If you’re an animal lover, you have probably felt one of the following;
If you’re passionate about wildlife and travelling, then a wildlife conservation project could be the perfect adventure for you this year.
Whether you are interested in marine conservation in Madagascar, protecting primates in Costa Rica or helping big cats in South Africa, there is a charity project to suit you. According to WWF there are only around;
This is simply a short list, but there are so many endangered animals that are at risk of extinction or harm. Therefore any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated by the charities that are fighting to protect endangered or threated creatures.
You can research charity projects online which will normally plan the entire trip for you. Just make sure that you fully research the website, charity and country you are visiting, to make sure you get the correct vaccinations and travel insurance for working with animals.
If you want to truly immerse yourself in a culture abroad, or if you are interested in helping a specific community, then a Community Volunteering Project will be perfect for you.
A community project is the best way to learn about a certain culture whilst you live and work there. By working with these people you will be helping the less fortunate and making sure their way of life survives and thrives.
There are hundreds of communities in need of volunteers, whether you want to work in hospital clinics in Africa or teach children in Brazil, your help will be priceless to these communities. In turn they will reward you by accepting you into their community and educating you on their way of life.
Once you have worked on a community volunteering project, the people, country and project will remain close to your heart forever. You are guaranteed to have an amazing but sobering experience.
Most Backpacker and Longstay travellers plan their adventures around chances to experience other cultures and ways of life, and unsurprisingly many find themselves seeking work within local communities, either for experience or money.
WWOOFing or ‘World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms’, is basically an exchange programme where people who are interested in agriculture or nature can travel abroad and volunteer for a farm or small holding. In return for hard work, the WWOOF hosts provide food, lodgings and of course the opportunity to learn.
When you start your WWOOFing adventure, you will travel to live with your hosts for a period of time decided by you both, for example you could stop by for three days during a backpacking trip, or you could stay for six months. On average, people usually decide to stay for a couple of weeks, during which time you will be expected to join in with the activities of the host, working around 6 hours a day to pay for your lodgings.
WWOOF programmes are now available throughout the world, and are a great way to travel, learn about a specific culture, and different approaches to agriculture. You could work on a vineyard in France, or harvest mangoes in Bangladesh – the world is your oyster!
The range of activities and jobs available is astounding; you could potentially find yourself…
Imagine adding those to your CV! The first step is to decide where you want to travel, and what activity you want to participate in or learn more about.
For more information about how to apply for a specific activity, farm or destination, visit WWOOFInternational.org.
Volunteering in another country is an amazing experience. Not only will you be offering genuine help to a less fortunate community, you will also meet some wonderful people, have the opportunity to travel and gain priceless life and CV experience. Read more
Participating in an internship abroad can be an amazing way to travel, add to your CV, gain experience and make sure you stand out in any job interview.
Many graduates are turning to this option to gain experience the UK job market just isn’t offering at the moment. Working abroad is a great way to explore a career path, to gain experience in how other countries and cultures operate, and most importantly an opportunity to learn.
Internships are usually a humbling experience where you truly learn whether a certain career path is for you, if not you can simply walk away and try something else. Doing this abroad also gives you the chance to travel somewhere different and truly step outside your comfort zone.
Not only will you gain a wealth of experience but it will also impress in any job interview, because it becomes so much more than a bullet point on your CV, it is a great talking point and portrays bravery, experience and passion.
Decide on the career path you want to explore and then research the type of internships available, you could travel to Europe or further afield, it completely depends on what is available and how adventurous you are feeling.
Working abroad is an amazing way to enhance your CV, experience different cultures, test a career path, or simply pay for the next plane ticket. Once you have decided what you want to get out of your experience, there are a wealth of projects and websites online dedicated to matching you with a job abroad.
It is important to remember that any travelling experience will come with certain drawbacks or down points which you need to be prepared for. You will at some point feel home sick, probably because of massive culture shock, and you need to accept this and move past it.
Working abroad can also present its own problems, you need to make enough time for yourself to relax and explore, don’t attempt to work every second to fill your time – to get everything you possibly can out of the experience you need to be able to tick everything off on your to do list.
On a final point, always make sure that your travel insurance covers you to work abroad. For more information check out the links below;
When planning a trip abroad, it is important that you research the destination you are intending to visit, to check whether you need vaccinations or preventative medicines before you travel.
Australia is an extremely popular destination with backpacker and longstay travellers alike, however journeys like this are expensive, and it is important that you save your money for the things you really want to do, rather than wasting it on expensive medical bills.
If you’re travelling to Australia, it is important that you enrol in their Medicare programme, just in case you need medical attention abroad. To help anyone planning a trip to Australia, please see our frequently asked Medicare questions below;
With Medicare you receive a personalised card which gets you discounted or free public health care and medicines in state Australian hospitals – hence why it is so important. It should ensure that you receive medical treatment similar to the NHS in the UK; however you may still need to pay towards some medications and treatments. If you do need medical treatment during your time in Australia, always head for a state clinic or hospital, to avoid paying fees at private hospitals.
Australia has Reciprocal Health Care Agreements with several countries around the world, including the UK, which means that any Brits travelling to Australia can apply for Medicare and receive essential medical treatments.
It is important to remember that, just like the EHIC was, Medicare is not meant to be a replacement for travel insurance. Medicare is there to make sure you receive the medical treatment you need in state facilities, without having to pay extortionate fees. However, Medicare will not be able to assist if your baggage is damaged or stolen, or if you need to be repatriated to the UK. You must invest in quality travel insurance to make sure you are fully covered in Australia.
We would always suggest that you take a good supply of your prescription medication abroad with you, just to make sure you have enough for your time away, and in case you cannot obtain your medication in your destination.
However, it is important to remember that Australia has strict customs regulations about what can and can’t be brought into the country, and some prescription medications are on this list. Always check customs regulations, as well as local laws before you travel, just to make sure you don’t face any issues before your holiday has even begun!
To enrol in Medicare you will need your passport and a valid visa. You can apply by visiting Humanservices.gov.au and downloading an enrolment form. Alternatively, you can apply by visiting a Medicare office (there are hundreds all over Australia) up to 10 days after you arrive, to register for the programme.
With backpacker/longstay cover starting from as little as 36p per day, why not get a quote now? Additionally, you can find out more about the cover that we offer by taking a look at our cover levels and benefits of travel insurance.
Planning a gap year or backpacking adventure can become expensive, so it is important that you settle on a realistic budget and get all your money matters organised before you depart.
Here are our top tips to save travellers money;
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