STA Travel US

I spent an entire week with one of the biggest cats on the planet.  It is amazing how big they are even at 15 months.  For how intimidating they can be at first, they’re just teenagers. It was an invaluable experience watching them socialize and hunt while you are just a few yards away!

The project itself is in Livingstone, Zambia. I was able to go on numerous lion walks with the cubs. The lion cubs ranged from 14 – 16 months in age. I was able to experience and monitor all sorts of behavior patterns that the cubs exhibited including stalking prey and how they interact with each other. As a volunteer, I was able to help in so many ways including anti-poaching snare sweeps, conservation seminars at local schools, assisting the Zimbabwe breeding program, elephant monitoring, aiding ‘Lion Encounters’ and so much more.

The project also supports the local community, as many of the projects handlers are from the local villages. This experience will forever help shape who I am, the way I live, the choices I make and the path I will take next.

That’s why I volunteer.

Brandon A.

As I stepped off the plane in Cape Town, the warm summer air hit my face and utter disbelief set in. I was in South Africa. I shuffled through baggage claim wondering what I was doing. I set off to participate in a volunteer project, but I don’t think I had any idea what that actually meant, or how it would change me.

My volunteer coordinator, Kate, from African Impact took me on an introductory drive through the Cape to show me where I would be working. Helping teachers in a pre-school in Masiphumelele, painting a wall in Oceanview, providing some much needed assistance at a pre-school in Redhill, feeding children before school in Capricorn, and playing with kids at a safe house in Noordhoek. My eyes were opened to the warmth of the people and the need in the Western Cape.

I read books, taught classes, wiped noses, and painted very straight lines and magical flowers. I danced and sang, broke-up fights, pushed swings, and raced spare tires. But really I met people, like Jackie, a 4-year-old from Masiphumelele. At first, you saw a little girl who would pick fights with the boys and rip kids from swings. Then you noticed at snack time she didn’t have anything, and then at naptime she gave the sweetest hugs and that tough exterior melted away. Uncle Donovan is the man who runs a safe house for 15 children almost entirely on his own. He was once a wealthy man, but then saw the need to provide a safe place for children to live. The government only supports six, but he doesn’t care about the financial burden. He only sees the precious lives he’s saving.

At the end of the week the disbelief set back in, but this time it’s because I was done. Eight days is enough time to fall completely in love with the people of Cape Town, but it is not enough time to spend with them. I will miss the dirty hands and runny noses that greeted me every morning, and African time…oh how I will miss the slower, sweeter pace of life.

And, that my friends is why I volunteer.

Rebekah D.

Have your own experience here.

- Public bicycles are called “barclays”

- The city tends to be a little formal in its attire, so bust out your poshest outfit.

- Tips are usually included on most checks, but if not, a pound or two at most will do. 

- Chips are french fries, Crisps are potato chips, and Sarnies are sandwiches. 

- The main airport is Heathrow. The Gatwick terminal is the gateway to most European flights and Stanstead and Luton terminals handle the smaller airlines. 

- Black cabs will get you where you need to go quickly, but you’ll have to pay! To save some cash have your hotel or restaurant call a local mini cab for you. 

About a month ago, we launched a nationwide search for two photography interns. The lucky two will be going on a tour of the U.S. catching all sorts of great imagery for STA Travel. Here is a little bit about the two girls we selected.

Meet Coralie -A lover of languages and the road less travelled, she has been a globe-trotter and polyglot from an early age. Born and raised in the South of France, she has lived in Canada as a student and Russia as a French lecturer, where she took the opportunity to backpack across both countries, walking on bear trails and facing the Siberian winter while juggling between five languages. The 20-year-old is now interning as a journalist at the United Nations headquarters in New York, and hopes to pursue a career as a multimedia reporter combining her love of languages and photography.

Meet Katherine - Whether it is swimming across the top of Victoria Falls in Zambia, high-fiving lions in South Africa, singing about bananas in Italy or stuffing her face full of street food, Katherine has always found unique ways to occupy her time while traveling. Born in New York City, this writer, photographer and world-traveler boarded her first plane at only four days old - and hasn’t stopped since. She has been to all 50 states, visited nearly 40 countries, and lived on four continents. These days, when she is not documenting her travel adventures on paper or through a lens, she can be found back in her birth city planning events and working on a children’s book. Her favorite places to visit are Scotland, Laos, Bali, and Southern Africa, where she has been involved with various conservation projects.

Congrats, to the these very talented ladies! We can’t wait to see the images the capture for us.