Program Reviews

I real enjoy my experience at DAKTARI because I learn a lot about animals , how to take care of them feed them... All the animals care staff was very friendly and share with me their animal knowledge. Become a teacher learn me a lot about the importance of education. Take care of child learn them, play with them was a amazing experience. The general ambiance are just magic everyone share with everyone and real relation appear. That why I sure sooner i will be back at DAKTARI for a another super experience as I had.

This program was excellent for a first time volunteering abroad. Daktari has everything someone need to have an excellent staying, while the staff was also amazing. The program is very organised and all the material has been pre defined and selected for everything to run smoothly.
The interaction with the kids is amazing and they are all so kind that make us feel really nice during our week with them. The animals at Daktari also enhances the programs value.

Considering everything this program has, I would definitely like to come back someday.

I'm very happy and so rich after this week immersion with children and animals. Thanks to all the team and founders for this fantastic place wich contribute to educate futures generations. I loved the education part and the time spent with the children, thanks a lot <3

I appreciate the animals, the dancing fire, the walk bush and all the funny moments with the children

I would highly recommend this volunteer experience, i had so much fun here and had such a rewarding time. This was because I could clearly see the positive impact i was having on the children and their education as a whole. To see the kids having fun and learning so much during their time here made the hard work worth it. I loved getting involved in the animal care and watching all the animals being happy and growing. If you are nervous or worried about coming all the way to South Africa by yourself don't be you won't regret it and you will have a great time.

I came here to learn how to take care of animals and how to interact more with kids, and I'm leaving with my goal achieved! It was amazing to see how much impact we can make in someone's life with just a little of attention. I went to Eco Club at Oaks High School and it was so different than what I was expecting. It was a experience that I'm going to take for life!
I loved it and I would definitely love to come back. Thank you to all the incredible staff and to all the amazing people that I got to know in Daktari.

As an older volunteer, I was a little apprehensive about being at DAKTARI. Never having done a 'gap' year or travelled alone, however, my experience was something I certainly will never forget. My fellow volunteers were all in their late teens or 20s but we bonded so well. The shared experiences of stabling and teaching, not to mention the excursions and chats around the dinner table gave me so many incredible memories that I will treasure forever. Initially, I was skeptical about the impact we would have with the children after only one week, but when we heard their presentations and promises at the end, it demonstrated how successful the programme is. The long term volunteers and the staff at DAKTARI made me feel so welcome and their passion and commitment was clear to see. I expected to have an interesting time, but not to make the connections with so many individuals.
Highly recommend this organisation if you want to connect with nature, children and find out about yourself.

Volunteering at daktari was amazing, i loved working with the staff, the volunteers and the people from the nearby village. i got to do a lot of fun things like stabling, helping to feed the animals, and teaching the people from the nearby village skills they would need to find jobs and how to be in the work place. i got to go to the leopard rock which was really fun because we got to see a lot of animals ,traversed the bush and got to see a very beautiful sunset. the atmosphere was nice and warm the people at daktari are friendly and very caring. i would recommend volunteering here to anyone who would like to get back in touch with nature while helping other humans to succed in life. The food at daktari too good not to put in this review loved it

Really great experience ! The experience of charing with kids is really interesting and the visit of the children of the village allowed a very interesting cultural exchange. we can see that all the children are really interested and this week has a good impact on them. The staff are always available if you need some help or answer your question. the accommodations are really good and the food is amazing.
Daktari propose a varied programme (theory lesson, practice lesson, animal care, stabling, swimming pool) for always keeping kids interested.
It was a special weeks with 26 children from Johannesburg and the kids really enjoy their week specially the dance lesson and, Halloween enrichment for the animal and the bonfire.

I recommend this experience.

I would recommend this program to everyone who wants to work with kids and make a difference in their life. You have a great opportunity to learn more about the culture and the traditions of the local communities. These kids are very underprivileged, and therefore, your lessons will have a great impact in their life. You will also take care of injured and/or hand raised animals that cannot be released into the wild. The staff also helps you organise trips during the weekends to explore the area (National Kruger Park, swing jump, Blyde River Canyon, etc.), to visit other game reserves or to go downtown and buy some gifts and souvenirs for you relatives. Nice to know: most volunteers are between 18 and 30 years old, but it would be suitable for any age group.

I really wanted to volunteer with a program that combines and unites children and animals without exploiting either. It was wonderful at Daktari to visit the communities of the children after the program. Many had joined eco-club for after school and committed their own time cleaning their schools, teaching their friends and family about pollution and rubbish. I could tell many became very concerned about poaching and saw sparks in kids wanting to protect nature. Most importantly, i believe i saw kids really have their eyes opened to possible careers within ecology, in reserves, in parks and/or with animals. I don't think many of the kids had thought that before. I definitely don't think most knew or could recognize the difference between hunting or poaching.