No experience necessary, full training orientation provided. Cooking and cleaning tasks are shared between the volunteers. Working hours are flexible and you will work approximately 8-9 hours per day for either 5 or 7 days a week. Minimum age: 18 years.

This trip is operated by our sister company I-to-I. You may find there are international travellers on the holiday and the age profile may be slightly different to our usual trips.

Below is a suggestion of what you might find useful to take on this trip. It is not an exhaustive packing list. If you need further advice, please call us or consult your nearest specialist outdoor clothing and equipment store. If travelling from Nov-Feb lightweight cotton clothing is best. May to September is their winter so bring warm clothes as it gets very cold. Brightly-coloured clothing is not appropriate for safari as it is easily seen by animals and has the added disadvantage of attracting insects; wear muted tones in natural colours (beige, khaki, olive, etc. but not army-style camouflage clothing)

• Waterproof jacket/kagoul
• Warm mid-layer (i.e. fleece or wool) - for early game drives
• Lightweight walking/trail boots
• Trainers/sandals for relaxing
• Sun-hat

• Torch
• Water bottle
• Day pack
• Towel
• Sunglasses, sunscreen and lipsalve
• Insect repellent & mosquito net
• Personal first aid kit
• Binoculars
• Dust can be a problem for cameras - take a dustproof bag
• Wet wipes or waterless soap
• Padlock (to secure belongings when travelling)
• Plug - you will need to buy an adaptor especially for South Africa
• Books & playing cards

For your comfort we recommend you travel as light as possible; many airlines impose a maximum weight limit of 20kg – we advise you to take 10kg as you will be on the move a good deal! For domestic flights using light aircraft the usual weight limit is 15 kg.
One main piece (a soft bag or rucksack, not a hard suitcase).
A daypack (25-30 litres), large enough to carry what you need for the day including camera, water, etc.

A pride of lions was introduced to the reserve in 2004 and a specific programme is needed to monitor all aspects of their behaviour and habits to allow reserve managers to assess their impact on the reserve. The aim of the research is to produce detailed reports on the feeding ecology of large predators and to determine the capacity of the reserve to sustain large animals. If there are too many lions and not enough animals lower down in the food chain, the reserve cannot operate in a natural way. Therefore occasionally Selati has to manage the animals in the reserve. They do this by careful live capture and transfer of animals or using trained hunters to lower the numbers of specific animals.

Recently the research has been expanded to include Rhino and Elephant studies within the reserve creating a more detailed and fascinating picture of the interaction between the different species. In addition the research programme is currently expanding and is hoping to incorporate the illusive leopard as well as helping the reserve monitor its vegetation communities.

The farmhouse you will be staying at is located inside the Selati Reserve. Your accommodation is inside the project, in fact you will be so close that you can often hear the wildlife right outside your window! You will stay in a basic but comfortable farmhouse lodge on the reserve and sleep in shared single sex dormitory style bedrooms (max 4 people). The volunteer house gets frequent visits from elephants and nocturnal wildlife - the lion's roar is often your sunrise wake-up call!

There is a communal lapa (thatched roof) and braai area - two words you will become extremely familiar with! Bedding is not provided so you should pack a sleeping bag. There is a safe at the farmhouse which you are able to use.

The house is equipped with solar electricity and paraffin lights are available when necessary. There are facilities to charge batteries and cell phones. You’ll be expected to complete house duties on a daily basis. A 'donkey boiler' provides hot running water for most part of the day. We recommend you’re back at your accommodation in the evenings before dark, due to the active wildlife at night.

Food is provided and you will take turns to prepare food for the group and complete house duties on a daily basis.

Your working hours are flexible but you will typically work 8-9 hours a day, 5-7 days per week, all other time is free. There will be the opportunity to take a trip to town (approx 1 hour drive) when the staff go to replenish stocks. You’ll find most amenities are available in town, including a supermarket, internet café, and public telephones. At weekends in your free time you might want to hire a car, the project staff will be able to assist you with this.

The tour starts at Johannesburg airport. You will receive full details of exactly where to meet your Group Leader on the Joining Instructions which will be sent to you 2-3 weeks before your trip starts. You will be met at the airport and taken to Pretoria Backpacker’s hostel in Pretoria (approx 45 mins). The orientation starts at 5pm. The orientation is a crucial part of settling in to life in South Africa and will take you through what it’s going to be like at your project, do’s and don’ts, how to stay safe and it’s your prime opportunity to ask any burning questions that you haven’t yet had answered. After the orientation you’ll have some time to relax and prepare before your first day at the project tomorrow. Backpacker’s hostel – 1 night

Today you’ll jump on an early morning bus from Pretoria to Phalaborwa. At the end of your 7 hour journey the team will meet you and take you to the project. You’ll have the rest of the day to settle in. Take your time, because this is your home for the next few weeks! The first day will be all about settling in and getting to know how things work. The team at the project will be on hand for you to ask any questions and to get to know them.

The project is set at Selati reserve, a 30,000 hectare habitat boasting high concentrations of wildlife. The park has around 90 elephants, 50 rhinos, numerous leopards and plentiful game species. The Selati Research programme was developed in 2004 with the aim of monitoring behaviour patterns, movement and the impact on prey and predator species that reintroduced lions have on the reserve.

Forget the noisy confusion of normal life and settle into the laid back ways of the bush. With only the sounds of the birds and the wind, you’ll truly have the chance to find calm again and appreciate the hours as they tick to a slower rhythm. Farmhouse (dormitory style bedrooms) – 12 nights (self catering, all food provided)

Daily life starts with getting up at the laid back hour of either 4 or 5am (ouch!). Everything is done with the animals in mind, so the time you wake up depends on where the lions are! Lions are the priority of the research and it’s important that they are tracked and located every day as part of ongoing monitoring of their introduction into the reserve. You’ll leave camp in your 4X4 car armed with the telemetry kit, data recording set, spotlight for catching the glint of an eye in the early morning night and the most important item; a box with hot coffee and snacks for the mid morning pit stop.

Once trained, you will generally be out in the game drive vehicle twice a day, tracking, spotting and then observing and recording the lions' behaviour. The hours vary depending on lion movement and activity so you could be out late into the night. During the heat of the day, you will find yourself entering the data you have collected from the field, becoming involved in reserve or house maintenance or getting involved with the other research programmes conducted on the reserve.

This is a unique opportunity to get involved with a pioneering research programme and gain knowledge from highly trained staff. This is a chance for you to learn skills such as tracking collared lions using radio telemetry, navigation techniques, using a GPS, animal identification and gain an awareness of the fauna and flora in the area. The results of the research you'll be helping with and your direct involvement in the project will allow reserve managers to make well-informed decisions about how to manage the animal populations of the game reserve.
But it isn’t just about the lions. The elephants, rhinos, zebras, leopards, wildebeest, eagles, vultures, elands, kudus and many more amazing animals will all play a significant part in your daily life. You will spend hours every day getting the chance to see and be part of these animals environment and you realise how amazingly formed they are for the land that they live in. The sun gets too hot to be out in at midday so you’ll head back to the lodge anytime between 9am – 11am.

When you’re not out on drives or inputting data on the computer, there’ll be plenty of other tasks that need attention such as basic maintenance of the accommodation and surrounding areas. Past volunteers have built a new wall around the shower block, ripped up old carpets and cleared areas to make way for new exciting areas for the accommodation. This is totally optional but will be great for team building and tanning those arms and legs!

Say your goodbyes as the project team drop you back at Phalaborwa to catch your return bus to Pretoria and then journey onto Johannesburg where the trip ends.