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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Susan J on June 8, 2004, at 15:47:16
I may be late in the game, but I just heard about volunteer vacations where you go to a variety of places, do volunteer work, and in your off time you get to explore the country. It's supposedly tax-deductible.
Just wondering if anyone had experience....
Posted by NikkiT2 on June 8, 2004, at 16:23:20
In reply to Anyone Ever Do a Volunteer Vacation?, posted by Susan J on June 8, 2004, at 15:47:16
A friend of mne used to be a leader for these holidays in the UK.. They were re-building dry stone walls in the Lake District (amazingly beautiful) and he said it was a huge laugh, and the people on the holiday had a great time. They're meant to be fantastic if you're travelling alone..
I say go for it!!
Nikki x
Posted by Pfinstegg on June 8, 2004, at 21:02:24
In reply to Re: Anyone Ever Do a Volunteer Vacation? » Susan J, posted by NikkiT2 on June 8, 2004, at 16:23:20
Earthwatch is fun to investigate- you can go almost anywhere in the world and do things like geological surveys, archeological digs, women's health and work initiatives, fossil digs, working with animals such as dolphins and apes to learn more about how their minds work,, etc. etc.
Posted by Racer on June 9, 2004, at 17:36:55
In reply to Anyone Ever Do a Volunteer Vacation?, posted by Susan J on June 8, 2004, at 15:47:16
My now-retired opthalmologist used to go on Surgical Eye Expedition trips most years, and he loved them. And I've known other doctors who did it and loved it. They all said the same sorts of things, too, about how great it was to do so much good while they also got to travel. Since not a single one who did it ever had anything negative to report, even those who chose not to go again, I'd say that it's likely to be a good experience.
It certainly sounds worth investigating, and I hope you'll post what you find out here, because maybe one day I'll be well enough to do it, too. Wouldn't that be a hoot? Running into a babbler on one of those? Do let us know, eh?
The only advice I'd give is to make sure it's a volunteer opportunity that interests you -- if you're not an outdoors type, geological expeditions might not be a great idea, for example. If it's something that interests you, though, I don't see how you can lose.
Posted by spoc on June 10, 2004, at 5:58:46
In reply to Re: Anyone Ever Do a Volunteer Vacation? » NikkiT2, posted by Pfinstegg on June 8, 2004, at 21:02:24
I too would love to hear any details anyone knows or finds out. Especially how costs break down. I assume it costs basically what any vacation would cost -- except that you probably wouldn't be fine dining, clubbing, shopping, etc. as much (if at all), or staying in fine hotels! Anyone know if there are any kind of price breaks set up -- on the travel, accomodations, expenses, etc.?
Posted by Pfinstegg on June 10, 2004, at 14:11:02
In reply to Re: Volunteer Vacation? Anyone and » Pfinstegg, posted by spoc on June 10, 2004, at 5:58:46
As far as Earthwatch goes, you sign on for one, two or three weeks. You pay your own fare to get there, then the costs range from $700 to several thousand dollars- this includes all costs for accomodation, meals, etc. In the description of each trip, they describe accomodations which range from tents to medium-good hotels, and food from very simple to good restaurants and sometimes a personal chef if you are in a remote location. Most of the people who go on these are single - they often add to their trip by travelling on their own afterwards. They also have scholarships to help keep the costs low for students.
Posted by Cece on June 11, 2004, at 21:29:47
In reply to Re: Volunteer Vacation? Anyone and » spoc, posted by Pfinstegg on June 10, 2004, at 14:11:02
I've gone on a couple of service trips with the Sierra Club, although not recently. Both of them were trail building/clearing trips, and both were on islands that are not usually accessible- one to a smaller island in the San Juans (Washington state), and one to Santa Rosa Island (one of the privately owned California Channel Islands). Although the work was hard, the neat thing was that there were people of all ages including people over 70, and everyone just did what they were able to do without pressure. They were reasonably priced and were camping trips, with camp food provided. You might want to check them out.
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