Workaway experiences: The pros & cons of volunteer exchanges
Being a travel lover and at the same time a student with no money is not an easy combination. Traveling requires money, we all know it, which is not always easy to have. But nowadays there are a LOT of cheap ways to travel and authentically discover the real soul of the place we are visiting: volunteer and work exchanges, and in particular Workaway experiences, are one of these possibilities.
Workaway has the right combination of user-friendliness, beautiful layout and amount (50,000+ ones!) of offers. So now I want to share my personal Workaway review and what I think are the main pros and cons of volunteer and work exchange holidays!
I spent 3 weeks Workawaying between Portugal and Austria, and now I want to share my experience because personally I think this is a wonderful way of traveling differently: it gives you an amazing opportunity to combine budget traveling with getting to know new, international people and meanwhile living like a local. But at the same time, it is not the classic, relaxing vacation: you have to be adaptable, positive, and self-motivated. You are going to a stranger’s home, and it’s all about mutual respect and trust, and exchanging a certain amount of hours of your help for room and board, which means you will actually only be doing your tourist things (if you wish to) in your free time. So it is important to find a project where you’ll be doing something you know you enjoy, or at least something you’re interested to try!
So I’ll tell you what I believe are the main pros and cons of work and volunteer exchange holidays. My particular experience was with Workaway. I’ll start with the cons because I think it is important to know them, and especially because I loved my Workaway experience and I want to highlight the pros at the end, as I really think there are way more pros than cons!
Related blog post: Is Workaway right for you?
The cons
1) It’s not your typical kind of holiday
Your volunteer and work exchange holiday will not be like going to an all-inclusive resort, where you can spend all your day at the beach and come back just for lunch and dinner. Being a Workawayer means being a volunteer, a helper, a member of the family, the team, or the community who is hosting you, a learner, and a traveller who is open to exploring new environments and new ways of life.
Generally hosts would ask volunteers to help 5 days a week (but you can always discuss with your hosts for some flexibility), 5 hours per day, that is not much. There's usually some sort of schedule for your Workaway tasks, and sometimes you might be busy during times other tourists are exploring. For me, my host required an earlier rise before it got too hot, which is not ideal if you want to sleep everyday until noon! The good news is that this way you’ll mainly have the whole afternoon free, and you’ll be able to explore the area. That is good if you are in an interesting place with a lot of things to do around, but if you are staying somewhere more isolated with not too many options to go out into town, it may not be preferred because you won’t have a lot of time to get to other destinations.
So, what advice could I give you?
Firstly, choose a place that you like, where you know there are surrounding places you want to visit and things nearby you want to do, and plan your free time around. Most hosts are flexible with scheduling so if there's a museum you want to visit or friend you want to meet during the day, definitely bring it up with your host and I'm sure you can both work something out!
Secondly, if you are visiting somewhere that is a bit more remote, such as the countryside or even somewhere off grid - take it as an opportunity to relax and recharge from demanding travels! Be prepared to have some lazy afternoons without a fixed itinerary, or just chilling at your host's home and exploring the neighbourhood… it’s part of the experience. You are living like a local after all, and it means also enjoying some downtime at a comfortable place instead of rushing from one tourist point to another.
Last but not least, choose a place that you can contribute in ways you think you’ll enjoy! As obvious as it seems, this is the most important thing, because that’s what you are going to spend your time doing on most days as a Workawayer. When you are doing something you enjoy, you should not feel like you are just working or are wasting your time. There are so many different projects on Workaway, I bet anyone can find something they will really love! You can find everything from farming and gardening, to helping out at a hostel or community, taking care of animals, practising languages, teaching football, babysitting, making art, living on a boat or in a treehouse... everything! Choose something you like and time will fly more than you can imagine.
