Horse Riding, Cattle Ranching and Wildlife Conservation

I searched long and hard before settling on Imire. I wanted to do a lot of riding but also wanted to be able to volunteer in a more hands-on way and contribute to a great cause. This programme was the perfect mix of both.

The horse riding was so much more than I had ever expected. Judy was just awesome. Her knowledge and love of the conservation park (and her horses!) came through on every single ride. Her expertise in even the smallest of details was incredible and she put a real emphasis on ensuring that each ride had a purpose while being fun and exciting. Two of the best rides were the cattle driving rides. We got to ride all over the park driving cattle and making our way over some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen.

In addition, the staff at Imire were great in accommodating the riders so that we could also do all of the great volunteer work that others were doing. I helped take down fencing, build part of a road and spent time with the local school children teaching English and playing volleyball! I also spent tons of time with the park's truly wonderful treasures - the rhinos and elephants. I also got to spend a little bit of time with the anti-poaching team - one of the real highlights of my trip!

6am. Its cold, you're tired and you know you're going to freeze a lot in the back of the truck but you know its worth it because in a short time the sun will warm you up and you have a wonderful new day ahead. The sun and the fog make a magical view and with the animals that you see in the bush, its like a dream.

The best way to experience this is from the back of a horse and to get so close to all these animals is just amazing. Zebras, impalas, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, waterbucks and many more... To hear a lot of stories about Imire and the animals from Judy, a fantastic woman, makes the time on horseback even better, and you wish you could do this forever.

As well as the fantastic horse rides, you come so close to the rhinos and elephants and to see them so close and so often makes you understand how important it is to keep them alive and communicate with them. In addition to the animals and beautiful scenery, you get to meet a lot of people, both children and grown ups, and learn about their culture and integrate with them, which is amazing! You also get to know a lot of people from other countries and you become like a temporary family. The volunteers and Mike and Bright make sure you have a wonderful time.

The days are long because you do so many things, but at the same time the days just pass by before you even notice it and suddenly the three weeks are over and its time to go home. Time to go home from a three weeks long dream.