“Thank you! The weeks have gone really well, I really enjoy life on the reserve. The people are great, and the volunteers are also really nice. The lessons are going well, being the only student in the course allows me a lot of time on the drives and there’s a lot of people in the volunteers that would like to do it also. I’ll make sure I give them the reference!! ”
Matteo, 8 weeks January 2024
“Hi!! It’s amazing out here and everything went to smoothly regarding flights and pickup to get to the reserve! The staff are amazing and everyone gets on so well and life is very surreal right now! I am very happy and doing very well and excited for the 7 weeks ahead after having such an amazing first week!! ”
Ellie, 8 weeks October 2023
“My first week went well, whilst there’s a lot to learn, I’m really enjoying it. I’m starting to recognise and understand different things now. The staff are all really nice people, they’ve definitely made the stay really great. South Africa as a nation is really nice as well, and the culture is both different and similar to the UK (I think, at least in some ways). I think so far, it has to be one of my favourite places; I’d definitely like to return and see more at some point”
Michael, 8 weeks June 2023
“My time at the reserve was amazing. I enjoyed it so much, from the first minute even to the last. The people at the reserve were so warm and welcoming: the staff, the rangers, the volunteers, the fellow students, everyone became part of one big and happy family! Definitely the highlight!!Thank you so much, Anne and Georgie, for all your help and nice conversations! Information supply was so good, I never worried about anything!.”
Joris, 8 weeks June 2019
“I’m having a blast and everyone else seems to be too. We’re all having a great laugh but also feel like I’m learning very much. Thanks for everything!”
Harvey, 8 weeks June 2019
“I’m living the dream! I love it. I’ve seen a lot of animals already and have learned a lot. Everyone here is so nice. I’m really happy that I chose this program – it truly is an amazing experience ”
Julia, 8 weeks January 2019
“I enjoyed seeing the wildlife at the reserve. I would recommend people do extra work in preparation for the course, for example study materials on South African birds and reptiles.”
Charlie, 8 weeks June 2018
“The game ranger course is a fantastic opportunity to see amazing animals, such as these beautiful zebra. I really enjoyed this course – it is something I will remember for the rest of my life. It was a brilliant experience. I saw and learnt so much and would highly recommend it.”
Alex, 8 weeks January 2017
“The communication from Oyster was brilliant, the amount of information I received about the reserve I was staying on and the country itself was excellent, there wasn’t a detail left out and, traveling solo I felt I was well prepared for my journey and adventure. I highly recommend them to anyone and have actually booked my next adventure to Nepal using them.”
Richard, 8 weeks October 2016
“Working with all the different animals, and being with people from all over the world but having similar things in common, was great. Try everything at least once. Don’t be afraid to try any of the on-site and off-site activities. It was an amazing experience all round.”
Michael, 8 weeks January 2015
“The game ranger course was hard work at times, but well worth the effort 🙂 Being able to drive around the reserve and know about the plants and animals, and then being able to share this knowledge with others was just amazing. It was a very rewarding course which has many skills that are applicable to other areas of life. Take a good pair of binoculars, a bird identification book and a good camera. Thank you for taking the time to help with all the organisation I required to make this trip possible!!!”
Phillip, 8 weeks January 2015
“I couldn’t be better after such a truly ideal 2 months in South Africa. From the moment I arrived, I met many really amazing people who I bonded with near enough straight away. I would highly recommend doing the course. It does take a lot of concentration and study to pass, so people shouldn’t go into it looking for an easy volunteering experience.”
Adam, 8 weeks October 2014
“I am literally having the most amazing experience! 8 weeks in such a beautiful country has come to an end. South Africa is amazing. I will be back, one day, to see what else there is to offer!”
Soren, 8 weeks October 2014
“The experience was great, Oyster were incredibly helpful as a company, and far more informed than any other company I’ve travelled with before. The project itself was so much fun, and unbelievably educational – I haven’t learnt that much in such a short space of time ever.”
Shane, 8 weeks June 2014
For more information about taking a game ranger course with the Big 5 in South Africa, have a look at our gap year game ranger qualification web page.
