Buffelsdrift Game Lodge Eco-Ambassador Program

I had a wonderful time at the Buffelsdrift Game Reserve. One of the main reasons was our wonderful team with which we all started as strangers but left as very good friends. I made some very memorable and hillarious memories here. That was only possible because of our amazing Volunteer cooperator Tanica. She did everything to make our time here enjoyable. We couldn't have asked for someone better than her. Get her a pay raise for the wonderful job she does! Also the Guides were very kind to us and we loved to go on safaris with them.
So to sum up, the time here was perfect thanks to our Group and the people. The place Buffelsdrift itself offers you a great variety of animals on two reserves with a total of 3000 hectares. Every day is interesting and you never know what you might see that day. I was also able to assist a vet while he was fixing a baby Zebras broken leg. However you should also know that I don't agree with everything they do. They do a lot for the conservation of animals without doubt but for example the elephant experience they offer is in my eyes more for the joy of the tourists than the wellbeing of the elephants. And you should also know that it's not easy to go to town or a bar on the weekends because after sunset you can't walk back to your camp because of wild roaming Hippos.

Great experience, the reserve is the home of many animals that I (and I guess most volunteers) was excited to see, the staff was adorable, special mention to Tanica who, despite her weird sense of humour, kept us happy the whole time and found the perfect balance between work and fun.
We were super involved in the life of the reserve and it was very pleasant to see our direct impact. Overall I am super happy with this experience, which offered even more than I was expecting. I would definitely recommend it to any animal lover.

I had an incredible time at Buffels Drift. The people are very kind, welcoming, and fun. The volunteer coordinator, Tanica, couldn't be sweeter. All their patience with me and their passion for the project's purpose kept me very inspired and motivated to do all of the duties. It's really interesting to be backstage and witness some of the animal's routines, to learn about their habits and their behavior. Also, I learned a lot about the plants, their impact on the environment, and even how they can help us to rehabilitate the soil. I have no words for the amount of things I learned, it was really transformative.

Everyone has to make his own experiences, so no special piece of advice. But I can tell you will have a lot of new impressions. Sleeping in a tent, not in a house, listening to nature and the animals in the night, and out of bed in the early morning hours. Working with and for the animals like preparing food, looking after the elephant and lions or cheetahs. Another task, for example, is repairing fences, filling up the water holes or planting spek booms. And to have a good co-ordinator as Tanica and her Daisy (a wonderful old V8 LandRover).

I came to Buffelsdrift with the hopes of getting close to the wildlife of South Africa while doing something good for our planet, as well. My experience exceeded these hopes by far. Not only did I get to work very close to and even with the animals, I also learned a lot about conservation and hospitality. The employees are some of the kindest and most attentive people I have ever met, they made me feel welcome from the very first day. Especially our volunteer coordinator, Tanica, always did her very best to combine the (sometimes very hard but necessary) work with fun activities. My volunteering time would not have been the same without these wonderful people.