Location
  • South Africa
    • Hoedspruit
Length
1 to 8 weeks

Program Details

Language
English
Age Min.
18
Age Max
75
Timeframe
Year Round
Housing
Rondavel
Groups
Small Group (1-15) Medium Group (16-30) Large Group (31+)
Travel Type
Budget Family Older Travelers Solo Women

Pricing

Starting Price
670
Price Details
*Rates on site
1 week $670
2 weeks $1 190
3 weeks $1 750
4 weeks $1 960
5 weeks $2 310
6 weeks $2 640
7 weeks $2 980
8 weeks $3 330
//
Your fees include:
- Transfers on Saturdays for arrival/departure
- Three meals per day, tea, coffee, juice
- Accommodation including bedding and towels
- Laundry
- One trip to town per week
- Working in the community
- Wifi
//
Your fees exclude:
- Flights, internal/international
- Travel Insurance
- Personal toiletries such as shampoo, sunblock, mosquito cream
- Sodas, cokes, alcohol
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Meals Transportation Wifi
What's Not Included
Some Activities Airfare Domestic Airfare Equipment SIM cards Travel Insurance Visa
Jul 24, 2022
Feb 23, 2023
153 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

DAKTARI Environment & Wildlife Education Centre is set in a beautiful nature reserve close to the Kruger National Park. The comfortable camp is located in the heart of the reserve where you will work with the children and the animals of the sanctuary.

You will teach the local children about the importance of protecting the environment and blossom their passion for animals through the care of the animals in our sanctuary.

Please note that all animals kept in captivity in our sanctuary are not able to go back to the wild. We do not encourage animal petting.

DAKTARI also runs an outreach program for a greater impact on the communities. The weekly ECO CLUB and Wildlife Crime campaigns give the children the opportunity to ignite positive attitudes towards their valuable environmental heritage.

The volunteers are vital to the success of our programs and really make an impact on the communities, the future of our environment and our wildlife.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Educate underprivileged children about the environment, anti-poaching and important life skills.
  • Care for injured and/or orphaned wildlife and help us give them the second chance they deserve.
  • Get involved with local communities and learn about South African culture.
  • Go on trips and excursions and discover the beauty of South African beyond the gates of our camp.
  • Become a part of the DAKTARI Family, make friends for life and memories you'll never forget!

Program Impact

Our programs have reached more than 4,500 children in 16 years, cared for hundreds of animals, and helped employ dozens of youth.

What makes our Teaching Program different?
The children get to spend a full week at our camp with our volunteers and get to have fun, as well as learn a lot! Because we only take eight children each week, they benefit from one-on-one attention and participate in every lesson. Each day has a mix of lessons, activities, and animal interactions.

The teaching program is very hands-on. The children get to see the animals up close at our wildlife orphanage and interact with the animals every day. The lessons are interactive and practical and the children leave here with a passion for learning.

The program is completely taught by volunteers with the help of a local volunteer coordinator. They get a detailed teaching program before they arrive so that they can learn the material. The lessons include outdoor activities,

To get an impression of what the life of a volunteer at DAKTARI is, check out the video below!
https://youtu.be/PrVswQF57rU Life of a Volunteer

Related Programs

Program Reviews

4.93 Rating
based on 68 reviews
  • 5 rating 92.65%
  • 4 rating 7.35%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Impact 4.85
  • Support 4.95
  • Fun 4.9
  • Value 4.85
  • Safety 4.95
Showing 25 - 32 of 68 reviews
Default avatar
Hlulani
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A great experience!

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

What was your funniest moment?
when the Australian monkey jumped on sam and he started laughing
89 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Morgane
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A great experience!

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.

What was your funniest moment?
the moment that i preferred was the Diphuti School Visit to camp for cultural dance lesson. the kids are very involved for the victory of the best dancer
92 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Jennyfer
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great cultural 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.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
I was pleasantly surprised to see that we could book (with the help of the staff) activities during the weekends. With their recommendations, I did a swing jump in the nearby area with other volunteers. It was just awesome.
84 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Stefani
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

volunteer

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.

86 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Renata
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My experience

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!

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
For sure the animal stabling. I have never been in contact with wild animals!
82 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Simon
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

2 weeks at DAKTARI

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

What was your funniest moment?
The bonfire is an amazing moment that we share with volunteers and children. Really funny
74 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Raphaelle
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My week at Daktari

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.

75 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Camille
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Welcome in the bush

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.

91 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

Great question! Once you send a message or press Apply Now, the provider of this program will receive your message or application, and guide you to the next step. All you have to do is fill out a few details! The entire process should only take a few days and every message will appear in your personal inbox.

You will know within the next few days.

Your message will be sent to the provider who runs this program! You will receive a personal email as well as a message in your Go Overseas Inbox (top right of the page, "Inbox") once the provider responds to your question. At any point, you can ask more questions by pressing View within your Go Overseas Inbox.

Wait for the provider of this program to accept you! You will receive an email to your personal inbox as well as your Inbox here on Go Overseas within 48 hours.