Our Top 3 Winter Trips!

Posted by Connor Whelan on 2nd Dec 2015

With the cold nights well and truly drawing in now we want to help you with our suggestions of our top 3 winter projects! Each of these projects will give you a chance to chase the sun in an exciting, exotic location, all whilst providing invaluable help to the endangered animals who call these locations home. Whilst even we can’t control the weather and guarantee you weeks of sun, you’re more likely to find it in these locations than you are here in the UK! So read up, find out a bit more about the projects and then see where the wanderlust takes you!

1.The Namibia Wildlife Sanctuary

As the name implies this project is located in Southern Africa in the coastal country of Namibia. On this project you, along with other volunteers will have the chance to work with Cheetahs, Lions, and other big cats as well as some herbivores and maybe even the baby Baboons!

The sanctuary itself is situated in a natural savannah paradise with lush green plains and magnificent mountain views. The sanctuary provides a home to orphaned and often injured wildlife, as well as those who have had to be re homed as they are seen as “problem carnivores” by local farmers and will as a result be killed.

The work you do at the sanctuary will be varied and invaluable to the well-being of the animals residing there. When on the project you will play a part in many activities including; animal feeding, baboon care (where you may get the chance to take one to bed so that it doesn’t get scared at night!), cleaning and maintenance, and well and truly immersing yourself in the local traditions and culture. There are too many activities to list here, but if you want to find out more about this incredible project then click on the title of the project to read the outline in full.

2. The Great Orangutan Project

The island of Borneo plays host to The Great Orangutan Project. Being only one of two places in the world the Orangutan is found, the need for Orangutan sanctuaries in Borneo is an ever increasing one due to the hugely destructive palm oil trade which results in vast swathes of forest being cut down meaning the Great Apes have nowhere to live.

The Great Orangutan Project is found in an area of rainforest in Kubah National Park in Indonesian Borneo. What once was our flagship project and now has become a multi award-winning project, the Matang Wildlife Centre based volunteering centre has become a safe haven for injured and orphaned Orangutans whilst also providing a source of income for the local people.

Your work at the sanctuary will be to help rehabilitate the Orangutans who live there. Methods to do this will include; enrichment (creating toys and intuitive methods of food dispersal to mentally stimulate the animals,) husbandry, and general sanctuary upkeep. At Matang your efforts will make a huge difference to the lives of many Orangutans, so why not find out more and take a visit to Borneo!

3. Raja Ampat Diving Project

Nestled just off of the Northwest tip of the Island of New Guinea in Indonesia, Raja Ampat is an archipelago comprising of over 1,500 small islands. With only 35 of them being inhabited, it is still an area with a lot to explore. Raja Ampat is a picture-postcard example of a sun-drenched paradise, with glistening seas and golden beaches. On the project you will get to enjoy both the sea and the sand as one of the key aims is to produce detailed coastal maps of the area so that the local government can use them to establish Marine Protected Areas.

You’ll be staying at a stunning beach-front location, just meters from the calm, crystal clear ocean in bungalows which have been hand built by members of the local community.

The activities on this project revolve around the local community and you would be helping them to improve their financial and educational prospects. You will not only aid the coral reef conservation efforts, but you may be teaching English one day, encouraging entrepreneurial attitude the next and then even scuba diving in your free time! This project is an amazing chance to help a local community and its wildlife in an incredible location, so find out more about it here! It’s also Manta Ray season from November until May, so this is something you won’t want to miss out on!

These project outlines are intended to be a brief description on the place in question and to help you decide where to go if you are chasing the sun. If you would like to find out more then don’t hesitate to contact our expert sales team to help you find your dream Winter Project!

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