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Definitely a must do. So rewarding to be able to work with the technician team, provide enrichment materials for the orangutans and see how much they enjoy them. A real feel-good to help create the man-made islands for non-releasable orangutans and to plant trees that will support their future too. I highly recommend a 26 day stay if you are able to as you get more in-depth time with the orangutans plus 2 sessions watching the cheeky, energetic babies on their return from jungle school. Nyaru Menteng is a totally authentic, charming place to be and Matt and Niamh are dedicated, hard working hosts that make it all so amazing. If you're happy to work hard and sweat lots you'll have an unforgettable experience.
Review: A most amazing experience with wonderful people. Kate the co-ordinator and Wiki the "Boss" and her team made every day interesting, varied and worthwhile. Helping to care for these wonderful animals while learning about them was something we will never forget. The Lodge was great with 3 hot meals a day and comfortable beds. The lodge staff kept everything spick and span and were always smiling. Samboja Lestari is right on the equator so be prepared to work hard in the heat & sweat a lot but we would not change a thing!
Just returned from 2 projects in Africa booked through The Great Projects!Namibia Wildlife Sanctuary: Namibia is truly a hidden treasure in plain sight! The Namibia Wildlife Sanctuary is a wonderful organization with great people and an ambitious mission to help wildlife and preserve the various natural landscapes of Namibia. I was fortunate enough to see so many incredible animals including: lions, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, leopards, cheetahs, oryx, eland, springbok, and the list goes on. Equally as rewarding, I met dozens of amazing people during my six weeks with the organization - both other volunteers from around the world, and the staff members who are incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. I would like to mention Romeo, Sima, Dawid, and LeeAnn specifically for their continued help and hospitality. I would highly recommend spending at least 3-4 weeks at this program so that you can include one or more of the "extra" weeks away from the main sanctuary. I did the Neuras, Kanaan, and TimBila projects in addition to 3 weeks at the sanctuary, and it was a great way to feel at home and comfortable at the program while still getting to explore different regions of the country. Neuras and Kanaan offer incredible landscapes, and peaceful, quiet weeks in the sparsely-populated desert regions of the country. Sunrises and sunsets here are amongst the best I've ever seen in my life. Note that these areas are not as abundant in wildlife as some of the other areas (specifically large wildlife) given the aridness of the desert. TimBila is an absolute gem of a wildlife reserve. Here is where you will feel like you're sharing a home with elephants, lions, zebras, etc. TimBila is a must in my opinion. I will be forever grateful to this project for the incredible memories and the new friends I made. 5 stars Amakhala Conservation Project: This project was a fun experience - I got to see many incredible animals including: elephants, lions, cheetahs, giraffes, and zebras. Socially, the program was very nice. During my two weeks, we had 14-16 volunteers, and it was nice to meet people from different parts of the world. While the ages of the volunteers will obviously vary from week-to-week, the age demographic of this program tends to be quite young (16 - early 20s). Additionally, the two volunteer coordinators we were with daily were also 24. This may be something to keep in mind if you're an older volunteer. A few things that I think are helpful to note when researching projects. This project is at least 50-50 in terms of a split between wildlife volunteering and community volunteering. You can expect to be on the reserve 2, maybe 3, days of the week. Other days will be spent volunteering with the local children or having free time (weekends). Also, you do not stay on the reserve. The volunteer house is located ~30-45 minute drive from the reserve. This means that you do have access to stores and such daily, but it is unlikely that you will see wildlife unless it is a day which you are scheduled to be in the reserve. There are other programs where you stay in the reserve or adjacent to it therefore you have a higher likelihood of seeing wildlife more frequently. I would recommend this project mainly to younger volunteers who want a mix of community-based volunteering and wildlife viewing. There is not as much hands-on work with the animals as you would find at an animal sanctuary project (which makes sense as the animals on the reserve at Amakhala are wild animals so there shouldn't be much hands-on work with them). All in all a fun time. 4 stars
Received From: Warren SmithDate: 12th January 2026Review: Just WOW! I've travelled to many places around the world, and I don't think any experience I have had so far surpasses Namibia. The friendships alone that I made with people from around the World was incredible. Like-minded people in such a wonderful place with breathtaking experiences is hard to match. The entire team here was fabulous, every single one of them! Then there's the interaction with wildlife, camaraderie around preparing food, feeding, and looking after the resident animals was everything I ever wanted. During my arrival, a huge Giraffe was just wandering around close to the place I was staying. That set the scene/theme of what was to come. The food was amazing, and I was even presented with a beautiful, massive Birthday cake while I was there, which I shared with my fellow travelers. I went there alone, yet came away with such strong bonds. I rarely cry, but on my final day, just before leaving, I couldn't help myself; it just happened while saying goodbye. This experience has definitely helped to shape who I am and give me purpose. What they're doing here is absolutely fantastic, and I will NEVER forget the experience I had and the friendships made. How often do you get to walk alongside Cheetas, hand feed baby orphaned Baboons, walk Baboons for their enrichment (great characters, they will climb on you! haha), Ride by horseback through the savannah, coming across everything from Zebra, Ostrich, Empala, Giraffe, and more. Then tracking and finding Elephants and Rhinos on foot! All this is just scratching the surface. I cannot recommend this trip enough. It's life-defining. Don't think about it, just do it! :)
Wow just wow!!! It is so hard to put into words just how amazing this experience was. I have always loved orangutans and wanted to go to Borneo to see them. I looked at various touring holidays around Borneo but you only got to spend 2 half days on the orangutan sanctuaries. I then stumbled upon The Great Projects website and discovered I could volunteer at a sanctuary. I just had to book it. I wanted to be involved and make a difference. I also liked the fact that the experience I was paying for was providing money directly to the sanctuary. Kate the volunteer coordinator was so helpful and supportive to all the volunteers. We worked hard but we also got to experience some of the highlights of Borneo such as the night market and river boat trip. The best part of the trip for me was giving out the enrichment activities to both the sunbears and the orangutans. The joy on their faces as they hunted for their treats was so rewarding. I will definitely be doing more voluntary experiences in the future, I just wish I had known about Great Projects sooner.
