Worldpackers: Are You in the Know Yet?

Worldpacker - Paikea Hostel Praia do Rosa Surf

Do you want to travel the world on a budget, staying for as long as you can abroad?

Do you want to meet new people, learn new skills and immerse yourself in a local project?

Do you want the security of an established safety net, whilst still having the independence to choose your path and itinerary?

Then listen up people, because I’ve just found out about the amazing work of Worldpackers and I’ve got to admit, I’m pretty damn excited to be sharing it with you!

 


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This post was sponsored by Worldpackers, but, as always, all views are my own.

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What is Worldpackers?

Logo_WorldPackers
Credit: Worldpackers

Essentially Worldpackers is a huge online community of over 1.2 million travellers looking to see, explore and experience more of this incredible planet we live in… for less!

Dedicated to helping those who want to invest a little something in the places they visit, Worldpackers aligns travellers with hosts around the world, running work exchange, eco program or social impact projects.

You volunteer a pre-determined number of hours a week and in return receive free accommodation, free meals, plus a heap of other benefits.

Not only is this a great way for you to save money on your global adventure, but it’s also an amazing way you can immediately be surrounded by a community when you’re in a foreign country, a way you can instantly connect with local people and a way you can have a sense of purpose and achievement about your time travelling.

But the benefits don’t just stop there.

One of the things I love most about Worldpackers is the diversity of destinations and opportunities they offer.

From Brazil to Belgium, Angola to Australia, they have thousands of different projects (over 5000 to be exact) operating in over 120 countries, meaning you could just as easily find yourself volunteering your video making skills with kids in Tanzania as you could helping at a hostel in Texas.

Honestly, there’s more options for amazing projects to get involved with at Worldpackers than I could have ever imagined and, best of all, it’s all on your terms – where you want to go, what you want to do and how long you want to do it for.

 

So How Did Worldpackers Come About?

Worldpacker - Planting
Credit: Worldpackers

Well we all know that those who have done it before know it best, and when it comes to ways to backpack on a budget, there’s no better people to follow than those with direct experience of this sort of dream!

Enter Worldpackers founding team Riq Lima and Eric Faria – 2 amazing budget travellers who left the corporate world to travel the globe.

Adventuring for over 4 years, they soon started running low on funds and loved the idea of staying and volunteering with local projects and communities as a way to keep the dream alive without continually burning through their funds.

And so the idea for Worldpackers was born!

Now a fully-fledged online portal, these 2 guys dreamt the travel dream, lived the travel dream and are now helping others do the same!

Started in 2013 in Brazil, Worldpackers now assists people from across the planet in travelling more for less, especially those from South America, Europe and relatively recently, the US as well.

 

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But What Makes Worldpackers Different?

Worldpacker-Mud
Credit: Worldpackers

Now you may be thinking to yourself there’s a heap of volunteer companies out there that offer travellers placements around the globe, so what makes Worldpackers different?

Well first up is this notion of volunteering.

That’s because the guys at Worldpackers are far more interested in the notion of exchange than simply giving.

Sure you give your time to the projects, but this is always in exchange for something.

Materially it’s food and accommodation, but it’s also new skills, new friends, new languages and new ways of seeing the world.

I love how Worldpackers are dedicated to the notion that travel is the best education one can get (personally I couldn’t agree more!) and it’s great to see that the whole ethos of the company is to connect people, to help them learn from each other, to help us expand our worlds (both inner and outer) and to stretch our minds to new cultures, currencies, cuisines and concepts.

Living and working with those who come from different countries is the best way I know of growing to be more understanding, tolerant and forgiving of others, and heck we all know this world needs more of that!

Or as Mark Twain famously said, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.”

Sold Already?

Sign up to get your Worldpackers annual membership at the special Big World Small Pockets discount price of just $29 USD!

 

How Safe is Worldpackers?

Worldpacker - View
Credit: Worldpackers

Another thing that sets Worldpackers apart in my book, especially as a solo female traveller, is the great level of security they provide.

These guys vet all hosts thoroughly, in fact they have a dedicated team that guarantees all their hosts offer caring, safe and trustworthy experiences for travellers.

Worldpackers also offer 24/7 support (via app, email and phone) from a professional customer service team, meaning if you do ever have any issues anywhere, at any time, that these guys are just a phone call, email or message away.

And finally, Worldpackers even offer you a level of insurance when it comes to your exchange placement.

This means that if you have any problems at all related to your host during your stay, Worldpackers will cover 3 nights for you at a nearby hostel and then get you settled with an alternative Worldpacker host as soon as possible.

Can’t argue with that right?!

 

Solo and Female Travellers

Worldpacker - Teacher
Credit: Worldpackers

And with this level of safety in mind, there’s no question Worldpackers is ideal for solo and female travellers or, even better for solo female travellers!

In fact, 65% of Worldpacker members are female and most of these are solo adventurers too.

Take Lorna for example, who volunteered with the Dilts Foundation teaching English to children in Jakarta, or Andrea who woke up cows every morning on a farm in Italy!

If you want to check out either of these girls’ reviews, or tons of others just like them, then it couldn’t be easier than through the Worldpackers website.

Yup, the on-site community support at Worldpackers is truly amazing and yet another thing that sets this company apart.

Not only does membership to Worldpackers give you access to a whole heap of experienced members and experts who can help you plan your trip, but there’s also a huge amount of tips and tricks about travel in general on there too.

You can even see other Worldpacker members that are travelling right now, get heaps of info about your potential hosts, ask questions to those who have already been where you want to go AND get exclusive discounts on travel experiences and accommodation as well!

 

Who is Worldpackers for?

Worldpacker - Welcome
Credit: Worldpackers

Worldpackers is for just about anyone who wants to have a meaningful experience around the world, offering something to the communities they travel through.

Worldpackers is for those who are always seeking new experiences, who have a quest for knowledge exchange.

Worldpackers is for people who believe in respecting the world and its people, who believe everyone has something to bring to the table and should be treated as equals.

And finally, Worldpackers is for people who love to share and collaborate, who see the value in doing this as a global community and who believe we each have a responsibility for the world’s development as a whole.

If that sounds like you, then why not check out Worldpackers now?

 

How to Sign up?

Worldpacker - Pousada Jacarandá
Credit: Worldpackers

To ensure they can provide the best service possible, Worldpackers works on a membership basis – this allows the company to provide a good safety net, as well as offer the best experience possible.

Memberships run on an annual basis and normally cost $49 USD.

BUT… I’ve teamed up with Worldpackers to offer all you Big World Small Pockets’ readers an exclusive discount!

Yes, by clicking HERE you can get your annual membership to Worldpackers for just $29 USD, giving you access to over 5000 hosts, hundreds of hosted opportunities, tons of support and advice and more wanderlust than you can even handle!

So what are you waiting, grab your exclusive Big World Small Pocket membership deal NOW and get planning your next budget travel adventure with Worldpackers today.

 

4 thoughts on “Worldpackers: Are You in the Know Yet?

  1. Niyas kn says:

    Hey.i’m a traveler from India..can I use this app and exchange my skill for accommodation and all..do nationality matter to apply? Can Indian people apply??

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