FAQs

Conservation travel is a form of travel that makes a direct and measurable contribution to protecting wildlife and the natural environment. Unlike standard tourism, it goes beyond simply being low impact. Instead, your journey actively supports conservation projects such as wildlife research, habitat restoration, rehabilitation centres, anti-poaching work, and community-led initiatives.

At its core, conservation travel is about:

• Direct support for conservation outcomes (e.g. wildlife, habitats, biodiversity protection)
• Support for people connected with conservation (e.g. local communities, conservation staff, researchers, educators, rehabilitators)
• Educational and ethical engagement for travellers

At its best, conservation travel provides opportunities for hands-on participation and financial support for real conservation projects, delivering a positive impact on wildlife, habitats, and local communities.

This definition is grounded in leading research on ecotourism and conservation tourism, particularly Wearing & Neil’s Ecotourism (2009) and Buckley’s Conservation Tourism (2010), and is supported by more recent studies emphasising ethical governance, measurable conservation outcomes, and local community benefits (Samal, 2023; Miller et al., 2023; Torsney et al., 2025).

A safari is usually about observing wildlife for enjoyment, photography, or education. While safaris can offer valuable experiences, the best interests of wildlife and ecosystems are not always the main priority.

Conservation travel goes further by combining meaningful travel with direct and measurable contributions to conservation. Rather than being a passive observer, you play an active role through hands-on participation and financial support - assisting with research, restoring habitats, supporting rehabilitation, and funding local conservation staff - ensuring your experience delivers real benefits for wildlife, ecosystems, and communities.

We carefully select only sustainable, long-term projects with proven positive impacts on wildlife and communities. We have clear criteria that our partners need to meet before we place any travellers with them. These include providing meaningful roles for our travellers, delivering measurable positive impacts on wildlife and communities, and having clear and effective health and safety protocols. We regularly visit every project and carry out an annual evaluation to ensure they continue to meet these criteria.  

All of our partner animal rehabilitation centres strictly adhere to the animal welfare guidelines set by SATSA and ABTA. Additionally, we only partner with wildlife research projects in Africa that either maintain fully self-sustaining animal populations or operate under a model we call "assisted sustainable", where minimal human support helps ensure long-term viability. This commitment guarantees that animals live as naturally as possible while upholding the highest standards of care, conservation value, and ethical treatment.

We’ve welcomed travellers from all walks of life. Whether you’re a student, taking a gap year, on a sabbatical, looking for a meaningful experience, or enjoying a new chapter in retirement, you’ll find a meaningful and enriching role with us. All you need is a love of wildlife and a willingness to make a positive impact. 

As a volunteer, you could find yourself immersed into every aspect of project life. As a student, you could be gaining field experience and mentorship from conservation professionals. We can even create field trips with curriculum-based learning outcomes for school groups, and can help meaningful travellers experience Africa far from the tourist crowds.

We create experiences for wildlife enthusiasts aged 16 and over. 

Some of our experiences are suitable for those under 18, and this will be listed in the detailed information of each one. If you're under 18 at the time of travel, certain documents will be required, but we’ll guide you through what’s needed.

There is no maximum age provided you’re able to participate with hands-on conservation work. Each experience online also has Rhino Ratings, which will give you an idea on how strenuous they are. If you’re worried about whether you’ll be able to meet the physical demands of your preferred experience, we’ll be happy to chat with you about the requirements in more detail.

Not at all!

Most of our experiences are open to everybody with a passion for wildlife, and you don’t need any previous experience or knowledge. 

But we do also offer experiences suitable for people with specific skills, such as internships, professional placements and veterinary programs. Each study or career program may have specific requirements, so we recommend reviewing the detailed information before enquiring to ensure a good fit.

If you’re unsure about your suitability for a particular experience, we’re happy to discuss any requirements in more detail.

We offer a variety of experiences for all fitness levels. Each experience has a Rhino Rating to indicate the level of physical activity involved. If you're unsure what level would suit you, we're happy to discuss the physical requirements of each project in more detail.

Most of our customers travel on their own. However, some do travel with friends, partners or family members - and we’re able to cater for these joint bookings and small groups. Whether you’re a solo traveller or in a group, you’ll have the opportunity to meet like-minded people on the projects. In fact, many of our participants return home with new, lifelong connections.

Yes! We offer animal care placements, EMS placements, veterinary sciences internships and wildlife research and management internships for students and graduates looking to advance their studies, build their CVs, or gain insights for their career. Many of our programs can also count towards university course credits and provide you with expert references from conservation professionals.

Yes! We organise countless experiences for people who want to do something meaningful during their career breaks, sabbatical or retirement - many of whom are aged 50 and above. Age has never been a measure of passion, dedication or fitness.

Absolutely! Let us know if you’d prefer to travel with others your age or have a private room, and we’ll do our best to accommodate you based on your experience, dates, and availability.

