How To Volunteer Responsibly In Southeast Asia

Looking to travel with a purpose, make a difference or to “give back”? Great! Here’s our guide on how to volunteer responsibly while travelling in Southeast Asia.

The term ‘voluntourism’ has been in circulation for some time now, and although most volunteers come with good intentions some unintentionally do more harm than good. While many see it as an egoistic endeavour which hopefully produces some great selfies with “poor” people, this is simply the wrong way to go about it. Volunteering responsibly not only requires you to be altruistic, humble and have a skill set, it also pays to consider the following points.

Pick your passion

Volunteering on an issue you are truly passionate about will be a much more rewarding experience for all concerned. Whether it be women’s empowerment, education, children or the environment, Southeast Asia has organisations working on an array of different issues.

Research

It pays to be a savvy volunteer that has done their homework and is not entirely “green”. Research the country you want to volunteer in and the issues they are working to overcome as well as basics like culture, traditions, weather, currency and language. It is also very important to research the field you wish to volunteer in and potential organisations you might volunteer for. Before selecting your organisation it pays to do further research and ask some important questions:

Questions you should be asking and/or researching

Is the organisation transparent and accountable about their spending?

Are they a reputable organisation or have alternative motivations?

Does the organisation have Child Protection Policies in place?

Do they have a good reputation in the local community and with other organisations?

Is the organisation working towards their mission?

Are foreign volunteers filling a much-needed gap?

Are the foreign volunteers skilled and qualified?

Is there active involvement from the local community?

Is the organisation working towards building capacity, not dependency?

Is sustainability a goal?

Volunteering with hill tribe children, Thailand

Time and money

Come prepared! You don’t want to be a drain on the organisations resources in any way, so preparation is key. Volunteering for a day helping to clean up Thailand’s beaches is beneficial, yet teaching in a classroom in Vietnam for a day is not necessarily sustainable. Many organisations have a minimum amount of time they require volunteers to commit to, if not this should ring alarm bells. Signing up to teach (or however else you are volunteering) for a few months rather than a few weeks will make a much larger and sustainable impact to the community you are helping. It is also advised that you come prepared to finance your stay and do not rely on your organisation for support as you do not want to be a part of the problem, rather part of the solution.

Happy volunteering!

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.