FrugalMonkey Discount Travel News

Tag: volunteer abroad

  • See Giant Pandas at China’s Zoos and Wildlife Centers

    pandaThe giant panda is one of the world’s most beloved animals, and sadly one of the most endangered. No visit to China would be complete without observing one of these real-life teddy bears.

    It’s estimated that just 2500 giant pandas roam freely in China’s mountain forests today, their numbers severely depleted through habitat loss. While your chances of spotting one in the wild are slim, some of China’s many wildlife parks showcase their national animal.

    Beijing Zoo is home to Gu Gu, a notorious giant panda who’s made international headlines for his feisty temper. Pandas may be docile by nature, but Gu Gu doesn’t take kindly to trespassers. On three separate occasions, Gu Gu has attacked visitors who’ve climbed into his enclosure.

    The zoo is served by Line 4 of the Beijing Subway.

    The Chengdu Panda Base provides a more focused panda experience. This non-profit research and breeding facility is home to more than 50 giant pandas, red pandas, and other endangered Chinese animals. The centre allows visitors to observe pandas in an area resembling their natural habitat. It takes approximately three hours to walk around the park or an hour and a half by tour bus.

    The Shaanxi Rescue and Breeding Center of Rare Wildlife offers a more hands-on experience for those willing to spend the time, and cash. This center is located in a remote area, approximately two hours from Xi’an at the foothills of the Qinling Mountains. It is home to more than 10 giant pandas who have been rescued from the wild or poachers, born in captivity, or orphaned. The center encourages breeding and reintroduces the animals into the wild. Volunteers are placed at the center for between two and four weeks. The volunteer fee includes all activities, food, accommodation, and a charitable donation to the project. International volunteers help care for the pandas and teach the staff English.

    No matter where you see one, an encounter with a giant panda is one that visitors to China never forget.

  • Volunteer Vacations

    We’ve mentioned before how volunteering can be a great way to spend your vacation time. It not only provides you with the opportunity to help people and experience new cultures and places, but volunteer experiences are a great way to boost up your resume for colleges, grad schools, and jobs.


    We also see volunteering as an amazing experience to travel and experience the world. If any of these things strikes your fancy, then read on and learn a little bit more about volunteering and travel!

    In recent years, there has been a growing trend towards volunteer vacations. Some of these vacations last months at a time, some last years (think Peace Corps), and others last just a week or two. On several of our FrugalMonkey pages we feature travel opportunities that surround the idea of volunteer vacations. Take some time to learn if a volunteer vacation is right for you, and get excited about unique and valuable vacation opportunities.

    If you want your volunteer vacation to have a ‘green’ approach, then consider learning more about an eco volunteer vacation. These types of vacations situate volunteers with organizations and areas that are showing a special focus on ecotourism, or sustainable ideals for that particular region. For example, there are vacations in Latin America where volunteers help to clean up villages and show locals how to live in a way that is not only better for the village but also in sustaining the environment. These types of experiences are great for those that are interested in sustainable agriculture, ecotourism, and the green effort that is sweeping the globe. On our volunteer vacations page within our ecotourism section, we provide a number of links to organizations, like the American Hiking Society, that provide opportunities of this kind to travelers.

    Although it is nice to have a narrow focus, like ecotourism, to your volunteer vacation, there are those that choose a much broader type of experience through a volunteer job abroad. Perhaps the largest number of opportunities of this kind exists through universities and non profit organizations. In fact, the largest demographic of volunteer job employees are college-aged students. The types of volunteer vacations that provide an opportunity to work with a cool organization and experience travel are practically endless. While most people think about non profits like the Peace Corps, there are thousands more that place people in volunteer positions abroad that last only a few weeks, or months at a time. Volunteering has an endless amount of positive outcomes for those who volunteer as well as for those who are on the receiving end of the volunteer effort.


    Find out more about volunteering abroad through a job with an organization overseas and expand your horizons both through travel as well as through the experiences you will entertain as a volunteer. In this page we highlight government agencies, and technical information like procuring a visa or work permit.

    Also, consider working abroad if you want to travel and gain valuable work experience. There are always paying jobs available through organizations that will allow for travel, even if they may be more difficult to uncover. Also consider a teaching job. You may know already that one of the most popular jobs abroad are teaching English abroad jobs, an experience that anyone who is willing to train can procure successfully. Find out more about exciting work opportunities through pages like this through FrugalMonkey.

  • Interested In Volunteering Abroad?

    Volunteering abroad is an amazing way to improve your resume, meet friends, learn a language and to engage in new experiences. FRUGALMONKEY has an entire section about volunteering abroad. In some cases volunteers need visas and work permits in order to gain college credit or to even be allowed in the country. Additionally, many programs require that you pay for volunteer hours, while others are free. There is a lot of information to sift through when thinking about volunteering in a foreign country.  Check out FRUGALMONKEY’s entire section on volunteering while you live abroad and how to arrange an entire trip based off your desire to volunteer. Information on government programs, volunteer agencies as well as work permits will help you gain a better sense of about the volunteering you are looking for.