Modisa Wildlife Project, Botswana Reviews 79

The whole experience of what you see and do, doing the stay is just amazing! If you are considering to go to Africa, to do some kind of volunteering then choose Modisa!!!
I can only recommend others to go to Modise Wildlife Project!

When I left home, I had a lot of thoughts in my head; what was about to happen, and what if this wasn't going to be something I would like?
When I arrived at the airport in Maun, I was lost, and I didn't knew what to do or where to go, but quickly I found the lodge, and everything was under control. When I arrived to the lodge I was placed in this little tent with two beds and a chair, and at that point I still didn't really knew what to think.
The day after I was picked up, and we went to Modisa. In the mittle of nowhere - in the mittle of Kalahari - you'll find this beautiful and stunning place, where you can hear the lions roar, the sounds from the wildebeests and much more that there are no words for.
Now I have been here for four weeks, and have one week left, but it is definitely not the last time I'm here! The place is perfect, the staff is amazing, and of course all the experiences you'll get. I have done a lot of things that I could never had imagined myself do, but Modisa has done so many good things for me, and has also given me a lot of life experience, that I'll keep in my backpack forever.
Besides all the good experiences, you'll also meet a lot of different and nice people with different stories to tell.
So - after all. I'll definitely recommend Modisa, if you're into wildlife, want to meet new people and break som boundaries!

A true and natural experience into the real Africa. If you want to get away from the loud noises of the city or de-tatch yourself from social media and really relax....this is the place for you.

Amazing hospitality during my 2 week stay at Modisa. I was really worried as i have to follow a strict gluten free diet due to having Coeliac's Disease, but I was catered for my whole stay, no problems at all!

The camp is a great, easy layout and there is also WiFi on Sundays all day for catching up with family whilst you're away.

The project itself opened my eyes to alot of things and how conservation is affected. It was one of the best things I've ever done and plan to visit Africa again!

I still lie in bed and listen to the recording of the lions roaring...it never leaves you!

I had met the co-founders of Modisa in 2009 in Namibia, who had also fallen in love with Africa. Once I learned that they had set up Modisa in Botswana, I was very keen to volunteer, support and see what it was all about. I knew Modisa would be amazing, however, it surpassed all my expectations.

Whilst there, we were so very lucky to meet 3 of the Masters of tracking (7 in total worldwide), at their best. Showing us how tracking is carried out. It was a true honour to have them sharing their knowledge of the Kalahari desert and all it provides to our group of volunteers. We also met a biologist at the camp, who was carrying out various surveys with regard to the changing landscape and it's vegetation and the environmental impacts.

The feeding of the lions, wild dogs and leopards. The various wildlife/game and birds whilst out on game drives. Gerd the wild ostrich, visiting us at camp! The interaction and love between Sirga, the lioness and Val, priceless.

Going to bed hearing the lions roar, the game walking nearby in the middle of the night. Showering in the open with the beautiful blue sky and sun shining above you.

Waiting the arrival of Knox and Boy, the newest members of the Modisa family at 2 am. The camels deciding that Friday night has to be spent out in the Kalahari desert, following Val on foot for hours watching him tracking the camels with only a torch and the milky way above us, tracking skills at its best.

Sun rises and sunsets that catch your breath away, the moon and millions of stars that you think you can just reach out and touch.

Val's passion, dedication and love for conservation and Modisa and all he stands for and believes in is unique. The in-depth lecture that Val gave was so informative, you think you know a little by watching documentaries, animal planet etc, but when you listen to Val about conservation and it's challenges, you realize you know very little and by the end of the lectures, you are so much more informed and aware.

I learned and understood so much on this trip and am grateful for the time taken to teach me/us.

Also, the volunteers who come to Modisa, all from different parts of the world, backgrounds, personalities and beliefs make Modisa what it is.

I returned home last week with a heavy heart and am looking forward to going back later on this year. I highly recommend that, YOU, the reader of this post, go and visit their website and book to volunteer, you will not be disappointed. It's a life changing experience.

I learned about Modisa from a Facebook friend. When I saw her photos I immediately decided that this was a place I had to visit and booked my stay right away. That was in August 2014 – almost one and a half year before I was able to go. During that time I would often try to imagine what it would be like, who I would meet and how I would feel about staying at the camp. Some days I looked forward to it with excitement, and other days I almost panicked about the thought of living in the heat among insects and wild animals, and pondered about shortening my stay from the planned three weeks to two weeks instead. Looking back now, I’m so glad I didn’t.

