Volunteer Travel

There’s nothing more rewarding than giving – particularly where it is most needed. Your visit to a beautiful country can be further enhanced by giving something to that country – and you might be surprised how small an effort on your part can make a significant difference in the lives of others. Central America is a land of lush forests and stunning ancient ruins, vibrant cities and serene beaches – and also alarming poverty. The developing nations of this region including Guatemala, Honduras, and Costa Rica are undergoing rapid economic and social change. Schools, clinics, and other essential services are in need of support.

Volunteering can not only be a way to express your values, but provide an intimate glimpse into the country that most tourists would miss. A team of Canadian RealTravelers, the Rotaract Club, wrote this of their volunteering experience in Honduras:

“After a musical and festive lunch by the pool, Amelia, a Rotaractor from Guatemala, showed us to a nearby village, where we wandered around the marketplace and soaked up some local culture. We came back to meet up with the other Rotaracters to work on our community project: we sorted and organized an entire roomful of donated clothing to give to impoverished members of community. We helped children choose clothes that fit, and then watched them scramble away smiling as they eagerly clutched their new belongings.

We returned to our hotel to prepare for our safari- or animal-themed dinner. After a candlelit meal by the pool, we went to go see the Miss and Mr. Central America Rotaract contest, which our lovely Uliana was a contestant in. There was some very intense competition, but Uliana triumphed as Queen of Central America with an improvised ballet rendition to “Lady in Red,” with her King of Central America being a wonderful young man named Hershel from Belize. Still glowing with victory, we all headed to bed.” (more…)

It is definitely possible to combine volunteering with tourism, taking in the local sights and attractions as well as working to benefit your host country. However, it is important to plan ahead and organize your trip around your volunteer opportunity, rather than try and casually pick one up after you arrive. Many organizations exist that can help you, either with a group tour that includes volunteering or that can welcome you when you arrive. These include Rotary International, Habitat for Humanity, WorldTeach, and others. Volunteer groups are usually based on one service they provide or value they promote: providing shelter, food, or health services; teaching literacy and languages; assisting with farming or ecological conservation.

Some service organizations provide packages that require a fee to take care of your lodging, administrative costs, and support of the program. This shouldn’t discourage you, since it will most likely still be a bargain compared with resort-style travel. If the package doesn’t include a home or hotel stay, don’t worry – hotels in most of Central America are very inexpensive.

A volunteering visit often will take the willing traveler to a rural area most tourists would miss. Chances are good that you will fly in and out of a major city, offering plenty of chances to indulge in some urban or resort tourism before and after your volunteer opportunity. After helping build an orphanage or clothe the needy, that margarita on the beach will taste so much sweeter.

Resources:

Costa Rica Travel Guide
San Jose, Costa Rica Hotels
Costa Rica Trips
Honduras Travel Guide
Honduras Trips
Guatemala Guide

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From the rushing waters of Iguazu Falls in Argentina and Brazil, to the breathtaking limestone islands of Halong Bay in Vietnam, to the snow-crested peaks of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, to the rose red rock formations of Uluru National Park in Australia, the world is alive and sparkling with awe-inspiring natural wonders. Sublime sights like these are the impetus for many a traveler’s wanderlust; the desire to see nature’s most beautiful creations is surely the reason travel agents’ phones begin to ring.

As the world becomes more environmentally conscious, a new form of travel is gaining popularity. Conservation travel is a fantastic way to both see and enjoy some of the world’s most breathtaking natural wonders, and to help do one’s part in making sure those wonders stay wonderful. Many travelers in the RealTravel community have lent themselves to nature, helping plant trees in El Salvador, clean up beaches in Hawaii, bathe and feed elephants in Chiang Mai, and much more. RealTravelers Rotaract Club, a group of volunteers from Canada, went to El Salvador last year where they “contributed to local service projects, met amazing people, learned about Salvadoran culture and had a great time.” During their trip, they traveled to Coatepeque to help plant trees. Here’s an inspiring excerpt from their journal, Day 13: Second Day with New Acropolis:

“As we worked alongside the local volunteers, we learned the importance of the projects we were doing. The trees we were planting help prevent erosion during the rainy season, which is coming up from May to September. We built rock walls (seven in total!) to catch mud and debris as it slides down the barren landscape when it rains. This keeps it out of the lake and protects surrounding communities…”

Later, the Rotaract Club were able to see the fruits of the previous volunteer group’s labors, and witness the ways in which their efforts in El Salvador would benefit the local community:

“We working in the same area that last year’s travelers from our district went to, so we got a chance to look at the walls they built and the trees they planted. The trees had grown a lot in one year—Sandy stood beside one (he participated in this project last year) and it had grown taller than him! The rock walls they had built had worked at stopping mud from flowing down the hill! After only one rainy season, they were almost entirely covered with sand. Volunteers in the Coatepeque region have set a goal to plant 2000 trees this year—we were glad we could help them achieve it.” (more…)

Tips for Conservation Travelers

If you’re itching to see some of the world’s most gorgeous natural wonders and pitch in at the same time, many special tour and travel companies are out there to assist you in planning. The Nature Conservancy is a great place to start. They’ve been working for years to “save the last great places on earth,” with travel tours to destinations like Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, the Walrus Islands in Alaska, and Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest.

Another great organization is Ecovolunteer, a group that organizes trips to places not usually accessible tourists. On their tours, you get the opportunity not only to see unique natural wonders, but to help local communities, work on nature conservation projects, and even work with wildlife like rhinos in Swaziland, wild horses in Mongolia, or dolphins in Italy. Whatever your interests, travel groups focused on volunteer work and conservation are abundant, and easy to find via a quick internet search. Costs, duration of trips, and types of work vary, but what each conservation travel experience has in common is the chance to see beauty and to create beauty by volunteering.

More Useful Links
Volunteer Travel
Iguazu Falls Travel Guide
Halong Bay Travel Guide
Colorado Travel Guide
Hotels in Colorado
El Salvador Travel Guide

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