Volunteering through African Conservation Experience gave me the opportunity to not only care for these incredible animals but also to understand the bigger picture of conservation.
When you support a project like this, you want to know it’s making a difference - and here, you can see it with your own eyes.
The whole experience was amazing, everything from the people to the experience itself, to the jobs we were doing. If I had to use one word… it would be life-changing!
I want my family and friends to experience what we have experienced!
I was feeling disconnected and unmotivated… but after a quick online search and phone call I found myself spending a week at Golola Rhino Orphanage And Rehabilitation Centre. It was a life changing experience!
We completed monitoring drives and recorded various animal sightings. I really appreciated how much effort went into answering my questions.
I feel like I could see the difference I was making by being there. I put my heart and soul into this work and gave back as much as I could and I felt so rewarded for this.
It was an experience I will never forget. We loved every minute of it!
If you're passionate about wildlife and looking for a volunteer experience that will leave you changed forever, I can't recommend ACE enough.
Everything I experienced here, from the amazing guide who took us, to seeing the animals in their natural habitats, is something I’ll never forget!
If anyone is looking at doing these projects and wondering if ACE is the right organisation to go through, I can’t recommend it enough. When you are planning a trip like this it can be daunting, but the reviews for ACE are great for a reason!
It was an adventure that taught me so much, not just about the African wildlife but also about myself. This is an experience that will stay with me forever.
I cannot recommend these projects enough to anyone in or considering the veterinary field. They provide an authentic look into wildlife medicine in South Africa while allowing you to practice animal husbandry in a hands-on way.
You know your time, effort, and money is going to the right places, and you have had an actual hand in helping conservation.
I would recommend visiting a couple of projects because they are all different experiences that challenge and educate you in different ways.
Combining both projects into one trip, was the perfect choice for me. I had the chance to witness my dream wildlife and actively contribute to their protection at Phinda, and at Golola, I felt like I made a meaningful difference in the lives of baby rhinos.
If you love rhinos, Golola is the place for you. Not only will you help take care of them at the orphanage but you will also aid in monitoring the free rhinos in the surrounding reserve, which all forms part of the conservation effort to protect them.
ACE provided me with so much more than I could ever have dreamed of. This entire experience has raised the bar for me for future volunteering projects.
We got to assess all of the radiographs with the Supervet Noel Fitzpatrick for cranial cruciate ligament disease. It was so, so special, and my timing was just incredible and both the orphanage and Noel were amazing throughout.
The consultation and booking process was really personal and efficient and ACE made it easy for me to select the right projects. They are caring experts!
Everything at ACE was very well organised and they took care of all the travel arrangements within the areas to the smallest details.
Every day was somehow better than the day before. And it’s not just being with the rhinos but also the relationships you make with the team.
My trip was quite unique as I was already in South Africa but having ACE do my planning and itinerary to make sure everything went smoothly was the best!