Last week I wrote about how to travel for $10 a day, and was overwhelmed by the response and messages from Steemians who were keen to give budget travel a go!
So following on from my last post, I will go into more detail on how to use work exchange websites such as Workaway, Helpx, and WWOOF!
Work exchange involves working a few hours a day in exchange for free food and accommodation. It's a great way to learn new skills, learn about a country or town from a local that you are staying with, and of course it's easy to make friends (and meet new travel buddies) with your host and the people you are working and living with!
So here are my tips to try it safely, save money 💰, and to have as much fun as possible!
Tip 1: Read Reviews!!
The single most important way to determine whether a workaway will be a fun experience or not, is to check out the reviews! How have people described the work and hours? What sort of reviews do the hosts leave for people? Do their expectations seem reasonable or too high? How recent were the last reviews? If there is some mixed feedback, chances are the hosts can be difficult or nasty to the people they choose not to like, and this is a big red flag to keep scrolling! ❌
Some work exchange sites also allow you to message past volunteers, which gives you the chance to ask if there were any negative points that they did not post about publicly 😉 But please, if you ever have a bad experience, or something was not as described, please PLEASE leave an honest review for the next hosts so that they know the situation 💜 Arriving to a work exchange that's not as described sucks, and can be avoided if we look out for each other and post about our experiences 😊
Tip 2: What free or cheaper activities can you do on your days off?
If you are doing a workaway in a super expensive area, chances are you might still end up spending a bit of money on your days off; on food, transportation, or activities. I did a fantastic workaway in Kobe, Japan, but being in an expensive city meant that I was still spending a lot on coffees, meals, trains, or going shopping on my days off because there weren't many free/outdoor activities nearby. On the other hand, doing a workaway in Malaysia where there was nothing around but hiking trails and forest meant that I spent ZERO! 😁
Tip 3: Is the job something that interests you?
Don't get me wrong, cleaning the hostel is (usually) an easy and readily available job when you need a workaway fast! But, having done both cleaning jobs, and work that I love and am passionate about, I can tell you that if you have the time, it's worth finding a job that you're interested in, in a location you would be happy in!
Currently, I'm a live-in cat and dog nanny to 35 dogs and 70 cats, and it feels like I haven't "worked" for a single minute! Try to use search functions to find a role that interests you (see Tip 4); it will be much more enjoyable if you are doing something that you've always wanted to try, or learning a new skill!
Tip 4: Finding your ideal Work Exchange
Whether you are looking for a job that you have experience in, or looking to try something totally new; most websites have search functions to look for a specific job, or a job in a specific country. On top of this, you can further narrow down your search; eg. for hosts that accept more than one volunteer at a time if you are a couple or friends, hosts that have pets/animals only, or for hosts that are family/child friendly!
As an example, using screenshots from workaway.info; Imagine you are 2 friends wanting to find a work exchange in Greece, volunteering with horses! First, select the region from the drop down menu (in this case, Europe). Then select the country (Greece), and type "horse" into the search bar:
Then, if you want to only show hosts that accept 2 or more volunteers, click on "more search options", to select "2" under the box for "number of workawayers accepted:
And there it is! A choice of 18 hosts to work with horses in Greece! From here you can choose the listing in your preferred town or area, with the best reviews!
Doing work exchange has allowed me to travel for longer, to places that I would otherwise not be able to afford. I have been a graphic designer, cleaner, cook, waitress, interior renovator, and dog walker! I've learnt how to cook and present food in the traditional Japanese way, how to apply wallpaper, use Photoshop, and handle 35 boisterous doggies at once!
I've met amazing friends from workaway, that I'm still in touch with a year later, and I'm sure I will see again somewhere in the world. They have taught me more budget travel tips, such as how to hitchhike, as well as telling me about their own countries!
As you can tell, work exchange is an important travel tool for me, that I have enjoyed so much. And to prove it to you, all the photos used in this post have been from places I volunteered in, that I might not have visited otherwise, with some of the amazing people I met during this time!!
Have you used work exchange before during your travels? Tell me about your experiences below! Or let me know where you would love to go first, and what your dream job would be!
And as always, if you enjoyed this, please upvote or follow 💜
***I don't work for or receive money for promoting these websites (if you are from workaway and would like to pay me for my promos please give me a call haha 😂😂😝