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If you’re the sort of person who wants to see the ‘real Africa’ then get off the beaten track, as well as over a few swamps and over a mountain or two and find yourself in the middle of the rugged Africa landscape with lions, cheetahs, crocodiles (and guides who know what they’re doing- we promise!) This project is a trailblazing tour through some of the continents most iconic scenery. Starting with a welcoming glass of wine along the beautiful Route 62, you’ll quad bike, gorge drop, bungy jump and zip slide your way along the famous Garden Route through a private game reserve, stunning mountain passes and wildlife ranches. It may be easy to forget when you’re having so much fun but you’ll also be contributing to a valuable project during your 10-day stay on a wildlife park which helps endangered animals.
Day 1 - Arrival into Cape TownArrival in Cape Town. You will have your orientation and dinner, staying overnight 45 minutes away from Cape Town city.
You will be picked up in the morning to start your experience along the Garden Route. Enjoy a wine tour along the beautiful Robertson wine route followed by lunch on a wine farm and the chance to sample some delicious South African wines.
Departing in the morning for a 2 hour quad bike trail in a private game reserve. You will then head on to the Knysna area for some sight seeing and the chance to grab some lunch along the way.
Some of the optional activities for this day are the Knysna Elephant park and the Monkeyland rehabilitaton centre. Overnight in a hostel at Plettenburg Bay.
In the morning, catch your breath and participate in some optional extra activities including a trip to the highest bungy jump in the world! Have a go or just sit and watch your crazy fellow volunteers jump while sipping a drink! For the less extreme, you can always take the opportunity to shop in the town of Plettenburg Bay or just chill out on the beach.
In the afternoon take a guided tour over rivers and waterfalls using a series of zip slides and stopping to do a 30m gorge drop. Overnight stay in Dijembe Backpackers in Storms River Village.
Transfer through spectacular mountain passes to Oudtshoorn, allowing time to relax and get your bearings in the town of Oudtshoorn before starting work on the wildlife conservation centre the next day.
Volunteering work at wildlife ranch. Duties will include; general maintenance and development activities, food preparation, cleaning of cages and feeding the animals.
Depart from Oudsthoorn. You will need to budget for this bus journey back to town (approximately US$35/ZAR250). Details of bus times and other possible means of transport will be given to you prior to your arrival in Oudtshoorn. Oudtshoorn is a five-hour car journey to Cape Town. If you wish to fly home on this day your flight will need to be after 7pm.
PLEASE NOTE: You will need to organise your own accommodation for this night, the team can help advise suitable accommodations during orientation.
This is the day we recommend you book your flight home due to the travel from Oudsthoorn to Cape Town on Day 14.
The trek begins in Cape Town and runs down the Garden Route, which is not named for its cultivated gardens as many expect, but rather for the splendor of its wild unspoilt coastline. The Khoi San, who are one of the first people of Southern Africa, called it Outeniqua, meaning "man laden with honey", which is a reference to the distinct smell of wild flowers that are prevalent in this area. The Garden Route is within easy reach of beautiful, unspoiled beaches, great fishing and spectacular forest scenery, as well as dolphin and whale watching.
You'll enjoy a truly cultural and authentic adventure, visiting a variety of different wine farms in the Western Cape and sampling delicious local wine before travelling through spectacular mountain passes until you'll join up with the world famous Garden Route. You will discover unspoilt ares including Robertson, Knysna, Plettenburg Bay and Storms River. Included in your visit are some amazing activities such as quad biking in a private game reserve, an abseil, a zip slide tour and a delicious lunch on a wine farm.
You will then volunteer for 10 days with a wildlife park where you will get the chance to assist in their daily operations including the chance to have hands-on interaction with some of the animals. Animals at the foundation include lion, cheetah, otters, lemurs, jaguar, pigmy hippo and crocodiles. This facility is an endangered species breeding facility, which is also the oldest and biggest cheetah contact centre worldwide. The centre offers visitors the rare opportunity to interact with hand-reared cheetahs and get actively involved in saving this species and others from extinction. Tourists visiting this centre generate income to support the breeding facility for endangered species. The facility is based in an area which was dominated by Khomani San people, who lived here thousands of years ago and left behind reminders of their rituals and beliefs which are reflected in rock paintings which can also be visited during their stay.
