Would you be willing to sacrifice your lavish Hawaiian vacation to work on a farm?

It may sound farfetched, but many people actually give up luxury holidays to go on volunteer vacations where they help build houses for homeless in Haiti, take care of elephants in Thailand, or build orphanages in South Africa. So-called voluntourism is still an emerging trend and navigating the various volunteer opportunities can be daunting and even risky for travelers, which is why the book Volunteer Vacations: Short-Term Adventures That Will Benefit You and Others by Bill McMillon, Doug Cutchins, and Anne Geissinger is a useful guide for these ventures. With the book, the authors encourage readers to see a new part of the United States or a completely different country, help other people, make new friends, and possibly learn a new language through volunteering. The publication includes in-depth information about over 150 projects that volunteers can join. Have you been on a volunteer vacation? If so, what did you learn from the experience?