Amakhala Conservation Project

I didn’t really know what to expect so was very pleasantly surprised with the accommodation. This was very good - I had a single room which was appreciated being a 59 yr old woman but there were also twin rooms and one which accommodated 4 people. Good bathroom facilities (shared) and fully equipped kitchen. At the time there were only 10 volunteers so didn’t feel overcrowded, and a plunge pool was an added bonus with plenty of outdoor space. As regards the volunteer work … I was a little disappointed in that I didn’t think we were actually used to our full potential. Every day it took 45mins / 1hr to drive from the volunteer house to the reserve (so a 2hr return trip) already eating in to the days work (but this can’t be changed due to the location of the house / reserve). The work itself was actually minimal when considering a group of 10 (full capacity 16). The rebuilding of the tracks within the reserve with boulders collected by ourselves was fine but actually only took 2 hrs. The checking of the boundary fences / electric fences was again very important but only took 2 people 1min... I didn’t really know what to expect so was very pleasantly surprised with the accommodation. This was very good - I had a single room which was appreciated being a 59 yr old woman but there were also twin rooms and one which accommodated 4 people. Good bathroom facilities (shared) and fully equipped kitchen. At the time there were only 10 volunteers so didn’t feel overcrowded, and a plunge pool was an added bonus with plenty of outdoor space. As regards the volunteer work … I was a little disappointed in that I didn’t think we were actually used to our full potential. Every day it took 45mins / 1hr to drive from the volunteer house to the reserve (so a 2hr return trip) already eating in to the days work (but this can’t be changed due to the location of the house / reserve). The work itself was actually minimal when considering a group of 10 (full capacity 16). The rebuilding of the tracks within the reserve with boulders collected by ourselves was fine but actually only took 2 hrs. The checking of the boundary fences / electric fences was again very important but only took 2 people 1min to complete whilst everyone else stayed in the jeep (then we moved on to the next check point which again only required 2 people). Working with the resident ecologist woman was very interesting as she explained the importance of the varied vegetation found on the reserve and which animals benefited from it, but again the use of the measuring tool and the recordings only required 2 people so the rest of the group stood by (we obviously took it in turns). Working with the children for ‘water day’ was very productive and involved all our group in various activities. However, when we returned to the actual school to help out individual pupils with their ‘learning books’ we literally stayed for half an hour before leaving again (a journey through the reserve which had taken 2hrs to get there so a 4hr round trip for half an hours work). The very early morning ‘game’ counts was the best experience and we were able to witness the animals in their natural habitat which was fantastic. To sum up I thoroughly enjoyed my time and it was a great experience travelling through the reserve always on the look out for the animals but just felt as if our time could have been put to better use and been busier with what though I’m not sure?? Having previously led expeditions around the world which always entailed voluntary work of some sort I just feel in that respect I didn’t really accomplish that much. As an older volunteer maybe my expectations were greater and I felt they weren’t really met whereas the younger ones in the group seemed to be fine with what we achieved. Many thanks for the opportunity …. an all round great experience. (Show More)

Whether you’re a seasoned African adventurer or a first timer taking the plunge with wildlife conservation volunteering, you should definitely consider visiting Amakhala! The volunteer coordinators were highly professional and made me feel very welcome right from my arrival. Although it is a self-catering lodge, there was never a shortage of food. My wildlife highlights included lions, elephants, cheetahs, white rhinos, and cape mountain zebras which are only native to South Africa! As a volunteer, I was involved in various meaningful tasks from predator monitoring to community work with the local schoolchildren. Amakhala is also a must for any African birdwatching enthusiasts as it is home to a wide variety of bird species, including ostriches, jackal buzzards, and secretary birds! All in all, just do this – you’ll only regret it if you don’t!

This was an amazing experience combining conservation experiences and getting involved with the local community. From a safe, comfortable accommodation building, we had multiple trips into the reserve, seeing rhino’s, elephants, lions, cheetahs and multiple antelope species on an almost daily basis. We had weekly opportunities to help at the local Sidbury Primary School; this involved reading with the children and helping with physical activities. The volunteers were well supported by Nicky and her Ranger colleagues Justin and Izzy. There were plenty of activities to get involved with at the weekends including whale watching, surfing at Jeffrey’s Bay, Kayaking and zip-lining at Tsitsikamma National Park, and elephant watching at the nearby Addo National Park. This is a five star volunteer experience!