Game reserve in South Africa

First Impressions

Should you decide to take part in this project, which I can only recommend, then you will understand in retrospect how difficult it is to start such a field report.

Well organized despite the pandemic

I start with the organization of Rainbow Garden Village, where your every need is taken care of and your trip is perfectly prepared. In addition, the organization on site by Jaco and Helena cannot be topped either. I have now made my trip in the middle of the Corona Pandemic - if this is still relevant for you, do not worry about it, this is also perfectly included in the planning and implementation on site.

The project

The project is dedicated to the three areas of research, conservation management and education. Unfortunately, the only thing I missed out on was education, as I couldn't go to school due to Corona, but I got another chance to do so in my last week. You come into direct contact with the children in your area, which makes the children and their relatives very happy.

You can expect to be constantly surrounded by children who want to sit on your shoulders, get thrown up, or dance. They also found my leg hair so amazing that they kept touching and pulling on it.

Prepare yourself for an unforgettable experience. Regarding the work in the park, you can say that you will never know what to expect in the morning. The park is so big and diverse that you keep coming across something that changes your daily schedule.

Wildlife

You have numerous opportunities to see all the animals, sometimes even for several hours and sometimes even right in front of the fence at the house. The project manager Jaco is always there and has a very extensive knowledge of all the animals and plants in the park. During my stay he was able to answer every single question that was put to him. He is also very patient, friendly and has a great sense of humor :-)

The days are divided so that you visit the children once a week, take care of manual work in the park about twice a week and the remaining two days are research activities where you don't leave the car and primarily track and observe rhinos, elephants and lions . The manual work is mostly the removal of unwanted vegetation, which can be very exhausting depending on the temperature.

Make new friends

The other participants, with whom you live directly in the house, were very friendly during my time, I still have daily contact with most of them. There is always something going on in the house, which means that you are always in good company in the evenings. Dinner is also always arranged in such a way that teams cook and everyone eats together. However, you also have the opportunity to withdraw if you want a more comfortable evening.

African lifestyle

During my stay I experienced and saw things that cannot be described in words here. I simply advise you to experience them for yourself. The South African lifestyle simply cannot be beat here. You never know what to expect in the morning, you have other interesting people around you and you explore places that are so quiet and peaceful.

Weekend activities

Thanks to Jaco's presence outside of the park and mostly during the weekend activities, you are also in the best hands here. He showed us places, restaurants and beaches that are not in any travel guide. In addition, he always takes over the planning of your weekend activities. With us it was always the case that the whole group agreed on what most people felt like doing.

In theory, you can also do something alone or in smaller groups if you feel like it. I myself once decided to go on a day trip to Addo Elephant Park instead of going to a surf camp with the group. Jaco planned my trip, which was a bit more difficult to book because I was alone, and always phoned organizers.

You are in good hands here!

This applies to pretty much everything. If you are concerned about language barriers, illnesses, medical assistance, general care, food etc. then put those all aside here. Everything is taken care of here and you can get all things. This is an excellent project and you can play a really important part in it too!

Let's go!

Experience report by Felix N., April 2021