Ndlovu Bush Camp
"If you are lucky enough to find a way of life you love,
You have to find the courage to live it."
- John Irving
An authentic Bush experience
Situated in South Africa, in Olifants West Nature Reserve near the quaint little town of Hoedspruit, Ndlovu Bush Camp will be your home whilst joining Transfrontier Africa's Volunteer Program. Unfenced, the camp is open for wildlife to wander in and out as they please, which adds tremendously to the experience of authentic bush living. Watch a giraffe from your chalet window, or quietly observe the lions as they stroll through camp in the dark. Even a visit to the bathroom can become quite interesting when an elephant walks by while you're shampooing your hair... It's all possible during your stay with us!
Communal Living
5 chalets with 2 separate beds each
open air lapa
communal camp fire area and kitchen
360 degree viewing deck
2 open air bathrooms with reed screens,
also known as 'the loo with a view'
The camp is not a lodge and there is no bar, swimming pool or air conditioning.
It will, however, offer you an authentic bush experience!
Chalets
The chalets have been arranged in a semi-circular formation around the Lapa/Communal area and are close together for safety purposes, but their door is facing the bush to maintain privacy.
They are brick built and have a thatched roof, which keep them nice and cool in summer. Each chalet has 2 separate beds and you'll likely share the space with a fellow volunteer of the same gender.
Each chalet is equipped with solar panels and individual power outlets. There is a ceiling solar light and a stand-alone fan for those hot African nights.
The chalets do not have locks, so care should be taken with any valuables you bring to camp.
Meals
All cooked meals are prepared on the open fire. Vegetarians and vegans can be accommodated. Please declare any dietary requirements and food allergies at the time of booking. Shopping is only done once a week on a Monday and failure to do so may result in a very limited menu until the next trip to town.
On a Saturday evening, it is usual for staff and volunteers to visit a local restaurant. This will be at your own expense so please budget for this.
Drinking water is available and is not rationed. It comes from the borehole but is perfectly safe to drink, although it may taste a little different from what you are used to. You can alternatively buy bottled water from town at your own expense.
Power & Water
The camp runs on solar power only. At times, power is interrupted on days where there is insufficient sun to charge the solar panels or due to maintenance.
Please be mindful that the project runs on a very limited budget and resources are finite. Please use firewood, water, solar power, fuel and LPG (gas) conservatively.
Meals
3 meals per day will be provided:
Breakfast - cereals, bread, jam, fruits, tea and coffee
Lunch - to be taken in the field - bread, cheese, cold meats, leftovers, snacks, fruits
Dinner - cooked on the campfire - simple but varied diet of meat, vegetables, rice, pasta, salads.
*Vegan friendly - any special diet must be specified prior to arrival
Communications
Generally, the signal from the Vodacom network for phone use is sufficient to good. Wi-Fi is available, but is not as stable or fast as to what you may be used to back home. The number of users, and the power supply can affect the Wi-Fi too.
Laundry
A laundry service is not provided. You can wash by hand (washing powder not provided) or take it to the laundry in town on a Monday at your own expense. It is normally returned in the same week.
Wildlife in Olifants West
Olifants West is a nature reserve open to Kruger National Park and therefore falls under the Greater Kruger National Park region. Wildlife is free to roam millions of square kilometres. Being what is called a Big5 area, Olifants West Nature Reserve is home to the magnificent wild animals everyone wants to see: elephant, lion, rhino, leopard and buffalo ('The Big 5'). There is plains game too; giraffe, zebra, wildebeest (gnu), and many, many other species less known but equally interesting. Primates such as the vervet monkey and chacma baboon reside within its safe boundaries, and you might spot a lesser bush baby (galago) at night. A big variety of raptors and other bird species, reptiles such as snakes, tortoises, chameleons, monitors and lizards, arachnids; spiders and scorpions, and a huge variety of insects and their relatives, all play an important part in this natural system that we are fortunate enough to live in. So dive right in, learn about each specie you encounter, whether big of small, and be amazed by their individual story.
"While doing rhino monitoring, we were on the lookout for rhinos when we saw the largest eagle of Africa: a martial eagle, a great sighting to remember."
– Tom, The Netherlands
"My favourite animal sighting was after a Sunday adventure: we were in the Landie, driving up to camp when suddenly wild dogs appeared. It felt like a movie, but at the same time so real, seeing them right in front of us, in the wild. A moment never to forget."
– Noah Fung, volunteer from Germany