Location
  • Zimbabwe
Length
2 to 12 weeks
Project Types
Wildlife Conservation

Program Details

Language
English
Timeframe
Short Term Spring Break Summer Winter Year Round
Housing
Lodge
Groups
Small Group (1-15)
Travel Type
Budget Family Older Travelers Solo Women

Pricing

Starting Price
1020
Price Details
Fully hosted experience from only $1020 for 2 weeks - this includes accommodation, meals, airport pick-up, orientation and 24/7 in-country support.
What's Included
Accommodation Some Activities Airport Transfers Meals
What's Not Included
Airfare Domestic Airfare Transportation Travel Insurance Visa
Jan 05, 2023
Sep 26, 2022
39 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Trusted by 124,000+ volunteers, IVHQ offers the most popular volunteer programs in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and 50+ other destinations around the world.

You can participate in the Wildlife Conservation project in Victoria Falls and give back for periods ranging from 2 weeks to 12 weeks. Your Program Fee includes airport pick-up, orientation, accommodation, meals and 24/7 in-country support. You’ll be accommodated in a volunteer house, with other like-minded, impact-focused travelers from around the world.

IVHQ is trusted to support the meaningful adventures of thousands of volunteers every year, so before you even depart for Victoria Falls, you’ll receive outstanding personalized service from your expert Volunteer Program Manager and exclusive access to superior pre-departure volunteer training.

With IVHQ, you can expect to establish real connections within the local community while supporting projects that make a genuine difference.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • IVHQ’s Victoria Falls program is available year-round, starting on the first and third Monday of every month
  • Highly affordable program fees starting from $1020 for 2 weeks - IVHQ provides the most affordable and top-rated programs
  • You’ll be joining between 5 and 15 other IVHQ volunteers who start in Victoria Falls each month
  • You’ll be traveling with IVHQ, the volunteer travel experts, and joining a network of 124,000+ volunteers. Our outstanding safety systems and track record set us apart, we are the world’s safest organization
  • Your efforts will have a positive impact because our programs are community-driven with a focus on supporting long-term local needs

Popular Programs

Wildlife Conservation

Located within a private game reserve, playing home to the African 'Big 5' (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo), IVHQ volunteers in Victoria Falls have the opportunity to get involved in conservation management practices, all of which are vital for the successful operation of the game reserve and the ecosystems of surrounding areas.

Program Reviews

4.98 Rating
based on 53 reviews
  • 5 rating 98.11%
  • 4 rating 1.89%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Impact 4.8
  • Support 5
  • Fun 4.8
  • Value 4.95
  • Safety 4.95
Showing 1 - 8 of 53 reviews
Default avatar
Lindsay
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Life Changing!

Life changing experience! IVHQ was there from start to finish making sure I knew what to expect and what was needed. They followed up with me throughout my entire stay. The local placement also exceeded expectations with accommodation and knowledge. My only regret is not having stayed longer in Victoria Falls. The food, adventures, volunteer work and scenery make this a trip of a lifetime. This was my first overseas trip as a solo traveler, and I always felt safe and in good hands. I'm already planning my next volunteer program abroad!

Pros
  • IVHQ Support
  • Local Placement Team
  • Value
16 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
maya
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Victoria Falls Conservation Volunteering

My time in Nakavango changed me as a person, and it was for the better. The people were unparalleled in their openness and friendliness towards us. Whether that be the locals or the staff working on the conservation programme. The place is stunning as well with sights of animals and sunsets that I will carry with me always. The mixture of new friendly faces and places is always a special one but when you can go from shovelling sand to build roads, to meeting wonderful children at a local school and playing volleyball with them, to dancing around a fire in the bush at night, to singing karaoke with newfound friends it’s a different level of special. I have made friends for life and many future travel plans in the hopes of finding another experience like this one!

