The top 10 coolest Worldpackers experiences to try right now

Traveling the world is one of the most fulfilling, eye-opening, and exciting things you can possibly do in life. 

Some travelers have enough funds to explore the globe as they travel long term. However, travel costs tend to add up very quickly, especially if you've been on the road for a while. 

Fortunately, Worldpackers provides the perfect solution for the budget traveler —  work exchange.

There are countless opportunities available around the world for you to be a part of! The process is simple. Choose your destination of choice and consider the skills you wish to offer (and develop!) during your experience. Once you've established the place you want to go and the type of work you want to offer, you'll need to select the type of host you want to help. There are opportunities to help hostels, home stays, eco projects, and even NGOs and surf camps. 

The best part is that when you become a Worldpackers volunteer, your skills are exchanged for free meals and accommodation, which cuts down on travel costs immensely. 

Work hours, amenities, length of stay, and meals will all be provided to you before your trip. 

You can spend your days off wandering through the city, trying its staple foods, seeing the sights, and getting to know the heart of the area you're staying in.

Volunteering is one of the most rewarding ways to see the world and is the perfect way to live like a local while traveling. 

If your goal is to travel slowly and soak up everything the culture has to offer while giving back to the community, consider trying a work exchange program! 

Here is a list of some of the coolest Worldpackers volunteer opportunities from our top hosts that you can sign up for today.

The top 10 coolest Worldpackers experiences to try right now:

1. Help the staff of the Abu Safari Hostel in Jaisalmer, India

2. Serve and teach at a local community in Arusha, Tanzania

3. Cultivate a tranquil environment at La Casita in Cabode Santo Agostinho, Brazil

4. Connect with the great outdoors in Southern Utah, USA

5. Organize hostel events in Ljubljana, Slovenia

6. Become a teacher's assistant in an Ashaninka Tribe in Huancayo, Peru

7. Surf the "Hawaii of Japan" in Miyazaki City, Japan

8. Experience the Tea Mountains of Ha Giang, Vietnam

9. Explore active volcanoes in Hawaii

10. Work on DIY hostel projects in Tel Aviv, Israel

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1. Help the staff of the Abu Safari Hostel in Jaisalmer, India

If you're handy with a computer and fluent in English, this opportunity to help the staff of the Abu Safari Hostel in Jaisalmer, India is right up your alley. 

This beautiful hostel has consistently received excellent reviews not only from Worldpackers volunteers, but from normal leisure travelers alike. 

The staff of the Abu Safari hostel are incredibly friendly and accommodating and need volunteers to stay at least one week to help them improve their basic English skills. Their goal is to better communicate with guests who stay with them.

Along with setting up private English lessons, you may be asked to complete other tasks for the hostel to increase their exposure and services. This may include writing emails, designing posters, and managing the hostel's online accounts like Hostelworld and Booking.com. 

Abu and his kind staff will provide you with three free meals a day as well as free tours around the city! 

You're only required to work for 12 hours per week, which will give you plenty of spare time to immerse in local culture and explore the city to its fullest.

You'll even be able to experience the magical desert life as you join them on a free jeep or camel safari tour where you'll get to sleep under a starry sky. 

Sign up to see India from an exciting new perspective and teach English at the Abu Safari Hostel.

Traveling to India? Check out all of Worldpackers' work and travel experiences in India to help plan your trip.

2. Serve and teach at a Local Community in Arusha, Tanzania

Here's an unforgettable social impact experience with so much to offer! Serve and teach at a local community in Arusha, Tanzania. 

This small community in East Africa has recently built a library where children can spend time reading and learning. The library functions exclusively through the help of volunteers like you. 

You'll spend 25 hours per week teaching any school subject you excel at and receive two days off to go on an adventure of your own. There is always additional work to be done here, such as gardening, farming, animal care, building repair, and more.

Stay with a local family near Arusha for at least two weeks and you are bound to fall in love with the people that call this growing community home. 

They are happy to arrange free and discounted tours, free language lessons, and free permaculture courses in exchange for your skills and hard work. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided to you each day at no cost to you. 

Most volunteers decide to extend their stay by a few extra months because they become so invested in this fantastic experience from the very beginning.

There are tons of interesting things to do on your days off! If you're looking to connect with nature as you travel, your host can arrange a unique safari tour to experience African wildlife. 

Hoping to check off hiking Africa's highest mountain, Kilimanjaro, from your bucket list? Ask for a guided hiking tour of this famous volcano, or plan to complete the entire climb within a week's time. 

Head to the soothing hot springs or nearby waterfalls to relax after a long day. Visit a Masai village to learn about local culture or spend time getting to know the children at the school or orphanage. 

The hosts of this incredible project are always excited to meet new faces and this experience has changed the lives of volunteers from all over the world.

Traveling to Tanzania? Check out all of Worldpackers' work and travel experiences in Tanzania to help plan your trip.

