South Africa

It was a special honour to be able to experience Askari even if only for a brief slice of time. Two weeks isn’t long enough….
The thing that stands out most, aside from seeing some of the coolest creatures I have seen in my life, is the people: passionate and knowledgeable staff/guides and volunteers from all over the world who have come for the same reason – to experience the South African bush but more than that, to contribute to the restoration and conservation of it. That is what sets Askari apart from anything else I have done. That is what gives travel here a deeper significance. And the fact that we have over 17,000 hectares of wild space to ourselves is the best! There are no tourist crowds. No other game viewers full of people driving the same roads, blocking views…It is just us (whilst we are here) to appreciate, enjoy and help conserve. Wide open natural spaces full of serene beauty and magnificent creatures from the tiny termites with their monstrous mounds to the majestic lions and everything in between. And the deep red sunsets and sunrises are pretty spectacular too.
I love that anything can happen at any time and indeed it often does! You have to be ready and prepared or else you’ll miss it. Hope I can return someday…

#itchangedmylife

Amazing to be part of such a wonderful group and programme. The staff are very welcoming and helpful. The level of enthusiasm is unbeatable. Askari has been the most amazing trip and I have learnt so much. They really teach and show the importance of conservation. I am super excited knowing I’ll return next year. It was so incredible that I couldn’t leave without knowing when I would return. Katie and Ed – you guys are just incredible and I feel privileged to have spent time with you both, thank you for everything!"

Beware before signing up with this program!

In my experience, the program is unorganized and promised me things that they could not deliver. I was looking for an internship in graphic design which they assured me they could find a placement for me that I would be happy with.

I started out with one point-of-contact person, and midway through my application process, I was reassigned a different point-of-contact person with no explanation given. I was given my first "offer" which included incorrect information on the official offer. However, the agency they pitched me only had four employees and was a 40-minute bus drive every day from where I would be staying.

I told my point-of-contact person that I was not happy with the offer, and to please show me something else. Weeks went by and there was no other official offer given to me. Every time I inquired about it, I was told "Oh, we have many great opportunities to show you!" but I never was. This started to make me feel uneasy, so I asked my contact person about the refund policy. After flat-out ignoring my question several times and telling me that I "didn't need to worry about that because they had opportunities coming" for me, I began to worry.

After expressing my concerns and recapping my experience with a program director, I was told they were going to "get direct with me" and told me that I shouldn't be working with them if I didn't trust them. Given the fact that I had paid them, I would have expected them to take the opportunity to reassure me or make me feel better in some way. They did not, but instead took no responsibility for not doing what they promised.

All in all, I had to back out of the program due to their false promises. I had planned my entire summer around being gone with the program, and missed out on many opportunities as home that I didn't think I would be around for. HORRIBLE customer service.