The Best Volunteer Abroad Programs

Voluntourism is a hot new word that mashes up two familiar concepts - volunteering and tourism. If sitting on the beach sipping cocktails bores you to tears, consider spending your days working on a project to help a local community and then immersing yourself in that community on evenings and free days.

There are dozens of companies that plan these tours and programs for you, so all you have to do is click it and you’ve got your ticket. However, it’s our job to make sure that you get the most bang for your buck and that the money you spend is going directly toward food and lodging or to the cause itself, not to line the pockets of the tour operators. Here are our top five picks for the best volunteer abroad programs around the globe.

Hug it Forward

Help Build Schools in Guatemala
Hug it Forward helps bring volunteers together to build bottle schools in Guatemala. What is a bottle school? It’s a school where the walls are made of used plastic water and soda bottles.

Volunteers tie the bottles together to form a rustic but sturdy structure on the cheap. Through sister organization Serve the World Today, you can arrange a week-long stay that includes food, lodging and some local activities for one price. Going on a volunteer trip doesn’t mean that you have to assemble the trip yourself. Hug it Forward does a great job of helping volunteers prepare for their journey, get there and get trained on how to help.

WWOOF China

Help an Organic Farming Community in China
Connect with nature by helping out small family farmers in China. Once you sign up with a basic membership card, you can browse all of the opportunities in WWOOF’s huge database. If you want to connect with nature, practice your language skills and see how the locals really live, this hands-on voluntour opportunity is perfect for you.

WWOOF is represented in several dozen countries around the world. Their China program has an exceptional number of opportunities in smaller provinces for those who want to see China beyond the Great Wall.

African Impact

Orphan Day Care & HIV/AIDS Education in South Africa
African Impact offers a range of programs around different topic areas, but their real gem is their Orphan Day Care program in South Africa. So many children are orphans because of HIV and AIDS and this voluntour package is as much about helping the community as it is about mutual education. With a minimum 2-week stay, you’ll really make a difference with this program. Airfare to Africa can easily be found at a great discount on Fareboom. Pack your bags for a South African adventure that will leave a mark on your heart.

Sea Turtle Conservancy

Protect Sea Turtles in Costa Rica
Eco-Volunteer Adventure Programs featuring local birds and turtles are great for nature-loving couples and families. The Sea Turtle Conservancy has one to three week sessions running from May through October where you’ll take nightly turtle sighting walks along the shore, complete field research and still have time for some leisure activities. This program blends relaxation with volunteering and does a great job of explaining frequently asked questions for first-time volunteers.

There are loads of agencies that help pair willing volunteers with projects. These four of our favorites don’t even scratch the surface of what’s out there for you to explore. For your next vacation, consider a mix between service and leisure. Since most packages include everything except for your flight, turn to Fareboom to get the best deal on your next voluntourism getaway.

Have you been on a voluntourism vacation? Tell us about it in the comments below.

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