2) This is not a hotel, it’s another person’s house
Yes, hosts give you food and accommodation for free, but you are expected to give something back too. So it's all about coming up with an arrangement that is fair for all: don't just lie around all day, be active - or even better, proactive in offering your time, enthusiasm and skills. Show up like a member of the community you are living in, offer to help with cooking, tidying up, everything that can be done and you feel like doing to thank them for welcoming you into their home, and for the friendship and trust. Some rain, a bad day or wanting to go to the beach are not reasons that should keep you from being a team player! Really involving yourself in the day-to-day running and activities of your host project, helping and enjoying the benefits of your team's contribution, will make it an even more rewarding and meaningful experience.
Sometimes you might be asked to do something that was not specified in the agreement, and you might not like the idea. It could be anything, from tidying up a disorganized toolbox to catching a runaway chicken, nothing necessarily bad but, if unexpected, it can be disappointing if you have very strict expectations on what you want and don't want to do. Of course I am not suggesting you to do anything you are not comfortable with, it’s all about helping where needed! So be honest with yourself, and if you can make an effort and do it, then go on and you might be pleasantly surprised by the result! This can be a great chance to try new things and learn new skills too. If you decide this is something you are really not comfortable with, just politely tell them and from our experience, they will always understand.
Related blog post: The Sharing Economy: Creating a Currency of Connection Around the World
3) People can be eccentric but it’s part of the experience!
If you are Workawaying in a country that is not your own, people could be very different from what you are used to. They could cook you unusual meals, they could have unexpected behaviors, they could do things you don’t yet understand or necessarily agree with. Just remember the aim of the exchange and travelling is to get to know these cultural differences, and you should keep an open mind about it. If you prefer to avoid this, then you should not use Workaway. Instead you should just have a classic tourist holiday at a resort. On the other hand, if you are curious to discover a different culture or way of life, meet different people, try new, unexpected things…Workaway is going to be your perfect tool!
4) Some (or a lot of) adaptability is needed
This is crucial. I think the level of adaptability needed changes a lot from experience to experience, but think about it: the people who are hosting you are often trying to create something, or need help with maintenance, or want to start a new activity. These situations usually mean that the places they are living in are sometimes a bit hectic, or are not even completed yet! When unexpected situations happen, you might find yourself helping with tasks you didn’t think you would be doing: rainwater flooding, an escaped herd, taking care of a kitten you suddenly found or looking after your host’s child for an extra hour if your host gets held up… these are all just some of many possibilities!
Moreover, hosts might have more than one volunteer at a time, but they might not all have enough private space for every single person in the main house. So there’s always a possibility that you’ll be living in a caravan, a simple cabin separate from the main house, or anything in between. You usually know it before going, and if there’s not enough detailed information about your accommodation in their profile, you should totally ask about it before making any decisions.
Related blog post: The Most Important Questions To Ask Your Workaway Host Before You Arrive
But even if you were already informed, chances are there will still be surprises when you're arriving at your destination and actually seeing the place you are going to live in. That’s why adaptability is needed most: what can you do if your room is not even technically a room, or your bed is just a mattress on the ground, if that is just how everyone sleeps there? So you adapt, you try to make yourself comfortable and eventually you’ll probably even enjoy it! Just because something is completely different from home or your initial expectation, doesn’t mean it is bad – with the right mindset it is a fantastic opportunity to experience a different way of life, just like a local...or at least get a reminder why you love what you have at home so much.
When I was in Portugal, I was living in a very rural environment, and my room was in a side house. I had no bed, just an inflatable mattress on the ground. And in hindsight I was probably sharing my accommodation with a couple of mice, which is common in some places but not easy for a foreign traveller to accept. But I eventually did it!
Likewise, I enjoyed living in a construction trailer in Austria a lot more than I imagined! It was cozy and warm and I had a comfortable bed, quite far away from the main house. I was completely surrounded by some of the most stunning nature I have ever seen, and the quietness was perfect for me after a day of volunteering to be in my own company. It’s annoying if you wake up during the night and need to pee, but if you let life stop you with some little hurdles, you will miss out on the best of an adventure: finding out that there is beauty in every place on Earth.
These were the cons. Only these? Yes. Because if you love travelling, if you want to try something new, and if you are thrilled about challenges and unique experiences… Workaway only has pros!
