Experience:
Organisation:
Name: Tracy
Destination: South Africa
Project type: Conservation
Organisation: Travellers Worldwide
What were your impressions of your destination?
I loved my placement, had a great time, but this was down to the people running the sanctuary and not Travellers Worldwide. South Africa is an amazing country, incredibly beautiful and I definitely reccommend time spent here!!
Was the work interesting and challenging?
My placement was brilliant, we were always busy, had lots to do, lots of input into improvements and it was very hands on. During free time everybody pitches together to keep ourselves entertained, loved it!
What was your accommodation like? Did you feel comfortable and welcome at all times?
When you get to african dawn you are instantly part of the family. The accomodation is basic (very!!) but it doesn't matter much at all. The project is about getting stuck in and not creature comforts. There is an area in the shop for volunteers to hang on in the evenings and free time, with a TV and DSTV and there are always dogs and cats and other random animals to play with.
Were you happy with the organisation and the staff that were responsible for you during your stay?
Travellers cancelled my original placement a month before I was due to leave. There was no phone call to let me know this, just an email. As I was already travelling it was lucky I managed to check my email! They were pretty good with the organisation but they did very little to help really, I pretty much organised everything myself. During my stay they didn't really do much to check we were all ok - everything was left to the people who ran the sanctuary.
Do you feel that you got value for money on the project?
Not at all. I still to this day do not know where all my money went to. It certainly did not go to the park where I was told it would!! When I asked they said it went to pay electricity costs in the office. Considering they did very little work to get me there (I booked my own flights and everything!!) I don't know why the electricity bills were so high!!! They couldnt possibly be working in the office that long!! The project was amazing and I am planning a return trip (independently and not through travellers) and a price cannot really be put on the experience I had out there. In reality, the thousands you give to travellers worldwide go directly in their pockets.
Would you recommend the project to others?
Yes
