Travel Guide Earn While Travelling

We’ve all heard about great destinations to travel to, but what is it that holds most of us back? Is it work? Is it money? Why is it that travel plans don’t work out at times?

Sometimes, we are already discouraged about it after looking at expensive vacation packages while trying to look for cheap flights, and don’t start with all the failed plans when all you’ve wanted was to go to Goa with your college friends. It is understandable that traveling may require flexible dates and holidays not just in your calendar but your friends’ calendars too.

Well, let’s resolve one obstacle at a time. What if you don’t have to worry about the expenses or booking a hotel while traveling? If we separate this from your trip planner, would it mean that you’re not very far from traveling to one of the places on your mind very soon? By the end, your outlook toward traveling is bound to change. Perhaps you might even start planning to travel ASAP or even contact an online travel agent for cheap airline tickets—who knows?

Did you know some places hire you for your skills in exchange for accommodation or food? There are plenty of volunteer work and work exchanges that look to hire people regularly on a short-term basis. You can find some of them below.

Volunteer Work & Work Exchanges

• There are hostels that look for people with social skills, painting skills, web development skills, and much more. When we looked at Worldpackers, we came across a hostel in Pondicherry looking for people for guest management, social network management, and activities for a minimum of three weeks in exchange for free accommodation, food, laundry, free drinks, bikes, and the opportunity to be part of a community of like-minded people. You also get a day off to explore the city! All you need to take care of are airline tickets, and off you go.

• If you have an interest in farming, you can volunteer on various platforms like WWOOF! You will look forward to an adventure as a farmer for a few hours a day, where you experience making wine and cheese, beekeeping, picking fruits across orchards, and more while getting to explore the city for the rest of the day. Why look for activity-filled travel packages when you can volunteer in places like this at a very minimal cost?

• Even better, what if you could travel and stay at places in exchange for talking (a lot) with people learning English? You can escape the dread of looking for hotel deals. Diverbo is the place for social butterflies like you, where you are offered one week of accommodation, food, and drinks.

Emily Rose, who volunteered here, says, “Every morning we would wake up, have a massive breakfast buffet, then separate into pairs. One English-speaking volunteer paired with one Diverbo. We would walk through the gorgeous woods or through the grounds of the resort and discuss whatever topic we were given.  We were encouraged to kindly correct them on their grammar or vocabulary as we chatted. We would then meet back up as a group, have another enormous meal for lunch and continue with activities. Some days it would be a tour of the town, castle or church. Other days we had small group discussions or games.” Sounds like fun, and it’s worth noting that many such places are looking for people for free travel opportunities through language exchange programs.

Side Hustles for Digital Nomad Lifestyle

The first thing on the list is to upskill yourself by learning in-demand skills that can make you more hireable. You can even look for work from home jobs while traveling at minimal expense or find side hustles at home that can let you offer skills while traveling to different places.

We spoke to a few people who keep traveling while freelancing online, including freelance writing gigs, freelance graphic designers, and freelance web developers. They call themselves digital nomads and have suggested a couple of online communities for those interested in the digital nomad lifestyle. These communities are very active and you can find a lot of useful content that can help you get more closer to this lifestyle.

• Slack: https://slack.remoteindian.com/
• Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/digitalnomad/

Real-Life Examples: How to Travel on a Budget by Trading Skills for Accommodation

Let's look at a couple of travelers who've successfully traded their skills to find unique ways to earn free stays while exploring the world:

Abhishek Khanna's Experience in Pai, Thailand: He shared his experience, where he secured a 3-day volunteer gig at a popular party hostel.  Here's what his budget travel hack involved:

In exchange for free accommodation and a daily breakfast buffet, he simply had to:

• Engage with guests during the day, much like a regular tourist
• Organize evening games and activities on behalf of the hostel

This budget-friendly travel opportunity wasn't part of an official program. Instead, Abhishek obtained it by striking up a conversation with the hostel's event management staff. It just goes to show that putting yourself out there by networking while traveling and being willing to lend a hand can lead to some sweet travel perks.

Somya’s Experience in Varkala, India: She found an excellent work exchange opportunity at a surfing school in Varkala, India. Here's how she traveled on a budget while learning a new skill:

What Somya received:

• Free surf lessons
• A place to stay
• All meals covered

What she provided in return:

• Assistance with the school's day-to-day operations

Through this creative travel arrangement, Somya learned to surf, enjoyed beach life, and experienced local culture - all while cutting travel costs significantly. It's a perfect example of how volunteering can lead to unforgettable and affordable adventures!