volunteer trips

Cheap Volunteer Trips to 17 Fascinating Destinations

Looking for a cheap volunteer trip? If you are about going for a volunteer vacation during a couple of weeks or plan a gap year experience, we have the perfect project for you. We offer a wide range of volunteer abroad destinations and a great variety of volunteer opportunities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Our variety of volunteer projects includes Teaching, Childcare, Child Development, Community Development, Business Development (NGO Support), Construction, Environment Protection, Animal Conservation, Sports, Arts & Design, IT, Women Empowerment, and many special projects. Find the perfect volunteer trip, where you find your favorite project in the destination of your dreams!

Plan your volunteer trip now! Find the volunteer destinations on the slides below, on each country page, you’ll find the projects available in your destination of interest.

If you do not find the project you want to do where you want to go, or if we do not have projects where you want to go, please let us know.

Africa

Join some of the most exciting and highly affordable projects to volunteer in Africa. Whether you choose to work as a wildlife volunteer in South Africa or join educational and social projects in several African countries, your experience will be unique!

Ethiopia

Teach teenies at a college in Addis Ababa. As the young students come from poor backgrounds, they will appreciate learning English, Maths, Computer Literacy or Music with you! The teaching project includes also environmental awareness and wellness coaching.

Ghana

Ghana is a rich and colorful place, humming with culture and rhythm. If you are in search of an authentic volunteer experience, Ghana would be an excellent choice. Experience the Ghanaian society and everyday life whilst making a difference and working along with the local people on their terms.

Kenya

Go for an inspiring volunteer experience in Kenya, where you can care for the children at an orphanage, teach English or Sports. Also, the country is beautiful, and on the weekends you can book tours and excursions around Mombassa and see everything Kenya has to offer.

Namibia

Namibia is a very exciting volunteer destination in southwestern Africa. Our voluntary projects in the field of wildlife projects and medical internships offer excellent value for money.

South Africa

Get inspired by the Mediterranean climate of Cape Town, where you can join several educational and social projects as well as the animal rescue project in Masiphumelele. In Port Elizabeth, Tzaanen exciting wildlife volunteer projects with the Big Five are waiting for you!

Tanzania

In Tanzania, you will live an adventure in a country so different from our Western world. However, you will discover human warmth, no matter if you teach students at school or care for the children at an orphanage.

Asia

Let yourself be enchanted by the exoticism of Asia and discover fascinating volunteer projects in Nepal, Cambodia, India, Thailand and Sri Lanka. Work as an English teacher in a Buddhist monastery in Nepal or contribute to animal welfare for the elephants of Thailand, there are many possibilities. We offer you in the volunteer work an excellent price-performance ratio and competent support on-site.

Cambodia

Join one of our volunteer projects in Cambodia and have an unforgettable travel experience in this culturally rich country of Asia. Join our animal rescue project in Phnom Penh.

India

In the Indian city of Jaipur, you can promote women in education and women empowerment, as well as teach sports and do a medical internship. Jaipur is a historic city that you should see!

Nepal

Teach English to monks of a Buddhist monastery near Kathmandu, or gain valuable experience in a medical internship at a children’s hospital. The land in the Himalayas enchants with magical landscapes and can also be a spiritual discovery.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a tropical island off India where you can save young hatched sea turtles and do valuable work in social and educational projects. An unforgettable journey!

Thailand

Thailand is one of the most charming countries in Asia, where you can look after elephants in animal welfare, or even teach children of a kindergarten. You will also immerse yourself in the culture and of course enjoy the delicious Thai food and great beaches.

Latin America

Argentina

In Buenos Aires, one of the most beautiful cities in Latin America, you can participate in various social projects as part of the voluntary work, such as on the table for the needy. And of course, you can also teach sports in the land of football.

Brazil

Discover the lively and artistic atmosphere of Rio de Janeiro. Whether you train football with schoolboys, work in arts education or teach English, the open-minded and hospitable atmosphere will enchant you!

Colombia

Volunteer teaching English in Colombia! As a volunteer teacher, you will be working within a small English Institute in the beautiful city Ibagué, located in Western Colombia, just south of the famous Parque Nacional Natural Los Nevados.

Costa Rica

If you choose to work as a wildlife volunteer in Costa Rica with the sea turtle project, you will accompany local guides on 4-hour night patrols searching for nesting sea turtles.

Ecuador

Experience nature in the equatorial cloud forest, where you can teach the children of a school in a small village, or work in the organic farm. The ecological project for the reforestation of the rainforest also inspires many.

Peru

Working as a volunteer educator in a kindergarten or Wawa Wasi has inspired many of our volunteers. In addition, you can also live in a village in the Andes, or teach English in the Amazon.

Put your dream into practice: travel the world and help people and animals

Our operations are linked to many development and environmental projects around the world, with whom we develop volunteer abroad projects to cater to the specific challenges these organizations face. Simultaneously, the volunteer programs provide gratifying experiences to the foreign volunteers as they witness the positive social and/or environmental changes that their work invokes.

Unique Volunteer Trips, Rewarding Projects

Check out some of the most popular programs and read testimonies of amazing volunteer trips:

Volunteer Vacations: Combine your holidays with an unforgettable volunteer experience

Wildlife Volunteering in the African Bush: Big Five in South Africa

Join our wildlife volunteering project in South Africa to preserve the Big Five at a game reserve.

