Volunteering abroad can be daunting, especially for the first timer. If you decide to volunteer for part of your luxury family vacation, you desire to positively change the world, bond closer with your kids, and perhaps change your family too. But there are also testing times. Whenever you face frustrations or conflicts that could emerge when volunteering on your vacation, it is important that you are all set and grounded physically, mentally and emotionally, so here are important things to consider when volunteering abroad.
1. Be in the know.
Knowing and familiarizing yourself with the new culture and learning about the people and place are important before you can start helping. Any preconceptions should submit to their lifestyles, their customs and traditions to be able to work with them harmoniously.
2. Learn the language basics.
Even though you’re only going to volunteer for a few days, you should learn common phrases in the language where you are planning to volunteer. This will make your stay a lot easier and will definitely make a positive impact on the locals. We suggest starting with ‘hello’, ‘thank you’, ‘goodbye’, ‘please’ as a bare minimum.
3. Your generosity goes a long way.
Your time and efforts as well as your monetary donations to a community or charitable institutions are well appreciated so it is best to know in advance exactly what you are committing to, whether in cash or kind. It all goes a long way.
4. Be realistically happy about your contribution to the world.
Your contribution might seem small to you, but to the beneficiary, it truly can be life-changing. You have become much larger than yourself so celebrate every home you help to build, every child you teach and every conservation effort you make.
We can help you prepare and experience a luxury family trip tailor-made to your perfect mix of fun sightseeing and adventure and hands-on volunteering. Get in touch with us and be ready for that luxury family trip that is sure to create memories – and changes – that last a lifetime!
