7 Great Volunteer Vacations
Give back — while getting a break and dropping a few pounds.
Article By: Mike Olson
When money is tight, taking an active vacation may seem like a selfish idea. But what if you could journey to a scenic locale for a reasonable cost, get a lot of exercise, and bank some good karma, too?
Enter volunteer vacations.
How to find a great volunteer trip
Use these sites.
ResponsibleTravel.com, CharityGuide.org, and Expedia.com are good sources to find volunteer trips. You can also search the Internet by interests and destinations, such as “sailing” and “volunteer vacations.”
Ask their age.
Stick with well-established travel companies. “If an organization is around for 20 or 30 years, you know that it’s a good one.” says writer Pam Grout.
Check references.
The travel company should be happy to put you in touch with people who’ve taken trips recently.
“If you a pick a dream country you’ve always wanted to go to, there’s going to be a volunteer vacation there,” says National Geographic writer Pam Grout, author of the book
The 100 Best Volunteer Vacations to Enrich Your Life (National Geographic, 2009). “No matter what your interests or skills, you can find a way to use them to make a difference.”
Want to build houses in Honduras? Or record the growth of saguaros in Arizona? Or save an endangered species in Hawaii? “Pick your passion and then find a vacation where you get to do that thing you love,” advises Grout. Hint: if you don’t care about indoor plumbing, your choices will multiply.
Here are some suggestions. Book early; spots fill fast (if a trip is full, ask about other dates or options). Most trips run 1-2 weeks, and amenities vary. Airfare is not included in the fees. Remember to show up ready to work; you might be on vacation, but these groups take their tasks seriously.