Hands-on African Conservation Trip

October 26th- November 5th 2025

Day 1: Arrive Durban, South Africa. Transfer to accommodation at Aliwal Shoal, on the coast of the beautiful KwaZulu-Natal. Chill out and get ready for tomorrow’s shark adventure!

Day 2: Head out to sea on the boat and venture into the water with black tip reef sharks! You will be snorkelling with these amazing sharks in their natural habitat.

In the afternoon, we will head to Crocworld and get hands-on with some of these prehistoric reptiles. We will assist in moving some larger crocodiles and be on standby for any snake rescue callouts. 

Day 3: Travel to Zululand and stop in St Lucia for a hippo boat cruise along the way. On this boat cruise we have the opportunity to see pods of hippopotamus, Nile crocodiles and if we’re lucky, bull sharks!  

Days 4: Morning rhino dehorning. We will seek out a rhinoceros and assist in sedating it and dehorning it. Dehorning rhinos is arguably the only thing keeping these animals from extinction. We humanely cut the horn off the rhino, which will prevent poachers killing the rhino for its horn, which is incredibly sought after on the black market. You will get hands-on with the rhino and directly assist in the conservation of these animals.

In the afternoon we will go for a walk into the African bush and assist in setting up camera traps for wildlife surveys.

Day 5: Morning elephant interaction. Get up close and personal with the largest land animal on Earth. Get hands-on with an enormous African elephant. You will have the opportunity to feed and touch these majestic animals.

Travel to Somkhanda Game Reserve. This is a big 5 game reserve where we can witness some of Africa’s iconic wildlife. We will stay in a gorgeous safari lodge, with breathtaking views of the African bush.

Day 6: Lion Collaring. We will assist in tranquilizing a lion and attaching a radio collar. You will be literally be hands-on with an African lion! This helps the rangers track the lions, which ultimately helps in research and the conservation of these big cats. This is a very rare opportunity and not offered to many (if any) other safari companies.

In the afternoon, we will do a safari game drive and search for Africa’s big 5! The elephant, Lion, Cape buffalo, Leopard and Black rhino.

Day 7: Head to Eswatini (Swaziland) and chill at our camp in Hlane Royal National Park. This place is amazing! We will have our own semi-luxury huts, where you can fall asleep to the sound of lions roaring. We can chill by the watering hole with a cold beverage and watch rhinos, elephants, hippos, crocs and antelope.

Day 8: Morning rhino walk. We will drive into the bush, find rhino, exit the vehicle and walk close to these enormous creatures on ground level! We may get VERY close to the rhino, which is a feeling you’ll never forget. We may also walk with giraffe if we see any on the way.

In the evening, we will do a sunset safari game drive, where we can enjoy a cold drink, while watching lions with the African sunset in the background.

Day 9: Travel back to Zululand and enjoy lunch at a reptile park where we can get hands-on with snakes!

Day 10: Morning safari game drive in another big 5 game reserve. Look for Africa’s most iconic animals.

In the afternoon, we will recover the camera traps and see what interesting things we’ve captured!

Day 11: Transfer to Durban International airport for departure.

Total Price: $5,900 USD for shared accommodation (if sharing with spouse or friend).

                     $6,275 USD for single (own room).

Retainer: $2,950 USD for shared accommodation.

                  $3,137.50 USD for single accommodation.

Once the retainer is paid, your spot on the trip is confirmed. Spots may fill up fast, so we recommend paying the retainer ASAP so you don’t miss out. The retainer is non-refundable unless the problem is on our end, however, if you find a replacement or we can fill your spot, we will be happy to refund your retainer fee. In an unlikely event of world travel disruption (like covid, war etc), we will make a good faith effort to recover your retainer from our international hosts. We will return the amount we are able to recover. You can pay the retainer via bank transfer or PayPal. If paying via PayPal, there is a 5% surcharge to cover the PayPal fees.

Final Payment: $2,950 USD for shared accommodation.

                            $3,137.50 USD for single accommodation.

The final payment is to be paid 3 months before the start date of the trip (26th July 2025). We will reach out with payment advice on the remaining balance. Please reach out if you would like to pay it earlier.

Cancellations: If you have paid the remaining balance and are unable to make the trip, it is unlikely we will be able give you a refund. Because we have to book all the activities, permits, accommodations, transport etc far in advance, your spot has been fully booked and paid for in advance, so refunding your money is very difficult and not likely.

Included- All lodging, all travel within South Africa and Swaziland, park entrance fees, all activities, guides, most breakfasts and dinners.

Not included- Flights, staff tips, travel insurance, visas (if needed), Lunches (we will be doing activities during the day, so we will be having our lunches out at restaurants).