What is volunteer travel?

2010-03-22 - Steve Brooks

Are you one of those people who get bored lying on a beach, and who want more of a challenge? Would you prefer to get involved in a collective endeavour with like-minded people, one with a strong social ethos? Then volunteer travel may be an attractive alternative.

Volunteering can take a variety of forms, with differing aims and differing levels of intensity and commitment. It can range from reclaiming old canals in the English Midlands to building new schools in the hills of Lesotho. In terms of time commitment it can range from a few hours at the weekend near your home, to a whole ‘gap year’ in some exotic and hard-to-reach location abroad.

The focus of volunteering holidays can be industrial archaeology, conservation and ecology, education, economic and social development, and dealing with social and political problems. As far as the first two options are concerned the volunteer in Europe and the USA does not need to travel very far from home. In England, the restoration of many previously derelict railways and canals have been completed mainly as the result of volunteer programs made up of enthusiasts prepared to give their time freely to these projects. Similarly, the reclamation of wetlands and other habitats of endangered species have been done largely by volunteers.

For those wishing to travel further afield however, there are other areas to explore. Education is one field of opportunity for those with the appropriate skills and experience. For example, many government schools in Thailand are anxious to expand the teaching of English, but do not have the financial resources to hire native-speaker English teachers. This gap can be filled by volunteer teachers, be they expat retirees giving their time on a pro bono basis, younger people as part of their ‘gap year’ programme, or (especially prevalent in Chiang Mai) young Christian missionaries on church-sponsored outreach programmes. Volunteer English teachers in Chiang Mai are also much appreciated at some temple schools, and at the various orphanages and refuges around the town.


Another challenge is to get involved in trying to alleviate social problems. Of course, this can be done in the volunteer’s own town – churches, charities and voluntary groups are always short of willing helpers. However, some kinds of social work can also be done abroad. In Northern Thailand, for example, there are many low-status groups that do not enjoy the same government support they might in other countries. Examples include AIDS victims and AIDS orphans, the disabled, undocumented refugees and migrant workers, and indigenous ‘hill tribe’ people. Of course, some of this work involves delicate cross-cultural skills, and can also be politically sensitive, but nonetheless there are opportunities here too.

So, if you are bored with holiday hedonism, and wish to make a contribution to the well-being of our planet, there are plenty of opportunities out there.