Pros
1) You get to try out your dream job
As I said, Workaway offers a lot of different opportunities, basically everything you can think about, in every country of the world. Really. The world out there is crazy: it is full of brave people who dropped everything, built a new community and a home somewhere, and made their dream a reality out of nothing. And it is AMAZING! After all, haven’t you also had your own crazy dream too?
But it is not easy to do it. Most people don’t exactly know what they want, they are scared of making such a big life change, they are limited by societal pressure or responsibilities that they can’t get out of, they keep dreaming about it for the future... ehm, yes this is me, too. This is most of us! Well, guess what: Workaway was invented for us, for the dreamers who haven’t found their way yet, for people who want to follow their dreams just for a while, without changing their entire life… because with Workaway you can be whoever you want, do whatever you dream, wherever you desire.
So you should follow your passions, your dreams: you can try every lifestyle and every job you can think about for a limited time and with no consequences, even the craziest ones! People who are crazier than you are doing it, and not only will they give you the chance to be a part of it, they’ll also let you go on holiday in their country basically for free!
I love horses and horse riding, and my dream is to work with them one day…with my studies right now I can’t fully commit to this option yet, but Workaway gave me the chance to live my dream and just try it for a while. I volunteered for a charity association in Portugal and helped to save some abandoned, starving horses. Then I went to a therapeutic riding stable in Austria, and it was amazing. These were wonderful experiences that I’ll never forget, and it’s something I am really grateful for, because it made me grow, live my passions and make a difference too. I also got to travel to two beautiful countries I never had the chance to visit before, on a very low budget.
Related blog post: Why Workaway Is The Perfect Stepping Stone To Your Dream Job
2) You are free to volunteer on your own terms
Volunteering is something really beautiful and helpful, and a lot of people would like to do it as an alternative to a typical vacation. I think helping others in general is something really rewarding, and doing it in a foreign country is a wonderful way to make something more meaningful out of your holidays. Being a volunteer abroad also gives you more projects and causes to pick from, than if you are just at home, and you can really find places and like-minded people who want to make a difference in something you really love.
Because there’s simply so many different things you can do, it can be hard to find an option that perfectly fits your travel plan, budget, passion, and can make a positive difference. If you try to type “volunteer holidays” on the internet a lot of results will come out and most of them are charity associations or travel agencies. In the first case, someone will arrange everything for you while you probably help at some sort of local community, but usually you have to pay a fee (that can be ridiculously high sometimes) and they will ask you for a minimum stay of some months, with fixed departure times and periods. If you choose a travel agency, you will probably get to do some incredible or exotic "bucket list" activities like take care of elephants in Thailand, but they will mostly ask for a lot of money and in some cases you might not even be actually contributing or giving back to the local community.
Related blog post: Free volunteering: How to volunteer around the world without paying ridiculous agency fees
Workaway allows you to volunteer on your own terms: everything, from how long to where to do it, is all up to you. I only had about 3 weeks this summer to volunteer, and I was able to do it both in Portugal and Austria, trying different things, meeting interesting people, seeing a lot of places…and paying almost nothing! More importantly, because you are chatting with the host directly and not an agency, you can discuss and make more flexible arrangements if you wish. And when you volunteer you will also be directly supporting the host and community, and seeing the benefits and positive impact of your volunteer hard work because you are living with them every day.
Moreover, you can really choose what kind of activity you like: if you enjoy working with animals, like me, there are plenty of opportunities from house and pet sitting at your host’s home or volunteering at an animal shelter, to training horses at a stable or helping with marine wildlife conservation. The same for childcare, you can go to Ugandato help at a local school, or help a family in Spain look after their kids! You choose where, when and why, so you can make the best out of your time even if it is not much.
Related blog post: The Beginner’s Guide to Workawaying with Animals
3) You meet the most interesting and inspiring people
During a Workaway experience, as in every other travel, you will probably meet a lot of new people from all over the world, from all kinds of backgrounds and cultures. But Workawayers, as well as the people who host them, are special.
