Volunteer travel advice
Choosing a placement
Ellie Petrie, from our supplier Pod Volunteer, shares her volunteer travel advice:
“Think about whether you want a structured placement with a stricter timetable. We often find that with animal placements, you wake up at six, you do a feeding, you’re cleaning at ten, then there’s another job to do. We have teaching placements with a similar structure. We also have our own volunteer coordinators there, so if you’re slightly nervous and you haven’t volunteered before, I would recommend a placement like that. Our placements with less structure might suit a more confident person who wants to take it by the horns and get really involved in it. If we think the volunteer is not suitable, then it’s beneficial to tell them at the application stage and recommend they join a different project – maybe one where there is a team that might be more suited to them, or where their skills are more relevant.”
“Think about whether you want a structured placement with a stricter timetable. We often find that with animal placements, you wake up at six, you do a feeding, you’re cleaning at ten, then there’s another job to do. We have teaching placements with a similar structure. We also have our own volunteer coordinators there, so if you’re slightly nervous and you haven’t volunteered before, I would recommend a placement like that. Our placements with less structure might suit a more confident person who wants to take it by the horns and get really involved in it. If we think the volunteer is not suitable, then it’s beneficial to tell them at the application stage and recommend they join a different project – maybe one where there is a team that might be more suited to them, or where their skills are more relevant.”
Our Volunteer travel Vacations
Endangered wildlife conservation in South Africa
Award-winning, Fair Trade certified wildlife conservation!
From
US $1544
14 days
ex flights
Seychelles Island conservation vacation
Volunteer on an exclusive island paradise in the Seychelles!
From
US $2800
4 weeks
ex flights
Thailand wildlife sanctuary volunteering vacation
Volunteering break at a wildlife sanctuary in Thailand
From
£739
7 days
ex flights
Family vacation with volunteering in India
A truly fun & rewarding experience for families of any size
From
US $594
7 days
ex flights
Whale & dolphin research in Ligurian Sea, Italy
Whale and dolphin conservation trip
From
€795
6 days
ex flights
Rainforest conservation in the Amazon, Peru
Conservation & Community Development in the Amazon. Awesome!
From
£1695
14 days
ex flights
Namibia wildlife sanctuary volunteering vacation
Care for rescued animals in Namibia
From
£895
15 days
ex flights
Reef conservation volunteering in Belize
Live on a private Caribbean island
From
£995
7 days
ex flights
Teaching assistant volunteering in Kerala
Make the most of your vacations with volunteer travel India
From
US $679
7 days
ex flights
Borneo Wildlife Volunteer Project
Encounter orangutans and elephants in the Bornean jungle.
From
£1295
12 days
ex flights
Volunteer with turtles in Costa Rica
Protect nesting turtles on Costa Rica's beautiful beaches
From
£889
7 days
ex flights
Marine conservation vacation in Thailand
Join an innovative marine conservation programme on Koh Tao
From
£845
7 days
ex flights
Volunteer with monkeys in South Africa
Help re-habilitate orphaned monkeys in beautiful rural South Africa
From
£769
10 days
ex flights
Family volunteering with turtles in Costa Rica
Family turtle conservation volunteering in Costa Rica
From
£709
7 days
ex flights
Conservation volunteering in Belize
Join an award winning research team in Belize
From
£895
7 days
ex flights
Family volunteering with bears in Romania
Unique family volunteering vacation at a bear sanctuary
From
£925
7 days
ex flights
Marine conservation in Belize
Help us protect coral reefs and marine ecosystems!
From
US $1330
5 days
ex flights
Trek & volunteer in Nepal, help rebuild it
Join helping hands with us to rebuild in Nepal
From
US $799 to US $855
12 days
ex flights
Volunteering with bears in Romania
Volunteer at an inspiring bear sanctuary in Transylvania
From
£925
7 days
ex flights
Horse rehabilitation project in South Africa
Work hands on with horses on the South African coast
From
£895
7 days
ex flights
Madagascar conservation volunteering vacation
Conservation in beautiful Madagascar
From
£845
7 days
ex flights
Teach children in Patagonia, Chile
Teach English in the magnificent scenery of Chile, Patagonia
From
US $4973
12 weeks
ex flights
Raja Ampat diving project, Indonesia
Dive and conserve the stunning coral reefs of Raja Ampat
From
£1095 to £3550
15 days
ex flights
Malawi volunteering vacation
Volunteer at Africa's top wildlife sanctuary
From
£1370 to £4350
14 days
ex flights
Borneo family volunteering vacation
Encounter orangutans and meet local tribes in magical Borneo
From
£795
7 days
ex flights
Family volunteering in Thailand
Family wildlife sanctuary volunteering in Thailand
From
£739
7 days
ex flights
Belize marine conservation internship
Hands-on conservation experience on idyllic Caribbean island
From
US $3460
4 weeks
ex flights
Carnivore conservation & research in Namibia
Rehabilitate and release cheetah in the wilds of Namibia
From
£1135
17 days
ex flights
Volunteer with children & animals in South Africa
Volunteer with children and wild animals in South Africa.
