Volunteer Holidays

Volunteer holidays - life experience you'll never forget
For many years volunteer holidays were the domain of independent travellers who wanted to give something back, or young people determined to gain valuable life experience during their gap years. However in the last decade volunteer holidays have become highly organised and are open to people from all backgrounds and of all ages. Many are run or supported by the big international charities, and increasing numbers of eco-tourism organisations are developing volunteering programmes in remote destinations across the world. Before choosing your volunteer holiday, consider the skills you may be able to offer. If you have experience of teaching, have medical training or engineering skills there will be the ideal volunteer opportunity for you. For those who can offer energy, enthusiasm, or simply some time, there are volunteer holidays focused on conservation, gardening, dam building, tourism, arts, and community volunteering.

Volunteer holidays - exotic locations and real people
Volunteer holidays attract people with a can-do attitude who want to help disadvantaged communities and work in geographical areas at risk from pollution, deforestation or erosion. You can expect to meet like-minded people on a volunteering trip, and also work with fascinating people of a totally different culture to you. Also expect to work and play hard, and stay in basic accommodation at the heart of the community you are temporarily serving. A volunteer holiday won't cost the earth but will guarantee the time of your life, whether you are working with special needs children in Costa Rica, caring for aged elephants in Thailand, or diving for a marine conservation project in Madagascar. 

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Volunteer holidays - personal achievements and fantastic memories
In the UK, consider volunteer holidays with the National Trust - planting trees, dredging ponds, painting lighthouses, for example - or look into the many coastal or river conservation projects on offer. Further afield, you might find yourself embarking on a charity trek up Kilimanjaro, building a sand dam and planting trees in Kenya, or teaching computer skills in Jaipur, India. Volunteer holidays can be as short as a week, or as long as a year. What's certain is that you will learn a huge amount about the place you volunteer in, and will return with some amazing holiday memories to cherish.

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