Volunteer Reviews

I spent three weeks at LEO and made some of my best life experiences there. Being able to get so close to nature and wild animals is breathtaking!! In the camp I felt welcomed by the team and the other volunteers right away and after the first week it already felt like being part of a crazy, funny, big family. I got to know people from all over the world, who were all very nice, open-minded and all up for conservation work to support the LEO project. However, if you join the program be prepared to get up early, as the first game drive starts at 5.30 AM. I have to admit the first few days getting up was tough, but you know it’s worth it as soon as you enter the park in the morning, seeing the beautiful sunrises and watch the wildlife awaken. Besides the monitoring of the Big Five, we also had to enter the collected data into the system at base and doing some house duties. I also especially enjoyed the bush walks, were you head for camera traps in the deep bushes. Being vulnerable, surrounded by wildlife is really exciting and as Koos is an experienced ranger, guiding these walks, we never felt scared. One time we also did a sleep out in the middle of the park close to the beautiful mountains. We were just about to go to bed as the first guest arrived. A sub adult male lion approached our group, while we were sitting in the trailer, holding our breath. I will never forget how he looked at us and then vanished into the bushes. It is great to see that the whole team at LEO really loves their park and their animals and that they are all so passionate about their job and doing conservation work. We also did a lot of alien plant removal, which can be quite tough, especially if the Pompom weeds are growing in the middle of the dense bushes, these nasty things! 
Anyways, to sum up my stay at LEO: I had an incredible, wonderful time there, made experiences I will never forget and hope to return to the project one day!!

Being a volunteer at Leo Africa is an experience I will never forget. The staff and the other volunteers have all been wonderful. The knowledge and information they have on the animals, Marataba national Park, Africa and conservation is incredible. They have truly opened my eyes to how we could all make the planet a better place. As a volunteer they take you to the most beautiful places and get you involved in all kinds of activities to improve the park and the conservation of it. I’ve spent 2 weeks here I will take away so many memories and I would recommend this project to anyone.

I had a wonderful time on the Marataba Section of the Marakele National Park where I took part in a two-weeks volunteering program with Leo Africa!
I definitely recommend this experience if you love animals, nature, and want to learn about wildlife!
I have learned a lot about wildlife, reserve management issues and challenges! I could take part in several reserve management operations such as alien plants removal, tree wrapping, animal observation, installing camera traps etc. It was a tiring experience but it's definitely worth it for what you see in the park!
My favourite moments were a sleep out with the team below an amazing starry sky where we could observe shooting stars every 5 minutes!

During daily drives, I had the chance to see many animals with good visual! One day, we have admired during hours a hord of around 50 elephants playing in and around the river. This was one of the most fantastic time of my trip!

Thank you to the Leo team for this lovely experience!

The months I spent at Leo were the best of my life. So many incredible wildlife encounters in a breath-taking setting. The mountain surroundings and the river, where we saw so many animals drinking and elephants playing, make it a unique place to see wildlife. I will never forget the amazing experiences of Microlight and Sleepouts. The atmosphere at base is like being at home. The staff (friends now) is so passionate and enthusiastic about nature and conservation and inspired me so much to contribute myself.
If you want to live Africa by actively taking part in the conservation of Nature and therefore feel so rewarded, I sincerely believe there cannot be a better place than Leo.

I spent two weeks at Leo in April and it keeps recurring over and over again in my dreams.
I will never forget the smells, the colors and the noises of the bush. I saw many animals and I learned a lot about wildlife.
Koos and Sabrina are extraordinary guides but they are much more than it. They loves what they do. They have a real project and they taught me that each of us can do something for wildlife conservation. And I’m going to do it.

I loved every moment that I spent at LEO Africa: camera traps with Koos, tree wrapping, alien plant removal and game drive with Sabrina.

I met my new friends there and I'll come back as soon as possible.

In Leo Africa I trust.
Francesca