For over 8 years, Hands-on Holidays and Africatime Travel has been providing its clients with the opportunity to experience the picturesque country of South Africa through quality volunteer programs and tours that introduce them to wildlife projects in some of the safest areas of the country. Owned by Jinnie and Max Villani and ably assisted by their daughter, Barbara, Hands-on Holidays is a family-owned operation that provides a personable volunteer experience from day one.

HANDS-ON HOLIDAYS WAS FEATURED IN THE WOMAN AND HOME 2010 MAY EDITION.

VOLUNTEERING HOLIDAYS

If you want to play a part in making the world a better place then a local volunteering holiday is a good way to start.

Treat yourself to a hands-on experience with lion and cheetah cubs on a game farm in the North West Province. Spend your days feeding and grooming the cubs, going on anti-poaching patrols and enjoying game drives. Your tour operator will plan activities for your days off and you’ll be able to join any special projects the research facility is involved with while you’re there. From R 5500 per person per week. The chimpanzee project, operating from a game reserve in Mpumalanga, is available to volunteers but, due to health and safety precautions, you aren’t allowed to handle the chimps. You’ll spend your days monitoring the chimps behaviour, patrolling reserve fence lines, planting trees inside the enclosures and helping with chimpanzee vocalisation recording. Lectures are held each day to teach volunteers about the history of chimpanzees in Africa, environmental education and sanctuary management. From R 6 250 per week in basic accommodation, or from R 12 000 per week in a 5 star luxury hotel. Volunteer programmes with elephants, sharks, dolphins and monkeys are also available. Contact Hands-On Holidays on 083 308 2461 or visit holidayssouthafrica.co.za

HANDS-ON HOLIDAYS IS FEATURED IN THE WHATSON AWESOME HOLIDAYS