After buying a condo and spending our savings on that, we’ve had to adjust some of our savings for travel. Our goal of someday traveling extensively is absolutely achievable but we are thinking more and more about ways to save money while we travel. The biggest cost on most days is going to be accommodation, even when going the budget route and staying in a dorm in a hostel.
One option that I’ve found over the last week that is incredibly intriguing is Workaway.info. This is a site that lets you volunteer your time in any number of ways, such as staying with a family and teaching their child English, working a reception desk and leading pub crawls or even working in a cat sanctuary in Malaysia. Seriously. In exchange, the hosts usually provide accommodations as well as possibly meals or discounts on tour packages.
Here are four of the most intriguing ones that I’ve found, in each region that we would like to visit:
Spanish School in Guatemala– Volunteering with social media and networking for a Spanish school in the Lake Atitlan region. This region is one of my must-visits in Guatemala and as there are a plethora of outdoor activities in this part of the country. The job would require about 5 hours a day and in exchange we would get a private room.
Create Video Promotions in Chiang Mai– Chiang Mai is supposed to be a great escape from Thailand’s southern beaches, where the temperatures are cooler and the vibe is more calm. A private room, breakfast and dinner, plus a bike and a scooter are provided in return for five hours a day of work interviewing guests and filming local sights. Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!
Working on a resort in Cape Town– South Africa evokes so many visions, of struggles against colonialism and breathtaking nature. This opportunity would involve greeting guests, assisting with computers and some general maintenance in return for a stay in a 4 Star Swedish resort.
Basic Hostel Work in Split, Croatia– One of the great things about this position is that they allow you to only work for two weeks. As it stands, our time in Europe will be 2-3 months so being able to pick up various two week stints working for accommodation would seriously help us to see a lot of the continent, as opposed to working for eight weeks in one location and trying to pack a lot in on the weekends.
That’s just a quick glance. There’s over 20,000 hosts listed and I’ve found opportunities even in places such as Myanmar and Cuba, which have only recently begun to open up to the outside world. With all of these opportunities its not only a great way to save money but also a great way to gain really valuable experiences. The next time you belly up to the bar with a friend or talk with a niece or nephew could start with “Did I ever tell you about the time I worked at a cat sanctuary in Malaysia?”
Have you used Workaway or another similar type service? What did you think? Do you have any advice? We’d LOVE to hear it!