Become a WWOOFer World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms gives you the chance to volunteer on a farm in exchange for food, accommodation and learning opportunities. There are more than 120 countries that participate in WWOOF. The only cost to consider is that there are membership fees per country, which allows you access the list of participating hosts in that country. There is no international membership, so you’ll have to buy membership in each country that interests you. Photo credit to Vertgen farm (www.vertgen.com) Accommodation Programs and Networks Sites like GlobalFreeloaders or BeWelcome provide cultural exchange, free accommodation and an “inside” perspective on where you’re staying. Participants can choose the level and amount they want to interact with their guests, so anything from serving a home-cooked meal to a tour of the area might be offered. But, it could simply just be a place to crash during your trip. Due…

Five weeks in Iceland – “That's going to be expensive” people said to me. It depends. I woke up and looked behind the curtain, clear blue sky. Yesterday had been cold and grey all day, I find blue sky exciting. I looked at my clock – 08:07, time to get up. The waterfall I'd seen up the road yesterday would look even better in the sun so by 08:20 I was ready to leave (ready to leave = dressed. Everything else is optional) I got to the waterfall and although there were people there it wasn't too busy so I was able to have a good walk around and take some photos. I needed breakfast so I left the tourist car park and stopped a couple of miles up the road to cook myself an omelette - my standard breakfast so far this trip. Since it was sunny, I wanted…

The two halves of Kochi, India’s tourist draw in Kerala State – God’s Own Country as the street signs remind you – are so violently different, it’s no surprise that it takes not one but two bridges to keep them apart. The modern half, called Ernakulam is tangled, loud, with heavy construction (they’re putting up an elevated train) that manages the near impossible – it makes an Indian traffic jam worse. So worse in fact, that I jumped off the bus before we arrived at the station, deciding that a brisk walk would be more effective (walking on my hands backward would have been more effective). When I reached the station, and the locals directed me to the proper inner-city transit, I pushed my way into the crowded bus and off we went, cramped and unhappy. After crossing the first bridge (called Vanduruthy) and its adjacent military complex, the character…

To stand on the streets of Kolkata is to be assaulted by this raw and unapologetic city in eastern India. Vehicles, masses of humanity and the climate press down on you from all sides. Amongst the myriad exotic locations that India has to offer to the intrepid traveler, Kolkata is often at the bottom of the bucket list. But this is a city that has shaped history and shaped a nation. Kolkata, or Calcutta as it was known until recently was the capital of British India. Walking the streets of Kolkata takes you down to ground level where you can experience the faded but still magnificent colonial architecture. It also gives you the opportunity to experience the city’s intellectual heritage which gave birth to socio-cultural reform movements such as the Bengal Renaissance, fermented nationalist awakening and produced Nobel Laureates like Rabindranath Tagore and Amartya Sen. And this is the niche…

My fiancé and I are set to board an overnight sleeper train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand. Since this would be a new experience for me and Cassie we were excited. We board the train at 7pm and are not set to arrive in Chiang Mai until 9.55am… Trust me, I wish that was a lie! I am a very energetic person and hate to be static for a short amount of time, let alone for nearly 15 HOURS!! Still, this was the cheapest way to do it and Cassie and I aren’t in a rush. Find our seats and try to get comfy. At this point I’m confused as there are no beds, just two seats facing each other. Not seats like on an airplane that recline and have adjustable head rests, These are uncomfortable brown leather seats from the 50’s that would probably…