Family volunteering vacation activities

Although you will spend plenty of time working out in the forests, jungles or sanctuaries, there will be time built into your schedule to splash out a bit too, depending on the location of course. Some water devotees may want to work in it all the time, and so marine conservation vacations are the ones to seek out in that case. However, if you are working on turtle conservation projects in Costa Rica, for example, you will stay in cabins just metres from the sea, and have time to surf, swim and stroll along the Pacific coast. The trips are tailor made so you can add time at the beginning or end for a complete chill out. On Amazon conservation projects there are fun times to be had white water rafting, or seeking out rainforest lagoons and waterfalls to jump into. In Thailand, jumping in the river after washing elephants in them is par for the course. And if you are working on horse rehabilitation programmes in South Africa, you will not only be riding the horses along the Eastern Cape’s beaches, but also have some time off to enjoy your own beach time, go whale or dolphin watching or learn to surf.

Although you may be working with monkeys in South Africa, elephants in Namibia or Sri Lanka, you will probably want to spend a couple of days having full on family time on safari. When working in a monkey rehabilitation centre in South Africa, you will have a chance to visit the world famous Kruger National Park.

Or in Sri Lanka, the elephant project takes place on the borders of Wasgamuwa National Park where, in additions to elephants, you can see purple-faced langur, macaque, water buffalo and, if you are very lucky, leopard. In Namibia you may have a long journey from the desert to, for example, Damaraland, a vast wilderness where elephant, black rhino, giraffe and springbok can be seen across the endless grasslands on safari. But it will be worth it.

When you work on elephant conservation projects in Namibia, you’ll have a full on desert experience. Down times here take you into a world of sand boarding, quad biking and exploring the extraordinary plains and tree skeletons at Dead Vlei, as well as the dunes at Sossusvlei, some of the world's most towering ones. They are challenging though, so best for older children.

Dreams really do come true in countries like Thailand, Borneo and Sri Lanka where you could spend days exploring the jungles and rainforests when your work in them is done. On wildlife conservation projects in Borneo explore the likes of Sepilok or Kinabatangan wildlife sanctuaries. In Sri Lanka visit the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, the largest expanse of rainforest left in the country, with a canopy as high as 45m.