Where Is the Best Place to Volunteer Abroad Based on Your Interest?

Volunteering abroad has surged in popularity as more travelers seek alternative travel experiences that are meaningful and impactful. Instead of the usual tourist trail, volunteer travel offers a chance to immerse yourself in a community and give back. 

The key is to choose a location and project that aligns with your personal interests. Below, we break down the best places to volunteer abroad by interest, including standout projects across continents.

Read on to find the perfect match for a life-changing volunteer adventure!

Volunteer with Animals (Wildlife & Animal Welfare)

If you’re an animal lover looking to make a difference, wildlife and animal care projects abroad will be incredibly rewarding. You also get to work alongside passionate local experts and other volunteers who share your love for wildlife. It’s the perfect choice for travelers who want to support animal welfare and have wild adventures at the same time!

Here are a few top destinations and programs for animal welfare enthusiasts:

South Africa 

South Africa offers a truly immersive experience for animal lovers, combining iconic wildlife conservation with hands‑on care for endangered species. 

IVHQ’s Wildlife Conservation in Kruger offers a structured program based at Balule Game Reserve. Volunteers help in community education, research data collection, and habitat management, and receive expert training from the on‑site team. IVHQ’s Animal Care in Cape Town project lets you support a local shelter in Grassy Park. 

Alternatively, GoEco’s Big Cats Rescue Sanctuary near Cape Town enables volunteers to assist with captive big cats — ensuring they live enriched lives in ethical sanctuaries, though exact details are limited in sources. In Port Elizabeth, GoEco’s Penguin Sanctuary volunteers actively support the rehabilitation of sick and injured African penguins and other seabirds. 

At Umoya Khulula Wildlife Centre with African Impact, volunteers support the “Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release” mission — caring for injured wildlife and preparing them for re‑release. Also check out the Big Five Wildlife Conservation project in Greater Kruger, where volunteers work alongside researchers to track and monitor lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards, and buffalo. 

Involvement Volunteers International (IVI) has a program in Cape Town that offers hands‑on care for captive-born cheetahs—feeding, cleaning, enrichment, guided tours, and assisting in their release to the wild. Volunteering Solutions (VolSol) places volunteers in a 6,000‑hectare reserve near Port Elizabeth. 

GVI’s Elephant, Rhino & Buffalo Research program operates on a private reserve near Kruger. Volunteers track herds, collect data, support habitat management, and contribute to broader wildlife conservation research.

Thailand

Thailand offers incredible opportunities for animal lovers to support elephant and wildlife conservation through engaging, hands‑on volunteer programs.

At IVHQ’s Elephant Welfare sanctuary, volunteers feed, bathe, and care for rescued elephants — many survivors of abuse — while learning from mahouts and helping maintain living areas in the jungle near Chiang Mai. VolSol’s Chiang Mai placement also immerses volunteers in daily elephant care, forest forage collection, vitamin preparation, and supporting these majestic animals.

GoEco’s south‑of‑Bangkok sanctuary provides rescued elephants with large, chain‑free bamboo groves and natural habitat. Volunteers collect behavioral data, plant fruit trees, maintain grounds, and feed the elephants, supporting ethical sanctuary living. The Asian Wildlife Rescue Centre cares for injured or endangered native species — gibbons, bears, reptiles — and involves volunteers in feeding, enclosure maintenance, and rehabilitation while supporting broader wildlife protection

In Koh Samui, participants engage in jungle treks to forage sugar cane and banana leaves, feed, bathe, and assist with health checks and behavioral research alongside caring for local elephants

In Chiang Mai’s mountain forests, GVI’s program trains volunteers to track, photograph, and record white‑handed gibbon groups. It combines field research with habitat monitoring and supports sustainable eco‑tourism.

Costa Rica 

Costa Rica is a paradise for animal‑loving volunteers seeking hands‑on conservation and wildlife care experiences.

In San José, volunteers assist vet clinics and shelters caring for abandoned dogs and cats — feeding, bathing, grooming, assisting vets, and helping with neutering and community education. In coastal Manuel Antonio, IVHQ places volunteers in local organisations caring for injured strays, with a focus on rehabilitation and rehoming. 

At a top rescue sanctuary with GoEco, volunteers feed, clean enclosures, and provide enrichment to over 100 animals — sloths, opossums, monkeys, parrots, and more — as part of rehabilitation and release efforts. Combining Spanish and wildlife work, volunteers engage in daily care for native species, alongside habitat maintenance and community outreach.

Máximo Nivel organizes placements in San José at dog and cat shelters housing over 50 strays. Volunteers spend hands‑on time daily, feeding, grooming, training, and even assisting spay/neuter efforts, while living with host families and receiving logistical support. Costa Rica’s horse care & rehabilitation program offers equine rescue, feeding, grooming, liberty training, equine therapy, stable maintenance, and basic vet support — immersing volunteers in ethical horsemanship through hands‑on daily interaction

Based in the Kekoldi Indigenous Reserve on the Caribbean coast, this program with GVI includes jungle hikes to conduct biodiversity surveys, turtle nesting patrols, camera‑trap monitoring of jaguars, ocelots, howler monkeys, toucans, and shorebirds — all contributing to research and eco‑education.

Teaching & Education Volunteer Projects

Volunteering as a teacher abroad lets you empower local communities and inspire students—watching them grow in confidence and knowledge. You’ll gain classroom experience, cross-cultural skills, and lasting memories. 

