Food, Lodging and Travel
The volunteer accommodation is cabin style. There are 2 beds per cabin with a maximum of 2 volunteers sharing. Linen and towels are supplied. Communal coffee and tea making facilities, a small fridge and a washing machine are also within the volunteer’s compound. An open Braai/BBQ area within the compound is used on occasional evenings for cooking and socialising.
The cost of the programme includes all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and some refreshments. Every endeavour will be made to accommodate special dietary needs providing warning is given in advance. Self-service coffee and tea will be available.
Travel in South Africa
We recommend all volunteers fly to Johannesburg airport. You can travel to the sanctuary the same day if you arrive early enough in the day, but you may wish to arrive a day or two before your project start date, so you have some time to acclimatise before travelling to the project, we can provide recommendations for places to stay in Johannesburg.
From Johannesburg, you will need to travel to Nelspruit, arriving on your project start date. Direct flights take place several times daily from OR Tambo International (Johannesburg) to Kruger Mpumalanga Nelspruit International, check; www.flysaa.com. Private companies also offer minibus transfers from Johannesburg to Nelspruit, check www.citybug.co.za and www.lowveldlink.com.
Once you arrive to Nelspruit, your pickup and transfer to the sanctuary will be arranged once we have confirmation of your mode of transport and arrival time, and this is included in the project fee. A valid passport with at least 2 blank pages is necessary to enter South Africa. Since visa requirements vary from country to country, please check with your local embassy as to whether a visa is required to enter South Africa as a tourist.
Volunteer Requirements & Health
Volunteers in South Africa should be aged 18+ and speak English. All nationalities are welcome. Volunteers do not need any specific qualifications related to working with animals, though any skills you do have will, of course, be useful for the programme. Volunteers should be self-motivated, flexible, calm and independent, and be willing to help out with a range of activities when required and capable of working in hot weather conditions.
We require all volunteers to sign indemnity forms and supply emergency contact information. You also need to obtain travel & medical insurance to cover you for the period you are volunteering. The sanctuary is not in a high-risk Malaria zone, so it is up to you whether you wish to take anti-malarial medication or not. We also require the results of a tuberculosis screening no more than 6 months before you are due to volunteer here, for the safety of the Chimpanzees.