Workawayers are usually adventurous, brave, interesting people who travel alone through the world, volunteering everywhere they can in order to try new things, meet new people and make their travels last longer!
Talking to them is eye-opening, since they have seen and done so many things, and it is so motivating that you will immediately start planning your next big trip! They are people who love travelling, like you, and who love life and want to spread positivity, and you can’t help but get along well with this kind of people…because they are exactly like you!
But most of all, people who host Workawayers are incredible people. They can be foreigners in that country, who used to have a conventional job, a house, a ‘normal’ life, and they gave it all up to buy a piece of land and literally build their dreams on it! Or they can be locals, who love meeting international people and opening up their houses to them. In any case, they have great stories to tell, useful skills to teach and a lot of interesting points of view! Meeting all these people in a Workaway experience is one of the best parts of it, and the best (and most logical) thing is that, after a Workaway experience, you will become one of them too.
4) It’s the best way to learn a culture (and language)
One of the aims of every trip should be getting to know a new place and the people who live there, and in this case, Workaway is perfect. Whatever opportunity you choose, you will definitely integrate into the local community, get to know not only travellers but also locals who have lived there all their lives. And it is always interesting to chat with these people. I love to talk about politics and culture with people from other countries, for example, because I am always shocked at how many differences (or similarities) there are where you would never expect them!
It is also perfect if you want to learn a language or to regain one you studied in your childhood. It’s never easy to learn a new language, but there are so many ways to help you start and to improve, especially if you can immerse into the language and learn from locals like your host! Some hosts offer to teach you their language in exchange for some lessons in your native language…a really fun (and inexpensive) way to practise. If you have a bit more time, you can even chat with other Workawayers who are native speakers for a language exchange to help you keep practising, and maybe your online language buddy can become a true friend in the future!
Related blog post: How Workaway Can Help You Improve Your Language Skills
5) You can travel off-the-beaten-path
Let’s be honest, who has ever heard about a town called Odiaxere, in Portugal? Or about Radenthein, a small place in southern Austria? Maybe someone has but probably very few, not even the people who have visited Portugal or Austria.
So, you probably won’t know that near Odiaxere there is an incredibly beautiful lagoon, perfect for kite-surfers, where the blue waters blend with green strips of cultivations and white sand. And after climbing some sandy dunes, you find yourself in front of the ocean, beautiful and completely unexpected.
I didn’t know it either, and I would have never known it if it wasn’t for Workaway. When I found the charity house for horses in Portugal, I would have never expected that wandering to the beach alone one day would end up being the most memorable experience I had in that beautiful lagoon (probably one of the best beaches I have ever seen!).
When we travel, we usually go to well known tourist destinations, we look for the most popular places to visit on Tripadvisor or Instagram, and we go home with a perfectly typical trip just like everybody else. When you Workaway, you find yourself in the most unique places tourists would probably never visit because they don’t know them, but that may be equally amazing. It’s a totally different way of discovering a place, one that is not based on a pre-planned itinerary, but on discovering the hidden gems you found yourself by venturing off the tourist path. And if you are a travel lover who loves to explore, it will be a priceless experience.
What else can I say about this amazing experience? I am so grateful I had the chance to do what I did, see what I saw and meet the people I now call friends for life. But what I wanted to do is to give my Workaway review and to explain everything about using Workaway for volunteer/ work exchanges based on what I learnt, so that if you decide to do it, you’ll know what to expect. Ultimately, if you are a travel lover the way I am…you can skip all the cons at the beginning and start to plan your next Workaway experience right away!
Good luck fellow travellers, and don’t forget to share your experience with the community🙂
Love, Girl with a Suitcase
Thanks Workawayer Ilaria for letting us share her personal experiences of using the Workaway website and all the pros and cons to consider before taking the leap! Ilaria’s blog was originally published on her website, where you can stay updated on her latest adventures (in Italian).
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We are so glad to have an active community of travellers and hosts who’ve been inspired by their Workaway experiences and want to share with us! Be it a funny story, interesting insights or helpful ti
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