Want to see and do it all in Southern Africa?

Choosing which country to visit in Southern Africa is no easy task; do you go for the traditional cultures of Zambia, Botswana’s big game or Namibia’s river safaris? At last help is at hand on a tour which brings you everything. During the fun-packed 26 days you will enjoy camping in the bush, volunteering on local building and teaching projects, taking a game drive, white water rafting and visiting Victoria Falls. All of this makes the tour something worth writing home about. In Southern Africa everything seems multiplied; the animals are fiercer, the jeeps are tougher, the people are friendlier and distances are bigger. Taking a tour means not having to worry about arranging travel and the expert guides mean you don’t have to worry about getting eaten by the animals!

Day 1:
Fly into Livingstone International Airport transfer to Jollyboys Backpackers. Paula and Dan (the tour leaders) will meet volunteers at Jollyboys and over a welcoming drink brief the group. The rest of your day will be at leisure to tour Livingstone, take a swim or just sit around the comfortable conversation pit at Jollyboys and get to know each other. Overnight will be at Jollyboys.

Day 2 through 11:
Transfer to Mwandi Mission. Only 1 ½ hours from Livingstone. Volunteering at Mwandi Mission/Village - this is a very remote location with basic camping facilities. The main focus is in building African style houses for the most needy in the community. Volunteers can see and participate with qualified staff in the building of these homes. Building starts by placing poles in the ground, then binding the smaller wood to them and finally in “Mudding” in the walls and installing the door and window frames.

You will also assist the teachers in the pre-school, or the Basic school where (if you possess the necessary skills) and can help the qualified teacher in the classes the grades at the basic school is from 1st to 9th grade. The Orphans and Vulnerable Children’s Center is also located here and volunteers are invited to observe the feeding program there. The program gives a healthy lunch to those children who qualify for the program 6 days a week. After school hours you can go and play or read as needed with the children. And perhaps a little soccer game can be arranged. They love to play so it’s not hard to put the teams together!

Volunteers will also have the opportunity of volunteering in the Out-patient dept. If you are qualified you would be able to volunteer in the hospital. You’re given a guided tour of the village and the Hospital. Overnights will be at Mwandi Camp and Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner will be provided.

Day 12:
Depart early AM for Kazungula border Cross into Botswana on the car ferry over the Zambezi River see where the four countries Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia meet. Half day drive to 55 km north of Nata to an original African Bush Camp, you can have a hot mineral shower and gaze at the stars at the same time o/n Elephant Sands bush camp. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner is provided.

Day 13:
All day Elephant Sands Bush Camp 25,000 hectors of bush and lots of Game including naturally elephants. Overlooking a pan you can sit on the balcony enjoying a cool one and watch the elephants having a drink not 7 meters away. Optional 3 ½ hour Game Drive in an open safari vehicle with an experience guide cost is 80 Pula pp (aprox. US$16.00) and/or a bush walk with experienced guide cost is 40 Pula. Dinner is around the large fire pit with a roaring fire where we sit and listen to all the sounds of nature and maybe even an elephant in the pan. Overnight at Elephant Sands Bush Camp with Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner provided.

Day 14:
Late morning departure for Kasane and the Chobe Waterfront where you can set up camp at Thebe River Safaris on the banks of the Chobe River. Balance of day at leisure to swin, watch sports, play darts in the lapa bar or just lie around and listen to the hippos. Overnight at Thebe Camp with Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner provided.

Day 15:
Chobe National Park game drive at 9:00 AM with experienced guide in open safari vehicle. Chobe is known for its abundant and varied wildlife as well nearly 200,000.00 elephants. After lunch back at camp we take you into town to check emails and/or to just have a look around Kasane. At 15:00 hrs you are taken on a Chobe River Safari in an open safari boat with an experienced guide. Overnight Thebe Camp with Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner provided.

Day 16:
Depart early morning for drive through Namibia’s “Caprivi Strip” arriving back in Mwandi early afternoon. Overnight at Mwandi Mission with Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner provided.

Day 17 through 22:
Volunteering at Mwandi Mission as detailed above with overnights at Mwandi Mission with Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner provided.

Days 23 through 25:
Depart early morning for Livingstone where you can enjoy all Livingstone has to offer from White water rafting to curio shopping and everything in between and don’t forget a visit to one of the World’s 7 Natural Wonders - Victoria Falls. Overnight at Jollyboy’s Backpackers; Dinner is provided whilst Breakfast and Lunch are self-catering.

Day 26: Tour ends.

All projects
With seventy ethnic groups and a strong desire to preserve its ancient traditions, Zambia offers a cultural experience like no other. You'll find yourself surrounded by a whole array of colourful local cultures and friendly people as you journey through one of Africa's most intriguing nations. This poverty-stricken country may lack financial resources but it is certainly rich in other areas. It boasts breathtaking country scenes, thriving native wildlife and an unconquerable spirit that will make every visit unforgettable.

Minimum numbers apply: please call us for more information.

What exactly do i-to-i provide?

It may seem like a strange concept to pay for your volunteer experience. You'd be right if you think you shouldn't and the truth is you actually don't! Your placement is free; it's the benefits around it that you pay for. It's important to note that i-to-i is a travel company and not a charity. We provide a professional travel service. We are responsible for finding and assessing worthwhile projects across the world, preparing you for the volunteering experience and supporting you whilst you're there.

Here’s some more information about what your placement fee covers….

Project sourcing and assessment

We work with hundreds of locally run partner projects around the world and are constantly sourcing new opportunities. We visit all projects to check that they are worthwhile and legitimate and we also conduct a thorough safety assessment before we'll send volunteers there. More

Expert help-desk

Almost everyone who works for i-to-i has traveled extensively or worked overseas. This means we're a goldmine of information; we're always available to offer support and guidance before, during and after your trip.

