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Meet other travelers and explore new cities while you volunteer.

Hostels are generally filled with a buzz of activity. People coming and going, exploring and traveling. Most people don’t stay in hostels for long periods of time but as a volunteer you can experience this transient way of life for a longer period.

You’ll meet and endless stream of interesting people from around the world and the work is generally quite straightforward. You might be assigned to help with cleaning, laundry, maintenance or front desk work.

If you enjoy meeting new people and prefer to stay busy, a hostel might be the perfect place to volunteer while you travel.

Host: Ilse Broekhuizen, Paraty, Brazil

Managing a hostel is no easy task, but there is an easy way to find great help.

How can you benefit as a Hovos host?

Host: Murat Oren, Imbros, Turkey

Once you sign up as a Hovos host, you can search through our volunteer listings to find people who have skills that would benefit your hostel.

For example, if you need help getting repairs done to perfection, a volunteer who has carpentry or construction experience may be a great asset. If you need help maintain the financials, someone with accountancy training or a finance qualification might be the ideal volunteer.

Your volunteer stays with you in exchange for accommodation and food - they help you with any task of your choosing. All you need to do is find the right volunteer.

There is no cash transaction that can add to your costs, there is no obligation to hire anyone for any period of time. It is an open ended arrangement that is beneficial to you and the volunteer.

Wins from this experience

As a host you will learn to cooperate with and take care of your volunteer(s). You’ll be able to get more work done without any huge increases in costs. Furthermore, a host will learn more about the country, background, culture and lifestyle of their travelers – it’s a great experience and exchange.

Travelers interested in hostel support

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VOLUNTEERS

Host: Fer Ata, 70949, Mexico

Gain excellent experience in hostel management if you are keen to start one of your own by volunteering for a host who manages one. Learn how the hostel is run, understand the responsibilities and get a feel for the typical challenges that a hostel owner faces. Not interested in running your own hostel? The experience can still be valuable in so many other ways.

Volunteering to assist in running a hostel gives you exposure to managing people from various backgrounds and cultures. It tells you how to handle maintenance issues in an establishment of any kind, teaches you to assume leadership when required and helps you assess your inherent people and situation management skills.

Just sign up as a traveler with Hovos, list out your skills and find a great host. You get free accommodation and free food in exchange for your help and lots of time off to explore the area.

Begin your next adventure today!

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Wins from this experience

As a Hovos Traveler you will learn how to live abroad far away from your familiar surroundings. You will gain insight into different lifestyles and traditions. It's a win-win situation for both sides. Hovos brings hosts and travelers together.

Hosts that need help with hostel support

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What is the cost to sign up as a Host or Traveler?

Traveler Membership: $10/Year This gives them full access to all hosts as well as a FREE Travel SIM. However, they can create an account for free so they can start ‘favoriting hosts’ and build their profile - but advanced features such as contacting hosts will be unavailable until they become members.

Host Membership: $0/Year It is free for hosts to sign up and they can begin contacting travelers immediately.

An additional advantage of being a member is that you become more trustworthy and therefore members will be shown first on the website. Members can build up more trust by verifying their mobile phone and passport as well.

Are you interested in different types of work?

If you’re not interested in working in a hostel or you need help with a different type of project, there are many other categories available. Once you sign up, you can select as many different categories as you like.

Hovos offers language practice, help with art projects, gardening, internet support, tourist support and many other options!

animal care | art projects | child care / au pair | boat handlers | charity work | child care | computer help | construction | eco projects | elderly care | farm work | forest work | hostel support | fruit picking | gardening | house sitting | help in the house | internet support | language practice | maintenance tasks | pet sitting | music practice | spiritual projects | teaching projects | tourist support