Overview

Are you desperate to visit a magical place where friendly cheetahs roam free and curious monkeys swing gracefully from the trees outside your bedroom window?

If so, you’re in luck! When you work at the wildlife park, you be surrounded by tons of endangered, hand-reared animals who want nothing more than to eat out of your hand and be lavished with your attention. You will be involved in hand feeding young cubs, preparing food for the animals, general upkeep of the park enclosures and monitoring game on the reserve. If your passion for animals comes in second only to your love of beach, this trip is perfect for you - some of the best surf beaches in South Africa are just a few miles away from the park. You can spend your work days caring for animals in need and then head off to the beach to catch some glorious waves. Does life get any better than this?

Trip Highlights:

• Nursing young wildlife back to health
• Waking up to the sound of exotic birds fluttering in your front yard
• Hiking through the game reserve to see zebra, giraffe, wildebeest and antelope roaming free
• Surfing or lounging on the golden sand beaches nearby
• Doing your bit to help conserve stunning wildlife for future generations to enjoy

Itinerary & Details

What the project does and why it needs you!

This wildlife park is a result of one man’s passion to conserve his natural surroundings and was created with the aim of rescuing and treating all injured or orphaned wildlife brought to his attention. Even after extensive treatment, some animals may never be able to return to the wild so the park provides them with a safe home where they can live out their final days in peace and comfort. With so many animals to care for and new ones being born on a regular basis, the park needs your help to look after the ever-growing population of hungry tenants currently including monkeys, giraffe, zebra, impala, crocodiles, emu's and over one hundred species of birds! 

Who is it for?

Do you want to get up close and personal to some incredible wildlife?

Like the sound of experiencing the great outdoors in South Africa?

Ever thought of hanging ten at one of the world's greatest surf spots or simply lazing away weekends on stunning beaches watching the dudes in the surf?

Or even simply looking to enjoy some time in South Africa - an incredible country with hospitable people and amazing scenery?

If the answer to any of the above is yes then this is the trip for you!

What you’ll be doing

You have a chance to get involved in all kinds of fun and exciting tasks. You will be working 5 days a week from 7:30am to between 4 and 5pm. Not to worry though, you will have plenty of break times for lunch and snacks.

A typical week may include activities such as:

Hand-rearing of orphaned wildlife including bottle-feeding

Checking and counting game on nature reserve

Preparation of food and feeding wildlife

General upkeep and cleaning of enclosures

Assisting with building of new enclosures

Checking the state of game park fences

Where you’ll be staying

This may be the best work commute of your life since you will be staying in a comfy lodge right on the reserve grounds. You will be in a dormitory style accommodation - a great way to get to know other travellers! The lodge itself is well equipped and has modern amenities such as hot water and showers!.  You will also have access to a lounge with a fridge and kettle. Local shops and post office are a 5 minute drive away.  The beaches of Jeffrey's Bay, and the pleasant town of Port Elizabeth are all a reasonable taxi ride away - and all yours to explore on days off from the reserve.  

What you’ll be eating

Enjoy the pleasure of having your breakfast, lunch and dinner prepared for you. You will be provided with three delicious meals a day. Dinner will be your main meal so you can look forward to some authentic South African braais (BBQ) as well as some traditional international favorites such as pasta and roasts. Please note that no alcohol is able to be brought on to the project however it can be purchased on site.

Advice and what to bring

It is a good idea to bring the following items with you:

Torch / flashlight

Walking shoes

Sun hat

Sunglasses

Warm sleeping bag  - needed for the winter months of May to September as nights can get cold! These can be bought locally too if preferred. 

You may also want to bring some items from home to keep you entertained in the evenings. Books, DVDs and music players are great choices. Be sure to have clothes for both warm and cool weather as it can get chilly in the evenings.

When you arrive

Please book your flight to arrive into Cape Town International Airport (CPT) before 4.15pm on your arrival day. You will be picked up from the airport and taken to the volunteer house where you will have orientation at 5pm. After a cozy night in the volunteer house, you will get an early start to the day. You will leave the house at around 6am to catch a 7am bus to Jeffreys Bay. The bus ride is about 10 hours, a long but scenic ride and a great way to see the beautiful country landscape. You will arrive around 5pm in Jeffreys Bay and be met at the bus station by staff from the wildlife park and taken to your accommodation.

NOTE: If you would prefer to fly to the project after orientation this is possible but will be at your own expense. You will still need to arrive in Cape Town on your arrival date but then book a flight from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth in the morning of the day after orientation (Tuesday). If you would like to take this option please ensure that you contact us for further information.

At the end of your experience, you will take a shuttle bus to Port Elizabeth Airport, you will be dropped off at the time that you request, this can be arranged with the in country team. The cost of this is not included in the fee. Please book you flight home to depart from Port Elizabeth Airport (PLZ).

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 fora 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 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 project then a 60-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 team will arrange a pick-up for you at the airport and will conduct your orientation upon arrival. All coordination teams 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 team you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by our response team in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals 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. We also fly in our in-country coordinators to the UK regularly 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 from the project fee that you pay us. Instead we choose to support a number of projects every year through a grant scheme for tangible long-term initiatives. In the last 3 years we have distributed over US$250,000 to our most needy projects to help them in the great work they do. 

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

Next Steps

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

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)

We will contact you if we require anything else e.g. CV/resume for some projects, doctors note for medical conditions etc.

We will prepare for your trip and send you an email with confirmation of your project and accommodation 2 weeks after you've booked

We will ask you to complete your forms and pay your final balance if they are still due when required

We are available for any questions you may have on 800 985 4852 or support@i-to-i.com

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:

1. Application from
2. Travel details
3. Insurance details
4. Medical information
5. Emergency contacts

Complete your police check if requested

Do your Online TEFL Course (where relevant)

Make final payment at least 90 days before you go

Make sure you have a visa for your trip if it's 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

The following information details what will happen during the first few days of your arrival. We aim to provide you with a safe and soft landing into your destination by picking you up from the airport, giving you an orientation that helps to settle you into the country as quickly as possible. It’s also the best time to ask any questions you have about your time in South Africa.

You will arrive on the Arrival Date (days will vary) and will be met at the airport on (we recommend you arrive between 8.00 and 16.00 in order to attend your orientation).Please book your flight to arrive into Cape Town International Airport (CPT) before 4pm on your arrival day. You will be picked up from the airport and taken to the volunteer house where you will have orientation at 5pm. After a cozy night in the volunteer house, you will get an early start to the day. You will leave the house at 6am to catch a 7am bus to Jeffreys Bay. The bus ride is about 10 hours, a long but scenic ride and a great way to see the beautiful country landscape. You will arrive around 5pm in Jeffreys Bay and be met at the bus station by staff from the wildlife park and taken to the park. At the end of your experience, you will take a shuttle bus to Port Elizabeth Airport. Please book your flight home to depart from Port Elizabeth Airport (PLZ).