Tips For First Time International Volunteers – Everything You Need to Know Before You Go
When you’re planning your first trip abroad as an international volunteer, there are many considerations to think about beyond making a list of what you should pack. For instance, is the program an ethical one? How much will it cost? What is that money paying for? Who will the program truly benefit? Do you have the right skills?
Combining volunteerism with travel is one of our favorite ways to explore the globe, though it’s absolutely vital to choose a project which makes a genuine difference to the community and society as a whole. While investing in your personal development and growth as well.
When structured correctly, volunteer placements can be mutually beneficial to both the volunteer and the local community, though how can we as travelers know which programs are responsible and which are not? What are the signs of an ethical volunteer program?
As a leader in the field of ethical volunteering, we reached out to Mark Horoszowski from Moving Worlds about tips for first time prospective international volunteers, and the things every international volunteer needs to know before they go.
read moreA Travelers Guide to Tap Water: Countries Where The Drinking Water is Unsafe
People often take their drinking water for granted. In most western countries we don’t think twice before grabbing a glass and sticking it underneath a tap. But when you’re traveling the tap water may not be safe to drink.
You need drinking water no matter where you go, but with travellers diarrhea, giardia, hepatitis A, typhoid and cholera among the illnesses that can be transmitted with bad water, it pays to know which parts of the world guarantee clean, safe tap water, and where you should be sourcing bottled water instead.
The water you need to be most concerned about is water that might contain microorganisms that will make you sick, and in less developed countries, you are more apt to run into water that contains a variety of microorganisms you want to avoid. But according to the CDC (United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), you may be drinking bottled water more often than you think.
read moreA 3 Day Itinerary For Discovering the Arty Underworld of Sydney
You will strategically travel to Sydney during late May – early June to see the city transformed into a spectacular canvas of light. You will explore the city and take in the best museums & galleries Sydney has to offer while discovering the historic side of the city and taking in some of the most photographed landmarks in the world.
You will discover the city on foot and enjoy local markets, local street art, surrounding parkland, and travel to the best lookouts around the city for breathtaking harbour views.
Sydney is paradise for those who travel to experience the arts. This three day itinerary is packed with architecture, street art & dazzling light displays.
read more7 Places to Visit in Marvellous Morocco
Morocco is an ideal travel destination for city-breakers, adventure enthusiasts and those looking for a relaxing family holiday. Encompassing the staggeringly beautiful Atlas Mountains, the mesmerizing Sahara Desert and a range of busting cities, you’ll never have the same Moroccan holiday twice (unless you want too!).
Here are 7 places to visit on your next Moroccan vacation.
read more7 Travel Hacks Every Business Traveler Should Know
A job that requires regular travel – for many people that’s a dream! But after you’ve spent two-thirds of the year on the road, as many business travelers do, you realize that without proper preparation, jet setting can very quickly become more of a nightmare than a dream come true.
So if your life revolves around airport terminals and hotel suites, then this is the post for you. Training yourself to be a better business traveler with the following tips will mean saving on both money and time, becoming far more productive at work, and lessen the stress on both your body and your mind!
read moreA Field Guide to Australia’s Deadliest Creatures
It’s a popular meme, “come to Australia, you might accidentally get killed“, and while granted, we do have more deadly snakes than any other country in the world, and over 2,000 species of spider, it’s not exactly like we have wild lions, tigers, elephants, grizzly bears or hippopotamus roaming around!
True, Australia is probably the only place on earth you’ll ever see a python swallow a salt water crocodile whole. And we do have a snail that can fire a poison dart. Though realistically, you’re more likely to be eaten by a domestic cat than by a shark, and bees pose more of a threat throughout Australia than our spiders do…even though it’s the spiders who seem to incite more fear among visitors to our very foreign shores.
Despite the bewildering variety of frightening animals found in Australia, no-one should be put off visiting for fear of encountering them. With a little common sense, no one visiting Oz should be unduly worried about the wildlife; quite the opposite, it’s a great reason to visit.