Every part of my experience with The Great Projects was incredible, and I wouldn’t change a thing. Better than five-stars.Pre-trip planning and communication was excellent, and very clear.After arriving in Borneo, our volunteer coordinator (Kate) made us all feel extremely safe and welcome, and made every day exciting, fun, and inspiring. The balance of ‘work’ and ‘fun’ on our project was perfect, and we achieved so much in our two weeks in Borneo. Kate did an amazing job to make every person feel their contributions were valued and important. The accommodation was fantastic; the lodge is stunning, and the staff were welcoming and gracious.This organisation is extremely well run, and very supportive of their customers.
What a brilliant experience! Samboja Lestari 2-week volunteering experience (Borneo) was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life! The staff were fantastic and supportive all the way. The engagement with the sun bears and orangutans was brilliant! The volunteer group was warm open to these new experiences. A huge thank you to Kate (our coordinator) who made the experience so memorable and taught us so much! Thank you to the Great Projects. I am already planning my next Great Projects trip. Cheers Nina
In brief an incredible eye opening experience... heart wrenching yet so rewarding.. highlights: giving the Orangs their enrichments, the boat trips.. jungle school of course.. and having the privilege of watching some Orangs start their journey to be released into the wild.. The group was great.. we all bonded do well and have already planned our first reunion. Matt was incredible-so driven and passionate and made us want to go the extra mile even in the extreme heat and humidity.. what an asset. Overall, just life-changing... I'll be back!!
Amazing experience at the Namibia Wildlife Sanctuary, I loved every minute. Everyone was lovely , it was so interesting getting to meet fellow volunteers from all over the world. I was a bit worried that at age 56 everyone would be younger than me and most of them were but there were several other volunteers around my age which was nice and age didn't really matter. The staff couldn't have been more helpful, more accommodating or more welcoming. The accommodation is basic and I had no hot water for my 2 week stay and some of the nights were very cold (I went in May), I needed my sleeping bag plus the 2 blankets, that I brought with me to donate, as well as the duvet that was provided. I was also alone which suited me but may not suit everyone especially as it was a 10 to 15 minute walk away from the volunteer area and at times was a bit daunting to have to walk back alone in the dark. In order to make the most of this experience you do need to be prepared to get stuck in. I found the program a perfect mix of work, education and fun. 2 weeks was just enough time to experience most things and I did manage to have a weekend at the coast which was brilliant. I would have liked to have had time to experience some of the other projects so if possible I would recommend going for at least 4 weeks if you can. This was my first volunteering holiday and I am already looking into another for my next adventure. I highly recommend this holiday but also The Great Projects whose staff were also brilliant, giving me all the necessary info and answering my endless questions. If you are considering this holiday I'd say just go for it. You won't regret it!
As this was my first volunteering experience, I was a little apprehensive as to what to expect. I didn't need to worry. The Great Projects team from the moment of booking to the weeks before travelling were excellent. They provided all the relevant information and support that I required. When I called with any queries they were all eager to help and offer reassurance and guidance. I volunteered for 2 weeks at Shamwari . This project exceeded all my expectations and has left me with an experience that will remain with me for life. I arrived in the evening and while being driven to the the reserve , I saw 2 lions walking along the track. Wow what an incredible welcome to Shamwari. The staff were all friendly and professional intent on making your stay special. The accommodation was fabulous certainly a 4/5 star rating . The reserve is incredible and the landscape diverse. Shamwari's commitment to conservation is admirable . This project is well organised combining both work experience with animal monitoring. The knowledge of the rangers and their expertise was absolutely amazing .There were so many wonderful aspects of this project from clearing trees, animal monitoring and helping in the community. It made you feel that you were contributing to conservation , by creating a safe environment for these wonderful creatures to survive and thrive. The most memorable moments for me, was seeing 2 cheetah brothers relaxing under a tree, visiting the Born Free sanctuary and seeing the multitude of animals living in the wild . I have met some wonderful people both rangers and volunteers who will remain special friends. Thank you The Great Projects and Shamwari for allowing me to be part of this incredible experience . I feel very privileged to have been part of this project. I highly recommend Shamwari particularly if you are animal lover and believe in conservation.
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The Great Projects is an expert provider of safe and ethical volunteer holidays abroad for solo travellers, families, and groups. Founded in 2006, we offer a selection of unique and exclusive projects across Africa, Asia, Europe, Central America, and South America. Specialising in wildlife conservation, our projects are perfect for anyone looking to go behind the scenes and work with some of the planet's most endangered species.
As members of ATOL and ABTOT, we are fully committed to ensuring the safety of everyone who travels with us. Plus, with flights, tailor-made travel insurance, and a passionate, dedicated, and friendly team available 24/7, we make booking easy, offering peace of mind to all our volunteers throughout their journey. So what are you waiting for? Find your next adventure today, with The Great Projects.See more