The tour starts in Cape Town and runs down the garden route of South Africa. Whilst you are volunteering you will stay at a shared house, which is a 25-minute walk from the wildlife centre in Oudtshoorn.
You don’t need to be a specialist or rocket scientist to take part in this experience, but a little love, care, patience, commitment and enthusiasm will go a long way! Keeping an open mind will also help you enjoy the best experience possible. It will also help if you have the following:
You'll be staying in a shared house. Accommodation has internet access and telephone lines, laundry facilities and banking facilities within walking distance. While at the wildlife conservation centre you will stay in traditional sand stone houses situated in the centre of town, approximately 3km's from the wildlife ranch.
You will provided with all the necessary materials and equipment during the tour.
Breakfasts and Dinners is included on the 4 day tour, lunch is only included on the first day. Whilst volunteering at the park, you will be provided with a hot lunch everyday whilst breakfast and dinner will be self catering.
Please fly into Cape Town (CPT) and arrange to arrive in on your listed start date to ensure your airport pick up and attend the orientation in the afternoon. You should arrive before 4pm to make the orientation at 5pm. The tour finishes in Oudsthoorn and you will need to arrange transport back to Cape Town, please consider this when booking flights and schedule on Day 15 or after 7pm if you wish to fly on Day 14.
Date: 2008-11-19
It is hugely uplifting to be surrounded by people who want to make a difference in our fragile world. i-to-i volunteers tell us that "encounters" with our exotic animals (lion/tiger/cheetah cubs and the young of other species) often "make" their visit. Ranch staff frequently get to "relive" the excitement of working with these amazing animals through the volunteers "wonderful" experiences.
Date: 2008-11-19
Arriving from international destinations as they do, I to I volunteers invariably bring novel thoughts and approaches to work at the Ranch. Volunteers interestingly enough come forward with many novel "animal enrichment" ideas.
Date: 2008-11-19
i-to-i volunteers bring a great deal of enthusiasm and passion to our Ranch.
Date: 2008-11-19
It is great for our staff to share the important conservation work that they are involved in with others who have similar interests.
Date: 2008-11-19
i-to-i volunteers have assisted permanent staff rebuild animal camps and enclosures after the Ranch was flooded in 2007.
Date: 2008-11-19
Each i-to-i volunteer arrives with their own unique passion and dedication for the conservation work that we are involved with, which is great for our staff to experience.
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….
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
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.
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.
If you are volunteering on a Teaching 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
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.
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 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
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
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
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
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
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.
VVolunteering 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
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 – Monday and will be met at the airport on the specified arrival date (we recommend you arrive between 8.00 and 15.00 in order to attend your orientation at 17.00). You will be taken to the Surfpackers Hostel (see contact details below) where you will have the first day/night to recover from your flight.
The hostel is located within walking distance shops and the beach if you wish to have a wander – just ask for directions.
If you wish to make your own way please arrange to be at the address below on the arrival date:
Surfpackers
5 Kingfisher Avenue
Kommetjie
7976
+27 (0) 82 306 8877
Your orientation will take place at 17.00 on the arrival date at Surfpackers and will introduce you to life in Cape Town as well as important information about staying healthy and safe.
You will stay at Surfpackers on Monday night before transferring to your permanent accommodation on the Tuesday. The transfer will be arranged for you by the team; transfers within Cape Town will take about 1 hour and those travelling further away can take up to 6 hours. Tuesday will also be the first day that you meet your project and start working as a volunteer.
From here on in you will spend your time with the project but the in-country team are there if you need them.
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.
EU Customers – find out more here >>
Australian customers - find out more here >>
All other customers - find out more here >>
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.