Thorough project briefing materials

Once you book on to a project you'll receive a Welcome Pack that contains loads of general information about volunteering, about your chosen country and project, and a DVD about how to have fun and stay safe. We'll also give you advice on visas and inoculations.

TEFL training

If you are volunteering on a Teaching or Community Development project then a 40-hour Online TEFL course is included in your placement fee. This is an internationally recognised and accredited certificate that will help you to make the most of your time overseas. More

Airport pickup

It can be pretty daunting arriving in a different country for the first time… especially after a long flight! If you arrive on your project start date, there'll be a welcoming face at the airport to pick you up and take you to your accommodation.

Arrival orientation

Soon after you arrive you will attend a thorough orientation with our in-country team. This is to cover important safety and security information. You'll also get some tips about sight-seeing options for your time off and maybe even learn some of the local lingo!

Accommodation and meals

Accommodation is included with all projects and meals are even included with some. We only use locally-owned and operated accommodation so that part of your placement fee is filtering back into the local economy. Most projects offer homestay, guesthouse or shared volunteer houses as standard accommodation, but some offer the chance to upgrade to a more comfortable living standard. More

Local in-country coordinators

Your in-country coordinator (ICC) will pick you up from the airport and conduct your orientation upon arrival. All ICC's are English speaking and are locals of your destination country. They won't be at your project every day, but will be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you need them. More

24/7 emergency support

Aside from the local support from your in-country coordinators you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by i-to-i staff in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals Docleaf to be on hand in case of a situation that requires additional expert support. More

Ongoing training

The safety and security of our volunteers is paramount. For this reason we provide ongoing crisis management and emergency response training to our local teams around the world. At the end of 2006 we flew all our in-country coordinators to the UK for thorough training to help them offer the best safety to the thousands of volunteers they support each year. More

Supporting our projects

We don't fund our projects directly, but once a year they are all invited to apply for funding for special projects or resources from our registered charity arm, the i-to-i Foundation. i-to-i funds the operation of the i-to-i Foundation and is the largest single donor. Along with the generous support of our volunteers, we have distributed over US$200,000 in funding in the last two years alone! More  

Recruiting people like you

We make no secrets of the fact that part of your placement fee is reinvested in to recruiting volunteers just like you! The volunteers recruited in one week will typically deliver over 2000 man-days of service. The difference this makes to projects overseas is immeasurable. Many of our overseas projects rely on assistance from international volunteers, so it's necessary for us to put together brochures and websites to find the people who can support them. This recruitment process is vital to ensure programs have a constant stream of reliable volunteers.

The intangible benefits

Volunteering through a company like i-to-i has a lot of intangible benefits to developing overseas communities and the individual projects that we work with. To find out more about our placements. click here

What we will do after you've booked:

• Once booked on you will instantly receive a welcome email confirming your booking with access to your online account
• We will send a Welcome Pack in the post containing further information and a t-shirt, the information in this pack should answer most things you need to know
• Community Development and Teaching customers will receive an email introducing them to their Online TEFL course
• Community Development and Teaching customers will be requested to complete a police check (where relevant) or send through a reference
• We will contact you if we require anything else e.g. CV/resume for some projects, doctors note for medical conditions etc.
• We will hound you to complete your forms and pay your final balance when they are due
• We are available for any questions you may have on 800 352 1794 or operations@i-to-i.com
• We will prepare for your trip and send you an email with final project and accommodation confirmation 21 days before you go

What you need to do after booking your place with us:

• Book your flights
• Arrange suitable travel insurance
• Fill out some extra details through our online interface:
  • application from
  • travel details
  • insurance details
  • medical information
  • emergency contacts
• Complete your police check or request your reference (where relevant)
• Do your Online TEFL Course (where relevant)
• Make final payment at least 60 days before you go
• Make sure you have a visa for your trip if its needed
• Visit a nurse or travel clinic for advice on inoculations and malaria prevention
• Read all details and prepare as much as you can for your trip
• Take contact details of the in country team and where you're going in your hand luggage - just in case!
• Get on the plane!

Orientation Information

You will spend the first night in Livingstone at Jollyboys Backpackers. Paula and Dan, the tour leaders will meet you at Jollyboys and over a welcoming drink will brief you on the trip ahead. You will spend the rest of the day at leisure in Livingstone, take a swim or just sit around the comfortable conversation pit at Jollyboys and get to know each other. The tour will then start as described on Day 2.

Insurance

It's important that you get adequate travel insurance for your i-to-i experience and as many of you will be working this often means standard policies won’t work. The good news is that no matter where your coming from we have already found a policy to suit you.

The best time to get your insurance is when you book your project as this means you can get a fully tailored policy exclusive to i-to-i, just ask your consultant for further details at the time of booking.

If you have already booked but still need insurance then you may still be able to take our tailored policy. If, however it was more than a few days ago then try the links below:

Australian customers - find out more here >>

All other customers - find out more here >>

Flights

As with insurance we advise you get these booked as early as possible to avoid high prices and to make sure you arrive on the right day. The i-to-i team is right up to date with the best deals no matter where you’re flying from; their insider knowledge could save you some time and money.

Early Airport Pick-up

If you are arriving before your designated arrival date, we can arrange for an extra meet and greet service for you. For an extra supplement we will be there to meet you at the airport and take you to the orientation accommodation. Accommodation payment for any extra nights will then be made in country directly to the accommodation (approx 28 USD per night)

The cost of this Early Pick-up service is US$ 38.00