Included in the programme fee:

• Accommodation in the volunteer house in Observatory, or with a host family
• Meals, according to your accommodation type — confirm the detail with the team before travelling
• Airport pickup from Cape Town International for volunteers arriving by air
• Orientation on the first Monday with the local volunteer coordinator
• Your placement at the animal centre and a briefing on handling the animals safely
• 24-hour assistance and support from the in-country team
• Comprehensive pre-departure information and a certificate of participation on request

Not included — and two of these are easy to miss:

• Daily transport to the centre. You travel by minibus taxi and pay for it yourself. Cheap per trip, but it adds up over several weeks
• The return airport drop, which can be arranged at extra cost
• International flights and visa fees
• Vaccinations, including the rabies pre-exposure course we strongly recommend for this placement
• Travel and medical insurance, which is mandatory. Buy it through us at extra cost, or bring your own and send a copy
• Weekend travel and personal spending

The price shown already includes your application fee – there is nothing further to pay us on arrival. Payment can be split into interest-free instalments, with the balance due 45 days before you start.

Arrival pickup from Cape Town International Airport (CPT) is included. A representative meets you and takes you by shuttle to the volunteer accommodation.

Two important limits on that:

• The pickup is for volunteers arriving by air at Cape Town International only. If you are arriving overland, coming from elsewhere in South Africa, or are already in the country, no pickup is provided and you make your own way to the accommodation.
• The return airport drop is not included. It can be arranged for you at extra cost, payable locally.

Send your flight details in advance so somebody is there when you land.

You stay either in the volunteer house or with a host family in a local community. Most volunteers are in the house.

The volunteer house is a dormitory-style hostel in Observatory, a suburb about twenty minutes from central Cape Town. Rooms typically hold four to eight people. Observatory is well placed for shops, restaurants, public transport and some of the best beaches anywhere, and it is a safe area.

The house is used exclusively by programme participants and is not open to the public. Evenings are communal — film nights in the lounge, or a braai, which is the South African barbecue and rather more of an institution than the word suggests.

Given what you will be doing all day, keep your work clothes and shoes separate from everything else.

Host family placements in local communities are the alternative if you would rather be immersed than sociable. Say which you prefer when you apply.

Meals are provided, and what is included depends on which accommodation you are in — the volunteer house and host family arrangements differ. The team confirms exactly what your placement covers before you travel, and it is worth asking directly rather than assuming.

In the volunteer house, communal cooking is a large part of the social life. Observatory has supermarkets, markets and plenty of cheap places to eat within walking distance.

With a host family you eat South African home cooking, which is worth experiencing properly.

Flag allergies and dietary requirements before you arrive. Cape Town is an easy city to be vegetarian or vegan in.