All in all, it was the best thing I have done in my entire life, and I would go back in a heartbeat. The animals, group of volunteers, amazing staff and incredibly fun weekend excursions made my time in South Africa an unforgettable experience.

If you are lucky you are also able to spend time with baby animals during the stay. Honey badgers, antelopes, servals, cheetahs, lions and even a 6 months old rhino were some of the baby animals I had the pleasure to feed and spend time with, and I loved it!

I would totally recommend the Wildlife Sanctuary project. The mixture of hard work and animal interaction is really satisfying, and the people you meet there are awesome!

When the time came to say goodbye, I realized that 2 weeks were definitely not enough to explore everything that this place has to offer. I loved every minute of it – the warmness of the sun, the peacefulness of the desert and of the animals, the kindness of the people I have met, the wonderful mix of sights, tastes and sounds and all kinds of experiences that were sometimes challenging and sometimes comforting. I would like to thank Go Eco, my fellow volunteers and everyone at the reserve for making this a one in a lifetime experience for me.

When you engage in this Go Eco experience, you start appreciating life through new eyes. You become so empathetic while being with these incredible animals and listening to their stories.

Most people in Sri Lanka were extremely friendly, and it was ok to use the combination of English and body language to communicate with them. I chose the orientation week as my first week program, and during this period, I visited many interesting places in Kandy, which included the temple of tooth. Kandy is the center of Buddhism; it was an impressive experience to learn the history and culture of this city.

During my time at project I made lifelong new friendships with other volunteers, shared so much laughter with the amazing kids who we took care of, and learned A LOT about the diverse culture and life in Cape Town, South Africa.

The orphanage was also grateful to have the international volunteers bring lots of donations from abroad, including balloons, stationary, soccer balls, story books, candies and toys. We loved getting to help distribute these donations to the kids.

GoEco > Blog

Volunteer Abroad Blog - Experiences and Articles

Recent Volunteer Experiences

View All

Maria's Review of Sea Turtles and Surfing

Posted By: Maria P.

#Mexico,#Marine Conservation,#Wildlife Conservation,#North America

I am writing to thank the local team for my first volunteering experience, and allowing me to participate in so many activities in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca.. I am forever grateful for this opportunity and I hope to see you all again very soon!

Andre's Review

Posted By: Andre D.

#North America,#Mexico,#Wildlife Conservation

It was a great adventure to go to Yucatan and learn about the situation and importanceof the jaguar conservation.

Mina's Family Experience

Posted By: Mina C.

#Wildlife and Animal Conservation,#Asia,#Thailand

"Our family volunteered at the Elephant Forest Refuge in Thailand. We had a great experience there. We loved walking with the elephant 5 miles to their new home...from the jungle-like setting through roads and rice paddies to the new sanctuary. We'd like to thank the sanctuary for a great experience. They made us feel very welcome. The food was great and our volunteer coordinators were awesome!" - Mina C.

Sara's Review

Posted By: Sara P.

Asian elephant bathing at an elephant sanctuary volunteer program in Thailand

#Asia,#Thailand,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation

This was a life-changing experience for me! Everyone we worked with - from the staff to the other volunteers - were amazing! The staff are so passionate about the elephants and really understand the needs of rehabilitation, and celebrate every milestone!

Popular Volunteer Experiences

View All

Dave's Volunteer Experience in South Africa - Two Weeks in Africa

Posted By: Dave P.

#South Africa,#Wildlife,#Conservation,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation

Every day was amazing and full of incredible experiences and new people. The days flew by as we were so busy working on the farm, hanging out and making new friends, and learning about the wildlife in a very hands on manner.

Volunteering in South Africa – Encounters with Great White Sharks

Posted By: Giselle M.

#South Africa,#Marine Conservation,#Africa,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation

Hard work pays off, and this doesn’t go unnoticed by the amazing crew. I managed to go onto an exclusive boat trip which had less clients on board, giving me more opportunities to capture some great footage of the sharks who displayed incredible activity, breaching around six times in the space of two hours.

Volunteering in Zimbabwe – GoEco Experience

Posted By: Michele

Leopards Live In Large, Humane, Natural Environments

#Zimbabwe,#Wildlife,#Africa,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation

The African Wildlife Orphanage’s main goal is to care for orphaned or injured animals until they are able to be released back into the wild. If that’s not a viable option, they’re lovingly cared for the rest of their lives. These animals are also used for educating young local children about the creatures that share their environment. Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, so many of the children living there have never had the opportunity to see or touch wild animals.

Malaysian Turtle Adventure

Posted By: Ramona P.

#Marine Conservation,#Wildlife,#Asia,#Malaysia,#Marine and Coral Reef Conservation

I have been here on the Perhentian Islands for about one month and I’m still excited for the beautiful landscape, the warm people and of course the amazing turtles we are working with daily. On the 10th my teammate Joel, Kinsey and Elliot and me saw the first turtle nesting at Tiga Ruang during our night patrol. It was so amazing seeing the turtle laying her eggs in the sand, measuring her carapace and taking photos of her for photo identification!

Articles

View All

Island Turtles of the Galápagos

Posted By: Danielle L.

Two male volunteers posing with a giant tortoise in the Galápagos

#South America,#Ecuador,#Wildlife and Animal Conservation

The Galápagos Islands are a chain of volcanic islands off the coast of Ecuador, in South America, most famous for being the home to many giant tortoises and sea turtle populations. The giant tortoises of the Galápagos are among the most famous of the unique fauna of the islands. These islands changed our understanding of the natural world forever. British naturalist Charles Darwin observed numerous local plants and animals during his visit in 1835. Overtime his fascination with these animals developed and he began to wonder if species from South America had reached the Galápagos and then changed as they adapted to new environments. This idea that species could change over time eventually led to Darwin’s infamous theory of evolution by natural selection.

10 Panda Facts You Didn't Know

Posted By: Daniella A.

Giant panda at a volunteer wildlife sanctuary in China

What is that beautiful animal hanging out in the Chinese forests? Why, the amazing giant panda, of course! Easily recognizable by their mix of black and white fur, these gentle giants have become quite the iconic species.

Kevin Richardson, The Lion Whisperer

Posted By: Danielle L.

Male volunteer at the Kevin Richardson volunteer program

Kevin Richardson is all but ordinary with his unique career in wildlife conservationism and filmmaking. His highly praised work within this field has made it possible for him to create his own lion sanctuary. At this sanctuary he can conduct hands on work with these majestic animals and continue to expand his knowledge and understanding of the species. He is recognized by his persona as the “Lion Whisperer”. Through this persona and his work in the filmmaking and conservation industries, he works to highlight Africa’s most iconic predator, the lion. Before we talk about what he does for these amazing animals and how he works alongside world-renowned scientists, campaigners, and researchers, let's dive into his background and see just how he got to where he is today.

The Importance of Education in Tanzania

Posted By: Danielle L.

Students raising their hands at a volunteer English teaching program in Tanzania

For many years, Tanzania has set aside the importance of education and focused on pressing economic issues, but what the leaders do not realize is that developing the education system will actually help improve the entire welfare of the country. If the education system is prioritized on the list of straining issues for the country, then this will allow students to focus on certain aspects of their education like learning English. If students are able to start studying English at an early age they will be able to gain critical English language skills and be more likely to continue this language growth in the future. Knowing English is vital to the economic growth of a country and Tanzania needs the help of knowledgeable volunteers to assist teachers as they prepare these children for a brighter future.