When considering your next vacation, one of the most important factors to think about is whether you are going to vacation and volunteer in the same trip. I have traveled extensively around the world for the past 20 years and the most recent 6 of those years I have paired volunteering activities with each vacation.  At this point, volunteer vacations and voluntouring is the only way I’ll travel.

Choosing to vacation and volunteer in the same trip is a big decision and not one to be taken lightly.  There are a lot of factors to consider and fortunately there are a myriad of people and organizations standing by to help you do that.  There are also more than enough reasons to tug you over the line of the standard blah, blah vacation to the richness of a volunteer vacation.

Vacationing and Volunteering in the Same Trip is like a peanut butter cup – these two great things go great together.

You have to spend some time analyzing all the factors. Making sure you have a good fit really requires time and thoughtfulness, and is not something you should just rush into.

Solo travelers, families, groups of friends, couples, college students, retirees – vacationing and volunteering together is for anyone.

One of the most important things you can do during your search is to talk to someone that has some experience under their belt and review websites of volunteer service organizations. You should personally visit as many VSO websites as time allows. In general, you should NEVER make your final selection without choosing at least 3 top choices and then running them by someone with experience.

Yes, figuring out how to choose the right vacation and volunteering package is somewhat complex, but a carefully planned end goal will help you through the process.

Here are 10 reasons why vacationing and volunteering in the same trip is priceless:

Reason 1 – If you book your voluntour through a non-profit 501-c3 organization, you will likely be able to write off some of your travel expenses and save on income taxes.   Right away you benefit by making your vacation and volunteer trip more affordable.

Reason 2 – You will be able to meet the culture of the country you visit at the level it really exists.  The bond you form with the people when you volunteer vs being just a tourist, is priceless and comes with many other benefits.  You learn to shop where the locals shop and get the same deals the locals get.  Another money saver.

Reason 3 – In many cases you can pair language classes up with your volunteering and touring so that you start to build new language skills.  This can come in handy with friends, family and your career.

Reason 4 – In most cases you get to choose the volunteer activity whether it be out door environmental activities, working with animal shelters, orphanages, teaching in schools, building homes and much much more.  You gain new skills that you can take with you.

Reason 5 – The experience of volunteering while vacationing is life changing plain and simple.  You will not go away without a profound impact on your life and your world outlook.

Reason 6 – Most voluntour packages include travel to and from the airport, housing, meals, travel to and from the volunteer activities and language classes, travel insurance and support services.  Although your transport from your home country to the vacation spot is on your own dime, the all inclusive nature of most packages helps simplify the logistics.  Some VSO’s even package in your choice of tours or volunteer adventure treks.

Reason 7 – Most VSO’s focus on eco-tourism, trying to ensure that the travel and all of the related activities are environmentally sound and as green as possible.

Reason 8 – Your participating in this kind of travel is a world game changer.  You will be part of a peaceful paradigm shift in our world leading to sustainability for everyone.

Reason 9 – If you book as a group, most VSO’s offer discounted pricing.  Also, there are sometimes ways to earn scholarships, earn academic credit or fund raise to obtain the funds necessary to travel in this fashion.

Reason 10 – If the other 9 reason haven’t swayed you, then perhaps, the simple fact that you get to feel good that you gave back to a country that blessed you with the richness of their culture during your visit.

I hope you found this information helpful and inspiring. When choosing to vacation and volunteer in the same trip, be sure you don’t overwhelm yourself with information. Each site visit will blur into the next and you won’t have a clear picture of everything you just reviewed.  Take time, visit one or two sites a day, take notes, and already have in mind what is important to you.

No matter how well you think you know a VSO (volunteer service organization), you can learn a lot (good or bad) by spending a few hours searching the net or speaking with a specialist. When evaluating how to vacation and volunteer in the same trip, talking to someone with experience should be near the top of your list.