The following blog was written by returning volunteer David, who recently returned from the Amakhala Conservation Project.
This is the second blog that I've written for the Great Projects. The first one details my 2018 return visit to South Africa's Kariega 'Big 5' Conservation Project and my time at The Great Elephant Project in Sri Lanka last year.
My wildlife conservation volunteer experience is the fifth project that I've undertaken with the Great Projects and my sixth volunteer experience. I read about the Amakhala Conservation Project, and I knew that I would only regret it if I didn't go for that opportunity, and I was absolutely right!
My time at Amakhala was fantastic from start to finish! I would strongly recommend Amakhala for wildlife and community volunteers alike. During my two-week stay there, I was lucky to spot lions, elephants, cheetahs, white rhinos, multiple bird species, ostriches, zebras, giraffes, warthogs, an assortment of antelope species, and a lone hippo to round it all off! Other sightings included two species of tortoises and secretary birds, and of course, Africa's legendary 'Big Five' can be found there.
My assigned tasks were predator monitoring (including very early starts) of both the lions and cheetahs, community work within a local school, reserve maintenance including bush clearance and road repairs, learning about aquaponics, and assisting with the local children with preparation for an upcoming sports day!
MY THRILLING HIGHLIGHTS:
- Spotting both elephants and a lone bull hippo around a waterhole on the same afternoon!
- A fantastic lion and cheetah sightings!
- Near-daily sightings of white rhinos!
- Working with the local school kids, including teaching them how to run in a straight line and long jump training. At one stage, I was tasked with running around a long circuit on a large playing field three times with the children.
- Undertook singular teaching assistance with individual kids.
- Spotting Cape Mountain zebras in the wild for the first time!
- A hike through the Eastern Cape's golden coastline!
- A one-night visit to one of the main guest lodges on the reserve where nyala, giraffes, warthogs, kudu, and waterbuck could be seen from the main viewing area. I highly recommend the pool! The water's lovely!
- A Saturday visit to Jeffrey's Bay.
- A return visit to Kenton-on-Sea, just for the 2005/2018 nostalgia.
Free time was also a great part of volunteer life at Amakhala. I had the chance to visit a few local bars, pubs, and restaurants. One night at a local sports bar, I had the chance to really get to know some of the local people and tell them about my past wildlife volunteer experiences.
Overall, I'm extremely glad I joined the Amakhala Conservation Project for two weeks. Whether you're an experienced traveller through Africa or starting out on your wildlife conservation volunteer path, Amakhala has something to offer everyone!
