Volunteer with Monkeys in South Africa

I had the most amazing time in South Africa! I really enjoyed meeting the other volunteers and getting to work so close with the baboons. The only advice I can offer other volunteers is that people need to be aware that they cannot use bug spray with deet in it while they are there as it is harmful to the baboons.

Thank you Oyster! It took a couple of days to settle in but I’m really enjoying this volunteer work in such an amazing environment. I love learning new things every day and I look forward to learning and seeing even more.

Really enjoying it. It’s been a great week. We have five rescued baby baboons and this week the center is short staffed so they asked me to be a surrogate mother to one of them so all very exciting. On top of that the first day we witnessed a pride of lions finishing a kill by the river, as well as seeing twice a pack of wild dogs, giraffes, elephants, warthog, impala among others I don’t know the names of. Tomorrow I’ve signed up to go on a day safari with them along with two other volunteers!

Reliable and friendly follow-up from Kate throughout the entire process for volunteering in South Africa. Security for assistance with all necessary details. Good information. Easy website. I can really recommend Oyster Worldwide, and I would definitely choose them again. The project has a really serious and high methodical standard in all they do for the baboons. I am impressed. It's hard work, and really meaningful to be part of it.

I just got back home yesterday! I had the best time on my trip and I was so sad to be leaving. Thank you for all of the help you provided, everything went smoothly and I might even return in the future!

We had a very special experience at this project, one that we will hold in our hearts forever and one we hope to repeat one day. I found all of the pre-travel information easy to access and very informative. Safe to say we entered this experience with some trepidation never having been to South Africa or done this sort of thing before, but I felt so well prepared and even better, fully supported every step of the way. I loved the My Oyster portal where I could collect all the information in one place at my own pace. You were responsive to my questions, the transition to SA team was painless and we had all the information we needed at every step. The experience itself was like nothing else. Travelling with children (11 and 8) on my own to a country I only knew through what the media has shown me was, I was on high alert but as soon as we arrived and met the team, I relaxed knowing I had nothing to worry about. We were going to be safe and that was such a relief (and quite rare for me!). The family who run the business were so welcoming, easy going yet exuded a sense of professional strength. It was well organised, clean (as best it can be being in the African bush!) and easy to fit into. The biggest surprise I think for all of us, was how well the children adapted. Their abilities were considered but also encouraged and I witnessed them step into their own in a way I could never have imagined back in the UK. The variety of tasks we were given was interesting and the education we received along the way was well received. I think our favourite part was being able to get out into the community and witness and get involved in the work they do. Actually, if you asked the girls, their favourite part was playing with the rabbits and guinea pigs with Sophia! It’s a very special place and the whole experience was seamless. I totally switched off and relaxed which is really hard for me to do but I knew I was in safe hands and everything was taken care of. So thank you, I hope to be in a position to book another adventure through you one day. We are definitely explorers now!

We would highly recommend this project to anyone wanting an ethical and wholesome experience. A++ . We are enjoying ourselves and working hard for the cause! The people who manage this place are so kind and caring and such hard workers. They go out of their way to assist and make it the best experience for you. It feels like one big family when you volunteer here. It has been a very rewarding experience and so nice to be able to help out to these precious baboons, Guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs, cat , chickens and even Lemon the friendly turkey! We cannot forget the adorable Bush Baby. We loved this experience and it will be a memory we will cherish the rest of our lives!!!

Booking my trip to South Africa with Oyster Worldwide was the best way to go. I am 19 years old and had never travelled alone before, especially not to the other side of the world! And so, understandably, my parents were quite concerned for my safety and I was also very nervous about navigating through a completely foreign place. However, thanks to Oyster I actually didn't feel alone. Every aspect of my trip was organised, and no matter how silly or irrelevant the question may have seemed, Oyster (Georgie in particular!) gave me a thorough answer in no time at all. Even when Georgie was away I did not have to wait as one of her colleagues handled my problems. During the booking and planning of my trip and also during my time in South Africa, Oyster was only ever a phone call or email away. I am extremely grateful to Georgie and everyone at Oyster Worldwide for helping me to have the most incredible experience volunteering in South Africa. The actual experience in South Africa was once in a lifetime. It was very hard work, but there wasn't a second where I wasn't willing to do it. Although I was tired, hot, sweaty and sometimes doing tasks that aren't particularly exciting (for example, washing hundreds of mangos!) I never felt like I didn't want to do the work. This was for many reasons, firstly the people who you are surrounded by are all lovely - this includes the owners, the staff there and the other volunteers. Also, the work is so rewarding. I would wash mangos for the rest of my life if it meant I could see just one monkey or baboon go through the incredible rehabilitation process that this project provides. Watching primates who have been so poorly treated in life just completely come out of their shells and interact with other monkeys is an amazing sight to see. It's so rewarding to literally see the difference you are making to these animals' lives. Nothing is as beautiful as this. If you are considering taking part in this project then please do, the monkeys and baboons are so deserving of all of the help that volunteers provide.

This experience was certainly an unforgettable one. There is nothing quite like waking up and being able to cuddle a baby baboon. The atmosphere was incredible and all the volunteers are friendly, it feels like your own little community and people are always available if there's a problem. Anne at Oyster was amazing at putting me at ease in preparing for this trip. Being an unaccompanied minor, I was expecting a lot of stress but she happily answered all my queries and ensured the journey to be as stress free as possible. I honestly cannot recommend going here enough, the project is something you will never be able to appreciate fully until you're fully immersed in it.

Oyster With excellent communication, Oyster was very good in making me ready to go. There were all sorts of documents and items that I needed to take with me and before my departure, Oyster had ensured I had all of this. I felt comfortable and ready to go. I was put at ease as any questions I had were answered. Whilst the trip through oyster was quite expensive, the help provided before, during and after my trip over all areas/ topics was very much worth it. A couple of information points could do with updating though. Thank you! South Africa I spent three weeks volunteering in South Africa at a monkey and baboon rehabilitation centre. Working from 6:30/7 to 4 each day under the hot South African sun was by all means hard work but also one of the most amazing experiences of my life. The people I met there and the time I got to spend with the primates was priceless, making amazing connections with both people and primates alike. The centre relies on the work of the volunteers and does so much to help these great animals. The owners have an inspiring passion towards the project and I hope to return to the project again one day as it truly was an experience I’ll never forget.