Voluntourism with i-to-i

i-to-i focuses on helping travelers make connections with other people in other cultures through volunteer projects. This company sends more than 5,000 people a year to volunteer on some 500 projects in 30 countries. Would you like to work with sea turtles in Costa Rica, help care for AIDS orphans in Kenya, coach soccer in Argentina or intern at the Terracotta Warriors Museum in China? These are just a sampling of the projects listed at i-to-i.

On the Web site there's a search box where you can type in the country, type of volunteer project that interests you, and your preferred length of trip, then see what pops up. The company also has several vacations in the Meaningful Trip category, trips that include a day or more volunteering at a local project and lots of more touristy activities.

Where to Learn More About i-i

Visit i-to-i.

Where to Find More Volunteer Vacations

VolunTourism - combining traditional travel with volunteer work - is a rapidly growing trend because combining a vacation or trip abroad with volunteering on local projects is one way you can immerse yourself in local cultures and make a difference. Are you among the one-quarter of the travelers queried in the Voice of the Traveler survey by the Travel Industry Association who said they were currently interested in taking a volunteer or service-based vacation? No matter whether you're in your 20s, a baby boomer (the group expressing the strongest interest), or parents who want to introduce their children to other cultures, there's a company offering volunteer vacations for you.

These trips and experiences are as close as building homes in New Orleans or a far away as helping in orphanages in Romania or elephant camps in Africa. To see a list of organizations that offer volunteer travel trips and vacations (where you spend a few days of a trip volunteering and explore a new country the rest) click on Top Sources for Volunteer Vacations.

Are You a Voluntourist?

Returning travelers say volunteer travel is a life-changing experience. If you are wondering if Voluntourism is right for you, here are suggestions for the route to helping you decide. Click on How to Decide if Voluntourism is for you.

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