From
€550 to €3990
7 days
ex flights
Namibia carnivore conservation & research project
Assist the team as a Big Cat Conservation Volunteer!
From
£1135
17 days
ex flights
Tips on how long to volunteer for
Jon Arnold, from our volunteer vacation supplier Oyster Worldwide:“It’s got to be longer term volunteering when you’re working with people in a teaching environment. A two-week vacation teaching in a school wouldn’t benefit the volunteer or the project at all. There are organisations that do offer two-week vacations – and they work fine for a project that works with animals, you can get stuff done on day one. But when things are about working in a community or in a school, with basic living conditions in a lot of cases, it takes time to find your feet as a volunteer, for the school to work out your skills and how best to use them, and if you’re only there two weeks it’s gone before you’ve really got your teeth into it.”
Where you’ll be living on wildlife conservation vacations
Erin Sparks, from our supplier, PoD Volunteer:
“If anything we describe the accommodation as more basic than it is. It’s very difficult because everyone has different expectations, but all accommodation is of a very livable standard, just remember that if you are working with animals, often in earthy and wet environments, it is impossible to keep living spaces pristine. Some are dorms, others you share with between two and four people – it varies and volunteers are responsible for keeping their area clean and tidy. You’re there to slot in and help out as opposed to be waited on hand and foot.”
“If anything we describe the accommodation as more basic than it is. It’s very difficult because everyone has different expectations, but all accommodation is of a very livable standard, just remember that if you are working with animals, often in earthy and wet environments, it is impossible to keep living spaces pristine. Some are dorms, others you share with between two and four people – it varies and volunteers are responsible for keeping their area clean and tidy. You’re there to slot in and help out as opposed to be waited on hand and foot.”
Why volunteer organisations charge fees
Jon Arnold, from our supplier Oyster Worldwide:“We were very thankful after the Nepal earthquake as we made contact with everyone within two hours of the earthquake hitting. Thankfully everyone was safe and in different places, we got them all out within about a week or so but there was no rush – they were fine. People often say, ‘why have I got to pay for this?’ And that’s the nub of it – hopefully you’re never going to need the support that you’re paying for, but it is there just in case. We have representatives or project coordinators in each of the destinations that we send people to, and it is their job to liaise with us and be there as a friend for the participants. Particularly for the younger ones, it’s about balancing that level of support and independence. Quite often it’s their first time traveling but they’re adults, they’re 18, so we try and let them be as independent as possible. However, they can be safe in the knowledge that there is a support network in place should they need any help and advice, and if anything really does go wrong, then we’re there.”
Marine conservation vacation tips
Becky Edwards from Pod Volunteer on why there is such a great need for volunteers on marine conservation and research projects – and how valuable these placements are: “Research is incredibly labour intensive, it can be a case of counting something again and again in different areas. It’s incredibly repetitive and very hard for one scientist to do on their own. In Thailand they monitor coral predators, which includes a particular species of snail. They count the number in a specific area, and all that data gets fed back into a report. Over the course of two years, volunteers were feeding into that – millions of snails were counted! Day to day, that’s not a skilled job. Once you’ve identified them on the first day, they’re very easy to count. The report was published in a marine biology journal last year, and has been really influential in the policies that have been put in place by the marine protection agency in Thailand. We’ve worked with that project for several years, and it’s lovely to see the influence they’ve had because of data collected by volunteers. It’s made genuine changes on the ground – that’s massive.”Health & safety for volunteers
HEALTH
SAFETY
Our top Volunteer travel Vacation
Endangered wildlife conservation in South Africa
Award-winning, Fair Trade certified wildlife conservation!
From
US $1544
14 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2019: 23 Sep, 7 Oct, 21 Oct, 4 Nov, 18 Nov, 2 Dec
2020: 13 Jan, 27 Jan, 10 Feb, 24 Feb, 9 Mar, 23 Mar, 6 Apr, 20 Apr, 4 May, 18 May, 1 Jun, 15 Jun, 29 Jun, 13 Jul, 27 Jul, 10 Aug, 24 Aug, 7 Sep, 21 Sep, 5 Oct, 19 Oct, 2 Nov, 16 Nov, 30 Nov, 14 Dec, 28 Dec
2019: 23 Sep, 7 Oct, 21 Oct, 4 Nov, 18 Nov, 2 Dec
2020: 13 Jan, 27 Jan, 10 Feb, 24 Feb, 9 Mar, 23 Mar, 6 Apr, 20 Apr, 4 May, 18 May, 1 Jun, 15 Jun, 29 Jun, 13 Jul, 27 Jul, 10 Aug, 24 Aug, 7 Sep, 21 Sep, 5 Oct, 19 Oct, 2 Nov, 16 Nov, 30 Nov, 14 Dec, 28 Dec
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Volunteer travel or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.
