Africanimpact Reviews

Horrible experience in Maasai Mara program

Avoid the Maasai Mara African Impact program I signed up for a 4 week conservation and research trip in the Maasai Mara in Kenya The trip promised contributions to vital research with Big Cat and Elephant programs When I arrived it was clear that there was no serious research going on no one with research experience in charge of the project dysfunctional administration and serious communication issues very poor English the staff member who was leading the volunteers so any chance to learn more about conservation was lost The location where volunteers were housed and fed was located an hour or more on a rough road to the research areas where 1 km game drives approx 20 minutes collected data maybe four times a week Waste of fuel and time Food at facility was not good - plain spaghetti white rice ugali and potatoes with little fresh vegetables and minimal fruit The program directors know of the weaknesses to the program - the driver guide with little English has been getting complaints for months according to other participants Not a few leave early I stayed two of the four weeks I had booked and even though I made the issues very clear and they were acknowledged I lost every penny I spent on the remaining two weeks The voucher they offered for a future trip was basically the discount they offer repeat volunteers African Impact is a wholesaler of volunteer programs so they have no investment in the fulfillment of the program Avoid them and book direct if possible

South Africa

I went to South Africa It was like being at a camp for JR highschool kids I m 59 and there were kids up drinking and having sex all night in my room I complained and finally they gave me my own room Nonetheless I was punished for the behavior of these juveniles all of whom were very rude to me I wasted time and money on this travel when all I was hoping for was a nice time and to learn about preservation while giving back It is not or adults so my advice would be stay away if your over 30 NOT RECOMMENDED

Volunteered in South Africa

What an amazing trip I had with African Impact in Kruger I Volunteer on the conservation project and had the most amazing time The African Impact team were just brilliant I learned so much about wildlife and the Africa Bush My favorite thing was doing the bush walks The camp is very comfortable and the food was ok too I really hope I can do this again

I took part in the teaching program for

I took part in the teaching program for 4 weeks The volunteer coordinators were very helpful and knowledgeable I really felt like a made a difference in my time there

the experience of a lifetime

i had received a glowing report from another volunteer at the Big Cat Masai Mara project but nothing could have prepared me for experiencing this incredible total immersion in the life of the african savanna From dawn until dusk you are living inside a National Geographic movie observing and counting animals and their predators for scientific projects This is padded out by apparently really useful work in the community such as removing foreign harmful vegetation repairing rain damage visiting schools and workplaces to promote cultural exchange the staff were so kind and knowledgeable and the food was excellent

Great project in Maasai Mara

I had a great 2 weeks in the Big Cat Conservation project from meeting great people from all over the world and the sightings were unbelievable You stay in nice tents in a conservation called Naboshio by Maasai Mara the Camp accommodation had the basic needs and a little building for the kitchen a communal area The only issue was the electricity went off at about 10 30pm 11pm every night as they dont have one and rely on near by camp The staff were great but I have to praise one member Patrick he went above and beyond for me and the people in our safari truck by getting us great sightings on most of our game drives Not only would he engage with us all in the truck but would also make a effort to get to know us all back at camp and we all enjoyed his company We have exchanged deatils as i hope to see him in the future I hope he gets the recognition he deserves as he was brilliant

A truly amazing wildlife conservation experience

Ever since I was little I always wanted to go to Africa and help with conservation or help culturally Well in September 2022 that dream came true After researching many websites and initially going to sign up with another organization which I am glad I hadn t not to name and was told in person during my trip the horror stories someone had with them and bad website reviews I contacted African Impact My first contact was a phone conversation with Bernelle who explained any questions I had I felt comfortable with her because her approach was to inform and not try to sell a package I signed up and was passed on to Cindy who was also extremely helpful Cindy passed me to Jane the program coordinator at the camp who answered all remaining questions Lincoln coordinated all travel arrangements All questions were answered by email within the next day I flew from Canada with a layover in Cairo before heading to Nairobi Egypt Airlines left one of my bags at the airport so this was missing when I arrived at the Nairobi airport At the airport I was greeted by John my driver to the Brackenhurst Hotel about 45 minutes away I thought he would have left for the pick-up at 5AM and I was stuck filling out a form for the lost baggage until 6 00 Brackenhurst is a resort hotel with exceptional service and I stayed there the first night I contacted Lincoln about the lost bag and he informed me that he will take care of it The bag did arrive in our camp a few days later The next day we six of us drove about six hours to our camp We were greeted by Jane the camp staff and other volunteers Jane gave us an overview of what we will be doing each day and will coordinate all weekend activities I stayed in a tent while others stayed in shared dorms Meals were served three times a day and between 12 and 4PM there was warm water for showers The thing everyone missed the most was flushed toilets The toilets were cleaned daily So were the tents and any clothes that needed washing except you need to wash your own underwear Typically depending on the day we started the day with game drives between 6 30AM and 7 30AM It was truly an amazing experience All the guides went to guiding school and can answer any questions you may have about the wildlife unlike a tourist guide who knows little about them only to drive you around The guides stayed in camp and we built personal relationships with them They were all Maasai and can answer questions about their people and culture There were two vehicles that carried 12 volunteers from our camp Everyone took turns recording data about the lions leopards cheetahs elephants zebras gazelles vultures birds of prey and other wildlife The data is collected for various conservation programs to better understand the population density habitats migration and other information of the wildlife in Naboisho Conservancy There are 17 conservancies in the area and Naboisho is the only one that does wildlife research The most exciting part was the late afternoon game drives when the lions were most active We had close looks at lions leopards and cheetahs that were only a few feet from the vehicle Other activities included pulling invasive weeds and teaching school-age children conservation Weekends were our free time and Jane coordinated any activity we may want such as a drive in the Maasai Mara a hot air balloon a visit to a Maasai village a drive to see the endangered black rhino and a few others From the time I first contacted Africa Impact my arrival at the airport my stay at the Brackenhurst Hotel the experience at the Naboisho Conservancy to the last drive back to the Nairobi Airport for my departure back home everything was worry free and the staff was exceptionally friendly and helpful Would I join African Impact again Definitely 100 Contact them directly don t go through another organization If you care about wildlife and making a difference this is your chance

The best wildlife research experience

I had the most wonderful time doing my wildlife research internship with African Impact Not only did I learn an absolute ton about the African bush I also learned some amazing life lessons while I was there Next to that there is just something amazing about living out in the African bush and seeing hippo s in the river everyday while elephants come and visit the camp every now and then The staff is absolutely wonderful you can bug them with a million questions and they are happy to help The entire vibe in camp is a fantastic and I can t recommend joining enough Overall an absolute wonderfull experience that I would 100 do again

Wauu what a great experience with

Wauu what a great experience with African Impact I spend 3 weeks at Elefant Big cat project in Masaii Mara Naboshio concervation project The accomodation in the rents are very good main building with dining room kitchen absolutely lovely staff and to just hang out was so good not to mention the food very nice yet simple I can t praise Eric the driver enough He is so kind and knowledgeable and he share it all So many game drives seen ALL the animals removed unwanting plants visited a primary school interacting with the students at the project and last but not least counting animals for various Scientific Projects The Coordinator was unfortunately not very commited to the job a bit disappointed But I thoroghly enjoyed my time in the Concervancy