Program Reviews

Living in Daktari, makes you grow as a human. Being in contact with local kids and wildlife transforms you. It's for sure a fulfilling trip!
It's important for you to know that you don't need to have teaching experience, because they have a really good teaching program. We have board meetings to determine what we will do during the week, so our days will never be the same.
The staff is really welcoming and you meet extraordinary people with similar goals as yours.
I think one of the greatest thing I experienced was the children goodbye. Hearing them saying your name out loud, looking into your eyes, and thanking for everything that happened during their stay is so rewarding! I have never felt something so amazing like this.

Daktari is an amazing project!

Everything is peaceful here, it's a pleasure to work with children and and animals for such a price. Thank you for this experience
The program is very effective and even if you have never ever taught in your life, you will be able to teach very well.
To anyone who wants to travel, DAKTARI is an awesome way to visit the beauty of South Africa and to have a positive impact at the same time.
I have never seen such an amazing teaching and conservation program in african countries. It's an awesome opportunity to make the other people, and yourself, growing as humans.
I don't really know what else I could add to this review except to say that the variety of the tasks is really nice. Children, animals, teaching, cleaning, playing and visiting. Thank you

My week at Daktari was AMAZING !!!!
I like it because it`s both with animals (take care of them, cleaning, feeding, observe their behavior...) and with children (teaching about a lot of things really important like the environment, politeness, take care of animals, anti-poaching, swimming...) . It`s really cool to see their progression during the week, they learnt and want to teach the other one on their village.
Other volunteers and staff are really friendly, you can share a lot and learn about so many different things !
It`s also possible to make some excursions, so you have the opportunity to see other interesting things like the big five, boat trip...
I stay only one week but I enjoy it so much that I want to and I hope come back soon.

This experience was my first time for me in South Africa and the first time volonteering. It was a great and amazing experience, I stayed for 6 weeks.

During my time in Daktari, I spent time with children (teaching, playing, socials talks...) and with animals (take care of them, feeding, cleaning, improve the enclosure...). I worked with a wonderful team, since the beginning until the end, all the staff is available if you need anything. You can also leave for excursion during the week-end to discover the country. Accommodations are really comfortables and meals are delicious. You will also live with other volonteers from all over the world. It was for me the best experience I have ever lived.

I really advise you to come to discover this magical place.

Everyone at Daktari were so friendly and made me feel welcome and helped me adjust to my stay there. I had an amazing experience which I will never forget, or the friends I made while I was there. Daktari makes a big impact on the children that go there and seeing that impact made the experience so much better! I had so much fun as everyday was a different experience, creating a wonderful atmosphere for learning and growth in skills and mindset. The food and accommodation was amazing as the staff are lovely and well skilled. Living in the bush meant I saw amazing sunsets, sunrises, animals and plantation, showing the beauty of Africa. Trips into the community were amazing as it gave a wonderful insight to the culture and the lives of the children that visit Daktari.

I had an amazing time at Daktari! It gave me the opportunity to work with kids who need education and animals who need care. Daktari has a community minded vision and will do whatever possible to accomplish small and big goals.
A day at Daktari looks like this; you wake up and at 7:30 we go on a dog-walk outside the camp. After de dog-walk we to stabling; cleaning the enclosures of the animals and the feedings. When the animals are happy we have breakfast; the food here is amazing! after breakfast we start the morning-lessons. We have lunch at 12:30 and some free time for some swimming, reading, sleep, ... At 14:00 [or 15:00 at Wednesday] we start afternoon classes until 16:30 when we do stabling. Before dinner the kids have a class we call social talk. These classes are about politeness, respect and the sex talk. After dinner there are fun activities with the kid and volunteers. And every Thursday there is this fun bonfire, be prepared to dance, sing and laugh all the time! At weekends you can do many fun excursions or hang out at the camp.
Daktari gave me the best experience i could have asked for here in the bush. I will never forget my time here.

DAKTARI is an incredible volunteering programme. It includes education of the children from the village and the caring of animals who live in their orphanage. The people here are amazing! Big hearts and big souls. I had a lot of fun, improved my english, learned with the kids and was able to experience amazing moments with the animals. The staff members are great! Each week we received 8 kids from the Oaks Village and thought them about the environment in South Africa and around the world. Also, we encouraged them to appreciate the bush and the wild life present in their country. The rooms were great and always clean. Laundry was amazing and fast. Food incredible! I really don't have any bad observation to make! I had such a great time :)
I recommend this to anyone who wants to enjoy a great time with animals, local children and international volunteers.

Great volunteer experience. The combination of taking care of animals - teaching children is amazing. I loved the bushlive and the interaction with the community. I have experienced impressive moments. It's a challenge to teach the children, it get's better when you did it a few times. I think the program really has an impact on the children. I would advise everybody to go to Daktari. At least for 4 weeks. The interaction with people from all over the world is also very nice. The atmosfere at Daktari is very welcoming and the staff members are amazing. They are always there to help you out. Lots of of fun, lots of animals, lots of impressive moments. There are a lot of young people but it's also very nice for older people. You can make beautiful excursions

You want to make a difference in children‘s life? You want to be with and care for animals? You want to be a part of a team which combines working for the important things in life and having fun? You want to grow yourself and be a part of other people‘s growing? Then you are definitely right at DAKTARI. It is an amazing place to be, where you are a member of the „Daktari-family“ and just support the right things which count in life. Enjoy the bush feeling, see animals in their natural habitat, learn about the South African culture, dance with the kids at the bon fire, sing the African songs, see the sunrise at the dassie rock and the sunset at the leopard rock and just enjoy being a part of an amazing experience. If you haven’t been there, then you are definitely missing something out!

I spent 3 amazing weeks in Daktari! The best experience I've ever had! From the bush, animals and the camp to the loving and caring staffs and volunteers who I met there, everything was just incredible! Daktari is like a family, I will miss this place like crazy!
At Daktari I was able to get to know people from all over the world, make really good and amazing friends, exchange couture, practice my english and even other languages! We also learn a lot from the local people that works there! Lebo, Pacience, Pretty, Rahaba, Cyntia and all the other staffs are amazing! I also got to learn more about living in a sustainable way, which I'm really interested in.
I just want to thank Daktari for everything I learnt there, and for the best 3 weeks of my life!