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Harnas/Noah's Ark, Namibia Please Help! |
 Posted: Tue Feb 3, 2009 10:38 pm |
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| Hey! I just wondered if any of you intrepid travellers can give me some advice on the Harnas volunteer programme. I'm really interested in doing this and wondered how much everything would cost, with flights etc? I'm getting a headache ploughing through all the different info online, so I'm hoping someone on here has been there, done it, and got the t shirt!
I've read that it's cheaper to book direct with Harnas, rather than using Real Gap, but what is the difference in price? Also, is the extra cost of Real Gap worth it, just for the security of being met etc? Flights, how much should I be looking at for flights from UK to the Hosea Kutako Airport in Windhoek? And if I don't go through Real Gap, how do I get from the airport to Harnas? Also, climate...I'm wanting to go for the month of June. I know this is the coolest Namibia gets, but am I going to freeze? Or, more importantly, will all the animals still be up and about? I'm so sorry to brain dump all my questions, but you're the only lot who I reckon can give me proper, useful information. Any other bits of info you can give me will be greatly appreciated!! |
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| Posted: Wed Feb 4, 2009 10:00 am |
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| im going to namibia in june and from what ive been told its fairly hot during the day, (about as good as it gets in scotland) but does get cold at night since its in the desert they say down to about 5 oc | |
| Back to top | Location: Unknown | 238 Posts |
| Posted: Wed Feb 4, 2009 10:32 am |
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| Hi,
I was in Harnas last summer during august for three weeks, and I probably had the best time in my life ! The cheapest way to book through Enkosini ( http://www.enkosiniecoexperience.com/ ), if you ask Harnas directly they'll send you to them. Some of the american people there had booked through real gap or something similar, and endend paying twice the price we paid, wich is already expensive, so don't bother booking through that kind of organism, book through enkosini. About the transfert, it's something like 3 hours Windhoek - Harnas in a minivan, but it's not too boring. Ask Enkosini about it, they may ask you to come one day earlier and stay one night in a gesthouse/hostel in Windhoek, as there are specific schedulde for arriving and departure days. But don't worry, I had to do that, and I endend with to others people going to harnas at my guesthouse, so it was great. And Windhoek isn't that bad. I don't know about the flights, but check on the internet, i think Lufthansa goes there, as well as South African Airways, BA, etc. About climate: during the day it's great, something between 25 °C min. and 35°C max. But during the night, it's a bit different. Where you'll sleep is "house" (i dont know the english word sorry) with two wooden walls and two in mosquito net, so the temperature in your house will go down to something 3 °C. We pretty much all slept in trousers, T-Shirt, Sweatshirt, socks etc. You'll take a few days to adapt, but after that you won't really bother. About the animals, it's just gonna be great. I don't want to say too much so you'll have the surprise, but you'll have a lot of contacts with all kind of animals, from baboons, donkey, birds, ducks to cheetas, leopard, zeebra, lions. One advice, take more money that you think you'd need, because you're gonna want to buy lots of sodas, chocolates bars and cigarettes if you smoke, altough i'll recommend to buy them at the airport if you can, i think it's cheaper. It's not that the food is bad, because it's very good, it's just that there's usually not enough. But it's okay, and it's probably the only very small "downside" to that wonderful place. Hope this will help |
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| Back to top | Location: Unknown | 5 Posts |
| Posted: Wed Feb 4, 2009 11:14 am |
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| Hi,
I've not been so can't give you much information about what its going to be like. I also booked with Real Gap (Kinda regretting it, but no point dwelling on it). As for flights, I've booked a round the world ticket, but had to book my flight to Windhoek separately which was £220 return from Jo'burg with Comair (a BA company). My flight to Jo'burg is with BA. If you search on the BA website, you'll find that a return to Jo'burg is around £600. Although I'm not sure if you'll get it cheaper if you go with a company like STA. You've got plenty of time to phone around and get quotes. Ashley x |
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| Back to top | Location: Unknown | 50 Posts |
| Posted: Sat Feb 7, 2009 4:04 pm |
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| Thank you so much for your replies - your advice was exactly the kind of thing I was after. I've had a look on the Enkosini site, so thanks Sebh0304 for that link. It's a few hundred pounds cheaper than RealGap and it's good to know that it's a trustworthy organisation.
