Horses & Wildlife & Community Combo Project at Antelope Park

After departing from Italy and arriving in Gweru—a journey that involved two flights and a five-hour car ride—I received a warm welcome that immediately put me at ease. The first day was dedicated to orientation: the projects, activities, and rules to be followed were introduced. Above all, it was an opportunity to meet the coordinators of the individual projects—professionally qualified individuals who are deeply passionate about their respective fields of expertise. The weekly schedule of activities is presented every Sunday evening, and each day the group gathers around a fire pit to review the plans and share the highlights of the day—a moment for coming together (much like during mealtimes). Programs includes ie for Wildlife : Elephant Boma cleaning, Bird identification, Rhinos observation, Hyena Enrichment activities or Lions feed. For Community program : teaching assistance, Soup kitchen or Orphanage visit. Safari Stables : horses feed and groom, Fence checks, Safari ride, Horse Swim , Overnight ( optional ) , Polocrosse . I took part in the project for two weeks; the group of volunteers was diverse in terms of age and nationality. The accommodations are comfortable, the location is surrounded by greenery, and the food is wonderful (I don’t eat meat or dairy, and the staff and the cook were always attentive to my needs, offering a varied selection of dishes rich in vegetables from the park’s own garden!). Should any needs, questions, or requests for assistance arise, the volunteer coordinator manager is always available to help 7/24 . I had the opportunity to be of use, to learn, to meet people from different cultures, and to immerse myself in this environment—an experience that has left me with images I will carry with me forever.

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Almost a year after returning to the US, I'm still trying to hold on to Africa and relive the amazing experience I had at Antelope Park with some of the best people know. The staff at Antelope Park are truly wonderful people and care deeply about the work they are doing in their local community and with lion conservation. As Rosine says, "this isn't just a job, it's a calling". I'm so grateful that I had the rare opportunities to interact with African wildlife that I did, but also, to experience the love and hospitality of the people of Zimbabwe. I was also VERY fortunate to share this experience with some other amazing volunteers who made my time at Antelope Park so much fun! 10/10 recommend to anyone thinking of doing this, don't wait, just go!

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The entire experience was ao amazing you'd think it's too good to be true. All of the people and animals were really wonderful. It was really cool to experience Africa up close and I will definitely be coming back.

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I’ve been here for 7 weeks now and everyday is different, I really enjoy how tiny and intimate the groups are and how you get to know everyone. The people that work at horses are so sweet and really know what they are doing. Wildlife is a bit unorganised but that is not the vault of the interns. Overall everything is amazing, the evening activities too!

AP offers an amazing space to meet people, ride beautiful horses, see amazing wildlife and engage the community. The accommodation could be improved with mosquito nets and lunches as well. But other than that I had the time of my life

I have had the most amazing time at Antelope Park. It has been incredible to see all the animals up close, I especially enjoyed the lion walk and elephant walk. Spending everyday with the horses has been so fun and I have learnt so many new skills like jumping.

This was a very good experience and I will always cherish the time that I spent here! The staff was amazing and I always felt supported. I would definitely love to come back someday and work on other projects!

An idyllic setting, attentive and very friendly staff. If you want to give meaning to your holidays by working in Africa to help take care of Wild animals, horses or visit local schools to meet children this is the trip you need.

Myself and my husband had 4 weeks with Antelope Park and had an amazing time. I did the horses and he did wildlife - but volunteers can dip into both projects- which is brilliant! Where else can you check on lions, walk with elephants and canter past wild zebra, impalas, wildebeest and giraffes all in the same day? Fantastic! The horses are beautiful and very well looked after and there are lots of opportunities to learn about horse care and a special thank you to both Willem and Dani who made the whole stay well organised and totally fantastic! Accommodation was great - food (I am vegetarian) is out of this world and the only problem was having to come home at the end of our stay! - but I am sure we will be back xxx Ps - we are in our 50’s - and had an absolute ball - so if you are thinking about booking - do it ?

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I had the best time during my volunteer encounter at antelope park! Every member of staff I met were so welcoming from the start and it wasn’t long until I felt at home. The amazing team of people that I worked with immediately made me feel like part of their team. I was at antelope park for 2 months and enjoyed every second of my stay. Each day I worked so closely with the incredible horses and wildlife that antelope park have to offer. Working with these animals was everything I dreamt of and more. Each day was a whole new adventure and I have memories that will last a life time! From walking with elephants to hanging over the edge of devils pool, I did it all with this volunteer encounter! As well as the amazing park itself, this volunteer encounter also offers the chance to experience incredible excursions during your stay. Such as Victoria Falls, Free to be Wild Animal Sanctuary, Great Zimbabwe, rhino tracking at Matobo National Park, and more fun activities on camp. This experience has helped me develop in so many ways and I am so grateful to have met so many amazing people that I will consider friends for life. It is a perfect way to gain experience and have the time of your life all at once. I would truly recommend this volunteer encounter to anyone!