Pros
  • Access to cooked meals from two great chefs and all the toast you could want!
  • A lovely swimming pool that you can use in the afternoons or weekends
  • Amazing people and sights to see
Cons
  • Would have loved to have stayed longer!
22 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Cecilia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Awesome experience in Victoria Falls

I volunteered at Nakavango in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, as part of the IVHQ Wildlife Conservation Project. It truly was one of the highlights of my life. And I’ve had some pretty remarkable experiences so that says a lot. The staff a Nakavango was incredible and extremely knowledgeable. They create the perfect balance of hard work and joyous moments playing with the children at Masuwe School, observing wildlife in the bush, and taking in the sights of one of the seven wonders of the world. We each had our own room, were provided three yummy meals a day with great care to accommodate those who have special diets. Highlights of my stay included morning and evening game drives, sitting around the fire pit under the stars, camping out in the bush, and completing a work task feeling that we had made progress on a project. Yet, the most outstanding aspect of this experience for me, was bonding with my fellow volunteers. Prior to arriving at Nakavango, I thought I’d be the senior member of the crew so I was a bit apprehensive even though I had worked for weeks to get in shape physically so I could contribute equally. Well, I wasn’t the most senior. In fact, we had a wonderful range of ages, nationalities, and personalities. We became a family, caring for and respectful of all. That truly blew me away. And now, we continue to stay in touch. I am so grateful for the IVHQ program at Nakavango. It changed my life!

Pros
  • Staff is incredibly knowledgeable and fun
  • Saw the big 5 on daily wildlife drives
  • Working as a team with other volunteers
Cons
  • the time went by too quickly
  • i don’t have any cons
26 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Alexandra
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

10/10 for Nakavango!

Absolutely loved it! Amazing food and people and made a real impact on the community. The chefs cooked amazing food on the premise and used vegetables and fruits handpicked from the garden on site. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and always kept us safe while out on the game drives. We had weekends off as to explore the surrounding area and do thrill seeking adventures in town! The work was arduous yet rewarding, as we removed invasive tree species and worked at the local school. 10/10!!

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I would stay for a whole month instead of just 2 weeks!
41 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Graham
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Volunteering at the Nakavango Conservation Programme through IVHQ

Volunteering at the Nakavango Conservation Programme in Victoria Falls was one of the best experiences of my life. The project leaders on the ground were great; supportive throughout and very open to discussing the issues they face and some unexpected solutions to environmental and conservation issues that are applicable across the world. I learnt a huge amount about reading the story that any environment presents and had a great time doing it. There is a good mix of activities and rest time and the accommodation was great. We had individual rooms and the staff couldn’t have been more friendly or helpful. I felt valued and looked after.

IVHQ was great in the run-up, from the perspectives of both pre-planning generally to the specific needs of the programme (particularly having the correct paperwork for visas and travel).

I recommend both the Nakavango Conservation Programme and IVHQ to anyone considering a volunteer program. You will be in very good hands.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I would take advantage of opportunity to track animals on foot. Unfortunately we had a few days of heavy rain which stopped us going out. A couple of those would have involved tracking animals on foot.
50 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Alexis
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

IVHQ Victoria Falls Rhino Conservation

I participated in the Nakavango Conservation Program through IVHQ just this February and it was a wonderful experience. IVHQ has many programs to choose from and I basically flipped a coin to decide on Africa, which worked out well. If you are interested in volunteering, consider this program. There were people ranging from 18-65 and because it didn't require any special skills or training, it was a great intro to volunteering abroad. If you can prune a tree or pull weeds, you can be useful to this project. Working as a team, about 20 volunteers and two guides did things such as creating garden beds, alien plant removal, weeding, and general maintenance. It was all simple work and though it didn't always feel like we were doing much, the manager assured us that even the simple tasks meant other staff could focus on other work. Even simple tasks like pulling out datura saved rhinos and elephants from liver damage and improved grasslands while just weeding the gardens at the local school helped provide food to the community. With a scheduled week and relatively short shifts (we weren't expected to work during the heat of the day), the days passed way too quickly.
I always felt supported by the staff, safe and well taken care of. I would compare the accommodations to camping with a trailer or in a nice cabin. There was staff to clean our rooms (everyone had their own room) and excellent chefs made delicious meals, often with fresh veggies from our own garden. We had shared bathrooms, private rooms, laundry service on Weds, several common areas, and a pool. Overall, we had everything we needed plus some little perks. One of the highlights was how often we did game drives in the park. I should have brought a better camera!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Come with a positive attitude, humble expectations (you won't change the world overnight), the desire to learn and ability to work as a team. More practical advice is to wear lightweight pants every time you go out to work... fire ants are not a lesson you want to learn! Also invest in some good work gloves.
52 people found this review helpful.
Read my full story
Default avatar
Ethan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Wildlife Conservation in Victoria Falls

