Honeymoon Volunteering
March 14, 2012 | By Ali Moffitt
To all of our engaged readers, are you looking for a truly unique honeymoon, combining travel and relaxation with volunteer work? There is a fascinating new trend that can help you do just that, called Honeymoon Volunteering. Read on for some background info from their website:
Working on your honeymoon? Are you crazy? Aren’t honeymoons supposed to be about lying by the pool and walking along the beach at sunset?
For more and more couples, the traditional honeymoon experience is just too…… well, ordinary.
People today are getting married much later in life – the average bride is 29 years old and her groom 32 years. What’s more, recent studies show that many couples have been together for years before their big day – with the majority living together for a good portion of that time. And with most people taking at least 1 foreign holiday a year, that generally means a lot of romantic holidays together before walking down the aisle! How are you going to make your honeymoon a unique experience that will live with you for the rest for your lives?
It is this that has driven so many couples over recent years to look towards volunteer experiences as a way to go out and see the real world, get involved in something they have never encountered before and at the same time have a really positive impact on a community or the environment.Sharing that experience is something that will last a lifetime.
And if you already have enough toasters and fondue sets in your cupboards, why not put your volunteer honeymoon on your wedding gift list?
These are some of the reasons why, but we know that honeymoon volunteering is not for everyone – so lets look at why not?
“It’s our honeymoon – we don’t want to stay in a dorm room!”
This is generally the first question we get asked. This is why we have rated each of these honeymoon volunteer packages with a ‘privacy’ rating – so you can see the options which suit your needs. We have a couple of trek options where volunteers stay together in one room (privacy 1), but most of our options include a private room for couples – some with shared bathrooms and living areas (privacy 2) and some with en-suites and private living space too (privacy 3).
“We want to volunteer, but we want to be able to do some other things on our own as well”
When you volunteer, you will be given your working hours, but you will also get spare time in the evenings and at weekends. You can chose how you prefer to use your spare time, but our local coordinators know all the best local sights and activities available and can help you plan. For a number of these packages, we have included some of the best local highlights in your package, so you don’t even have to think about it – it is organized for you.
“It would be nice to have a bit of luxury for our honeymoon, though”
For some of our projects’ locations, we have been able to organize upgraded accommodation in nearby resorts, and for others we have included weekend retreats in some of the area’s most luxurious lodges. Check out the ‘luxury’ rating of your project to choose something really special. Volunteering is not for everyone and even for honeymoon volunteers staying in resorts, you will be required to take full part in your chosen project, be ready for work each morning and follow the behavioral rules within the bounds of the project.
If you are looking for total relaxation, then opt for the more traditional honeymoon, but if you are looking for adventure, within a safe and structured environment, then you are on the right track with honeymoon volunteering.