Volunteer Tourism & Eco-Tourism: The Cheapest Way to Travel

The idea sounds great. Take a little vacation, spend some time seeing new places, and get a chance to help out someone in need. Volunteer tourism and eco-tourism are great alternatives for someone who thinks sitting on a crowded beach burning to a crisp amounts to a rather dull vacation. However, if you do a bit of research into the more popular volunteer tourism programs, you can't help but notice the price tag: $2,500 or more to spend two weeks working in a third world country! This doesn't even include travel fees and many of your meals. If you want to make a difference but don't have that kind of cash, you might want to check out one of the following options for wallet-friendly volunteer tourism.

Help Exchange is an online organization connecting organic farms, ranches, hostels, and even sailing boats with travelers willing to work hard in exchange for food and lodging. You can sign up for a free account and browse dozens of opportunities in the United States and abroad. Typical entries involve local families needing someone to help a few hours a day or a certain number of hours a week. The terms of each agreement are laid out for volunteers to review before contacting a host. You can also sign up for a premium account, which allows you access to even more hosts and other features of the site. This is a great site with varied opportunities to fit any passion. You can find Help Exchange at www.helpx.net.