We are the only organisation of our kind that has been offered membership of ABTA (the Association of British Travel Agents), one of the world’s most recognised quality standards for travel. You can find us on the ABTA member register - our membership number is Y6702.

We are also ATOL bonded and comply with the UK Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations. 

Together, these affiliations give you full financial and legal protection for all bookings made through us. They also give you reassurance that we’ll be here to help you out if things go wrong. 

These protections apply to all our customers, no matter your nationality or where you’re travelling from.

Accommodation varies by location, but the majority of our projects provide shared accommodation, which is basic yet comfortable. If you’d like a private room, let us know and we’ll do our best to accommodate you, depending on your choice of experience, dates and availability.

If you'd like a private room, let us know - we’ll do our best to accommodate, depending on your choice of experience, dates, and availability.

Most of our locations have WiFi or internet signal, but connectivity can be slow or intermittent, so may not be the same as you're used to at home. If connectivity is important to you, please inform us so we can discuss this with you in more detail.

Yes. We'll take you to a phone shop when you arrive at Johannesburg Airport - keep in mind that mobile signal is often limited at remote project locations, and may not match what you're used to at home. You can also preorder an eSIM before you arrive to have service ready immediately.

We are able to cater for most dietary requirements. If you have any diet-related questions we’d be happy to discuss these with you.

Our Rhino Rating system, shown on each experience page, uses a scale of one to five rhinos to indicate how physically demanding an experience is - the more rhinos, the more challenging:

1 rhino: This project is suitable for all levels of fitness and physical ability. 

2 rhino: The work is not overly physically demanding, but you can expect to be on your feet for several hours a day. 

3 rhino: This project suits anyone with average fitness who can walk for up to two hours, lift weights of up to 10kg, and stay active throughout the day.

4 rhino: This project is best suited to volunteers with average to high fitness levels who can walk for up to several hours at a time over uneven terrain, lift weights of up to 10kg, and stay active throughout the day.

5 rhino: This project is only suitable for participants with good health and a level of fitness as the activities can be physically demanding and you’ll typically be on the go from dawn to dusk.

Our team is here to guide you towards the most suitable options. We combine travel expertise with zoological and conservation qualifications - and regularly visit each project so we can give you up-to-date, first-hand advice to help you choose the right experience. For support and guidance before you book, get in touch by phone, email, or through our enquiry form.

It’s up to you! Some experiences last just five days, others require a minimum of two weeks, but many travellers stay much longer - sometimes for many months across multiple projects.

Absolutely! For many people, visiting Africa is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and they want to discover as many different places and projects as possible. For this reason, we offer a variety of multi-destination experiences complete with internal transfers, and you can see a small selection of these online, identified by the Combined experience tag. We can also help you organise a bespoke trip to any combination of our projects.

For most of our projects, there is no selection process and you don’t require any specific qualifications or past experience. A few of our programs (such as internships and professional placements) do have selective criteria, which are highlighted on each experience. If you’re unsure about your suitability for any experience, please get in touch to discuss your specific needs in more detail.

Due to the small size of some conservation projects we work with, availability can be fairly limited - we recommend getting in touch as soon as you’re interested in travelling.

1. Your journey to Africa starts with our online enquiry form. This is your chance to tell us about yourself and what you want from your African Conservation Experience. To open the form, just click or tap Enquire in the navigation bar.
2. Then the most important bit – we’ll arrange to connect with you and help you plan your trip. During this process, one of our conservation travel experts will answer all your questions, talk to you about your options, and make personal recommendations based on your goals.
3. Following our communication, we’ll send you a unique plan for your trip which outlines everything discussed. Once you’re happy with this plan, you can secure your place by paying the deposit.
4. As soon as we’ve received your deposit, we’ll send you a confirmation email with all the details of your booking.

Your booking is secured once we’ve received your deposit and sent you a confirmation email. At that point, your booking is official. If your trip includes flights, you’ll also get an ATOL certificate. Otherwise, your booking is protected through ABTA.

Your booking is secured once we’ve received your first deposit and sent you a confirmation email. For most trips this is GBP 295 / USD 400 / CAD 500 / AUD 500 / EUR 350 / ZAR 3,500, which is deducted from your final balance. For some experiences, a higher or second deposit may be required, and we’ll let you know the exact amount when you book.

After you have confirmed your booking we will send you over a packing list detailing everything you will need for your experience as well as some non-essential but nice-to-have items.

You’ll find the most up-to-date prices under the Costs tab on each experience page. Prices vary depending on the experience you choose and the length of your stay.

Many of our travellers choose to combine multiple experiences into a tailor-made journey. The combined price is lower than if you added up the individual experience costs online.

All bookings are fully protected through ABTA and ATOL, giving you complete peace of mind.

