Volunteering along the Garden Route

The Garden Route is one of our two focus areas. We have a number of great volunteer projects in this area, especially in and around Plettenberg Bay. Volunteers from a number of projects all share the same accommodation and a Good Hope Volunteers coordinator looks after the volunteers and the projects.

The Garden Route is a popular scenic tract of the south-eastern coast of South Africa. It stretches from Mossel Bay in the Western Cape to the Storms River on the edge of the Eastern Cape. It includes towns such as Mossel Bay, Knysna, Oudtshoorn, Plettenberg Bay and Nature's Valley. The towns and communities along the Garden Route are quaint and inviting, the people are friendly and there are numerous activities to choose from for the avid adventure traveller and nature lover.

Highlights

Many great projects to choose from.
A Good Hope Volunteers coordinator will look after you.
Beautiful scenery with many sport and adventure opportunities.
Home of the highest bungee jumps in the world and the famous Addo Elephant Park.
Mild climate all year.
24-hour support.

Volunteer Projects along the Garden Route

The Garden Route is our second focus region after Cape Town. Here we can offer a cluster of volunteer projects. Various projects provide the same accommodation to our volunteers and our Good Hope Volunteers coordinator looks after them.

Most of the projects are conservation projects where you can interact with wild animals. You can find projects that focus on wild cats, elephants, the big 5, farm animals or ocean life.

Two of our most popular social projects, "Protecting Children" and "Community Children's Project", are in this region.

Volunteer projects Garden Route

During your free time

The Garden Route is a highlight for any and all traveler. Here is a short list of SOME of the activities you can take part in during your time as a volunteer with Good Hope Volunteers along the Garden Route:

bungy jumping on the world’s highest Bungy jump,
surf the famous JBay Supertubes,
visit the Addo Elephant Park,
see the Big 5 at the Garden Route Game Reserve,
see the magical Cango Caves,
Scuba dive with seahorses in the Knysna Lagoon,
canyoning in Tsitsikamma.

"I am an African…I owe my being to the hills and the valleys, the mountains and the glades, the rivers, the deserts, the trees, the flowers, the seas and the ever-changing seasons that define the face of our native land." Thabo Mbeki (South African President 1999-2007)

Photographs

Combine volunteering with an English language course

If you are not a native English speaker, you can combine your volunteering experience with an English language course.

It is important that you can communicate well and understand instructions. This is not only important for your safety and those around you, but also important to make your volunteering experience a great one.

The minimum English requirements differ slightly from project to project (see project details), but usually a minimum of Upper-Intermediate [B2] is required.

If your English level is not sufficient or you want to brush up your skills, attending an English language course before you start volunteering is a great option. This allows you to get used to the country - its climate, food and infrastructure.