What are the ingredients of a perfect beach holiday? Sun, sea, sunbathing, maybe even surfing, but what about salvation? If you?re looking for a beach holiday with a difference, why not combine it with animal conservation work? All over the world there are plenty of seaside breaks when you can make an active difference. Here?s our pick of the best:<br><br>Bush and Beach<br><br>How about trying sun, sea and safari at this picturesque South African game reserve? The Kariega Conservation Project is located just fifteen minutes drive from Kenton-on-sea, a small coastal town with pristine beaches. You can spend your days off sipping cocktails at a small beachside bar, or simply sunbathing and swimming in the cool shallows. You could even opt to take a romantic horse-ride along the waves, whilst watching the local children search the numerous rock pools for small fish.<br><br>During the week you?ll be responsible for carrying out animal conservation work at the Kariega reserve. Volunteers will work in four separate areas, conservation, research, community and theory. Conservation involves tasks as diverse as game counts and soil erosion control, and guests should be warned that the work is very hands-on. The research part, amongst other things, involves recording the number of lion kills in the reserve and using modern telemetry to monitor the movement of lions in the reserve. Once a week, volunteers visit a small-underfunded farm school where they can teach the local children English and maths. This is an extremely rewarding experience and for some people it proves to be the highlight of their holidays.<br><br>Goa Way and Help<br><br>The popular tourist resort of Goa, in India, is a place where many people choose to take their beach side holidays. However, the large number of tourists visiting this resort can have a troublesome effect on the local turtle population. Artificial light, increased litter and the illegal sale of turtle eggs have all had implications on marine tourists and if you?re looking for a holiday with a difference, then you?ll be pleased to know that you can do something to help.<br><br>Volunteers are required to help plan campaigns and local events, and to raise awareness on the plight of the sea turtle. Raising awareness involves speaking to tourists and bar owners about the use of artificial lights and sale of turtle eggs. As volunteers work a six hour shift at a time, this leaves plenty of time to enjoy the attractions around the area. The stay can also be combined with meditation and yoga sessions in a local ashram and an overnight stay in an Indian village.<br><br>Monkeying Around in Kenya<br><br>Volunteers who want to spend some time monkeying around on the beaches of Kenya can do no wrong than booking a volunteer placement working with the endangered monkeys at the Colobus Trust. Located near to Colobus Cottage, volunteers will help assist the team in carrying out animal conservation work. This could be anything from collating research on monkeys, to removing vegetation from power lines in order to stop monkeys being electrocuted. Part of the placement involves teaching the local population, and volunteers may find themselves running a school workshop on monkey conservation.<br><br>The working week at the Colobus Trust is from Monday to Friday, so guests will find themselves free at the weekend to enjoy the local facilities. Diani Beach is located nearby and guests can relax by taking a dip in the Indian Ocean. The beach offers a number of watersports and guests can opt to spend time scuba diving, snorkelling or even windsurfing on their beach holiday with a difference.