Are Volunteer Vacations Worth the Expense?

A volunteer vacation offers a unique opportunity for you to make a difference in the world. Instead of doing what typical tourists do by seeing the sights and taking in a theatrical show or sporting event, you roll up your sleeves and get physically active to ignite change in undeveloped countries or areas of the globe that need vast improvement to make them safer, healthier, and better for the people that reside in them. If you’ve ever researched a volunteer vacation, you know that most come at a cost to you.

Why Do Some Volunteer Programs Charge Participants Fees?

Participation fees secure your spot on a trip and ensure that the vacation organizers give you all that is promised to you while traveling. It may be a simple place to lay your head, but it does cost someone money to provide it to you. Being aware of program costs helps you determine the value of a volunteer vacation based on your budget as well as what you can contribute to others in the way of labor, skills, and talent.

There are supply and material costs with most programs. You may receive free lodging or meals throughout your volunteer experience. You may also be responsible for paying for your flight to and from your chosen destination. It’s an expense you must be willing to invest in to have this unique travel experience.

What are Some of the Things You’ll Do as a Volunteer?

Volunteer travel opportunities are often as unique as the people that sign up for them. Some are appropriate for doing alone while others you enjoy as a group or family. Whichever option appeals most to you, know that you could potentially be teaching children English in another country, building safe homes for underprivileged people, working with endangered species or wild animals, and even helping to establish gardens in places where none existed before.

The terms and conditions of each program differ, so you must read the fine print and learn what you can about the volunteer vacation opportunity. It’s also advisable to purchase travel insurance as most of the expenses of the trip will be paid for by you. Allowing others to know about your plans could potentially pique their interest in a cause that they weren’t aware of, and they may want to contribute to your travel fund or even join you on your vacation.

A Volunteer Vacation Enriches Lives and Gives You a Unique Travel Experience

A volunteer vacation is a unique opportunity to see the world and make it a better place in the process. By sharing a common goal with other changemakers, you’re able to improve a corner of the globe, one piece of plastic or sturdy home built at a time. If travel has always interested you, but so has philanthropy, the cost of a volunteer vacation program is well worth its expense for you. After all, when else will you get to enjoy an incredible experience quite like it in your lifetime?