Ghostly shipwrecks and remote, inaccessible shores characterise this region, suitably named the skeleton coast, where sailors who walked for hundreds of kilometres along the shore in search of food and water perished in this unforgiving landscape. With windswept dunes and flat plains, rugged canyons and mountain ranges, the coast has a timeless beauty, as well as an eerie desolation.
The absolute solitude of the coast is unbelievable until you are actually there; this level coastline broken only by rugged outcrops is utterly desolate. The Cape Frio seal colony in the North, as well as whales and sea birds, are the only other regular visitors here, but beyond the coastline itself lie other environments, other challenges and some possibilities for the survival of wildlife.
The Skeleton Coast National Park covers 20,000 sq. km, and is split into two sections, the north and south. Four-wheel drive vehicles can enter the Southern part of the Park, but not beyond the skull and crossbones sign at the Ugab River Gate, as past this point cars get stuck in the sinking sand, their passengers dieing of dehydration. However, there is some excellent fishing in this Southern region, as well as a variety of adapted game, such as coastal lions, elephant, giraffe, black rhino, springbok, ostrich and gemsbok, making this an exciting wildlife destination with just a touch of danger.
To enter the Northern region of the park visitors must take chartered flights into the private resorts there; this has been specified as a wilderness region, so tourists' behaviour is monitored to an extent. Inland here live the Himba people, who have rejected Western advances to live traditionally, eking out an existence in this harsh environment. The Himba are a beautiful, naturally elegant and extremely proud people who have survived here for hundreds of years.
The mixture of rugged coastline and bleak desert in this unforgettable wilderness, gives it its barren beauty. The fog that drifts over the beaches caused the many shipwrecks here, but also supports the delicate eco-systems of insects, plants and animals, which depend on the moisture to survive. This is a landscape of extremes, utterly isolated and yet completely fascinating, with a macabre history and a hypnotic attraction.
This distinctive programme offers the opportunity to help the cheetah by clearing the sickle bush, allowing them to exist and hunt in their natural habitat. You will also track and monitor both cheetahs and leopards as well as enjoy being in close proximity to these incredible creatures.
This conservation project in the Namib desert is about getting out into the field and really making a difference at the forefront of elephant conservation. This is your chance to get involved in vital elephant conservation in Namibia.
Volunteering on this programme gives you an exciting and rare opportunity to work with and care for the animals of Africa on a daily basis. You will look after numerous species, ranging from baboons and meerkats to lions and cheetahs, helping to feed, care and clean them, while also maintaining the centre’s enclosures and grounds.
Set off on the adventure of a lifetime through Africa’s wide and varied landscape! Get up close to big game, take a trip to Kruger National Park and help to preserve the continent’s most iconic wildlife. Zimbabwe - Namibia - South Africa.
This family run farm dedicates its time to establishing the most suitable and secure home possible for neglected or orphaned wild animals in the African Savannah. Volunteers are trained to care for the injured or orphaned animals.
Janet Horsley had an incredible time on her tailor-made gap year, blazing a trail through Africa, Asia, Australia and Latin America, read her story here.
Gap Year for Grown Ups have many Career Break Voluntary Projects in Africa for grown up gappers. Because Gap Year for Grown Ups is the leading authority and only specialist source of ideas and options for grown up gap years, it has the widest range of volunteering programmes in Africa. These include animal/wildlife conservation, teaching English in Africa, community volunteering in Africa and Voluntary work with children in Africa.
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