Best South Africa Wildlife Conservation Volunteer Program

I stayed at Rusermi River Lodge in Balule Reserve in South Africa. I had an amazing trip, met some great people from around the world. The manager and guides were all experts and taught us so much about the local wildlife, tracking, birds, local ecology and culture. Highly recommended!!

Life is made of moments. And this moment lasted two weeks. Two weeks during which I forgot to breathe. I was too focused listening to the sound of nature, to the alarm of a baboon, to lions roars, to elephants trumpets, to hyenas, to birds songs and my friends laughs to jokes that I cannot repeat here. I was too focused filling my eyes with beauty, a beauty I have never seen before. The savanna and the Olifant river. I was too focused paying attention to our guide’s instruction on how to move, how to not make a sound, how to freeze if we would have encountered danger, how to read animal tracks on the beautiful red soil we were walking on. How to check for the wind direction in order for the animals not to spot us. Learning that if there are hyenas there is probably a leopard somewhere as they follow him. That if there are lions there are no hyenas. That if an elephant is sweating is probably stressed by our presence. That you should never look a leopard in the eyes, while you should never turn your back on a lion. Sometimes it feels like I am still there: I close my eyes and I am sitting in the dark with my friends and we are quite, so quite that breathing sounds noisy. We were focused on waiting for the lions to come pass in front of us. In those moments we were just one, deeply connected by the excitement of what could have happened from a moment to another. Asking Africa for a sign. And let me tell you, Africa would always take the call. Rusermi is not just a place, it’s a home built with love. The owners put their heart into every detail and make you feel like part of the family from day one. And the guides are simply amazing. They don’t just teach you about the bush, they share their passion in a way that makes you feel safe, curious, and completely connected to nature. It was the most incredible experience I had in my entire life and will definitely go back! Thank you Rusermi

I had an amazing experience booking this project via IVHQ. From start to finish they guide you with excellent help. I had an amazing time during my volunteering project, where I learned a lot, met a lot of amazing people and made even more amazing memories. Stop doubting and go on an adventure!