African Bush Adventure, Botswana

Overview

Many people that choose to volunteer in Africa want a programme that not only allows them to help communities, but one that gives them ample opportunity to explore and savour the places that they visit.

The African Bush Adventure programme in Botswana provides the ultimate African volunteer experience. Volunteers take part in either a 4-week, 6-week, 8-week or 12-week package that takes them through safari tours in the Okavango Delta (home to a wide variety of wildlife), the Moremi Game Reserve in the heart of Botswana, and tours of the spectacular Victoria Falls in Zambia.

As well as allowing participants to explore the sights, volunteers on this Botswana project are also able to spend a significant amount of their time working with a community in the town of Maun. Here they live with a host family and work with local children many of whom have been affected (directly and indirectly) by the HIV and AIDS virus.

This volunteer programme takes place across both Zambia and Botswana – transporting you across diverse cultures and traditions and Africa's incredible wildlife. It is an excellent Adventure-Travel experience that is part safari expedition and part community development programme. 

Highlights:

• Safari tour in Moremi Game Reserve, camping in the African wilderness
• Exploring the variety of wildlife in the Okavango Delta
• Living and working with communities in the town of Maun
• A choice of community volunteer initiatives with Botswana's children
• 7-day tour of the Victoria Falls (one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World)
• Opportunities to bungee jump and raft along the rapids of the Zambezi river  

What's included?

• Pre-departure briefing in London
• Pre-departure information and advice
• 24-hour emergency contacts
• In-country orientation in Botswana (plus tour of Maun, Botswana)
• Full support and daily guidance from Project Coordinators in Maun, Botswana
• 5-day camping safari into Moremi Game Reserve in the Okavango delta
• 7-day tour to Victoria Falls
• Tour guides for the duration of your tours
• Project equipment and materials (e.g. teaching aids, sports equipment and craft materials as required)
• Transportation: airport pick-up and drop-off (on scheduled arrival and departure days)
• Accommodation: All accommodation included throughout your trip (camp sites, host family & backpackers lodge)
• Food: all meals included except during a few tour days and during your time in Victoria falls

What's NOT included?

• Flights
• Insurance
• Visas
• Monthly stipend
• Meals during your time in Victoria falls, and some meals whilst on tour
• Any excursions or weekend activities over and above your planned itinerary

Location

Botswana is an ideal destination for many travellers to Africa – it offers a wealth of natural beauty and cultural diversity.

The Botswana volunteer programme takes place in three distinct areas and across two countries: The Okavango Delta (in Botswana), the town of Maun (in Botswana) & Victoria Falls (in Zambia).

1. Okavango Delta - The Okavango Delta is a huge wetland area that offers an amazing safari experience for volunteers. Visiting the Moremi National Park will introduce volunteers to the essence of Botswana. The safari camps have a distinct character, and volunteers are able to get extremely close to numerous animals (all easily observed in their natural habitat), including the Big 5.
    
2. The town of Maun - Whilst this is a small rural town in Botswana, because of its proximity to the Okavango Delta, it is fundamentally a tourist hub that acts as a gateway for travellers on their way to safari in the Okavango Delta. The town of Maun appeals to its many visitors - there are intriguing outlying villages, low-cost lodges and campsites, and a decent supply of shops, cafés and restaurants.
    
3. Victoria Falls, Zambia - When volunteers reach the town of Livingstone, Zambia, as well as the astounding Victoria Falls, there is a huge range of activities that they can take part in: canoe trips in the Zambezi river, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting.

 
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Project life and Photos

Project life on the the African Bush Adventure Programme

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On day two in Botswana (i.e. the day after arrival), volunteers are given an orientation in Maun where they are briefed on their volunteer project, introduced to the public transport system in Maun, shown how to get around the town and familiarised with its amenities and attractions.

After the volunteers’ orientation in Maun, the African Bush Adventure programme is divided into three parts:

1. Day 3 - 7 - Moremi Game Reserve tour, Okavango delta (5 days). Volunteers join a safari at the Moremi Game Reserve located in the Okavango delta. This is the camping element of the experience, and volunteers will spend 4 nights with an expert guide camping in the park and exploring the wilderness.                                                                    

   Features:

   • Take part in game drives
   • Search for wildlife
   • Camp outside.
   • Eat around campfires.
   • Learn about the animals and plants of the African savannah
   • Option to take part in a makoro canoe trip.

    

2. Day 8 - 19 - Volunteer Community project, Maun (2 weeks). As soon as the Moremi Game Reserve experience comes to an end, volunteers will return to Maun to begin two weeks of volunteering work. Maun is a small isolated safari town, and volunteers take part in community projects that help orphaned and vulnerable children in the area.                                        

   The children that you will be volunteering with in Maun come from a range of difficult backgrounds - some are orphans (either as a result of HIV or economic migration), others are from families where both parents have to work during the day, and many are simply vulnerable. Volunteers will work in numerous community day-care centres (that includes the Maun Counselling Centre to aid with their HIV education).

Aspects of volunteering in Maun, Botswana: Botswana has one of Africa’s highest HIV infection rates, so providing the children with education is the backbone of the volunteer element of this project. The day-care and various community centres provide the children with food, care and education. All centres are in need of volunteer assistance. Volunteer activities include homework clubs, organising sporting activities, helping with craft workshops, working with groups of youths, and academic tutoring. Your main role will be to offer hands-on support in the centres providing the children with a basic education, basic needs and the tools they need to build on their futures. You’ll work in direct contact with these children giving them much needed love, care and guidance.   Your weekends are free, to explore further a field, or discover more about the town of Maun.

