Ever wondered what exactly an internship really is? And when exactly is the best time to go on an adventure and what is the difference between the two really? And most importantly, how do you choose? Well, the answer – put simply – is that there is no simple answer. Every one of us is unique, with different dreams, goals, interests, experiences and dreams. What we can do however is explain what the different options mean for you personally – whoever you might be.
Internships – invest in your future
Internships take you a step beyond simply volunteering. As the name implies, they are essentially internships, with the added bonus of travel to far-flung and exotic locations thrown in. But an internship can be so much more than simply travelling and volunteering. These are serious work placements specifically designed to get you that oh-so-elusive foot in the door to the industry of your choice at the same time as giving you plenty of work experience in the field – something which is increasingly important when it comes to seeking paid employment in the cutthroat job market of today.
Job markets quite aside, internships are also uniquely suited for students and post-graduates of a great variety of subjects. Many of our internship projects offer you the chance to bring your own research questions to the project, enabling you to make your internship a part of your education.
They are also hard work. Apart from the potential research carried out at many projects, many internships also involve tough physical labour in a tropical climate. You might be engaged in long nightly patrols on a beach in Costa Rica looking for hatching turtles, digging a well in Cambodia or installing solar panels in a small village in Nicaragua. As serious work placements, internships require you to have a genuine passion for the work that you do and the field you are working in. In most cases, the work carried out by volunteers is also vitally important in keeping the project running, be it marine conservation in the oceans of the world or grassroots recycling in urban Ghana.
In return, an internship is a truly rewarding experience, for everyone involved. Although there are projects accepting volunteers for as short a time as one week, most internships require and also benefit from a longer time commitment. Spending a prolonged time immersed in the project and the surrounding local culture will also give you a deeper understanding of the work you do while allowing you to form real bonds with locals and fellow volunteers alike.
Volunteering – Experience the world from a different perspective
We appreciate that not everyone is dead serious about their career or maybe haven’t found their path in life just yet. To that end – we offer you Volunteer adventures. Doing pretty much what it says on the tin, it’s adventure travel with room for volunteering in your chosen destination so you can pay back some goodwill to the countries you travel through instead of just being a normal tourist. (Who wants to be normal anyway?) Volunteer adventures can be as short as a week and as long as…forever. These are extraordinary flexible projects, allowing you to work in many different areas and build a travel adventure perfectly suited to your own tastes and interests. Maybe you are interested in learning Muy Thai boxing followed by a little jungle trekking followed by a stint of teaching followed by some Buddhist meditation? Then a Thailand adventure is for you. Perhaps you would like to find out if working in a medical profession is for you? You could head to India or Cambodia and work in a health care centre before spending some time on the beach. Animals more you thing? Spend some time washing elephants in the largest elephant camp in the world before bending your limbs on a yoga adventure in Sri Lanka. Or why not do it all? The choice – and the adventure – is yours.
