You stay on the edge of St Luce, a small village in the rural SE of Madagascar. Tents are centered on a wooden long-house where meals are eaten and the hanging-out is done between trips in to the forest.

These forest trips range from half-hour bird surveys to a couple of hours following lemurs or conducting Herp surveys - all very informative and good fun. All in the most amazing forest surroundings with the ever-present chance of seeing something incredible.

All of the Azadafy staff, whether domestic or international, were very friendly and the organisation's relationship with the local community in St Luce make for a uniquely integrated experience.

The Azafady literature makes the food in the bush seem intimidating but it's actually fantastic, the cooks do a great job.

All-told, my only regret is that I didn't stay for longer. Although I highly recommend that you also leave time to travel the country after your volunteering is over. The guys in camp will give you some great advice.

Whether you are looking to gain valuable field experience to beef up your resume, or are just looking for a vacation off the beaten track, the Azafady Conservation Programme is for you! As an experienced field biologist I was looking for an experience that would allow me to both return to the field, as well as give something back to the local community. Having never traveled to Africa before, I was a little nervous about the trip in general, but Azafady was always quick to answer my numerous questions before my arrival, and ensured I was taken care of upon arrival in Tana (even though it was after midnight). I rented a tent from the organization, which withheld TERRIBLE rains in St. Luce. If you've ever lived in the field, the camp is what you would expect at a location with no power- bucket showers, latrine, cookhouse and a nice communal longhouse. Electronics can be charged for a nominal price. Daily schedule involves performing biological fieldwork sampling the many different species that Azafady is working so hard to preserve (lemurs, herps etc). You would never see many of these endemic animals as a tourist (as many are nocturnal and located off the beaten track). ALL the people that run the program are friendly, helpful, kind and genuine. This is truly one of the safest and most amazing ways to experience Madagascar- coming from someone that has worked in many forests around the world.

Hi, I was on the Pioneer Programme two years. All the people in our programme came for different reasons and I think all of them gained much more than they expected. Azafady go out of their way to provide a safe but authentic experience, giving you a real insight into the lives and problems faced by ordinary Madagascan people. The countryside is beautiful, the people warm and friendly and many of my group extended their stay to go travelling together.
It's a demanding programme, but you get out much more and feel you have made a real contribution - so go for it ; I know 16 people who thought it was one of the best decisions of their lives

I completed the ten week pioneer programme in Jul-Sep 2014, it was a truly humbling experience that altered my views on the world. Although manual labour can be tough and repetitive it was at no point boring. I learnt a lot about how charities undertake their work in the field, the charity educated me about the local region, their various projects, their reasoning behind them and how funding is collected and administered. I found it very interesting to find out about the charity sector. The tasks you undertake on the projects are varied and you learn many new skills, no previous experience is required. The Azafady staff are amazing, welcoming and truly look out for you, at no point did I feel unsafe. My favourite part was that you could physically see the difference that you were making to the local community. Spending ten weeks with a group of like minded individuals meant making life long friends, I really couldn't recommend this experience more.

My 4 weeks with the Azafady Conservation Programme were just amazing! The research into the wildlife of Ste. Luce was fascinating and will hopefully help protect the amazing endemic species found there. Watching lemur behaviour and finding chameleons and geckos by night will definitely stay with me for the rest of my life! The programme also allowed me to interact with the local community by teaching the children about the forest and English lessons. So much fun and the community is so wonderful, always smiling and laughing! That is definitely one of the reasons I find Azafady fantastic, as they combine conservation and community work. I would definitely recommend Azafady to anybody wanting an experience of a lifetime!!!

I was in Madagascar with Azafady from April-June 2014 and had probably the best ten weeks of my life. The work we were doing was both meaningful and sustainable, making us really feel as though we were making a difference to people's lives and to the environment. The staff went way beyond the call of duty to make sure we were having the best experience possible, and the scenery/campsites were BEAUTIFUL!

I spent July and August 2013 volunteering with Azafady's Conservation Program, and I can honestly say that everyday I spent there was absolutely incredible. We were able to work hands on in conducting research on biodiversity and conservation and despite any challenges that could come our way, Azafady was always there to support and care for its volunteers before, during, and after our time in Madagascar. As a small NGO, it was so impressive to see how much work is being don in the region where Azafady operates, and how much of an impact this work has made on the lives of the local people and the environment. I have volunteered abroad with organizations in the past, but none have made such an impact as Azafady has on my life. I would HIGHLY recommend this program to anyone, especially to those with interest in conservation work in one of the world's biodiversity hot spots, as well as to anyone who enjoys working with local communities.

I did the 10 week Pioneer scheme (Jan-March) as a part of my gap year. I felt like I was in safe hands all the way through from pre-daparture to landing back home. Our group was led by confident, English speaking, Malagasy staff, who guided us expertly through our volunteering procedure. They knew the ins and outs of the country since they had lived there all their life and became great friends of the group. Our group was an excellent range of people, from all over the world and also different ages, so although I was on my gap year, it isn't a scheme full of mainly gap year students. We all bonded tightly as a group and by the end of the 10 weeks were a close group of friends. There was an option to stay and travel after the 10 weeks which I didn't do, but heard it was a fantastic travelling experience. Expect the volunteering projects to be tough as they can be very hard not just physically, but mentally. From mixing cement in tropical heat, to planning english and conservation lessons to be taught to the local children. Walking for 2, 3, 4 hours to complete community surveys, then the next day planting hundreds of trees. It really offers the complete range of volunteering experience.

You will have an amazing time volunteering with Azafady.