Horse safari + community + conservation
from £2400 GBP
Horse safari + community + conservation
Duration: from 6 Weeks to 10 Weeks
Countries: South Africa
Winner of Best Gap Year Company - Sunday Times Combine life in the saddle searching for wild game through the african bush with helping on life changing conservation and community projects.Call: 0845 344 7514
Head out to Kwa Madwala, a private ‘Big 4’ (leopard, lion, elephant and rhino) 4000 hectare game reserve, situated just South of the Kruger National Park, home to a luxury safari lodge and renowned horse and elephant safari’s.
Live in the middle of the reserve in a fantastic bush lodge and divide your time between being in the saddle with local conservation and community projects.
Mornings: In the saddle
Daily horse safari's - galloping amongst wild game all around the game reserve.
Set up coffee and sundowner stands for the morning and evening rides.
Help set up the overnight fly camps.
Organise the high lines for horses, build fires, set up portable electric fences to protect the horses, set up tents for clients and bucket showers etc.
Help with their elephant back safaris. Ride the elephants and help look after their diet, enclosures and general welfare.
Spend a day in the life of an elephant groom.
Lunge work, in hand training, flat work, dressage, watering down horses, cleaning tack and exercise rides (this would only be done with supervision as well as cleaning and mucking out stables with help from staff. So be prepared to get dirty!
Afternoons: Conservation + community projects
Reserve management – fencing and bush clearing.
Construction and/or repair of hides and viewing decks to help monitor animal movements.
Help in the nearby children’s orphanage at Thembalethu School, a centre for victims of AIDS. This is an amazing place where you can teach and play with the kids, who are very energetic and fun. In addition we have painted murals, carried out maintenance and built a stage (which they love!)
Various township community visits with possible activities including: teaching English and playing football matches in local Swazi secondary and primary schools, a witch doctor visit and a visit to a community clinic and improving facilities in an orphanage.
Extra perks!
Elephant safari's
Try out rifle target shooting.
Be introduced to 4 x 4 driving - a course will be conducted to cover the basic skills required.
Microlight aerial perspective/game viewing (insurance permitting).
Duration Details:
6 or 10 weeks with 4 departures a year.
Summer Gap -No time for a whole gap year? Try our Summer Gap programme - we’ll promise to have you back in time for your results…
Cost Details:
60% of cost spent in-country with an additional donation made to projects of your choice.
Price includes microlight flight over reserve, day safari in Kruger national park, 4x4 driving lessons.
Savings:
Representative:
All the time
Wage:
Wage Type:
This placement would suit:
Volunteers seeking variety in their challenges and experiences.
Mornings: help with their horse safari’s searching for game and assist rangers with identifing reserve management issues.
Afternoons: teach orphaned kids and improve their standards of living.
Time Out: elephant safari’s, rifle shooting, micro-ligting, visiting Mozambiques deserted beaches.
Do you accept non UK citizens?
yes
Do you accept applicants with disabilities?
no
User Comments:
“Every day I would go riding, either escorting guests or just with Nyaga the syce, and you knew you could just let the horses run and there was no danger of meeting anything, apart from the occasional zebra! Everything about Africa is intense: the smells, the sounds, the taste. Nothing is ever in half hearted or in tame measures out there: when it rains there is a monsoon-like downpour, if the sun’s shinning, then you literally won’t have a cloud in the sky. I’ve never seen skies like the ones in Africa ...you suddenly get a sense of how small you are in the great scheme of things.”
~ by Eleanor Stourton
Inclusions
insurance, food, kit, airport pickup
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Morning ride through the bush.
Alternative ride!
Building new home of the orphans.
Up close and personal!
Down at the village.
Meet Jessica the local hippo!
This is a must do...
Time out - get your eye in!
View form the micro light over your home.
local footie match.
Yes this pool is at your home...
Heading out on safari.
Time out: rock climbing.
Building shelters on the reserve.
Little break!
Heading out.
Helping the vets with animal rehab.
End of the programme :(
The Leap Overseas Ltd
Volunteering, internships, summer gap and horse related programmes. All programmes contain our unique mix of projects and challenges in a mix of locations - challenging both mind and muscles - perfect!