The temperatures sound ok too. I kind of like that it gets cool at night as I hate trying to sleep in roasting, humid heat! I really need to get my thinking cap on as to how to earn the money to go away now. It doesn't help that I keep reading about other things I want to add on, like cage diving with sharks. It's a hard life ey! |
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| Back to top | Location: Unknown | 5 Posts |
| Posted: Mon Feb 9, 2009 8:19 pm |
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| hi
im really interested in going on a conservation project to namibia before uni and was wonderign wether this Enkosini Eco Experience is defiantly a GOOD one to go with as have had my intial plans to go with realgap and frontier let down due to so many bad reportsss pleaseee helpp charlotte x p.s which office did u contact south african or american as im from england  |
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| Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 6:08 pm |
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| Hey
i am going to Noah's Ark in august anyone else? i am also struggling how to raise the money as i am at school full time and half the weekend any tips anyone? I am also from england and i just emailed them to get the application form etc. but thats as far as i have got! help please i dont even no wher to begin to plan all this
lotte xx |
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| Back to top | Location: Unknown | 2 Posts |
| Posted: Sun Mar 1, 2009 11:51 am |
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| hayyy
im possibly going to noahs ark also but i cna help with fundraising ideas whoa re u goign with btw? as in which company im same as you im at college full time so what were doing is ahvign like fancy dress days for our year and getting sponsors for it and selling ice lollies that we have brought cheap from supermarkets and krispy kreme donought company give like massive packs of donughts to u for cheap for fundraising so were goign to sell them also a couple fo my guy friends are gettign waxed for it and were playing a netball game against our teachers and rugby team and write to your local newspaper to drum up publicity for local busineeses to sponsor you
xxxx |
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| Back to top | Location: Unknown | 2 Posts |
| Posted: Mon Mar 9, 2009 3:40 pm |
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| Heyyy!
Im also planning on volunteering for 4 weeks at Harnas in June. Good to see that other people checked out enkosiniecoexperience, as thats what im hopefully going to book through. Real gap do kind of bump you out your money! I had all the same thoughts as you about the temperature and the likes, and am dying to go cage diving! Ahhhh hurry up and be summer already! Sinead x |
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| Back to top | Location: Unknown | 1 Posts |
| Posted: Wed Apr 8, 2009 6:30 pm |
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| I went to Namibia last year, Air Namibia fly there direct from Gatwick !
Also, book them through www.statravel.co.uk because they give you discounted fares if your under 26 or a student. I got return from gatwick for 469 last year!! |
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| Back to top | Location: Unknown | 3 Posts |
| Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 11:03 am |
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| hey guys,
can anyone recommend travel insurance for this placement - i'm finding it so hard to find cover!! thanks! |
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| Back to top | Location: Unknown | 32 Posts |
| Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 6:32 pm |
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| Hi Soph,
I havent been to this project but went to Zimbabwe last year to work with lions (an animal rarely covered by insurance policies!!) My travel insurance was with endsleigh so it may be worth giving them a look as they do special cover for people volunteering. Have fun reading all the terms and conditions! Gives you a right headache after the 10th different website! lol Katie |
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| Back to top | Location: Unknown | 103 Posts |
| Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 5:54 pm |
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| HI GUYS,
I'm thinking to go to Noah's Ark in spring 2010, can anybody who was there already tell me if you really have intereactions (feeding, playing) with big cats? When you talk about Harnas is the same place then Noah's ark 250 km east from Windhoek? thank you Manu |
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| Back to top | Location: Unknown | 1 Posts |
| Posted: Wed Nov 4, 2009 7:57 pm |
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| Hi everyone,
'm going to Noahs Ark in March 2010 for 4 weeks, I'm also going on my own so really nervous but I have done Aus before and you do meet lots of people!! Anyone else going around this time?? I'm booking with Enkosini too they are the cheapest and alot of people are saying they are great and legite!! x |
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| Back to top | Location: Unknown | 1 Posts |
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