The following review blog was written by Lara, winner of our Christmas social media competition! Lara won two weeks at the Namibia Wildlife Sanctuary and had the following to say about her time as a volunteer in Namibia:
THE COMPETITION
I had been looking at volunteering holidays, especially involving wildlife, for some time but was nervous about taking the plunge and booking something, especially as an older solo female traveller.
I entered the competition run by The Great Projects, never expecting to win. It was a bit like buying a lottery ticket, you hope, but winning is what other people do! When my phone pinged, telling me I had a notification from Instagram, I opened it, glanced at the message, and thought, oh, some lucky person won that trip. Then, I looked again and saw my name! I read the message 3 times and then got my son and then my daughter to read it, too, as I could just not believe what I was reading. I have never won anything more than the odd raffle prize; it took quite a while before it sunk in. Then the excitement hit: I was going to Namibia!
I decided to go in May partly to fit around family commitments but also for the weather; I didn't want it to be hot during the day while I was there. For me, the weather was perfect - on the whole, it wasn't too hot, though it was colder at night than I'd expected.
THE FIRST DAY
I arrived late on the first night and was shown to my cabin. I didn't sleep terribly well as I was worried about oversleeping and not getting to breakfast on time, but it was lovely to lie in bed listening to warthogs outside my tent and a lion roaring in the distance. I got lost finding my way to breakfast but got there eventually and nervously introduced myself to a few people who were all lovely and very welcoming. After breakfast, we all went to the food prep area, where I discovered that I was in group Vulture. All the groups had a maximum of 6 people in them, and each group was allocated a task every morning and afternoon. My group joined the anti-poaching team in the reserve in the morning, and the baboon walked in the afternoon.
We were driven into the reserve and spent an interesting and informative morning learning about what was being done to combat poaching. We did a 2.5-hour foot patrol through the reserve, which was tiring, especially as it was very hot, but it was good to find out what was involved in trying to keep the animals in the reserve safe. The baboon walk in the afternoon was amazing. We had to remove everything that the baboons might be able to steal: all jewellery, watches, hats and glasses. Unfortunately, I'm shortsighted, so not being able to see so well was a bit of a pain, but I managed.
We were given basic instructions on what to do and what not to do and then told to start walking while the baboons were let out. They soon caught us up, and many hitched a ride. We walked just a short way and then sat down on a couple of large logs under a tree. The baboons were never still, running, climbing, playing, grooming each other and us and jumping all over us. It was wonderful, I could have stayed there forever! Just to make the whole experience even better, we were joined by two ostriches. I didn't want to leave!
At 6 o'clock, it was time for dinner. I joined some members of the group Vulture as well as some other volunteers. Meeting and talking to the other volunteers of all ages and nationalities was another highlight of the trip. I had been worried that I would be the oldest there, there wouldn't be many older volunteers, and I would be a bit of an outsider. I was definitely one of the older ones, and the majority of volunteers were under 25, but it didn't matter at all.
THE SCHEDULE
The days, Monday to Friday, followed the same routine, with activities in the morning and afternoon, finishing at about 5pm. There were activities on Saturday morning, too, and I was worried that I'd be bored on Saturday afternoons and Sundays, but I wasn't. I just volunteered to help with whatever needed doing, and the little free time that I did have I spent reading in a hammock by the pool or relaxing at my tent watching the wildlife. Mealtimes were always good, with plenty of conversation and great company. We did have to watch out for the goats, though, as they were always ready to nip in and steal food if you weren't looking!
THE HIGHLIGHTS
During my two weeks, I managed to do most of the activities and enjoyed them all. I thought they were a very good mix of work, education and fun. The cheetah walk was a definite highlight. We went out with three rescued cheetah brothers; they are incredibly beautiful animals and were so relaxed just walking beside us, flopping down in the shade when they wanted and purring. I don't have the words to describe just how wonderful that experience was.
Bottle-feeding the baby baboons was another firm favourite, and I was lucky enough to have done it many times. The babies were just adorable, playful, and mischievous all at the same time, very much like small children. Carnivore and Raptor feeding was yet another highlight, as was feeding the small animals, the meerkats, and a polecat. It was wonderful to see these amazing animals close by and to learn about their stories and their care, although a little sad that it was not possible to return them all to the wild.
A night spent in the reserve was another incredible experience. Tracking rhinos on foot, camping out, cooking on an open fire, and a night drive were all part of it. We were so lucky to see the elephants and 11 rhinos! Our guide was amazing, very knowledgeable and passionate about keeping the animals safe from poachers. A short ride out on the horses was a very pleasant way to spend some time. I am an experienced rider, so going out with novices was a bit limiting for me, but I enjoyed it all the same. An afternoon spent with the K9 dog anti-poaching unit was fascinating, as was the time spent with the research team. I learnt so much about so many things and was given a real insight into the work that the Namibia Wildlife Sanctuary and others are doing.
The morning that I spent at the school was probably one of the most exhausting, but I loved it. The children were extremely affectionate, and it was a real honour to be given the chance to see what the school was all about. Friday morning assemblies are another highlight and a great way to start the day. Food prep cage cleaning and wood collecting are not really highlights, but all part of the experience and caring for animals is not really a chore when sharing the job with like-minded people.
A TRIP TO COASTAL
I was also lucky enough to be able to go down to the coastal project for a weekend. It was amazing! The house right on the beach was gorgeous, with an en-suite bathroom, hot showers and amazing food. I paid to go quad biking, which certainly got my adrenaline pumping, especially as I was trying to keep up with two 18-year-olds (I'm 56!). Best of all was kayaking with seals. Again, there are no words to describe just what it was like to be surrounded by thousands of playful, inquisitive seals coming right up to the kayaks. We were out on the water for an hour; it felt like just 10 minutes. Then, to top it all, we had an amazing brunch on the beach, which was simply wonderful.
A FEW TIPS
All in all, the whole trip was wonderful, incredible, and magical. I think in order to get the most out of this experience, you definitely have to be prepared to get stuck in, and you do have to sometimes be tolerant (1 afternoon, I ended up with a group of 18-year-olds who really didn't want to do much) and you need to remember that this is not a sit back and relax type of holiday. You also can't mind getting dirty. The accommodation is quite basic, and I had no hot water other than when I was at the coast. If you end up staying in Bush Camp, it is quite a long way from everything, although I loved it as, being more remote, I got to see more wildlife close by, including giraffes, zebras, elands and warthogs. I regretted not having a SIM card as I did feel a bit cut off.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The staff, both at the sanctuary and at The Great Projects, were wonderful, extremely helpful, accommodating and very friendly. I really had the most amazing time and I'm already looking at other volunteering holidays, as well as considering the possibility of returning to the Namibia Wildlife Sanctuary. My two weeks was just about enough time to experience most of the activities at the sanctuary, but I would have loved to be able to have spent longer there in order to be able to do some of the other add-on weeks. 2 weeks is ok, but, if possible, I would recommend going for between 4 and 6 weeks.
If you are considering volunteering in Namibia or at the Namibia Wildlife Sanctuary, my advice would be 100% to just do it - I'm sure you won't regret it!