3. Cultivate a tranquil environment at La Casita in Cabode Santo Agostinho, Brazil

In beautiful Brazil, holistic therapists Celso and Enaile will host you at their spa facility where you'll be able to help cultivate a tranquil environment for guests. You must be older than twenty-three and be able to speak Portuguese or Spanish on an intermediate level in order to volunteer here. 

This work exchange is an experience that surrounds you with acceptance, joy, and love. 

Volunteers have often expressed how this volunteer program has opened their minds and hearts to new ideas and lifestyles that have benefited them in different ways.

La Casita is surrounded by beautiful Atlantic forest and overlooks the sea, no doubt creating that deep sense of calm the hosts live by. 

As a volunteer, you'll be welcomed with open arms and will be required to work for just five hours each day in exchange for free breakfast and a shared dorm with other travelers. Morning, afternoon, and evening tasks are distributed among the staff as needed, and involve various tasks like meal preparation, gardening, housekeeping, and cleaning. 

The hosts strive to maintain a clutter-free, clean environment that promotes well-being and mental clarity.

Traveling to Brazil? Check out all of Worldpackers' work and travel experiences in Brazil to help plan your trip.

4. Connect with the great outdoors in Southern Utah, USA

The scenic National Parks of Utah are some of the best national parks in the United States! Millions of outdoor enthusiasts from all over the globe flock to Utah in all seasons to experience the the beauty and grandeur the landscape has to offer. 

This awesome volunteer opportunity at an international hostel in Southern Utah will have you meeting fellow travelers, giving information and answering questions at reception, housekeeping, or serving as a kitchen hand. 

In exchange for 25 hours of work per week, the host will provide you with a private room and three meals a day.

Not only can you score a free hiking tour of National Parks like Zion, Canyonlands, and Bryce Canyon, everything in town is within walking distance. The hostel building is large and even has its own library, theater, and game room to relax in. 

You will be assigned various responsibilities as you rotate around the morning, afternoon, and evening shifts. While you aren't working, you'll be able to fully immerse yourself in nature as you explore forests, camp, hike, fish, and participate in thrilling outdoor sports like mountain biking and whitewater rafting. 

This is a nature-lover's ultimate paradise, so be sure to book this ultimate Utah volunteer experience for an extraordinary summer you'll always remember.

Traveling to the USA? Check out all of Worldpackers' work and travel experiences in the USA to help plan your trip.

5. Organize hostel events in Ljubljana, Slovenia

Have a knack for all things social media or photography? Hostel24 in Slovenia needs your help!

This friendly hostel has some of the best vibes in Europe's green capital, and they are in search of creative digital nomads who know their way around the web.

Worldpackers volunteers have consistently praised this host for giving them such a warm welcome, going the extra mile to ensure they become part of their family, and most have extended their stays because they simply can't get enough!

The workload is easy and even fun. You'll work for 20 hours each week to take lovely photos, promote parties and social events, and maintain the hostel's social media accounts with engaging content. 

In exchange for your skills and services, you'll be able to stay in a team dorm, receive discounts on parties and nearby clubs, be a part of their pub crawls, enjoy free drinks, and get free tours and rides around town. Ljubljana is also a great place to base yourself if you plan on exploring more of Eastern Europe or backpacking the Balkans.

Help organize hostel events for Hostel24 in Ljubljana and rest assured you'll get the inside scoop on the best things to do and see in Slovenia.

Traveling to Europe? Check out all of Worldpackers' work and travel experiences in Europe to help plan your trip.

6. Become a teacher's assistant in an Ashaninka Tribe in Huancayo, Peru

If you are a culture buff, this opportunity to become a teacher's assistant in an Ashaninka Tribe in Huancayo, Peru is absolutely for you! 

For this experience, you will be living with a small community of native Ashaninkas. This small tribe is comprised of just eight families who are still living a traditional lifestyle, so there is much to learn here about their history and culture. Rest assured, there is something for all types of skill sets here.

In the children's program, you'll have the chance to get creative and share your knowledge about subjects you have a passion for. If you have experience in the field of health care, the Health Center on site would be grateful to have a volunteer like you to assist them. 

As you work for 20 hours a week, you'll not only be able to create a lasting impact in this long-established community, you'll be contributing to the future success of its tiniest citizens. 

This incredible social impact program in Peru will assign you various educational projects to bolster the the community, such as teaching English, environmental science, computers, or sports. The school you will be teaching at is a primary school with only eleven students between the ages of 5 and 12.

You will be living in a shared space with three meals a day where you can also take language lessons for free. Speaking with the natives, hearing their stories, learning about their heritage, and enjoying their way of life is one of the most rewarding aspects of this unique exchange program. 

If you're looking to make a big difference somewhere in the world, here is where you can start!