Please note: If volunteers would like to spend longer that two weeks volunteering with the Maun community project, they should book the 6-week, 8-week or 12-week options. The programme is structured so that after returning from the tour of the Victoria Falls in Zambia, volunteers who have booked the longer periods are taken back to the town of Maun to continue their volunteering duties with the children in the community.
 

• Day 20 - 28 - Adventure tour to Victoria Falls, Zambia (7 days). On the fourth week of the African Bush Adventure experience, the next stop for volunteers is to travel to Livingstone (in Zambia), where they stay in a backpackers lodge to begin their 7-day tour of Victoria Falls.
  
  Features:
  • Here you can choose to do a variety of activities from white water rafting, bungee jumping into the canyon, boat cruises upstream in the Victoria Falls, or simply relaxing after your two weeks of community work - soaking up the sights, sounds and culture of Zambia.

Back in Maun:

• If you have chosen to do the 4-week option, you are transferred to the airport to begin your journey home.
• If you are doing the 6-week, 8-week, or 12-week options you will return to your community project in Maun to continue your volunteering with the children.

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Flights, transportation and visas

• You should book your flight to Maun Airport in Botswana, where you will be picked-up and taken to the project location.
• Most travellers get to Maun Airport via Johannesburg (in South Africa). They then take a connecting flight to Maun Airport (this journey takes roughly 2 hours).

Visas to enter Botswana: Many volunteers - including those from the UK, US, Canada, and Australia, can obtain a free 30-day visa is available upon arrival at Maun Airport.

Visas to enter Zambia (for your tour of Victoria Falls): Many volunteers - including those from the UK, US, Canada, and Australia, can obtain a 30-day single entry visa upon arrival at Kazugula border. This will cost roughly US$ 50, and must be paid in US dollars. Alternatively you can organise a visa pre-arrival in Africa.

Always check with your embassy before travelling.

 

CIBT Visa advice... For expert visa advice we advise our volunteer, work placement, and internship participants to get in touch with CIBT - a company that we work in partnership with. Our UK, Canadian, and US travellers can use CIBT for visa advice and to get their visa applications processed - with visas returned within a week. UK travellers can contact CIBT for visa advice. Canadian participants can contact CIBT for visa advice or call Toll Free: 888-665-9956 US participants can contact CIBT for visa advice or call Toll Free: 800-577-2428 Canadian citizens should state account number: 57497 US citizens should state account number: 57496

Dates and duration

• Volunteers arrive on the 1st Monday of the month (except December)
• You can take part in the volunteer programme for either 4-weeks or 6-weeks, 8-weeks or 12-weeks

Available dates:

Safety and insurance

• All of Twin Work & Volunteer's placements are in partnership with recognised and established local organisations, run by or employing local people. These organisations, depending on the nature of what they do, might be small-scale NGOs, family projects, schools or orphanages, or local initiatives with environmental or social goals.
• We often use local businesses to provide logistical and support services to volunteers such as transfers, pick-ups, accommodation and so on. In this way, we support the local economy through helping independent local businesses to thrive. We take our partnerships very seriously and work extremely closely with all our partners.
• We provide 24-hour emergency support from the UK and our partners provides support locally.
• We have an agreement with the crisis management service Tranquillico, should the very worst situations arise.
• If any wider safety concerns arise in the destination, such as civil disturbances or natural disasters, we seek advice from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and implement their recommendations where appropriate. 

 

Insurance options... Comprehensive insurance is available for all programmes. You have no obligation to take up insurance with any of these companies, but insurance of a suitable sort is mandatory on all our programmes. For UK participants: Here are the full details of our partnership with Endsleigh. For American and Canadian participants: We offer insurance options with International Volunteer Card (IVC).

Eligibility

• There is no age limit to take part in this volunteer programme, you just need to be over 18 years of age.
• Volunteers should be mature and willing to work hard to help the children in the community. No specific skills are required to participate.
• A good spoken English level is required.

Accommodation and Food

Volunteers on this programme will be based in four unique accommodation types:

1. During your orientation you will stay in a safari-style campsite on the outskirts of Maun on the edge of the Okavango delta. You will stay two people per tent, in a fully equipped camp site with clean toilets, hot water showers, a restaurant and a well stocked bar. Sleeping bags are required. 
    
2. During your Moremi Game Reserve safari in the Okavango delta, volunteers will again be based in tents at a campsite. This campsite will be more of an authentic African bush experience, off the beaten track with very basic facilities, and bucket showers. Meals will be prepared by your guides although all volunteers are required to help cook. Sleeping bags are required.  
    
3. When volunteering with Maun communities, volunteers will live with host families inside or on the outskirts of the town. Each home differs but generally the homes are clean and basic with running water and electricity. Volunteers are given their own room with a bed. You will eat breakfast and dinner with your family, and they will provide you with a packed lunch whilst you are out working during the day. 
    
4. When taking part in the tour of the Victoria Falls in Zambia, volunteers will stay in shared dorms at a backpackers lodge. Communal facilities and a self-catering kitchen will be available.

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