Location
  • South Africa
    • Hoedspruit
Length
1 to 8 weeks

Program Details

Language
English
Age Min.
18
Age Max
75
Timeframe
Year Round
Housing
Rondavel
Groups
Small Group (1-15) Medium Group (16-30) Large Group (31+)
Travel Type
Budget Family Older Travelers Solo Women

Pricing

Starting Price
670
Price Details
*Rates on site
1 week $670
2 weeks $1 190
3 weeks $1 750
4 weeks $1 960
5 weeks $2 310
6 weeks $2 640
7 weeks $2 980
8 weeks $3 330
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Your fees include:
- Transfers on Saturdays for arrival/departure
- Three meals per day, tea, coffee, juice
- Accommodation including bedding and towels
- Laundry
- One trip to town per week
- Working in the community
- Wifi
//
Your fees exclude:
- Flights, internal/international
- Travel Insurance
- Personal toiletries such as shampoo, sunblock, mosquito cream
- Sodas, cokes, alcohol
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Meals Transportation Wifi
What's Not Included
Some Activities Airfare Domestic Airfare Equipment SIM cards Travel Insurance Visa
Jul 24, 2022
Feb 23, 2023
148 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

DAKTARI Environment & Wildlife Education Centre is set in a beautiful nature reserve close to the Kruger National Park. The comfortable camp is located in the heart of the reserve where you will work with the children and the animals of the sanctuary.

You will teach the local children about the importance of protecting the environment and blossom their passion for animals through the care of the animals in our sanctuary.

Please note that all animals kept in captivity in our sanctuary are not able to go back to the wild. We do not encourage animal petting.

DAKTARI also runs an outreach program for a greater impact on the communities. The weekly ECO CLUB and Wildlife Crime campaigns give the children the opportunity to ignite positive attitudes towards their valuable environmental heritage.

The volunteers are vital to the success of our programs and really make an impact on the communities, the future of our environment and our wildlife.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Educate underprivileged children about the environment, anti-poaching and important life skills.
  • Care for injured and/or orphaned wildlife and help us give them the second chance they deserve.
  • Get involved with local communities and learn about South African culture.
  • Go on trips and excursions and discover the beauty of South African beyond the gates of our camp.
  • Become a part of the DAKTARI Family, make friends for life and memories you'll never forget!

Program Impact

Our programs have reached more than 4,500 children in 16 years, cared for hundreds of animals, and helped employ dozens of youth.

What makes our Teaching Program different?
The children get to spend a full week at our camp with our volunteers and get to have fun, as well as learn a lot! Because we only take eight children each week, they benefit from one-on-one attention and participate in every lesson. Each day has a mix of lessons, activities, and animal interactions.

The teaching program is very hands-on. The children get to see the animals up close at our wildlife orphanage and interact with the animals every day. The lessons are interactive and practical and the children leave here with a passion for learning.

The program is completely taught by volunteers with the help of a local volunteer coordinator. They get a detailed teaching program before they arrive so that they can learn the material. The lessons include outdoor activities,

To get an impression of what the life of a volunteer at DAKTARI is, check out the video below!
https://youtu.be/PrVswQF57rU Life of a Volunteer

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Program Reviews

4.93 Rating
based on 68 reviews
  • 5 rating 92.65%
  • 4 rating 7.35%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Impact 4.85
  • Support 4.95
  • Fun 4.9
  • Value 4.85
  • Safety 4.95
Showing 1 - 8 of 68 reviews
Default avatar
Julie
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Fantastic Experience!!!

This is my second time at Daktari. It’s always a pleasure to be here. You meet new volunteers who are always kind and friendly. The staff and the animals don’t change but I’m very happy to see them again. I advise you to do this volunteer experience because you can learn so much about the animals with the staff and the animal manager. Moreover, you can teach some items about the environment to children and you develop a real relationship with them. It was the best experience of my life and I will come back again !

29 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Julie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing and unforgettable experience

I spent two incredible weeks with the other volunteers. Taking care of the animals was an awesome experience. Teaching children who need it really makes a difference for their future life and its very satisfying to participate in that. There's many subject that they can learn about their country, environment, animal knowledge, wildlife crime, politeness and respect, career guidance and many others. You really create a nice relation with them and you can see how they are thankful about people who takes care of them. Also i wasn't use to live in community and it's very interesting on some points and rewarding.
I highly recommend DAKTARI!!!!

27 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Patricia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Memories to Keep

I had a great time in DAKTARI. Actually, a life time experience. I left Brazil for 1 month and a half and came to South Africa knowing everything would be different from what I had tried or seeing before. I had a wonderful surprise when I started working with kids and animals. I fell in love with the meerkats!

35 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Keren
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Time at DAKTARI

Volunteering at DAKTARI is the best thing I could do for myself and my daughter.
The staff is professional and from the first moment they have given me the feeling we are one and that we all work for the same goal.
It's a Bushlife experience that you will not find in any other place. from the owner up to the cook they all give you a homey feeling.
I'm grateful for choosing Daktari.

Pros
  • STAFF ARE FRIENDLY
  • getting to know local kids
  • homey
Cons
  • needs to get use to the rest and quit
  • problems with WIFI
52 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Isabel
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Living a dream

Spending those 6 weeks at Daktari has been even more amazing and wonderful than I would have ever imagined. I did not feel like a volunteer at all, I immediately became part of a caring and fun family. Working so closely with all the animals has always been a dream of mine and being able to do so, in such an ethical, respectful environment is a wonderful, life changing experience.

Pros
  • Meaningful Interaction with Children
  • Educational Work with all kinds of Animals
  • Safe and fun environment
64 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
laure
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great experience !

The DAKTARI family is more than welcoming and you feel at home as soon as you arrive. The teaching program you receive as soon as you register, which allows you to have a look of what to expect, is great and you can feel the impact on kids at the end of the week. The coordinator is always here to help you in the teaching program if needed. Stabling twice a day allows you to interact with bush animals which is incredible. The animal manager and her coworkers makes a great job explaining what do it and how to do it. You'll never get bored though you're still having fun ! Thanks a lot to everyone !

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
When you re at Daktary, you feel like everyone (volunteers, staff and the kids) is your family so you feel at home within the bush ! Meanwhile you live among animals (dont panic, not the wild ones !) you dont even know the name who come sit on your laps and you can pet them !
70 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Francisco
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An amazing experience with an amazing staff

I work as a travel agent, bringing volunteers to DAKTARI and other projects around the world. After helping a lot of volunteers fulfil their dreams of coming to South Africa, I managed to arrange 2 weeks to spend at the project. What a wonderful time I had starting with the staff who are so friendly and polite, the animals being taken care of as if they were family and the amazing food that was prepared catering to each of the volunteers individual needs. I can only say that if you are looking for an unique and quality experience involving a well thought out educational program and the preservation of native animal species, this is the one for you.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Come with an open mind to experience and learn a lot of new things. You need to have a passion for animals and education, the staff really counts on you to do your duties!
78 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Emilio
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

nice experience!

I spend 4 weeks at DAKTARI and it was a big step out of my comfort zone to get here but when i arrived i felt home right away! i loved working with kids and animals, i learned a lot and i also got to know amazing people from all over the world!!! Amazing trips, nice food, lovely people, great teaching program about environment, poaching, tourist and jobs and wild animals. I made friends for life and i would never forget my stay at DAKTARI because it was such a wonderful time!! Thank you for this experience!

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
i went on a safari and saw the big 5, also around the camp we saw a lot of wild animals
76 people found this review helpful.

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