Traveling to Peru? Check out all of Worldpackers' work and travel experiences in Peru to help plan your trip.

7. Surf the "Hawaii of Japan" in Miyazaki City, Japan

This hostel in southern Japan needs only 3-4 hours of help per day to keep their hostel running smoothly for its guests. 

Aoshima has fantastic beaches with waves comparable to the best surf spots in Hawaii. The host, Toshi, will let you use the hostel's surfboards whenever you want, so you could walk to the beach and potentially go surfing every day! 

Don't know how to surf, but want to learn? No problem. Your free surf classes are on the house.

Your work to keep the hostel in tip top shape will involve cleaning, general housekeeping, and checking guests in and out at reception. You'll be staying in a shared dorm room and get free use of the hostel's bikes to explore the village. 

This Worldpackers volunteer opportunity in Japan is perfect for embracing your inner hippie and enjoying the laid-back lifestyle of a seaside town.

Traveling to Japan? Check out all of Worldpackers' work and travel experiences in Japan to help plan your trip.

8. Experience the Tea Mountains of Ha Giang, Vietnam

This volunteer experience in the tea mountains of Ha Giang, Vietnam is every avid traveler's dream. 

You will be working in a Hill tribe community that focuses on responsible and sustainable travel, education through indigenous knowledge, and preserving culture. 

Surrounded by breathtaking mountains, you will be spending at least five weeks in this scenic village as you learn from the Red Yao people, whose traditions have been practiced for thousands of years. 

You will learn all about tea and its farming process, discover the role it plays in the Hill tribe livelihood, and meet some wise leaders of the community.

The Tea House requires volunteers that can help out with gardening, animal care, building repair and maintenance, social media promotion, and teaching English. In exchange, you'll be living in a shared dorm with three delicious meals a day and will have access to free or discounted tours, drinks, events, and free language courses.

The trees here have been declared national heritage trees because of their rich history and impact on the tribes that live there now and ones that have come before them.

This unique Worldpackers work exchange in Vietnam is perfect for those who love learning, experiencing an authentic lifestyle, and want to develop unique agricultural skills.

Traveling to Vietnam? Check out all of Worldpackers' work and travel experiences in Vietnam to help plan your trip.

9. Explore active volcanoes in Hawaii

Hawaii is one of the best places to go if you are a thrill-seeker with a serious taste for adventure! 

Here on the Big Island of Hawaii, you'll be situated right in the heart of Volcanoes National Park, where you can hike through exotic rainforest areas and see the lava formations. 

Hawaii is also one of the top surfing locations in the world, so grab a surfboard and hit those waves! The sandy beaches are riddled with palm trees and perfect for relaxing near clear blue waters or spending the day snorkeling.

The Volcano Inn would love to receive volunteers that are willing to stay for at least eight weeks to help them run their hotel. You will be staying in a team dorm with free breakfast as you work as a handyman, gardener, or just sprucing up the place in general. 

The Inn has several hot tubs you can relax in after work, where you can catch a tropical sunset like no other. Many volunteers have raved about this experience because of the kind hosts and because the location is the perfect base for exploring the Big Island. 

Being in a lush rainforest, you'll also learn a lot about how to care for nature and connect with it better. 

Sign up to experience Hawaii as a Worldpackers volunteer!

Traveling to Hawaii? Check out all of Worldpackers' work and travel experiences in Hawaii to help plan your trip.

10. Work on DIY hostel projects in Tel Aviv, Israel

Overstay Hostel in Tel Aviv needs volunteers to help them with the upkeep of their hostel, which the hosts have actually built themselves. 

There is something to work on here for people of all skill levels. Help with regular hostel maintenance is always needed, as well as repairs, decorating, DIY projects, and you may even be assigned to work on art or hostel graffiti. 

The vibe here is very relaxed and the easy-going hosts just ask that you bring good hands and a good heart.

For many travelers, working at Overstay Hostel is the perfect way to see the beautiful country of Israel on a budget. 

Put in 30 hours of work each week for at least three weeks, and the gracious hosts will provide you with breakfast and lunch as you stay in a shared dorm room. Bikes can be used whenever you feel your wanderlust creeping in and have a desire to see the fantastic sights of Israel's Mediterranean coast. 

There are plenty of museums, markets, and beaches to keep you occupied when you aren't working. Overstay Hostel is a popular host and always make their volunteers feel as though their part of a family.

Traveling to Israel? Check out all of Worldpackers' work and travel experiences in Israel to help plan your trip.

These cool volunteer experiences scattered across the globe are sure to get your mind racing with possibilities! 

Work exchange programs are the best way to save money while traveling, cut down on costs, help those in need, and learn from kind locals that you would've never met otherwise. 

Their stories and traditions will give you a fresh perspective and new-found appreciation for world culture that hopefully will inspire you to continue traveling the world one volunteer opportunity at a time.