Modisa turned out to be one of the greatest experiences of my life. Instantly, I felt welcome and Val, Will, Jack, Gully and KK made it very easy for me to quickly feel at home. Every morning (early!) I woke up looking forward to the day I was going to spend with these people and the other volunteers, who I got to know quickly and had a great time with. It is crazy how well you get to know one another in only three weeks and how many interests you share.

The mid-day break, where it was too hot to do anything (often over 40°C!), could sometimes feel long, but we would always find something to do, e.g. play kalaha in the sand with impala poop – you really get creative when you’re surrounded by wild nature and far away from wifi. Every day, something unexpected happened – ranging from a poisonous snake under a tent that had to be driven away from camp to the arrival of an abandoned ostrich baby that needed care. The weekly activities, such as morning game drives and walks, lion feeding and fence patrolling, were a completely different experience each time. It was almost difficult to digest all the different impressions, why I sometimes would find myself daydreaming, and then suddenly ‘wake up’ and realise that I was sitting on a bumpy tractor cruising through the Kalahari on my way to pick up meat for the lions.

The beautiful scenery of everywhere we went amazed me, and especially the two lectures on wild life preservation that we were given, made me realise how vulnerable and delicate nature really is, which made me appreciate it even more.

Leaving Modisa was hard, and the thought of me not going to watch another sunset from the kitchen container, or fall a sleep to the sound of roaring lions, convinced me that I have to come back. Until then, I will miss beating Team International in the game “Kongespillet” (and yes, we did beat you), making stick bread at the bonfire, sleeping under the overwhelming starry Kalahari night sky, or just laugh a lot with the great people I’ve met. Life becomes so simple in the bush, and it is truly amazing.

Quote from a leaving volunteer: “It is going to be weird to return to the real world”.

Orty, the biologist: “This is the real world”.

People tend to blather on about 'This experience changed my life' when they come back from trips away, and since I'm as cynical as the day is long whenever I hear that God-awful statement I feel like hitting them over the head with my shoe (Actually a steel toecapped boot so, y'know, it'd hurt a bit) but a short stay of a couple of weeks in Modisa managed to change some of my more deeply-held beliefs about nature and conservation, which was no mean feat.

Overall I loved it. The team at Modisa are really trying to achieve something good there and you can tell by them that they're 100% comitted to it. The experience is fantastic, and as much you'd sign up to this for the animals & African experience it's the people there who really make Modisa what it is.

While you're there you'll get a 360 degree view of conservation and wildlife in Botswana. Half of your time will be doing volunteer work which I won't deny is hard, especially if you're a pasty white Irish boy who goes from 0 to well-cooked after fifteen seconds of direct sunlight. But as I said above the people there make these jobs a lot more fun. The other half will be spent on game drives, bush walks etc. which are amazing. Modisa is right beside the CKGR and as far as the eye can see there's just wilderness around you. You'll learn about (and see up close) the big game animals but you'll also learn about the smaller things that people overlook: Plants, insects, birds. After a while you'll gain a knowledge of how these all plug in together and that I found was where I really loved Modisa: You learn about the entire ecosystem, not just the more famous animals. You'll also learn about the political situation and how it affects conservation which while reading it here sounds pretty dry is actually fairly interesting.

After all the above Modisa has so much more that makes it stand out in my memory: Having the craic (I'd google that phrase if you're not sure what it means by the way) at the camp after a long day and dinner, having stickbread around a campfire, the sunrises, the sunsets, finding your way to your tent at night and just listening to the noises of the Kalahari as you're going to sleep, it's pretty fantastic to be honest.

Actually as I type this I want to go there again.

