If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. If you like this article feel free to use the "share this" bookmarking link at the end of the article.

World travelers all seem to have the same dream: if we had the resources, we’d quit our jobs and head to every state, island, country, and continent on the globe. We want to see it all, taste everything, and experience every last tidbit of culture that the world has to offer. Unfortunately, only very, very few of us are lucky enough to even begin to realize this dream. The rest of us scrimp and save, always looking forward to our next adventure.

Lonely Planet, publisher to some of the best budget guide books out there, has really delivered this time: in June 2007, they released the first edition of Volunteer: A Traveler’s Guide to Making a Difference Around the World.

Volunteer travel is one of the best ways for budget travelers to see the world while actually making a difference in the countries and regions of their choice. Imagine hopping aboard a plane to Costa Rica and, instead of spending two weeks on a beach full of tourists, helping with sea turtle conservation for a life-changing fourteen days.

Lonely Planet’s Volunteer lists over 190 world volunteer organizations and dozens of first-hand experiences from previous volunteers. Believe it or not, some of these volunteer programs have daily costs of less than you’d spend on dinner. Think single digit dollars a day, if you can believe it! And included in these costs are not only your room and board, but wonderful people with similar interests and varied experiences to share. Truly, what could be better than changing the world, and yourself, for only dollars a day?

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 8th, 2007 and is filed under Assorted Travel Tips.