A journey into South Africa’s history is to haul through periods of racial tension, oppression and hope. Its multicultural mix originates from the earliest settlers, the San (also known as Bushmen) and Khoi-Khoi tribes, followed by Bantu-speaking groups, and through to the swarm of European traders. The Dutch were among the first European settlers and arrived in the 17th century, establishing their presence through their own dialect, Afrikaan, and religion in the form of the Dutch Reformed Church. By the end of the 18th century, the British began to push their presence forward into the country’s towns. It was a period of flared tensions with Zulu chief Shaka renouncing war on neighbouring tribes. Meanwhile, the Boers (Dutch Afrikaner farmers) and the British became locked in conflict; the Anglo-Boer War lasted from 1899 to 1902, ending with the British taking control of the Boer republics of Transvaal and the Orange Free State (OFS) and consequently ruling the country.
By 1910, the Union of South Africa was created and gave political power to whites, while blacks set up political parties in protest, the African National Congress (ANC) the best known. It ushered in the beginnings of apartheid, which became widely ingrained after the Afrikaner National Party came to power in 1948. Violence against protests from blacks was enforced and the black population were evicted to so-called Homelands. In the 1960s, leaders of the ANC were imprisoned, notably Nelson Mandela, and the country became isolated having left the Commonwealth and declaring its republic status. After a long period of racial divide and conflict, in 1989 FW de Klerk came to power with the aim to rid the country of apartheid and instil democracy. The following year, Mandela was released from prison and in 1994 became president after the ANC won the country’s first non-racial general elections; the country also returned to the Commonwealth. The country’s democratic stance has steered it toward a more harmonious future, though economic inequalities between whites and blacks exist, but as the most developed economy on the continent it is in a good position to reconcile with its past.
Naturally, South Africa’s seasons are the reverse of the northern hemisphere with summer heat burning from November to March and cooler winter temperatures from June to August. Temperature wise, spring (September to October) and autumn (April to May) provide a happy medium. Certain must-do activities are restricted to specific times of year: safari is best from June to September and the whale watching season is June to December. The busiest time, hence the most expensive, is during the summer months, while the major school holidays are during December and Easter.
Given the distances involved, flying is the most convenient way to travel between the main destinations, while land transportation can efficiently pick up the rest of the mileage for exploration in and around. There are an assortment of domestic carriers to choose from that fly the main routes, with most running from Johannesburg or Cape Town; these include South African Airways, Nationwide Airlines, Kulula and 1Time. Booking early is advisable to secure discounted rates.
There country also boasts a comprehensive bus network that covers the main cities; the road trip from Johannesburg to Cape Town is around 20 hours (compared to a 2 hour in a plane). The main bus companies are Translux, Greyhound and Intercape. Baz Bus is aimed at the backpacker crowd and provides a hop-on, hop-off service and also travels to remote areas. It’s a good way to discover the picturesque patch of coastline that is the Garden Route, which it services en route from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth.
Train travel can work out longer than by bus, with the trip from Johannesburg to Cape Town edging toward almost 30 hours. If you’re after a little luxury, try the Blue Train or the Rovos Rail for a taste of stylish travel.
Car rental is an attractive option thanks to the good road conditions, great scenery and the flexibility driving allows. The big car rental companies like Avis and Budget have outlets and it’s essential to be fully insured and have a valid driver’s licence. It’s also a convenient way to get around cities as public transport can be unsafe.
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s website provides up-to-date political news, travel advice and information on visas
The Automobile Association of South Africa (AA)
Bus company Baz Bus
Domestic airline 1Time
Bus company Greyhound
Bus company Intercape
Domestic airline Kulula
Nationwide Airlines
South African Airways
Bus company Translux
We work in partnership with hundreds of established projects that are run by local communities. The information on our website comes directly from the projects and we work with them to ensure this information is as accurate as possible. However, due to the very nature of the projects themselves the exact details of what happens on a daily basis can change with little or no notice. If you have travelled with us and have any updates to this information, please let us know.
* We can be held responsible for any starry-eyed and amazing journeys of enlightenment, discovery and thorough enjoyment...
