Hear about my incredible experience on the Big Five Conservation programme in South Africa.
After a lot of research, I chose to volunteer at Amakhala for 2 weeks in January and I am SO glad I did - it was a dream trip and even better than I could have imagined!
A safari in South Africa had always been a dream of mine but I'd always been worried about travelling there on my own, as well as the high costs of a traditional safari. I'd always been interested in wildlife volunteering so I started looking at options for this instead and came across The Mighty Roar who had great reviews for all its programmes.
"During my two weeks, I learnt so much, ticked a ton off the bucket list and made amazing friends."
This was my first international trip post-Covid so I was a little nervous about travelling but we were completely taken care of, both pre-departure by Mighty Roar as well as by the local team in South Africa. I sent so many emails to Chris before departure and always got fast and helpful responses which definitely put me at ease!!
Everything was straightforward when I arrived in South Africa with airport pickup even though I was the only new volunteer that week. I also really loved that TMR had a Facebook group for volunteers so before my trip I could chat with some of the other girls who were volunteering at the same time as me. I definitely recommend doing this - it was so nice arriving at the accommodation in South Africa feeling like I already knew a few people!
The two weeks I had in South Africa were beyond anything I could have dreamed of. The local team were incredible - Bulela, Petro and Monique all made me feel at home instantly. They were so knowledgeable, super friendly and easy to chat with - they made the experience so memorable and so much fun.
There was also the BEST bunch of volunteers during my two weeks. It was quite a small group with varied ages and I couldn't have asked for better people to spend my time with. You definitely don't need to worry about travelling solo because you'll make so many new friends!
The volunteer programme itself was amazing and a true bucket list experience. Most days we worked in the reserve, so the daily drive to "work" was essentially a safari. On my very first day, a giraffe walked out right beside us!
The work each day included a lot of maintenance like filling potholes, clearing alien vegetation and checking fences, as well as animal tracking and monitoring. We also spent Mondays in the community and volunteering at the local school. We were so lucky that we got to spend a whole day shadowing a vet procedure too so we got up close to some rhinos which was so so special!
Even though the work was pretty full-on it never felt like work and it all felt so rewarding. We also still had plenty of free time, with extra game drives and time off when it got too hot. You do have to be prepared for super early starts (and power cuts and bugs!) but it was worth it because each day was amazing. It was also my birthday during the trip and the local team were so sweet and surprised me with a homemade vegan birthday cake!
On Fridays we had excursions with the local coordinators, which was a lovely bonus. The first Friday I was there we got a free trip to Addo Elephant National Park which was incredible! It was easily one of my best travel memories!
The whole experience at Amakhala was something I'll never forget. During my two weeks, I learnt so much, ticked a ton off the bucket list and made amazing friends. It was definitely an eye-opening experience and more of an adventure than your typical vacation but that's what made it so unforgettable. We got to experience so much more than we would have done on a regular safari holiday. I would definitely recommend doing something like this over booking a normal safari any day!
I am so grateful for this experience and for all the memories I got to make. If you're thinking about booking- do it, because I promise you won't regret it!
Thank you Mighty Roar for making it possible!