Here are some of the best destinations for teaching volunteers:

India 

India offers a rich tapestry of teaching volunteer opportunities — from vibrant cities to serene mountain towns.

• Delhi: Teach English in schools or slums, working alongside local teachers to support children aged 5 to 11. Volunteers run lessons, activities, and help in community centers — ideal for building TEFL experience and engaging underserved youth.
• Kerala: In Kochi, volunteers support overburdened local teachers by teaching English and life skills, while gaining classroom experience and immersion in South Indian culture.
• Goa: Volunteers teach English, music, arts, and sports at a kindergarten by day, and lead slum outreach classes with creative and educational activities in the evening—immersed in coastal life.
• Bodhgaya: In rural communities, volunteers teach basic subjects, share Western perspectives, support library and playground initiatives, and engage with local life.
• Jaipur: Educational programs include teaching English, supporting slum education, and women’s empowerment. Volunteers work in rural areas and urban slums, addressing child labor and gender disparities.
• Darjeeling: In Kagyu/Nyingma monasteries, volunteers teach English to novice monks while experiencing Buddhist traditions in the Himalayan foothills.

Ghana 

Across the country, international volunteers are welcomed into schools and community centers, where their support makes a tangible difference. In bustling Accra and its surrounding regions, programs like IVHQ’s Teaching English initiative invite volunteers to co-teach with local educators, guiding lessons in English, math, the arts, and even sports.

In city and rural settings with GoEco, volunteers support early childhood development by helping with daily routines, preparing meals, and organizing educational games for toddlers and preschoolers from low‑income backgrounds

Opportunities go beyond traditional subjects. With Projects Abroad, volunteers may find themselves teaching computer skills. Early childhood placements are also popular; volunteers in kindergartens or community centers help with daily routines, games, and meals, ensuring even the youngest learners have a strong educational start.

Guatemala

Teaching English in Antigua, Guatemala, offers volunteers an immersive and impactful experience. IVHQ’s program places volunteers in schools, community centres, and libraries, enabling them to lead lessons, tutoring, and workshops for all ages.

Maximo Nivel places volunteers in government schools, fire stations, and even tourism police, providing a crash course in teaching ESL. Developing English skills opens economic and academic doors for Guatemalans, and even helps first responders serve Antigua better. Volunteers help plant the seeds for a brighter future in local communities.

Meanwhile, IVI invites volunteers to teach English to children and adults after an intro ESL course, using games to boost grammar, reading, writing, pronunciation, and conversation, all with homestay accommodation.

Women’s Empowerment & Community Volunteer Programs

For those passionate about gender equality and social impact, volunteering with women’s empowerment projects is an inspiring way to travel. By sharing your time and skills, you can help create more opportunities for women in underserved communities. 

Here are some excellent places to volunteer in this field:

Nepal 

Volunteering to promote gender equality in Nepal offers a transformational experience for those passionate about women’s rights. International Volunteer HQ places volunteers in women’s education centres, helping women gain English skills and school certifications to enhance job prospects. IVHQ also supports NGOs advancing women, youth, education, environment and health across Nepal. 

GoEco’s Empowering Women in Kathmandu program involves teaching English, life skills, and confidence workshops to housemaids and wives, along with cultural immersion and weekend tours. IVI’s Women’s Empowerment & Education program tackles adult literacy to pull families out of poverty, offering structured support and local engagement. Volunteering Solutions focuses on underprivileged women in Kathmandu villages, delivering hands-on educational empowerment.

GVI’s gender‑equality and women’s‑empowerment initiatives in Pokhara combine research, facilitation, public‑health education and community projects.

Sri Lanka 

Volunteering in Sri Lanka offers powerful gender-equality experiences focused on women’s education, health, and empowerment. IVHQ’s Women’s Education project in Kandy supports local girls and young women through English literacy, confidence-building workshops, and school certification to enhance future opportunities.

GoEco’s Women’s English Literacy Program places volunteers on the southern coast to teach English and life skills, empowering rural women and fostering cultural exchange. 

Volunteer­ing Solutions’ Women Empowerment program in Galle engages underprivileged women in vocational training and English lessons to improve livelihoods.

Tanzania 

Volunteering in Tanzania offers meaningful ways to support gender equality through education, empowerment, and community outreach. IVHQ’s Women’s Education program in Arusha places volunteers with local NGOs to teach English, health, business, and vocational skills — like chicken-rearing and jewelry making—and distribute menstrual pads to promote financial independence.

GoEco’s Zanzibar Community Outreach program combines English lessons with women’s empowerment, community projects, and beachside cultural immersion. Projects Abroad offers Women’s Empowerment placements focusing on education, leadership, and mentoring. 

IVI supports empowerment initiatives in Arusha and Maasai communities, teaching life skills and literacy. GVI’s business micro‑enterprise volunteering helps women in Tanzania develop entrepreneurial skills aligned with gender‑equality goals.

Turn Your Passion into Purpose!

No matter what your passion, there’s a perfect place in the world for your skills and enthusiasm as a volunteer. When you align your volunteer journey with your personal interests, you create the conditions for both personal growth and real, sustainable change. 

The world is full of communities eager to welcome you — so take that first step and discover where your unique talents can do the most good.