Advice from our travelers
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travelers are often... other travelers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do - and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful volunteering vacation travel advice that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your placement - and the space inside your suitcase.
We have selected some of the most useful volunteering vacation travel advice that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your placement - and the space inside your suitcase.
Don't expect 5 star accommodation but sheer island beauty and a very very comfortable camping like situation. And know that by you supporting the operator, this will improve over time.
- Dominique Bousquet, marine conservation in Belize
It does get messy....old clothes, good boots and some quality gloves that still allow you dexterity but are also washable. - Clanci Ferguson - Volunteering with bears in Romania
Ask any questions you have before you go. They were always prompt and helpful with any questions that I had so I was prepared with what I would be doing and what to take. - Esther Ostrower, Volunteering with bears in Romania
Learn some of the basic language (which I did not do but it would have helped!) and be prepared to just jump in and help with whatever needs doing! Some of the work is not glorious but needs to be done and by having volunteers it frees up the people at the sanctuary to do the other things they need to do. - Amanda Hathway, Volunteering with bears in Romania
Ask any questions you have before you go. They were always prompt and helpful with any questions that I had so I was prepared with what I would be doing and what to take. - Esther Ostrower, Volunteering with bears in Romania
Learn some of the basic language (which I did not do but it would have helped!) and be prepared to just jump in and help with whatever needs doing! Some of the work is not glorious but needs to be done and by having volunteers it frees up the people at the sanctuary to do the other things they need to do. - Amanda Hathway, Volunteering with bears in Romania
Throw yourself into it, the more you put in the more you get out. Some aspects are a little messy but embrace them because your time there is never long enough, and is something you will yearn for when you get home.
- Hans Berents, Volunteering with bears in Romania
At only 18, I was very anxious about going to Brasov by myself for 5 weeks, but it was easily the best experience I have had and 5 weeks was not long enough! - Chloe Grable, Volunteering with bears in Romania
Go prepared to learn, there's loads of really interesting marine ecology information to learn as part of the Environment Management Programme. There are interesting and knowledgeable people there, who are enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge. - Stephen Orwin, Marine conservation vacation in Thailand
Take a trip to a charity shop before you leave to buy shirts/tshirts etc as part of the fun is getting wet and dirty when cleaning and playing with the monkeys. Leaving things behind when you depart helps other volunteers. Take a pack of rubber gloves and leave behind what you don't use. - Sara Lee, Volunteer with monkeys in South Africa
Go prepared to learn, there's loads of really interesting marine ecology information to learn as part of the Environment Management Programme. There are interesting and knowledgeable people there, who are enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge. - Stephen Orwin, Marine conservation vacation in Thailand
Take a trip to a charity shop before you leave to buy shirts/tshirts etc as part of the fun is getting wet and dirty when cleaning and playing with the monkeys. Leaving things behind when you depart helps other volunteers. Take a pack of rubber gloves and leave behind what you don't use. - Sara Lee, Volunteer with monkeys in South Africa
More about Volunteer travel
Volunteering abroad used to be a long term commitment for a highly qualified few. Today, opportunities have opened up for people of all skill levels, in virtually every country in the world.
If you're wondering how to choose a volunteering vacation, we've broken down the main types of trips - from highly skilled teaching or healthcare placements to unskilled wildlife and habitat projects.
For anyone worried about how to choose a responsible volunteering company, the best way is to look at our 10 questions to ask your volunteer company.
With volunteer opportunities opening up across the world, choosing where to go on a volunteering vacation can be one of the most exciting - and daunting - parts of the process.
Wildlife conservation vacations span a broad variety of tasks and trips, and in many cases mean you will actually spend little or no time at all with the wildlife.
Marine conservation volunteering vacations frequently involve spending time under the surface, but PADI training is often factored in to the itinerary and cost.
Volunteering with children is a very sensitive area and one that requires the most stringent guidelines, which is why we have sought the advice of industry experts to form our own.
Family volunteering vacations, like families, come in all shapes and sizes, but what they all tend to have in common is that they mix fun with hard work.
Ensuring your volunteer placement is responsible is not just a nice add-on - its an essential part of choosing and participating in a volunteering vacation.
Find all of our Volunteering guides in one place, for particular countries such as Borneo, India or Namibia.
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Photo credits: [Page banner: US Army Africa] [Choosing a placement: Audrey]
[Where you'll be living: Eric Audige-Soutter]
[Health & safety: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade]
[Review 1: bobistraveling]
[Review 2: NH53]
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