VOLUNTEERISM Working vacations are more popular

Take note: Volunteer travel is not for everyone.
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
SAN FRANCISCO -- More Americans are taking working vacations, but they're not getting paid.
Instead, they're laboring as unpaid volunteers.
Trips that combine travel with volunteerism may be one of the hottest sectors of the travel industry, judging by the growth some operators are seeing as more Americans realize they can fulfill their altruistic bent and see the world at the same time.
Volunteer travelers build homes in Mexico, teach English in Nepal and work in Russian orphanages, and in so doing lend purpose to their vacation days, immerse themselves in a country's culture, interact closely with local residents and beef up their resume when they get home.
Habitat For Humanity's Global Village Program annually sends out 365 volunteer teams of 12 to 20 people each, up from about 30 teams a decade ago.
Cross-Cultural Solutions is sending out about 1,300 volunteers this year, up from 800 last year, and Experiential Learning International president Kevin O'Neill said the number of volunteer-travel operators has doubled in the last year.
"It's the latest trend. People are always looking for a new way to travel," O'Neill said. "It's a way for you to get into another culture, not as a tourist, but as an active member of the community. People are finding it really gratifying ... it's changing dramatically what people get out of their travel experience."
Great benefits
In fact, volunteer travelers usually get more than they bargained for -- and that's a good thing, some said.
"Initially, people get involved because they want to help," said David Minich, director of Habitat for Humanity's Global Village Program. "But what they really find is how much they are helped. Spiritually, emotionally, how much they become connected to their fellow travelers, as well as to people in their new community. That's an exhilarating experience."
While some volunteer travel operators offer no-frills programs that cost less, others are more geared to the middle-of-the-road traveler, one who doesn't want to worry about whether the water is safe to drink.
"We have a home base in each country we operate in," said Ajeet Anand, spokeswoman at Cross-Cultural Solutions. That means you might share a room and bathroom with fellow volunteers, but "we have local cooks cooking local cuisine," and volunteers are served breakfast, lunch and dinner, she said.
On the other hand, other operators may offer home stays with local families or multiperson guest rooms in thatched-roof huts in the Amazon.
Many differences
Also, on many such tours, volunteers tend to work a full day, while at Cross-Cultural they work three to four hours each morning.
Of course, the more luxury, the more you'll pay: Cross-Cultural Solutions' programs run $2,175 for two weeks.
Meanwhile, Habitat for Humanity's upcoming jaunt to build homes in Kyrgyzstan, for example, runs $1,400 for two weeks, and Experiential Learning International offers month-long trips to Nepal for $995. Fees for each of these tour operators includes lodging and meals but not airfare.
For the RV lovers out there, Habitat for Humanity offers a Care-A-Vanners program in the U.S. and in countries where travelers can rent a vehicle. In 2004, one team will travel in their RVs to Newfoundland.
Not for everyone
Take note: Volunteer travel is not for everyone. For one, the transportation and accommodations often closely resemble adventure travel. That is, don't expect to head back to a three-star hotel after spending a dusty day rescuing wildlife. Volunteers often sleep three or four to a room, and the bathrooms are usually shared.
And realize that your idea of valuable work won't necessarily jibe with the people who live in the country you're visiting. Only the open-minded need apply as volunteer travelers, experts said.
"You've got to remember you're not in America," O'Neill said. "An orphanage is going to have an entirely different goal in a country like India where, for instance, social movement up and down is not the norm [and] orphans are not being trained to go out and make it in the world of, say, business."
Instead, they're more likely to be trained as domestic servants.
"That sounds shocking," he said, "but in a place where survival itself is so difficult, if you can help that person even get the lowliest employment which will sustain [his or her] life, you're doing something good."
Considerations
Before you purchase a trip, consider asking the tour operator the following questions:
UWhat will the volunteer experience be like?
Get details on what work you will be doing because, like volunteering stateside, you might find yourself ready to help but twiddling your thumbs instead.
"You might arrive at a time when they're not doing as much, or they might be disorganized and they might have a director who says 'Well, I can't worry about what you're going to do,'" O'Neill said. "There is this possibility of a bad experience because you feel like you're not helping."
UHow long have you operated tours to this area?
"There's a big difference in knowledge" in the field, O'Neill said. "A lot of companies hire people that are constantly cycling through."
Ensuring the company representative -- and the project director -- has experience will help ensure a better experience.
UWhy are you more or less expensive than XYX operator?
Shop around, and find out why any particular operator's fees are higher or lower, O'Neill said. You may prefer the no-frills experience or be willing to pay extra for just one roommate rather than four.
UAnd ask yourself 'am I ready?'
"It's important for people to know something about their own comfort zone," Minich said. "Are they willing to be challenged by accommodations that are unique? Are they willing to attempt to learn some bits of pieces of local language so they can connect to the community? Are they willing to try new foods? Are they willing to be vulnerable among this group of new people so they can both learn more and share more?"