Family volunteering holiday: elephant conservation in Namibia

Take a two week family holiday that encompasses the great outdoors, community, wildlife and camping. This is a fantastic opportunity for families who aren't afraid of roughing it - indeed, families with a taste for adventure will love this volunteer lifestyle.

Children as young as 8 are welcomed on this family volunteering project in Namibia. With other families and your guides, you will strike out into the desert to live a wild lifestyle in the rocks and sand. During your first week, you will help out in a small village community that is badly impacted by the roaming desert elephants. Help to make the school a more enjoyable and safe environment for the children, with tasks such as painting and maintenance. This is a great way to get to know the locals and understand what it is like to live with such giant neighbours who could come calling at any time!

During your second part of the holiday you will be roaming out into the desert in search of these wild elephants. You will spend your days tracking the elephants, following their each and every move and collecting data about them. Each night you will camp in a different location under the stars, before rising early the next day to head out after the elephants once more.

The majority of your stay is spent sleeping under canvas or under the stars, depending on your preference. You will all learn how to cook over a camp fire and prepare some delicious meals too! You will become competent at showering with wet wipes and going to the toilet desert-style!

This project is a far cry from many other family holiday opportunities, and you should arrive with an open mind and a good attitude. You will be roughing it, without phone signal or wifi, but this wilderness is part of the enormous appeal.

Not to be missed!