During your stay, you will be part of a team of volunteers working together in order to carry out a spectrum of important tasks across the reserve.

The nature of the volunteer work will vary according to the weather and season, your tasks may include, but are not limited to: lion tracking, game counts & capture, environmental work, planting trees, managing vegetation and patrolling fences.

There will also be tasks in the petting farm and stables, caring for the horses. During your volunteer trip, you will also get to go out on game drives & wilderness walks and work hands-on helping with the care of animals in the rehabilitation and education center.

Unforgettable Experience at the Big Five Wildlife Sanctuary

This summer I had an unforgettable experience in South Africa. Thank you Iko Poran for this exceptional travel! Sure, I will do it again!

Camille Clauss Marietti

>> Go to the South African Big Five Game Reserve Volunteer Project

Living with Elephants: Volunteer Trip to Thailand

Volunteer with Elephants in Thailand Surin — Volunteer with Elephants

Join the centuries-old tradition of training ‘domestic’ elephants by mahouts in Thailand.

The volunteer program aims to offer a responsible and sustainable alternative to fate often faced by elephants in Thailand. Because of the dissolution of the logging industry, many elephants are taken to urban areas to beg for money and are often mistreated. T

herefore, our elephant volunteer program continues to lead the way in Surin in helping to change attitudes towards elephant care for the better.

Volunteer on Elephant Care and Support the Local Community

Since all the activities are about caring for the elephants and treating them with respect, we put our strict no riding policy. On your work schedule, you will walk the elephants through the river and bathe them.

Moreover, you will plant and harvest food for the elephants and also feed them. Since we put the elephants in the first place, we base everything on a new approach to elephant care.

A New Approach to Elephant Care

A full program in which you are up close and personal with these magnificent creatures on a daily basis is a truly unforgettable way to see the real Thailand. Living in a traditional longhouse with other volunteers, it’s rural Thai life at it’s very best!

>> Find out more about volunteering with Elephants in Thailand

Arts & Design: Volunteer Trip to Rio de Janeiro

When you feel like sharing your creativity an passion for arts, go for a trip to Rio de Janeiro, a city which has inspired many artists and musicians. During your stay you will work with children and adolescents of Rio’s Favelas, developing the young talents, be it painting, sculpting, dancing or singing! You may even paint the walls of a school or orphanage, having fun with the children and raising the vibes of the local environment.

There’s certainly plenty to offer on an art project that uses an invigorating mix of music, dance, and theatre to support the city’s most at-risk youth.

Working with children from a number of favelas (urban slums) your efforts will play a valuable part in helping a project desperately short of resources while allowing you to absorb the artistic vibes of Rio.

Jissaura: Amazing Experience as an Arts & Design Volunteer in Brazil

Had an amazing experience with Iko poran in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Although I signed up to volunteer for the art and design program, I was essentially more so of a student myself because the students at the program were my age and mostly independent with their studies.

Despite this, I was accepted and treated with extreme kindness even though there was a language barrier. I made some amazing friends with the students who taught me so much about Brazilian culture, Portuguese, and art (as I am an art student myself). – Jissaura, Parsons Design School, New York

>> Go to the Arts & Design Volunteer Project in Rio

Marine Conservation: Protect the Great White Shark in South Africa

Great White Shark Volunteering in South Africa — Volunteering with the Great White Shark

Go for a trip to South Africa and work with Great White Shark Volunteering, in our marine conservation project. The project is located in Kleinbaai, 180 km south-east of Cape Town.

Since the population of sharks worldwide is under threat, you can play a vital role in helping to monitor and conserve one of the most incredible creatures of the marine world, the Great White Shark.

You will be working alongside marine biologists researching and observing these magnificent predators and their environment.

You will have the task of sharing this research and knowledge with visitors going shark diving and may get the chance to assist in tagging and tracking sharks.

Most exciting of all, you have the unforgettable experience of going cage diving to meet your subject face to face – just try not to drop your camera! In your spare time, you will be free to enjoy and get to know the beautiful Western Cape and even travel further afield to explore the rest of South Africa.

>> Go to the Great White Shark Volunteer Project

Teach English in India

Lea teaching English in India — Lea teaching English

When asked, if she could describe her experience in India with three words, Lea would say: “Incredible, unexpected and beautiful.”

She enjoyed her trip to India from the very beginning: at the airport pickup, the orientation, and the volunteer projects.

She has been teaching English to children and met so many friendly people. “They are unbelievable friendly”, she says, “and want us to discover the culture.”

In order to introduce you to the Indian culture, we included some cultural activities.

During the first week, you will have Hindi classes and go out for incredible trips in Jaipur.

You may choose, whether you would like to participate in Yoga classes, learn Indian dances or have Indian cooking classes, including to bake chapati, You will learn about religion as well, experience Holi and Diwali celebrations, and even draw Mandalas!

What makes the program unique?

As Lea put it: “The staff from the local organization is very welcoming and helpful, always ready to give you a hand with your program or giving you tips for your leisure activities. The people are very friendly. sometimes you can be a little bit too friendly, but it’s OK. You get used to it.”