Sofia Koziol

Travelling with African Conservation Experience (ACE) was an amazing opportunity where I got to experience lots of new and different things every day! We went on game drives to see amazing wildlife in its natural habitat and we got involved in a variety of reserve maintenance activities, like helping to clear roads from trees that elephants might have knocked over! I found that observing the animals in their natural habitat is the best way to learn about them and their behaviour. Being able to develop research skills such as how to tell them apart and recognise males and females at the same time really drove home the learning experience, too. Being out in the field was a real highlight for me and this experience will stick with me for years to come. 

Some of the most memorable experiences I had were while we were tracking animals on foot. 

Our guide was fantastic. We learnt how to track rhinos on foot and put these skills into practice over several days. The pinnacle of this work was tracking a female with her calf through the bush. We managed to get so close we heard them communicating with each other, it was such a unique experience. 

As well as the rhinos we also got to see a huge herd of over 20 giraffes and a pride of six lions with a fresh buffalo kill. We were so close I could literally smell it! Every day offered something unique, whether it be an elephant moving past our camp in the evening or happening upon a pair of hyena by the side of the road.

Sitting around the fire with everyone laughing and talking together in the evenings was lovely. We were all just friends - the energy and vibes of everyone being together and getting along was really fun. I am going to keep in touch with my fellow volunteers through social media so that we can hopefully organise to travel again together in the future.

They planned everything and there were never any bumps, from arriving at the airport to getting to the project and back again. There was always someone there to guide me which was super helpful, as even though I had travelled before, I was in an unfamiliar place. Once I arrived at the project too, all the staff were very friendly and welcoming. 

Around the Kruger itself there's a great variety of things to do. We went on several day trips to see more of the area surrounding the project base in addition to the volunteer work. We had a perfect amount of downtime. 

Overall, there is a good balance of getting your hands dirty, having the opportunity to learn, while also getting to relax and make lifelong friends!