My volunteering experience was an amazing one that I will never forget. I would advise that anyone who is even giving this programme a little consideration should absolutely go for it, you won't regret it. The work hours aren't particularly long but if you go in as a team ready to work hard you'll quickly see the difference you and all the other volunteers who come through can make. The program is very well organised and follows a neat schedule. The staff are also incredible in their jobs of looking after the volunteers, so you will certainly be comfortable if you choose to stay here. The guides who take volunteers to worksites have so much knowledge to give about the environment which they give with great enthusiasm. Each drive had something interesting to be seen and something to be learned from the guides.
Be warned that probably not want to leave. You really can't overestimate how long you'll want to stay here and you may feel that you didn't stay long enough. Can't reccomend this enough.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
For those thinking of doing this but are unsure, absolutely do it. It's an intimidating undertaking, no doubt, but it is absolutely worth it. IVHQ help you every step of the way and make the process as easy as possible. If you can, bring supplies that can be used by the staff at Nakavango, even simple things like batteries/chargers, duct tape, carabiners, binoculars, that sort of thing, can be helpful. Don't overpack, I'm not sure myself or anyone I was with did, but it can be easy to think you need lots of stuff and overpack. Check the programme guide, and try to keep it minimal, you don't need lots and lots of clothes for example, just bring enough. Electrolyte additives for your water are probably a good idea as you can get sweaty and dehydrated quickly if you're doing hard work on a hot day. To add to that, make sure you have a large drink bottle so you can bring enough water with you when working. Mosquitos may or may not be a problem for you as they seem to prefer different people. Bring insect repellent, but even if you find they bother you try and see what happens if you don't use any repellent, they seem to have become attracted to it there. If you have a particularly novel kind of repellent, you may find that works. My final advice is also not to underestimate how much you'll want to stay. The time you pick may seem long before you get there but it's gone so quickly and you may regret not choosing to stay longer. That's ultimately at your discretion and only you can answer that for sure but I know I personally which I'd chosen to stay longer.
52 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Amy
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

IVHQ Victoria Falls

Amazing experience! I learned so much about Africa - the animals, the people, culture and history. Well organized program. I want to go back!
Highlights: The roar of the lions, watching leopards, seeing an African Wild Cat! Getting to know the other volunteers. White water rafting on the Zambezi - class 5 rapids! And the gorge swing. Great food and accommodation. Excellent value. Knowledgeable staff. Many opportunities to help and learn. Going into the village to see how locals live was an experience I will never forget.

54 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

To join specific programs at IVHQ you might need certain things (e.g. if you are going to do medical stuff, you're probably going to need training for that), but for the Nakavango program I went on, you don't need much more than you would for regular travel such as a passport, your flights and tell them your itinerary. They also required you get a business visa for Zimbabwe (check the gov website...

Volunteers must be 18 years or older to participate on an IVHQ program alone. However, if they are volunteering as part of a group with adult minders, or with a parent, guardian or family member who is 18 years or over, they are eligible to participate. When a volunteer under the age of 18 applies to volunteer with IVHQ, it is important that the name of their minder is noted on their application...