. You'll be able to get most international brands you expect to see from the super markets there for toiletries, snacks and any other goodies you cant live without.
You'll also get a chance to stop off at a cafe and to connect to Wi-Fi. There’s also plenty of arts and craft shops, souvenirs and other items you might want to take back with you.
Please note: personal items from shops or cafes are not included in your placement
Rest Day: Sunday
Sunday you'll have a chance to relax and take it easy. Going over photos, socializing, chatting about activities you've just taken part in or ones coming up.
Sundays also the day the guides and ecologists go over a majority of the data you've collected together.
Although we don’t force anyone to help out with this, for anyone who is interested in learning how they input, collate or manipulate this data your guides are more than happy for you to you watch, help and potentially learn yourselves.
Sleeping and Eating
Camp itself is on the banks of Oliphant river. Not only does this make for a picturesque location but it also means you'll get to watch all the various animals as they come down to drink.
Camp amenities:
We've got a pool which is perfect for hotter summer months.
Fire pits which are key social areas for evening BBQ's (Braais as their locally know) and a great place to relax and swap stories.
There’s also many view and sitting platforms to socialize, read, plan activities and generally watch wildlife.
There’s even an onsite bar which the reserve keeps stocked and you're able to purchase drinks from (non-alcoholic)
Accommodation:
You'll be staying in same-sex, shared dorm rooms, each room sleeping between 4-8 people with shared bathrooms. The rooms have cupboard space, fans for hotter days and power points to keep cameras well charged!
Typical Meals:
Breakfast:
Cereals, toast, yogurt, fruit are the typical morning breakfast with the occasional fry up for big, calorie intensive days.
Lunch:
Depending what activities are planned, it could mean a bite and go in the form of sandwiches or toasties or with more free time burgers, pies, pasta dishes and hearty salads.
Dinner:
South African food is wholesome and nutritious, you can expect to eat a lot of casseroles, stews (potjies), BBQ's with side salads and curries.
Dietary Requirements
We cater to vegetarians, vegans, pescatarians and halal however we require a minimum 2 weeks notice to stock any dietary requirements due to the rural nature of the camp.
Placement Requirements:
The language of instruction is English, as such anyone wishing to attend must be about to converse in English.
Due to the outdoor activities included we require anyone joining us to have a moderate level of fitness needed for long walks some manual labour.
Anyone joining us must be above the age of 18 and have full travel insurance, medical and vaccination checks required by their country of origins law as well as visa and immigration requirements.
Hamba Africa attracts a diverse array of international guests and works with various cultures and communities throughout the area. If you are joining us, we hope you have an open mind ready to meet new experiences and peoples.
