Travel, it could be argued, is a selfish act. We want to see the world, experience something outside of our culture, taste foreign flavors, see historic sights, broaden our horizons and enrich our own lives. And so even the most budget-conscious among us spend a fair bit of cash to do so. There’s nothing wrong with this, but if you want to give a little a back on your travels or help better the local community, consider a voluntourism trip.

Some people balk at the idea of paying money to volunteer, but there are some perks to going with a voluntourism trip as opposed to trying to go it on your own. First off, the organizer will take care of all the details for you. To arranging the location where you’ll be working to finding you cheap international flights and inexpensive lodging, they do all the legwork. Plus you know that you’ll be working at a reputable place, rather than one that just puts on a good face for foreigners. And not all voluntourism companies are expensive, you can find some pretty cheap volunteer programs that even put together a package that would cost less that if you did it on your own. Nearly all will give you some time to yourself as well, and most will allow you to cheaply add on a few extra days to explore your destination after the volunteer project is through.

Photo by dheuer