OPTIONS AND TOURS

These are some of the types of volunteering programmes that you can participate in:

• MODGAJI CONSERVATION AND REHABILITATION PROJECTS
• VOLUNTEERING
• LIFE SKILLS PROGRAMME
• SPIRITUAL INNER-SELF TOURS AND ADVENTURES
• SAFARI
  

MODGAJI CONSERVATION AND
REHABILITATION PROJECTS

A Cheetah Release initiative in the Northern Baviaanskloof
South Africa’s premier wilderness and world heritage site.

Interact with Acinonyx jubatus (cheetah) in the Nama Karoo region. This is a volunteer working project involving all aspects of game farm management including the well being of all the animals in intermediate containment before release.

This is an experience Par Excellence!

Our interest in you extends to your safety and security whilst in our company.
All of our guides, tutors and drivers are professionally trained and qualified in wilderness education and tourism. We welcome volunteers with veterinary qualifications and experience to those that wish to just help out and glean experience for themselves on a 3000 hectare, private working farm. Normal tourists are limited to one group of 4 person’s maximum at present, as this is an experience in game /wild animal farm management with volunteers running the day to day chores and maintenance as opposed to a tourist orientated venue. 

When walking the Cheetah the object is exercise and allowing the animal to hunt without restriction hindrance or unfair advantage in any way other than guidance and patient company from the handler and volunteer.

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VOLUNTEERING

Allows more free time to the participant after completion of their chosen project on a daily basis.

Duration: minimum 2 weeks, up to 3 months and longer.  Note any longer stay would need the conditions of the South African Department of Home Affairs to be complied with and/or initial application from within your home country to request a 6 month to 3 year visa. (See registration page for advice)

Choose a charity community aid project here on The Garden Route or perhaps a teaching position where you identify a particular area you wish to be involved with. We co-ordinate your request and endeavor to place you in your preferred choice of project. Certain projects do need continuity and placement of volunteers throughout the year, requiring a minimum period of a three month stay, e.g. the tutor positions in the forests.

Positions at a Safari Lodge just outside of Johannesburg in the Cradle of Human kind, range from hotel and catering skills to game ranging and tourist liaison covering different visiting tourist languages, particularly German, Dutch, French, Italian and Japanese. Volunteer positions here during the World Cup 2010 are available.

Game Reserve work on a small conservancy within a much bigger reserve alongside the Kruger National Park and in the Eastern Cape bordering the world heritage site of the Baviaanskloof are available. Your commitment to project ownership is dependant on your own attitude and needs. 

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LIFE SKILLS PROGRAMME

This is a crash course for serious volunteers wishing to glean as much information on South Africa/ns as possible, for their next appointment.

If you are interested in learning a variety of skills, this programme is for you!
Duration: minimum 2 weeks - Full Course 6 weeks - Once this course is completed any further stay can be accommodated within the volunteer programme.

We rotate a work force between social projects and local tourism establishments in the area, including, but not limited to Cape Nature Conservation, National Parks and private wildlife reserves where possible, from maintenance to social responsibilities, to marine life studies, alien plant clearing, re-greening of the community and working on a proposed new wildlife sanctuary including, a Big 5 game reserve’s rehabilitation programme with a wild cat project.

In-house training and seminars with motivational guest speakers on a variety of interesting topics, from human behavioral science to astronomy and climate change and our re-forestation effort. An internationally recognised first aid level 1 course , and a comprehensive ecological course on different sciences within the Field Guides Association curriculum, from mammal Ethology, bird, reptile and plant identification, geology covering soils and grasses, medicinal and edible plants, basic survival knowledge and understanding of the ecology, and the inter-relationship of the ecosystem.

This project helps to plant lots of trees and is an integral part of our nursery and growing center. We promote extra-curriculum activities during your stay and help to integrate you into the local scene.  

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Spiritual inner-self Tours
and Adventures

9 Day excursion (for any interested persons)

These outings are designed to take you out of your comfort space and question your understanding of the Universe and your immediate environment. A degree of fitness is required but most of all an open mind and a good pair of hiking boots. We depart Plettenberg Bay on a Saturday morning and return 9 days later on a Sunday afternoon. This tour is guaranteed with a minimum of 2 clients and a maximum of 8 clients.

The tour covers San rock art combined with some bush medicinal and survival skills. We are privileged in this part of the world to be able to experience rock art dating between 6000 - 70 000 years of age and many stone age sites stretching from the coastal region to the interior. Encompassing some 20% of the worlds known Fauna, we cover 600 km between the Western and Eastern Cape boundary. This Cape floristic region covers several mountain ranges and seven of the eight different biomes in South Africa.

Itinerary:

2 nights in the Outeniqua Tsitsikamma Mountains, accommodation here is in genuine Sioux Indian teepee’s, before heading to the Baviaanskloof for 2 nights camping, and 3 nights at Modgaji in shared rooms and 1 night Cape St Francis in a self catering chalet alongside the ocean as the end to a great experience before driving back to Plettenberg Bay. These tours are self catered and require your participation in preparing meals and cleaning up.

Includes:

Transport and guide, camping fees, and shared accommodation, 2 meals per day, the San Art hike and the Modgaji experience.

We provide basic camping equipment, tents and sleeping bags. We try to carry as little equipment as possible on these tours. Transport is in Land Rover Discovery’s and we do not tow trailers full of equipment but rather travel light and expect clients to bring their own water bottles and rucksacks. Our cooking equipment supplied is basic, or supplied at our over night accommodation on route. This tour is designed to show you how little one needs to survive, bar the 4 wheel drive chariot, a good pair of boots and an enquiring mind!

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Safari

Botswana and Namibia overland tours

We have associated ourselves with several tour operators, lodges and camps throughout Namibia and Botswana to help the volunteers find or create their ideal package safari before or after their volunteering experience.
Scheduled departures twice a month to either of these countries, camping or luxury lodge to lodge, either overland or fly-in using light aircraft can be tailor made for you.

Botswana, a country blessed with an abundance of wildlife and wilderness areas encompassing a vast inland water system known as the Okavango Delta teeming with elephant, hippopotamus and crocodile, this sanctuary is a must for any traveler’s journey.
Visit Tsodillo Hills, Okavango Delta, Central Kalahari, Moremi Game Reserve, Chobe National Park and the Makgadigadi salt pans. Victoria Falls can be taken in whilst in Chobe.

Namibia,  an arid desert environment home to Germanic settlers from Kaiser Wilhelm’s era amongst an interesting and colorful indigenous population, and the second largest canyon in the world, the Fish River canyon. The oldest known desert fronted by the cold Benguela sea current with fauna and flora found nowhere else in the world, this unique country and landscape exudes colors’ an artist would battle to mimic.
Visit the Orange River, Fish River Canyon, Luderitz, Duwisib Castle, Soussesvlei, Walvis Baai, Spitskop, Twyfelfontein, Damara land, Kaokeveld, Etosha Pan and Kunene River are places these tours pass through.

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Prices are reflected in Registration and Rates