South Africa Wilderness Adventure – 1 or 2 weeks

Explore the African wilderness and gain an insight and understanding of African wildlife, habitats and ecology.

What Next?

If you have made up your mind your application starts here

Interested in volunteering, but have a question then please contact us

This is a unique and adventurous experience and includes camping under the stars (2 week course), learning bush survival skills, animal tracking, astronomy; animal behaviour and much more.

Highlights

  • Enjoy an authentic wilderness experience
  • Gain practical and theoretical knowledge of the natural environment.
  • Experience life at a big-game wilderness camp
  • Peace of mind; this course is provided by a UK registered and bonded company, providing financial protection

The short courses are designed to provide an exciting learning experience. Aimed at nature-lovers looking for a more practical bush experience, the courses provide a condensed version of the 28-day Safari Guide Course, for those that may be restricted by time, or would like an introduction to Africa.

If you are looking for exceptional adventure as part of a holiday or you are a student looking for some career experience in the field, a South Africa Wilderness Adventure could be the perfect option. Gain a greater understanding of nature while experiencing a true African wilderness. Learn how to drive a 4×4, identify plants and wildlife and how to track animals.

Background

Our Director at Naturally Africa Volunteers has considerable experience as a Field Guide, starting with the Apprentice Field Guide training and qualification and continuing on to complete Advanced Trails Guide training and qualifications. It is this passion that has enabled us to partner with one of Africa’s best guide and wildlife training providers to offer some of the best field guide courses and wildlife experiences available.

Wilderness Adventure Details

S

tudy animal behaviour, interaction and identification of wildlife and understand the underlying elements that support this variety of life such as geology, soils, plants and climate.

Subjects include:

  • Ecology
  • Common trees and shrubs
  • Animal tracks and tracking
  • Bird and animal identification and behavior
  • Astronomy
  • Orientation and navigation
  • Bush skills
  • Using binoculars
  • Positioning for photography

Locations

Based in unfenced camps in major wildlife areas, participants partake in wilderness walks or game drives twice a day. Choose to stay in one or two of our three game reserves (Makuleke in Kruger National Park, Karongwe or Mashatu in Botswana), for a diversity of habitats and species.

Makuleke – Northern Kruger National Park, South Africa
Certainly the most diverse and remote area of Kruger National Park, Makuleke offers fantastic wildlife viewing and the best birdlife in all of the park.

Karongwe Game Reserve, South Africa
On the banks of the Karongwe River, to the south-west of the Kruger National Park, the area has a diverse terrain and an abundance of life.

Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana
Part of the Northern Tuli Game Reserve, Mashatu is an area of outstanding natural beauty and diverse vegetation and wildlife.

Sarah Milligan, June 2014
Participant

The instructors were excellent! Never had better teachers who are genuinely passionate about what they are teaching. We always received good feedback and suggestions and endless patience. The variety was perfect. I wish the course was longer. I never want to leave! The course was amazing and honestly changed my life (thanks to the instructors). I’ll be back.

Ryder Rollinson, Justin Tobias’s father, May 2015
Participant

Hi there. A HUGE thank you for having Justin on your FGASA 1 course, he loved every minute and has come back a different person to the child we sent you. The guides were excellent, the food fantastic etc etc………thanks, thanks, thanks…..we are so proud of him.

Dan, Feb 2015
Participant

I completed the FGASA Level 1 course at Nakavango camp last week. Had a fantastic time and learned a great deal. Mark is an absolutely fantastic teacher. Incredible knowledge and very fluent way of teaching. Couldn’t have had a better person there for us. This course has opened my eyes to a whole new world of possibilities and knowledge to continue exploring.

Kerri du Preez, Feb 2015
Participant

FGASA was a life changing experience for me, learning about the bush in the best way possible with the best person possible, bonding with your group and by the end of the course almost being like siblings. Some of the best memories I will never forget – laughs, tears, sunsets, dung wars and many many more.

7-day itinerary

  • 16 March – 22 March (Makuleke)
  • 25 September – 1 October (Makuleke)
  • 17 December – 23 December (Mashatu – Botswana)

13-day itinerary

  • 23 December 2020 – 4 January 2021 (Makuleke)

14-day itinerary

  • 24 July – 06 August (Karongwe)
  • 5 October – 18 October (Karongwe)
  • 1 November – 14 November (Makuleke)

Simple but comfortable accommodation is provided at our unfenced camps offering you total engagement in the wild!

Makuleke Concession, Kruger National Park, South Africa
Nine comfortable thatched, shared rooms, with two participants accommodated in each. Each room has an en-suite bathroom with a toilet, shower and hot running water.

Karongwe Game Reserve, South Africa
Accommodation at this camp consists of 10 walk-in Meru tents, with twin beds. There is shared bathroom facilities and a central communal area.

Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana
Ten simple dome tents, each with two mattresses with pillows (two people per tent). Shared bathroom facilities, and a central communal area.

Please bring along a sleeping bag and any additional blankets and pillows should you require them as they are not always provided at the camps.

Participants need to be over 16 years of age and be able-bodied (i.e. able to walk at least 2km).

Want to join this programme, but still have some questions?