The following is a field guide to the most deadly Australian creatures. Keep in mind that you’re more likely to be killed by a horse, but it can’t hurt to be clued up about Australia’s most poisonous fauna.
read moreThe Best Places to Spot Wildlife & Exotic Seabirds in Iceland
Iceland is literally a country which takes your breath away. Inspiring scenery at every turn, extraordinary landscapes, and astounding natural wonders; you will leave the country with a determined mindset to return.
Though perhaps even more exotic than majestic glaciers grinding their way through cracked lava fields, and more captivating than witnessing glittering ice caps pierce the sky, is the opportunity to witness and interact with the country’s exotic variety of seabirds and wildlife.
Seabirds arrive by the million for the breeding season between April and August, and nest on coastal cliffs all around the country in massive colonies. And to say that they arrive in the million is no understatement – we literally spent days shooting seabirds (photography) and have more photography than we could possibly hope to edit in a lifetime.
The following are Iceland’s top locations to see birds and wildlife – because Iceland holidays can be about so much more than the Golden Circle and that famous geothermal lagoon!
read more7 Reasons Why You Should Always Travel With A Hobo Hammock
Picture this: hours spent lying in a hammock you’ve strung up between two trees on a picture perfect beach, watching the sunset over the water as you decide it’s finally time to sleep. Or coupling it with a canopy to keep the rain off while spending the night in your luxury digs listening to the sounds of exotic wildlife jump through the jungle. Or quickly throwing it up if you’ve been kicked out of the airport overnight and need a comfy place to hang.
The fact is, hammocks are more comfortable, more enjoyable and far more adventurous than many other forms of accommodation, and traveling with one doesn’t have to be about roughing it or sacrificing comfort – in fact it’s just the opposite. And surprisingly, purchasing a good quality hammock doesn’t have to break the bank. Which hammock should I buy for travel.
After shopping around, Hobo Hammocks have proven to be by far the best value for money, with a few fun added perks thrown into the mix. As such, here are seven reasons you should always travel with a Hobo Hammock.
read moreHow to Learn and Speak a New Language Within Minutes (Literally)
Wouldn’t it be cool if you could easily have a conversation with someone in a totally foreign language such as Chinese? Wouldn’t it be even cooler if you could do that in just a few seconds?
To be speaking in a totally foreign language with someone else halfway around the world in seconds is a pretty bold claim, (and they do mean with your voice, not just using text translations), but Hello Pal have hit it home in recognizing that immersion really is the best method for language learning.
Rather than having you study boring and often complex grammar, syntax and vocabulary, Hello Pal is a free social language learning app which chooses to throw you in the deep end (with flotation devices!) and teaches you how to swim. You pair yourself with a native speaker, and there’s a unique phrase book integrated into its chat system which allows you to learn and speak on the go. Type or physically speak the phrases into your phone, and away you go! It’s that easy to begin a conversation, even in a language you didn’t know existed minutes before.
read moreTravel Advice You Should Not Be Listening To: The Worst Travel Tips You’ll Ever Hear!
I read a fantastic post recently titled “No, it’s not your opinion. You’re just wrong“, and it’s often tempting to scream this when given travel advice from those with a horrible misconception about anything related to travel!!
And you know exactly the people and advice I’m talking about. It’s the auntie who thinks that you’ll leave for your trip abroad and wind up kidnapped, murdered or raped. Or the grandmother who lectures that you should never touch food from a roadside stand. Mine told me I shouldn’t travel to Africa as it was likely I would return home with Aids!!
Sure, travel means different things to different people, and people travel in many different ways. And therefore because of this, travel advice is usually subjective. Meaning collect it, though if something sounds dubious or just completely wrong, feel free not to use it!
The following is a list of common travel advice you shouldn’t be listening to – the worst travel tips of 2015! Follow these tips at your peril!
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