I joined the Modisa wildlife project for two weeks but even though it was a short encounter it was one of the most experience-packed and unique journeys of my life. Even though I am not an "outdoor girl" and I had to borrow most of the practical outdoor items (as a flashlight and a backpack) it really felt natural being there. Everybody was so kind and I met some awesome people who I still am in touch with today.
The days at Modisa were packed with unique moments as bush walks, feeding the lions, watching animals as they come to the waterhole during the night to drink (they came really close!), the amazing sunrises and sunsets, bonfires under the clear sky, falling asleep to the roar of lions outside your tent and of course seeing the amazing relationship between Val and Sirga with your own eyes.
Joining Modisa wildlife was also a really eye opener regarding conservation in Africa. The guys at Modisa are really doing a huge work in protecting our precious nature and learning the volunteers how important it is to maintain. They really deserve all the support they can get for their unique and trustworthy work they are doing for the nature of the Kalahari desert.
Every day at Modisa is unique and it is difficult to explain the true feeling of being there,- you have to experience it yourself! So pack your backs and join the Modisa wildlife project and get the trip of your life!

Modisa Wildlife Project has made my dream come true about living the distressful life in the bush around wild animals 😍
A sidegift for me is all the wonderful and inspiring people I have met and the things I've learned about nature conservation in Kalahari.

I'm touched to tears by seeing true love between Val and Sirga and being so incredibly lucky to see Sirga hunt 😊

Thank you so much Val and Mikkel - what you do is unique 🙏

I spent 3 weeks at Modisa and enjoyed every single moment of it. I did a lot of research before arriving and thought I knew what to expect, but my expectations were surpassed. It's impossible to describe the feeling when you sit at the campfire watching the sunset and hear the lions roar in the background, it almost seems surreal. Modisa is a place where you not only see beautiful animals and beautiful landscape, but also learn a lot about the importance of wildlife conservation and the effects of human impact on nature.
You'll meet other volunteers from all over the world and have a great time with them, no matter if you're doing some work, play volleyball or just sit at the fire and talk. Val and his staff are awesome people and even though I travelled alone to one of the most remote places in the world, they made me feel at home from the moment I arrived.

At Modisa you're reminded that you dont need a whole lot in your life to feel blissful and rich. Amazing wildlife. Amazing people. Amazing nature. I will never forget this place!

When I was at Modisa there was a small number of volunteers which was ideal as it meant that during your stay you become part of a family and you can really get to know one another - this includes the staff. I have been to a previous volunteer project where there was around 50 volunteers and this made it difficult to enjoy my time as activities were always over crowded.

At Modisa as well as participating in a variety of activities, where I was able to learn new skills, there was also really interesting lectures where I was able to broaden my mind and really get to know Botswana and what Modisa wanted to achieve.

The staff were so friendly and welcoming and the food was amazing. I could not have enjoyed my time more and I can't wait to be back again!

Modisa is a place where you learn who you are, and where you help to protect animals, our wildlife, our heritage, our future. Approaching wildlife and loving it reminds us our responsibility upon it, our vulnerability facing it, and reveals our humanity as being awesome or dreadful, regarding the side we decide to choose. At Modisa you feel at home, the staff are your african family and the others volunteers your brothers and sisters.

I spent 4 weeks at Modisa. The wildlife project has exceeded all my expectations!!! I have learnt so much from Val and the staff about conservation. Every day is different at Modisa...ranging from feeding lions, bush walks, game drives, conservation talks and swimming at the watering hole. The people I met were so friendly and easy to get along with. The food is amazing. I will definitely be coming back and for longer next time. Val and Sirga offer the holiday of a lifetime.

I would recommend everyone to go to this amazing project:) i had the best time and experience there, and i miss it every day. Modisa is not just amazing because of the beatuiful place, wildlife and nature but also because of the people who works there! You learn so much from staff, and they have so much knowledge and passion that that alone makes it worth going there:) i cant say anything else then that this project is truly amazing and runs by people with such a good heart:) thank you for giving me the most fantastic experience ever:) cant wait to come back again someday❤️

I spend 6 months in Modisa in 2014. It was absolutely unreal. Within 5 seconds of your arrival you feel welcomed and at home, the people running the place are truly committed to their project, and getting to know them and listen to what they know really inspired me.
The days at Modisa passes by so fast, with all the different activities, such as gamedrives, bush walks ect. And at night you spend time with the volunteers often at a campfire.
It is hard to explain the experience, but most importantly what I remember is that I was next to one of biggest deserts in the world, so beautiful and remote - and yet I never felt so much at home.

