Voluntourism

In my previous blogs, I have talked about different types of holidays, one of the areas which has become a major trend in the last few years is Voluntourism. This is becoming the fastest growing form of alternative travel.  Although mainly aimed at gap year students this can be for everyone, although over the age of 50 it becomes harder to get insurance to work as a volunteer. (It is important to have suitable cover to work like this and not just standard holiday insurance)

Voluntourism; is working as a volunteer in exchange for food and lodging, in some businesses you can have a discount on accommodation if you work a couple of hours a day. This is not without controversy. Having had some good and bad experiences with this type of alternative holiday, I would suggest that although this is a great way to interact with a local culture in a way than normal travel does not, that some caution and research is required. I would also add that a job should not be taken from a local, particularly in areas where unemployment is high.

It could be said what can a volunteer actually do in one or two weeks that would be of any benefit? I think personally that would be depend on the both the host and helper and the work required. Helping get a property ready for rental or grape and olive picking or assisting with a retreat or event could be done in a short space of time and valuable skills could be learnt. There are several websites that offer volunteering opportunities most have a low joining fee. The advantage of these is that they offer reviews from previous helpers which give you an honest idea of what is to be expected. I would add that you should get to know the host before you arrive and Skype and Facetime are great for this. There are lots of roles offered but also a huge amount of people going for the same posts so it can take a while to find something suitable. I have used Workaway and HelpX and would recommend them. Some agencies will charge you to volunteer, I would research these very carefully to see what they are offering in their fee.

It is best, in my opinion to look for opportunities that have an actual role like: working on a farm, helping in a B&B, teaching, working on an actual project. I also would advise looking at the website and researching the business too. Beware of just staying in someone’s home unless clear duties are stated in advance. Most roles are shown as working 5 hours a day however, you will most likely work double this length of time. You often have to eat at the same time as your host, often preparing food for them so you are going to be spending a lot of time together both at work and socially. Do have a plan B in place if it doesn’t work out. It is a good idea to have enough cash to be able to pay for alternative accommodation. After talking to someone for 6 months, I was asked to leave after a day because he had changed his mind and decided he didn’t want someone in his home. I was helped by friends who lived locally to find somewhere to rent cheaply but it was still traumatic at the time.

Because of the types of roles, many are in rural locations so you will not be close to shops or bars etc and there may not be public transport to use, so be sure you are comfortable with this as it can be a very different way of life. Whatever you choose to do, this should be seen as a job of work as a working holiday not just a chance to sit in the sun and relax.

Hopefully, I have shown you some of the Pros and Cons. I still think this is a great way to have a different sort of holiday and also help someone else too. It can be hard work and do prepare for that but also great fun and a way to meet interesting people along the way.

So why not have a go!

What is Next?

The travel industry has been badly hit for some time, with the collapse of Airlines like Monarch and the grounding of Flybe. Thomas Cook disappearing from the head street was a huge shock, like most people it is a while since I have been on a Thomas Cook holiday, but like Woolworths and BHS, I grew up with these companies and it is hard not to miss them. A couple of days ago Lonely Planet, the pioneering travel guide, closed their doors, whether this is temporary or permanent we will have to wait to see.

Many of us have had to cancel or have had our booked holidays cancelled, many holiday resorts will still be closed at the start of the season and it is been said that many will not open this year at all. So, what next? I have been following travel experts opinions on this; some say this will be the demise of the package holiday, some say that more people will opt for a staycation in the UK instead, others say that we will want to go away in a different way, more off the beaten track. I think that we have been re-thinking about the way we go on holiday for a while, personally I have never been a fan of the package holiday but I have always marvelled at the low cost of these breaks. However, these low costs have crippled the travel industry, flights becoming so cheap than many airlines are losing money. I wonder at the cost of hotel accommodation, the fierce competition from Airbnb and similar websites, even leading to some countries like Spain trying to get government legislation to ban these businesses.

As I said things will change whether we want them to or not, we have got used to going away a few times a year, expecting to travel at the lowest cost possible. But at what cost? Not just financially but at the cost of the environment. I love going to Mallorca, I feel it is like my second home.  However, the effects of mass tourism are plain to see on this small island, the huge increase in cars during the peak season has had devasting effects on the island which last much longer than the five months of the holiday season. Don’t even get me started on the damage the huge cruise ships cause, the pollution of the sea alone should make us question the harm these monsters do.

So, should the next step be, a holiday industry that makes a contribution to a local economy without damaging the environment whilst enriching the life of the holiday maker in some lasting way? 

Perhaps, that is a dream of mine but who knows what comes next. as consumers we can play a leading role.

Armchair Travel

At the current time most if not all Airlines have suspended their flights and most of us at stuck in our homes for an unknown time. You may have had to cancel your holiday?

However, we can all indulge in a little armchair travel; Instragram and Pinterest have wonderful images of dream destinations. We all have different ideas on what makes a dream hoilday but I have posted some of my favorite images. Just looking at these make me feel instantly happier.

I can go on holiday in my mind if not my body.

Enjoy X

Lock Down 2020

I can’t believe the length of time since my last post, I guess normal life just gets in the way!

I am writing this post in a very different time; Post Brexit and from lockdown in the UK. Most airlines have suspended their flights until June and the future is unpredictable at this point. It doesn’t seem to matter whichever country you are based as Coronavirus has affected the whole world. I watch the news and it seems more like a Hollywood film plot than real life, yet it is very real. If Brexit seemed like such a nightmare a few months ago it now seems like a distance memory.  

We can only hope that as we come to the end of this, that perhaps at the other side positive changes will come out what we are now experiencing. I don’t really think things are can go back to the status quo as so much of what we know has changed and a total recovery will be slow. Having to stay at home, not seeing friends and family, not going to work and stopping all our usual activities (most of which we take for granted) makes you re-assess what is important in the greater scheme of things what actually matters. I know having a couple of weeks or possibly months gives us chance to catch up on things we don’t get chance to do normally; reading, craft projects that were started but never finished, decorating, gardening or even writing blog posts. Many people are having to help educate their children, improve their cooking and baking skills and adapt to working from home. It’s a time of big change but also a time to show what is it important and what actually matters: family, health and community.

Travel, hospitality and retail have been badly hit and many businesses will struggle to survive, I hope that buying local and supporting smaller businesses becomes the norm rather than favouring low-cost imports. There have been Good Guys and Bad Guys though-out this and I hope that in the end the Good Guys win out and we remember the actions of companies who put profit ahead of their customers and staff.

A special thank you to the many front-line staff in the NHS, food industries, transport and councils who are working harder than ever for the benefit of others.

Stay Safe and Stay In.