If you’re constantly on the search for adventure, there’s a high chance that your passport gets a lot of use. After all, staying in the same place is overrated, right? Although you can simply book your flights and then make your way around each of your desired destinations via sleeper train, buses, and a whole load of hostels, some people don’t like this option. To get a real slice of the adventure pie, many people choose to sink their teeth into the idea of WWOOFing. No, this isn’t some kind of doggy travel adventure. Here’s all you need to know about WWOOFing and why you should give it a try.
What is WWOOFing?
To make matters a little easier, it’s probably best to understand what WWOOFing stands for. As an acronym for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, this organization gives travelers the chance to volunteer as farm workers during their travels. Because you work as a volunteer, you don’t get paid for this role. However, as you pick fruit or plant vegetables, your host (normally the owner of the farm) will repay you with accommodation and three meals a day. Throughout the process, you learn what it’s like to work on an organic farm, and you take part in a revolution that has since been called “agritourism.” So, why should you give it a try?
You get to experience what life is like in rural areas
When most people book their flights for a traveling adventure, they follow in the footsteps of fellow tourists who came before them. They travel around Australia in a camper van, they ride around on mopeds in Vietnam, and they party on the beaches in Thailand. However, have you ever wondered how authentic this traveling process is? By volunteering as a WWOOFer, there’s a very high chance that you will be in the middle of fields in a rural area of the country. You’ll be away from the tourist traps, and you’ll get to experience what the culture is really like there.
You get free accommodation and food
Of course, the biggest advantage of being a WWOOFer is the fact that you get free accommodation and food. If you are traveling on a budget, this gives you the chance to travel without having to pay out anything. You don’t have to pay to stay anywhere, you don’t have to pay for your meals, and you don’t even have to pay to get a bus into the rural areas of the country. You’re already there!
You get the afternoons off to explore
The general rule of thumb when it comes to WWOOFing is that you start work on the farms fairly early in the mornings so that you get the afternoons off. Once you’ve eaten your lunch, you have free time to do whatever you want. While you can’t stray too far away from the farm, you can still explore the surrounding area and find some hidden gems to complete your traveling adventure.
You get to learn a new trade
Many people go traveling and then come home and slip back into their old life. However, many people who volunteer as WWOOFers find that their lives are changed after working on these farms. That’s because they learn a new trade, and they learn about something that is completely separate from their lives at home. The hard work can shape them as a person, the knowledge can change their beliefs, and it can be a real learning curve.
So, what do you think? Will you give WWOOFing a go?
