A holiday spent volunteering is a great way to get to know local people and the environment, as well as make a real difference.
Assist scientists in their work with the Earthwatch Institute. This international non-profit organisation puts people in the field to help scientists working on rainforest conservation and similar projects. You can choose from more than 130 expeditions in 47 countries.
Support charitable work by undertaking an overseas challenge – such as cycling through Vietnam, Cambodia or Sri Lanka – as part of the Oxfam Challenge or CARE Australia programs. Participants must qualify by meeting a fundraising target first, whereby the proceeds are split between the costs of the trip and supporting overseas charitable work.
Work with communities in Africa, Asia and the Pacific with Volunteer Service Abroad. Since 1962, this non-religious, non-government, non-profit organisation, based in Wellington, New Zealand, has recruited skilled New Zealanders for overseas voluntary work in developing countries.
Help educate children in the Peruvian Andes, raising their living standard and general health, by volunteering with Peru’s Challenge. Volunteers book their own trips and devote some of their travel time to the project. So far, the youngest volunteer has been 13 and the oldest 72.
Clean up some of the world’s beauty spots by booking a tour that allows you to devote a day to tidying Mt Sinai in Egypt or Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, just to name a few. These tours sometimes coincide with the Clean Up the World initiative every September.
