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There is no shortage of stories about lawyers and snakes. This one, though, is a little different…

Callan Neilson is currently doing his six month lodge placement at world renowned Singita Lebombo. He has already learnt so much since the beginning of his course and Callan feels that he had been given a opportunity to work with the “best in the industry and get the best start to his guiding career”.

The Navigation and Orientation course forms an integral part of the Professional Field Guide course. Cara put her new found Trails guiding skills to the test and joined the course for a few activities to see what it was all about.

“It’s a feeling that I think everyone needs to experience on foot in this remote corner of the Kruger” says Mike Kirby who became a back-up Trails guide as part of his Lodge Placement program with us.

Cara Pring gave the Trails Guide experience a second chance. This time at our Mashatu camp in Botswana. With amazing memories of breaks atop great koppies overlooking springs and marshes with vereaux eagles soaring above and ellies crossing rivers in the distance, it left a great impression on Cara.

As part of his lodge placement, Sean Harris has been working at Singita Lebombo, Kruger National Park. It has been an unforgettable experience so far and Sean has come to realise the true meaning of this statement: “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life…”

Isabella Barreca recently completed her Trails Guide course at Mashatu as part of her one year Professional Field Guide qualification. She describes her morning from the first waking call to experiencing the wonders of Mother Nature on foot.

From the moment you step foot into Mashatu game reserve, you will be in awe. With its beautiful landscapes, world famous rock formations, baobabs and a vast variety of game, you will not be disappointed.

The Makuleke camp is located in the wildest and most remote part of the Kruger National Park and offers a variety of wildlife, vegetation and landscapes, not to mention the welcoming staff and good standard of accommodation in this camp.

I will admit that there is definitely something special about Makuleke. The combination of baobabs, nyala trees and fever trees makes for a magical forest.

It was an exciting week at our camp as a pack of eight wild dogs were released on the Mashatu Game Reserve. With a little luck on our side the students got to be the very first people to see them after being released.

Since her first course with EcoTraining in 2015, Phoebe Mottram was hooked and came back for three other courses afterwards. “To put it simply EcoTraining has changed my life and I can’t thank them enough for that”!