Orientation
On your arrival in Phalaborwa Airport in South Africa, you will be met by our project staff and transferred to the project to meet your fellow volunteers and other members of staff. You will spend this first day acclimatising to your new surroundings and getting to know everyone, including the house pets and all of the animals at the centre.
In the evening you will have a really big group dinner, cooked by Lynne and her very friendly kitchen staff and also receive a briefing of your programme, using this opportunity to ask lots of questions and get to know the programme in greater depth.
The following day, you will begin your project work, with some assistance on site. However, if you do have any questions about what to do, just ask.
Accommodation and Meals
Accommodation and Meals at Monkey Rehabilitation Centre
There are 2 big dormitories at the Centre, one sleeping 7 and the other 9, with an additional hut sleeping 4 – 6 and a 2 bed hut. This creates a great community feel at the project, though there are plenty of quiet spaces for relaxing during the day.
The volunteer camp has open-air showers (hot and cold) and western style toilet facilities. The camp has a fantastic rustic feel, with an open cooking/kitchen area and seating where you can relax at the end of the day. When groups are big, sexes are usually split up; otherwise you can choose to have mixed sleeping. Couples can also be accommodated together (depending on availability) and sleeping outside can also be arranged. The buildings are designed to give you a real rustic African experience.
There is also a beautiful river close to your accommodation, which provides an extremely peaceful and relaxing setting. They have a zip-line there too for anyone looking for a quick adrenalin fix. The river is clear and perfect for swimming in, or you can just use the swimming pool close by.
Breakfast is served at 09h00 and usually consists of toast and cereals etc. Lunch is prepared in the main kitchen and can be taken down to the dorm area or next to the pool. Dinner is served at 18h00 and is extremely wholesome, filling, home-cooked meals, catering for both meat eaters and vegetarians. You will also have access to fridges and free tea and coffee throughout your stay – vital for those early morning starts!
Accommodation and Meals at the Release Site
The camp you are staying in is a fantastic rustic experience, where you will be cooking outside on the fires under the stars, sleeping in large and comfortable ‘army-style’ tents and drinking in the treetop bar (only at Entabeni release site) in the evenings.
Volunteers love the change that this release site offers, allowing them a chance to get away from the centre and head out into the African bush for some back-to-basics camping. There is an excellent team spirit during this time, as you sit around the campfires at night.
You will receive three meals a day, prepared by yourself as part of a team at the camp by campfire and a few gas hobs. The meals will need to be filling due to the hard work you will be doing each day and lunches will either be a packed lunch, or eaten back at camp.
Accommodation and Meals on the Community Project
During your time at the community projects, you will be staying in one of two chalets, which can accommodate 2-4 people. These chalets have electricity and their own showers and toilet facilities and are located on the same premises as the Community project owners and coordinators.
At the Prieska project you will stay in a farmhouse inside the village under the supervision of the coordinators.
You will receive all of your meals each day on this project, prepared for you by your coordinator Ellanie and her staff. Please be prepared to take your own packed lunch each day to the project, if necessary.
Free Time
There are a number of highlights and excursions that you may like to see and do in your free time at weekends. These include such activities as micro-light flights, Kruger game drives, ethnic village tours and elephant rides. The project staff will be happy to help you organise these excursions with your fellow volunteers whilst you are at the project, so please discuss the options with them.
Please note that any of these excursions will be at your own cost, in South African Rand. Costs for these excursions vary depending on the activity, any park entrance fees and distances travelled to get there!
Being in South Africa means that you are close to Johannesburg, which is a major transport hub for overland tours. We have a number of different tours to choose from which could take you up into Botswana, through Zambia and Zimbabwe to the mighty Victoria falls and even take you all the way to Nairobi: We have tours that last from 7 days to 56. Please contact us to enquire about these options and we will be happy to send you further details and help you explore Africa in a safe and adventurous way.
Project Support
Throughout your stay in South Africa you will have the support and guidance of the project directors, Bob and Lynne and their team who live on the project site. They will provide you with competent assistance and help you with any questions or advice you may need during your stay.
The staff will be on hand throughout the day to ensure your comfort and safety. In addition, we will provide you with a 24 hour emergency contact number before you depart, so that you can contact one of our UK staff at any time should you need to.