The month I spent at Modisa was truly remarkable. As a 19-year-old girl, I was unsure about how this independent travel experience would go but I can honestly say it was better than I could have ever expected. The day-to-day life at camp, the work that I was doing and the relationships I established with people from all over the world were so valuable in helping provide an environment for introspection whilst doing substantial, hands-on, manual labor in an effort to better the ecosystem. The knowledge and insights I gained from the staff during lectures, bushwalks and even just during casual conversation are invaluable and the setting truly is like nothing else. The beauty of Botswana is almost surreal.

You get out of it what you put in, so it's an individual challenge but you have the privilege of working with a team of wonderful strangers who will become your family. You'll live the rustic life and eat local game and it'll be an experience that flashes by too quickly. No need to worry about authenticity here or if the cause is worthy -I assure you it is. Personally, my only regret was not staying longer and I plan to go back -and for as long a time as possible.

It's a bit over two years ago when I booked my first stay at Modisa.
Three months at a project which I only knew from pictures. "How can you book three months at a place you don't know? What if you don't like it?" That's what everyone said to me. Arriving in Maun I knew it was the right decision to come here. How can it not be right when you meet a girl who already returned twice?

What I didn't know was that this place was about to steal my heart and change my life forever...

Of course I could start telling you about all the things I did, the awesome people I met and the great time I had but I won't. Simply because I can't find the right words to describe it.

Modisa is a place where you discover a new side of yourself you haven't seen before. It gives you so many new experiences you can't even imagine. It's a place you fall in love with.
If you're open minded about everything you will get more than you can ever dream of.

My deepest respect for two friends who had the idea to create a special place. Two friends who are fighting for a better world every day. Two friends who gave so many people a home away from home.

I never felt more at home.
Thanks for having me twice.

I booked my trip half a year before I went to Modisa, so my expectations grow a lot in that time and I couldn't wait to go there anymore. I went to the Camp for 2 weeks and left with a lot of tears in my eyes.

It all started a little bit bitter when my luggage didn't arrive, but at Modisa it wasn't such a big problem anymore. The people grow like a family to you and everyone is helping you as good as they can. If I could I would have taken them all home with me.
I was a little concerned if there might be just groups coming together and that I'm the only loner. That changed in the second I met the other people. There was not a single person I didn't like.
The two weeks in the Camp where the best of my live! It was 6:00 when the sun rose the first time in the camp and it's just impossible to not look at that beauty. The birds wake you every day, if they are to quiet for you, at least the lion roars might wake you. The days are so exited, that you just don't want to sleep long. Everyday is different to the day before, but I enjoyed every single one of them. At home I'm normally not that much into hard work, to be honest, but collecting stones or firewood, filling the antiseptic-tank with sand, raking the ground became something enjoyable with these people.
My favorite way of traveling became going somewhere with the tractor, having the wind in your hair and the sun on your face. My smile was unable to be whipped of.
I loved the evenings, sitting at the campfire, eating bread on the stick, enjoying a cold cider after a hot day and then sleeping on the container under the stars.
Val and Jack teached us a lot about the animals, the vegetation and how this land used to be. Not only during the two lectures we had, but on every game drive, bush walk, lion and leopard feeding, wild dogs watching, there was something to see and learn all the time. It opened my mind to a lot of thoughts I didn't have before.
Of course one of the best things was, seeing Val and Sirga together, following them with the car and seeing how much love is between them. I could have watched this “little” princess forever.
I hope Val and Mikkel will succeed with all their future ideas for the camp and that a lot of volunteers will have the possibility to see this project and I hope I'll be one of them again in the close future.

I just "stumbled" upon the Modisa Website and became interested more and more into the project. Also, I wanted to know more about wildlife in Africa.
Arriving at the camp was pretty much as I expected. It was even better than I thought. A warm welcome by the staff and the volunteers. Contagious enthusiasm of the people and a huge knowledge. Lions roaring in the evenings and jackals howling at night. And those shining stars at the sky … I definitely will come back to Modisa!

Came here as a getaway from the city with absolutely no knowledge on wildlife and conservation, left with a detailed explanation of how our activities has impacted wildlife in Africa and also practical experience of the bush.
Absolutely love the enthusiasm of the staff and the knowledge they have of wildlife. Will miss falling asleep under the stars and the roaring of the lions at night.

If you want somewhere to start learning about conservation, Modisa will definitely be the best chioce because of what you learn and the experience. You WILL want to come back again.