Volunteer Vacations – Feel Great For Less!

Vacations can be quite expensive with the two major cost drivers being the flight and hotel stay. Well, if you are willing to donate some of your time and skills, you can reduce your vacations costs. There are dozens of organizations which can help you create a wonderful vacation while also making a difference in the world. The organizations cover any type of volunteer work you can think of and are world wide. So think about it and check out some of these websites for more information. You will find that a vacation is even more memorable when you spend part of it giving back. Here’s another bonus….Your vacation expenses may be tax deductible. Consult your accountant about your options.

For short term vacations/volunteer opportunities, check out the following:

• Give Kids the World Village (800-995-KIDS; http://www.gktw.org). Background checks are required on all volunteers, so apply a minimum of two weeks before your scheduled visit.
• Sea turtle protection programs (http://www.seaturtle.org). This is the clearinghouse for opportunities around the globe.
• Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale Marine Sanctuary (808-246-2860; http://www.hawaiianhumpbackwhale.noaa.gov). Participate in the yearly whale count and other volunteer opportunities.
• Help London stay “green.” The London Wildlife Trust (020-7261-0447; http://www.wildlondon.org.uk) and Thames 21 (020-7248-7171) do good work in London, such as building burrows for the local hedgehog population and keeping the banks of the Thames clean. Very few vacationers help out, so you’ll be paired with actual Londoners, a treat.
• Amigos De Los Animales (http://www.islaanimals.org). Help abandoned pets on Isla Mujeres in Mexico (Mayan Riviera). The staff here speaks English and is willing to take as many or as few hours as you can volunteer.

Also, for additional short and long-term volunteer opportunities, try the Web site RezHub.com (http://www.rezhub.com).

Many volunteer holidays can be done for free or very little cost. Among organizations that promote these types of vacations, check out the following sites:

• WWOOF (http://www.wwoof.org). “Willing Workers on Organic Farms.” Volunteers pay their way in sweat working on sustainable farms all over the world.
• American Hiking Society (http://www.americanhiking.org). Maintaining the networks of trails across the U.S. is their raison d’etre, and they send volunteers to some of the most beautiful spots in all 50 states to do just that. The price tag is usually $245 per trip (to cover camping fees, food and materials).
• British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (http://www.btcv.org.uk). This organization offers conservation holidays at historic sites as well as areas of natural beauty in the British Isles and across Europe. Prices are equivalent to what you’d pay with the American Hiking Society.
• Volunteers for Peace (http://www.vfp.org). This group places travelers in more than 1,000 international work camps across the globe. Projects vary greatly; some current offerings include building a community center in Kenya, teaching conversational English at a school for children with disabilities in Indonesia, and helping with skill training for destitute women in Ethiopia. The minimum you’ll pay is $300 for a two-week vacation (not including airfare).

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