Voluntourism is definitely not a term or a phrase that is thrown around on a daily basis and for many reading this it will be the first time they have ever heard of it. As it says in the name, Voluntourism is a combination of volunteer work and tourism. It’s a venture that people take every year all over the world from Asia to Africa. It’s a popular past time with gap year students who have recently finished college or university and are looking to travel and do something constructive abroad. Africa is particularly popular due to the fact the continent in general is very poor and there is a lot of need for help in a variety of sectors including medical outreach programs and care assistants in orphanages.
Voluntourism can be undertaken by anyone from the age of 18 upwards, and each trip usually combines an aspect of volunteering within the local community mixed in with a bit of local tourism in the local region. Popular destinations include Africa, especially Tanzania where people spend most of their volunteering week in the city and spend weekends either at the Serengeti National Park or on the magical, majestic island of Zanzibar spending time on some of the most amazing beaches in Africa and diving amongst some of the best preserved coral anywhere on the African continent. A trip to Zanzibar wouldn’t be complete without a night in The Residence Zanzibar, so if you can scrape your pennies together then indulge for just one night, you won’t regret it.
Voluntourism takes place not just in Tanzania but throughout Africa, and the Southern nations of Africa are certainly no different. South Africa, Botswana & Namibia are favourites with visitors due to their many amazing attractions including the Okavango Delta in northern Botswana, home to some of the most astonishing accommodation anywhere in the country including the Chiefs Camp and the Abu Camp. Trips to the Okavango Delta are usually made at the weekends when volunteers get time off work. It’s not just a great experience, but it’s also a wonderful place to meet likeminded people who are also taking part in the voluntourism experience.
Many more people are now taking this opportunity as a new way to see the African continent. Not only are you able to see the local highlights but you are also given the opportunity to live and work in the local community.