Your booking costs cover all accommodation, transfers (including between multiple projects), internal flights (where required), meals (where included), an airport meet & greet, and 24/7 support from our team in South Africa. International flights to and from South Africa are not included in our prices - however, we can arrange these for you if you wish.

The costs also provide essential funding for our conservation projects, helping them cover staff costs, equipment, food, and veterinary care. Your costs directly support the work you’ll experience first-hand, and as conservationists ourselves, we make sure this support goes where it truly makes a difference.

Your booking is financially protected through ABTA and ATOL, giving you security under some of the world’s strictest travel regulations.

To make sure everything meets our standards, we personally visit and assess every project, carry out regular health and safety checks, and work with our partners to shape program content. At some projects, our own staff are permanently based on site, directly involved in delivering the experience and supporting you throughout.

Your costs don’t just cover your personal experience - they also strengthen conservation initiatives that make a lasting difference. As conservationists working closely with our partners on the ground, we ensure your contribution goes exactly where it’s needed most.

Conservation projects in southern Africa are severely underfunded. Most receive little or no government support and rely on outside contributions to survive. Volunteer fees provide steady, reliable funding that one-off donations alone cannot guarantee.

Your contribution sustains daily operations, covering essentials such as animal care, habitat management, research equipment, anti-poaching patrols, and community outreach. Without this income, many projects could not afford to continue or expand their work.

Volunteer funding also creates sustainability beyond your hands-on help. While your time on the ground is valuable, conservation requires trained staff and year-round operations. Your fees help employ local rangers, researchers, and wildlife professionals, creating jobs in conservation and strengthening community support. This ensures staff are properly paid, avoids reliance on free labour, and prevents the pitfalls of unsustainable "voluntourism."

We accept payments in GBP, USD, EUR, AUD, CAD or ZAR.

You can pay for your experience in GBP, USD, EUR, AUD, CAD, or ZAR by bank transfer. We also accept debit and credit cards (VISA or Mastercard) for all currencies except South African Rand, which can be paid by bank transfer only.

You’ll pay an initial deposit when you book. The remaining balance is due eight weeks before departure. When your booking is confirmed, you’ll receive a statement showing the exact date your final payment is due.

Not from us! Everything we arrange for you, from accommodation and transfers to in-country support, is included in the cost of your trip. The only extras you may need to budget for are your travel insurance (which must cover wildlife activities, emergency care, and repatriation), visas depending on your nationality, and any recommended vaccinations.

Each experience page has a Costs tab with the exact inclusions for that experience.

All transport, accommodation, and meals (unless otherwise stated) are included in your program. You may wish to bring some extra money for personal items such as snacks, toiletries, or gifts. Occasionally, travellers also choose to leave a tip for the project team, but this is entirely optional. Some projects also offer optional excursions or activities at an additional cost, which we’ll outline for you before you travel.

Yes, most shops, restaurants, and lodges accept card payments with VISA and Mastercard. ATMs are also widely available in towns and at petrol stations, where you can withdraw cash using these cards.

Fundraising is a great way to make the cost of your African adventure more manageable. To help you on your fundraising journey, we’ve teamed up with FundMyTravel who offer an online platform where you can create a fundraising campaign page, add a video, and tell your story!

Find out more on the FundMyTravel website.

When you arrive in Johannesburg, a member of our team will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall. They’ll answer any questions you may have and guide you to your onward journey. At the end of your trip, we’ll meet you again to hear about your experience and say a warm farewell.

Your trip includes an airport meet & greet at your arrival airport, all transfers to and from your conservation experience, and 24/7 support from our dedicated team on the ground in South Africa. We monitor your flight, so even if it’s delayed, you’ll be met on arrival.

Most locations are reached by road with our trusted shuttle partners or through pickups arranged by our project teams. For experiences outside South Africa or further from Johannesburg, we’ll arrange regional or internal flights where required, followed by a pickup and transfer on arrival. If you combine multiple experiences, the transfers between them are included too.

Yes. At the end of your trip, our team will meet you at the airport after your transfer or regional flight and make sure you’re safely checked in for your international flight home or any onward travel.

Yes. You’ll need to book your own international flights to your arrival airport in Southern Africa. Once you land, we’ll take care of everything else, including airport meet & greet, transfers, and any regional or internal flights needed.

If you’re organising a school or college group, we can also include international flights in your package if you’d like us to. This means we’ll handle all the arrangements for your group’s journey from departure airport to Africa and back again.

We know how stressful dealing with lost luggage can be. If your bags are delayed, we’ll be there to support you and assist you in resolving the issue as quickly as possible.

Our support also goes beyond luggage. Over the years, we’ve helped travellers recover various items left behind - from phones and adapters to passports - whether between experiences or on the way to the airport. We’re there to support and assist you, no matter what the situation or circumstances. Our experience makes us experts in dealing with travel-related issues, and we’ll keep you updated every step of the way.

