Voluntourism/Volunteer Vacations

Add extra meaning to your holiday by helping the communities you visit. There are plenty of volunteer travel outfits out there that can set it up. It'll be an experience you'll never forget.

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Volunteering one of '6 Ways to Have Authentic Local Experiences When Traveling'

FrontierEnviro If you find it challenging to meet locals out and about, check out some volunteering programs at your destination. Volunteering is one of the best ways to come in contact with people from all sorts of different backgrounds and lifestyles, as well as get familiar with current events and society in the country you’ve traveled to. Plus you’ll get to spend your time doing something positive for the local people and share your blessings. Before you sign up for volunteering, though,…

Started by Tripatini

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Voluntourism cited in 'Using Astrology to Plan Travel this Holiday Season'

fshok.com Still vibrant and popular today, the five-thousand-year-old art of astrology can identify, say, business and romantic opportunities or challenges. And those celestial bodies slinking about the stars can also help pinpoint optimal times and places for travel. And since destinations have their own astro-charts -- which interact with yours -- astrology can even serve as a kind of spiritual travel agent. It can tell you, for example, about places likely to be harmonious or challenging…

Started by Jordan Simon

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How the pandemic has changed voluntourism

The pandemic has indeed transformed the landscape of international volunteering, say researchers. A February survey of 130 volunteer organizations and 239 international volunteers by the International Forum for Volunteering in Development found that the pandemic had spurred volunteer groups to offer more remote volunteering opportunities and consider expanding national volunteer membership in the future. Even as some groups gear for a return to the way it was, others are changing their modus…

Started by José Balido

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5 interesting facts about voluntourism

Devoting holiday time to volunteering continues to boom in popularity, with record numbers of people travelling both domestically and abroad every year. Here are some of the most interesting facts about helping overseas: read post

Started by David Paul Appell

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Dorothy Conlon October 25, 2010 at 5:01pm

I recently returned from Ghana, where I volunteered for 3 weeks with Cross-Cultural Solutions in Hohoe. That'a a seedy but charming small city (30,000) in the Volta Region, 4 hours north of Accra and very near the Togo border. I taught in a government school but other volunteers worked at orphanages or in the hospital. CCS houses and feeds you and provides extra-curricular activities, such as afternoon trips to a spectacular waterfall and to climb a mountain, language lessons in the local dialect, and lectures on cultural background. Weekends we traveled independently to interesting parts of the country. Of all the volunteer organizations I've worked with overseas, I believe CCS is the most efficient and well-run. With my white hair, I was an oddity among those young volunteers, but they enjoyed hearing my stories and even bought my book, "At Home in the World - Memoirs of a Traveling Woman.".
David Paul Appell August 14, 2010 at 10:54pm

Excellent point, Jacquie! I hope we'll get some other pointers here from people who know the scene, too. Hope all is well with you....
David Paul Appell August 14, 2010 at 9:23pm

In today's USAToday, saw interesting piece from AP on "How to Find the Right Volunteer Vacation."

Key point: "With so many options for volunteering abroad, it's difficult to figure out which programs are legitimate — and which ones really do help people in the local communities they serve, for example — and which are just costly vacations with a veneer of volunteerism."

Sites mentioned to help you figure that out: WorldTeach.org, GlobeAware.org, VAOPS.com, UMAbroad.umn.edu, VolunteerInternational.org.
Ed Wetschler July 13, 2010 at 7:44pm

Pennsylvania seeks volunteers to help restore historic cemeteries: http://www.visitpa.com/trip-ideas/pennsylvania-grand-review/conserv...
Steve Natureman Safari June 9, 2010 at 2:00pm

Hi all,
We are Non-profit organization For Charity Work, Volunteer vacations, medical elective placements, Outreach mission trips, Educational Student &school trips.

WE INVITE YOU TO OUR VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME IN OUR CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION FOR MORE INFORMATION: visit http://www.lecdenkenya.com .
Andrea Spirov June 2, 2010 at 6:09am

Hi everyone, Just want to share the story I did on Bernard and Danielle from Border Jumpers. They have some good tips on volunteering in Africa and project suggestions: http://inspiringtravellers.com/2010/06/02/africa-travel-with-border...
Stan & Ginger Duncan May 29, 2010 at 8:41pm

Hello, Fellow Travelers!
For those who like to do something productive during their vacation, while still enjoying all the perks inherent to the locale, may I suggest a Work/Play Vaca on Kodiak Island?! Alderwood Retreat is hosting our fourth annual volunteer week(s) from June 18th - July 2nd. Come lend a hand with building maintenance, trail grooming/repairs, garden prep, etc., then enjoy plenty of time off for hiking/kayaking/beachcombing/fishing!!

Just get your physically fit body & adventurous spirit to the island of Kodiak in the Gulf of Alaska, and we'll cover transport between town & the lodge, and room & board, & we'll provide all the fishing/kayaking gear you need to make the most of the 20+ hours of daylight we have in June!!

E-mail Ginger at aklodgelady@yahoo.com if you're interested in joining this year's crew. Check out www.alderwoodretreat.com to get just a hint of how amazing the "Outback of Alaska" can be!
David Paul Appell May 27, 2010 at 5:38pm

Hello, all! We've had a query from one of our members via our new "Ask A Travel Expert" feature (see below). In order to respond, please do so not on this comment wall but directly to the forum by clicking here.

"Hey guys, just writing an article on voluntourism (inspired by the Tribeswanted piece in the Telegraph over the weekend). Anyone have any suggestions for other voluntourism companies such as Tribeswanted? Cheers, Mike"

Again, please respond here.

PS If you'd like to further extend your reach as a voluntourism expert and/or reach out to potential clients, please consider installing our Ask A Travel Expert widget on your own web site or as an RSS feed on your Yahoo, Google, or other home page.
Julio Cesar May 26, 2010 at 6:22pm

Hi Mike, check out our organizations volunteer program www.karikuy.org/volunteer, and let me know if you have any questions.
Mike Cotton May 26, 2010 at 3:15pm

Hey guys, just writing an article on voluntourism (inspired by the Tribeswanted piece in the Telegraph over the weekend). Anyone have any suggestions for other voluntourism companies such as Tribeswanted? Cheers Mike