Working in Hostels: The Best Way to Have a Cultural Experience on the Cheap

Sealing the Deal

The first time I learned of her volunteering, I was early in my trip and my head was full of ideas about spending my hard-earned savings on elephant camps and treetop camping. But now that I had spent almost two months of time and money on adventuring, I was far more interested in her frugal traveling strategy. After dropping my bag in my room, we sat on the stoop together and I picked her brain about how and what she did to arrange her volunteering positions, slowly making up my mind to plagiarize everything she had accomplished.

Her method was simple: find somewhere with a dearth of English/”marketing” and book a room. Stay for a couple of days as a regular guest before making your intentions known in any manner. This way you can establish yourself as a friendly, easygoing person, and you can evaluate whether you really do want to volunteer there.

After a couple of days, make an effort to be helpful in small ways, like talking up the menu or letting it slip that you’re writing a glowing review on Tripadvisor. At the end of the day, ask the manager if they are interested in keeping you around to help. Simple as that. Most backpacker-friendly hostels have had this arrangement before and already know what they can offer you.

Ryan Farley / Own Work

Ryan Farley / Own Work

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