We monitor international flight arrivals and schedule our transfers with leeway to account for possible delays. If your flight is delayed and you miss your scheduled transfer, our team will be there to support you.

When you travel, you’ll also receive our in-country support contact details, so we’re always just a phone call away, meaning you’ll never be left on your own to figure it out.

We partner with trusted hotels near the airport that many of our travellers use. If you need accommodation in Johannesburg before your experience begins or after it ends, we’ll happily make the booking for you and adjust your transfers so everything runs smoothly.

Yes. Travel insurance is essential for joining one of our experiences. Your policy must cover the wildlife activities you’ll be taking part in, as well as emergency medical treatment, airlift evacuation, and repatriation.

We strongly recommend arranging your policy as soon as you book, so you’re protected straight away in case you need to cancel or make changes before travelling. We require you to provide us with your insurance company name and policy number no later than eight weeks before departure, as travelling without valid cover is not permitted.

Having this insurance in place means you can travel with confidence knowing you’re fully protected.

Before travelling you should seek advice from a healthcare professional, ideally around eight weeks before departure. When you make your appointment, explain that it’s for travel vaccinations, as you may need to see a specific travel nurse or doctor.

Once you’ve booked your experience, we’ll confirm which region of southern Africa you’ll be living in, so you can share these details with your healthcare provider and receive the right guidance on immunisations and malaria prevention.

We welcome travellers with medical conditions and encourage you to share any details with us as early as possible in your planning. This helps us understand your needs and explore how we can support you to have a safe and rewarding experience.

We have a duty of care to you, to the wider group, and to the animals and staff involved. That means we need to make sure the environment of your chosen experience can meet your needs safely, without creating risks for you or others.

We’ll always do our best to make your trip possible, and to match you with the right experience so you can take part safely and with confidence.

For full details, please read sections 7 and 8 of our Terms & Conditions, which set out our policies on health conditions and behaviour.

Wild animals are unpredictable, so there is always some risk when working around them. That’s why we put strong safety measures in place, and why it’s so important to always follow the guidance of our experienced staff.

All activities are supervised by trained professionals, and you’ll receive a comprehensive safety briefing on arrival. Clear rules and behaviour protocols help you understand how to work safely, while regular risk assessments ensure that every environment meets our high safety standards.

We also follow strict ethical practices, rooted in conservation travel. This protects both you and the animals, while ensuring they remain free from stress and able to behave naturally.

Thanks to these measures, we’re proud to have an exemplary safety record. You can take part with confidence, knowing that both your wellbeing and animal welfare always come first.

Your safety is our top priority. We personally visit and assess every project, carry out regular health and safety checks, and only work with trusted partners we know well. From the moment you arrive, we’ll meet you at the airport, arrange your transfers, and provide 24/7 support from our own team on the ground in South Africa.

On the project, you’ll be hosted by experienced partners who understand the local area and are used to looking after international travellers. As an ABTA member and ATOL-licensed travel company, we meet some of the world’s strictest safety and quality standards, so you can simply focus on your experience, knowing you’re in safe hands.

Your safety is always our priority. We closely monitor health and safety updates from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the IATA Travel Centre and local government advice from the countries where we operate.

As a member of the trusted travel brand ABTA, we are able to provide you with up-to-date advice and information when needed. And if a situation were ever to make a location unsafe, we would act immediately to move you to safety and make alternative arrangements.

In the unlikely event of an emergency, we have detailed response procedures in place at every location, which are regularly reviewed and updated. Our experienced team is ready to act quickly, and you’ll have 24/7 access to our own in-country support team by phone, email, or satellite phone. We’ll share dedicated emergency contact details with you before you travel so help is always just a call away.

Whether you need a visa depends on the nationality of your passport and the countries you’ll be travelling to. The IATA Travel Centre is a reliable resource to find out about visa, passport, and health requirements. You should also check the official government or embassy website of each country you plan to visit, as they provide the most up-to-date and legally binding information. For information about visas for South Africa, go to the South African government’s home affairs website – visa page. 

Visa requirements may also apply if you’re transiting through another country on your way to or from Africa. If you do need a visa to enter southern Africa, we’ll be happy to provide an invitation letter to support your application.

It’s your responsibility to make sure you have the correct visa and travel documents before you fly. We cannot accept responsibility if you’re unable to enter a country because your paperwork is not in order, so it’s best to check requirements early and allow plenty of time for applications.

Yes. If you’re under 18 at the time of travel, you’ll need to carry certain documents with you, for example, a signed parental consent letter and, in some cases, additional paperwork depending on the country. We’ll advise you on exactly what’s required, but please make sure you allow plenty of time to get everything organised before your departure.

For full details, please see our Terms & Conditions (sections on Minors and Safeguarding).