My stay at Antelope Park has for the third time moved my heart and my soul. The volunteer projects combine the people, animals and the nature in the most beautiful way. The activities on both the wildlife and horse project, are interesting and life changing, as a volunteer you get the chance to spend lot of the time close up to all sorts of animals, and gain experience far from what you could ever imange. The fellow volunteers you'll meet upon your stay, can end up being your freinds forever, and take you new places around the world to visit and share memories from the experience here in AP. The accomadation and meals is by far the greatest compared to other volunteer programs I've done. The food is amazing and beds super comftable.

It has been a wonderful experience, rich and full of learning. The whole staff is truly welcoming, always available to help and enthusiastic to answer every questions with the most accurate answers. You imediately feel a part of the AP's family, in a safe and caring environment. More than an experience or adventure, you get the chance to be a part of a lifestyle and share it by bringing your qualities and willingness to learn and exchange on a daily basis. Thank you for the awareness, lessons and knowledge you gave me. Tatenda to all the AP's mambo and mambo kadzi !

I have had the best time of my life. The people of Antelope Park are all so nice! We interacted with them, got to know them. And they take good care of you, like you are part of the family. For example when you hurt yourself, they keep asking how you are and what they can do to make you feel better. That's why this place feels like a second home already, after 4 weeks of being here. Aside from the people in AP, the people here in Zimbabwe are nice as well. They start a conversation and you can have a little laugh with them. Besides of the people, I had a great time with the animals. The lions were lovely and sweet and it is amazing to see them eat. The giraffes were impressive to see, so tall they are. But the elephants are my favorites. They are really gentle giants. We walked with them a few times and hugged them a lot. We danced with the staff while they were eating branches. Besides the wild life project, I also did the horse project. Antelope Park has de best horses in the world. They are all so lovable and nice to ride. I loved the horse swims and the polocross activities. A special thanks to Willem telling his great stories about his life and the fun jokes he made. And also a thanks to Dani, who makes me laugh every time and took the best pictures.

My time here has been one of the most life-changing experiences I have ever experienced. Meeting all the people and interacting with the wildlife has been incredible. I personally also learned a lot about myself here. The people here are really open-minded, helpful and flexible. I really want to thank everyone that has made it possible for me to get the most out of this experience.

Had a great time at AP! The project was great fun, the stables are well run and it was a good mix of work and actually taking time to do safari rides and enjoy the experience. The guys in Community were amazing....so friendly and kind and always helping us to be prepared for our outings. Staff were so helpful and accommodating, even helping me make sure I could complete all my commitments I'd made before coming. It was disappointing to learn upon arrival that wifi wasn't included, especially when we had already paid a fair deal to come and usually its provided for free at places charging significantly less....makes it difficult for those people who are there for a longer period of time, or like me, had professional commitments back at home to consider. Additionally would have been nice to be told in advance about some transfer costs (e.g. to Bulawayo/Harare if we weren't coming on a Monday or for visa stuff), just because for those travelling for a long time and on a budget, these things are important to know and be prepared for. Rooms were fine, as were the bathrooms...any issues were sorted out quickly. Loved all the cats. Food was great and good quality. Like the freedom that AP provided in that we could try out some programs or activities sometimes if we were interested. Overall, had a great time.

i really had the best time of my life here. it immediately felt like home and made it so hard for me to leave after 3 months. (probably I would have extended again if there wasn't the stupid virus) My stay has exceeded all my expectations no matter what we did, whether it was horses swim, a safari, ellie mudbath, polocross or just chilling together at the bar it was just amazing. I was so warmly welcomed by all the people and felt like a part of the AP family. i can't wait to get back to this special place and maybe i will have the opportunity to stay here for a longer period of time.

I could not be happier with my time spent at AP, the staff were so welcoming and knowledgeable. The wildlife was out of this world. Never thought I'd be touching elephants and lions with my own hands.

Have had an awesome month in Zimbabwe, what an experience! Met great people from all over the world. And have never met such nice people as the local people from Zimbabwe. So friendly and such a positive attitude towards life! I have learned from them and brought some positivity back home.. ;) And.. they definitely will always have a place in my heart. Another big plus is that almost everything is possible at the project. You name it, ask for it and the answer is almost always a 'Yes!'. You have to be aware yourself of what you can and what you cant, cause the possibilities are endless and no-one will decide for you, you have this freedom yourself. The close interaction with all the (semi-wild) animals was fascinating and good guided. It is obvious that everyone around the animals have a warm heart for them and taking good care. It is definitely in my plans to come back!

I would highly recommend Antelope Park, for anyone looking for an exciting new adventure to take part in. With endless amount of activities as well as the welcoming vibes expressed by everyone there, it is definitely a place to go.

My overall time at Antelope Park was truly an amazing and inspirational experience, from the projects, management team, staff and volunteers everyone was incredible, it became like a second family and can't wait to come back!