These past couple of blogs I have mainly been talking about traveling abroad and visiting major tourist attractions. Now that can be enticing to some, however, when you only visit major tourist attractions, you don’t really get a true taste of the country you are traveling to. There is more to a country than just its tourist attractions. So, how can you experience a country like a local?
Well there are many ways, such as staying with a host family or staying in the outskirts of a major city. There is also voluntourism, which has gained popularity in recent years.
Voluntourism is basically what the name implies, traveling to a different country and volunteering. It is a great way to interact with locals, explore uncommon wonders and you get to do some good while you’re at it. Though voluntourism is a bit controversial, I believe that it is a great way to travel as long as you’re mindful.
Traveling in general is rewarding enough, and volunteering while you’re traveling makes the experience even more memorable. You get a deeper understanding of the culture through embedding yourself in it, while making a positive impact.
I personally had a fabulous time when I went to Thailand to volunteer. I volunteered at a local clinic there, while I earned a CPR certificate. I got to stay in a local family’s home in a small village a few hours away from Bangkok. I got to talk to the locals and eat authentic local cuisine, and I must say, Thai food in Thailand is so much better than Thai food in the United States.
The house the other volunteers and I stayed in.
I also got to explore Thailand without having to deal with the hassle of irritating tourists. For instance, the spent a day near a beautiful crystal blue lake, which was basically untouched. The tour company that I traveled with also arranged small trips to common tourist attractions. So not only did I get to explore rural Thailand, but I also got to explore its other wonders.
A beautiful picture of Bangkok, Thailand.
Now I did have a lot of fun, but for those of you who are interested in voluntourism, you have to remember that you are still volunteering. You can have fun while doing, but you have a responsibility, which you cannot neglect.
So, if you do decide to volunteer and travel, make sure to actually do what you signed up for and not get carried away by the distractions. Also make sure to pick a program that you will actually enjoy. I really like medicine, so I decided to volunteer at a local clinic. So, think of your interests and choose the programs that will best fit you.
All in all, voluntourism is a unique and great experience. The locals will treat you like family and show you unique locations that the average tourists would not have the chance to go to. So, enjoy yourself while giving back!
I will say, I have thought about volunteerism before and this post is really making me consider giving it a second thought. I feel like a majority o destinations I want to visit are in bustling, urban environments but there are definitely more quiet, serene ones that I contemplate and think I would enjoy. I have considered becoming involved in Global Brigades and going on a brigade with them ver the summer. Additionally I have friends who would go with an organization and stay in hostels there and work for two weeks and have a couple day break where they were free to explore and partake in several activities. I forget exactly what the company was called but it took them everywhere from Arizona to Cuba to Peru to Costa Rica. I feel like having this set out plan would be ideal and give you a true emulsion into the culture of the country you visit as opposed to traveling like a standard tourist and missing hidden attractions that are sometimes arguably better than the well-known ones.