• Gift Catalog
  • Donate
  • Contact Us
Call Us: 800-487-1074
Global Volunteers
  • Countries
    • International Partnerships:
      • China
      • Cook Islands
      • Cuba
      • Ecuador
      • Greece
      • Italy
      • Nepal
      • Peru
      • Poland
      • Portugal
      • St Lucia
      • Tanzania
      • Vietnam
    • USA Programs:
      • Appalachia – West Virginia
      • Blackfeet Reservation – Montana
      • Rosebud Reservation – South Dakota
      • Española – New Mexico
  • Projects
  • Give
    • Giving Options:
      • Donate Now
      • Gift Catalog
      • Ways to Give
      • Philanthropy
  • Impact
  • Blog
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
Volunteer Voices Peru

How to Have the Best Vacation Ever in Peru

best vacation ever in Peru

How to have the best vacation ever in Peru, reflections on vacations by Peru Country Manager Daniel Salazar:

I just came back from an amazing trip I will never forget.  See, I went on a cruise to the Bahamas for my honeymoon.  Just a few hours after I arrived I had two things in my head. The first, ” how amazingly beautiful those beaches are, and how comfy I was on that cruise.” The second, much more odd, “is that it?” I mean, it was awesome, but I felt like it could have been better.

One of the first questions people asked me when I arrive was “did you make any new friends?” I felt bad because that had never crossed my mind. I was there to relax and be pampered. I got that, but now I realize that getting to know others, being nice to them, that might have made my trip even better.

I am not complaining. I am just reflecting. Many struggling people here ask me all the time “why do volunteers come here to help?” “They are nice and they like to help others, ” I explain. But now I get it. Visiting a foreign land is great, enjoying the food, getting to know the culture,   all that is awesome. But if on top of that you can get to know the people who live there, if you can even help them or make their lives better; that is a greater vacation.

Perhaps that is not a vacation. Perhaps spending time and money to get to know others living in a different world, especially when theirs is much tougher, is not to rest. But perhaps changing the focus from making ourselves comfortable to helping someone far away is just as good for us as a vacation. Perhaps investing on people is even better. After all, the return on the investment is both for them and for us.

best vacation ever in Peru

Volunteer Kit helping a mother and her children stamp their hand on the wall at Alto Progreso

At Global Volunteers you get to meet and serve people living in tougher conditions who actually want and ask for your help. You get to be good friends with some of them. You also get to visit countries you might have never heard of, get to see indescribable landscapes that tourism agencies ignore, get to try the local food, and get to experience the culture, but I already mentioned the best part. The best vacation ever in Peru may not be just relaxing, but also serving.

best vacation ever in Peru

Volunteers and children from a children´s home in Peru

Low-income students in Peru are right now asking for volunteers who can help them practice their English. Orphaned and abused children are asking for volunteers to hang out with them. And a community who has built itself from literally just dust and rock is asking for volunteers who can help them in their projects. I recommend cruising;  it’s awesome.

I also recommend serving with Global Volunteer s in Peru; my guess is that you might like it better. And I know you it will do you much more good. As one volunteer once told me “Macchu Picchu and the tour on the Amazon is great, but this [helping build stairs at a shanty town in Peru], this is even better; I will never forget it.” That is the best advice on how to have the best vacation ever in Peru.

best vacation ever in Peru

Volunteers after helping the Alto Progreso community build a wall and a sidewlalk in Peru.

Share this:

  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
March 3, 2016/0 Comments/by Sam Pinakoulaki
https://205eev2oa0jm1t4yb914s1nw-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Best-Honey-Moon-Ever.jpg 1125 1500 Sam Pinakoulaki https://205eev2oa0jm1t4yb914s1nw-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2014-GlobalVolunteersLogo-Web.png Sam Pinakoulaki2016-03-03 10:40:452016-09-28 17:30:25How to Have the Best Vacation Ever in Peru
0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

You must log in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Partner Communities

  • China 66
  • Cook Islands 44
  • Cuba 117
  • Ecuador 88
  • Greece 68
  • Italy 54
  • Montana 42
  • Nepal 16
  • Peru 98
  • Poland 77
  • Portugal 42
  • South Dakota 8
  • St Lucia 57
  • Tanzania 144
  • Vietnam 43
  • West Virginia 24

Categories

  • Boomer Volunteers
  • Conversational English
  • Couples Volunteering
  • Culture and Traditions Worldwide
  • Development Impact
  • Family Volunteers
  • Free Time Options
  • Global Volunteers
  • Group Volunteering
  • Impact Stories
  • Individuals on Teams
  • Projects for Professionals
  • Reaching Children's Potential
  • Repeat Volunteers
  • Retiree Volunteers
  • Staff Worldwide
  • Student Volunteers
  • Uncategorized
  • Volunteer Voices
  • Women volunteers

Tags

alumni volunteers American Indian culture Appalachian culture best destination peru Care for children Caribbean island College groups Conversational English cook islands economy covid-19 covid-19 consequences Cuba people-to-people donate for children Earthbox gardens economic support Essential Services food insecurity Funding your fee Health and nutrition High school groups Labor projects lgbt program peru resume resume high shcool retiree service-learning share food Spring break summer volunteer program support children Support women teaching children teaching english team leader things to do peru top places to visit peru tourism cook islands tours peru travel peru volunteer benefits Volunteer impact work on reservations Work with youth youth volunteering
  • About Us
  • Boards of Directors and Advisors
  • US and International Staff
  • Our Beginnings
  • Our Vision
  • Community Partners
  • Collaborators
  • Compare Us
  • Volunteer Vacations FAQs
  • Accountability and Agreements
  • Travel Risks
  • Impact and Outcomes of Service
  • Donate to Global Volunteers
  • Donate to a Volunteer
  • Money Matters – Explaining Your Service Program Contribution
  • Discounts & Fundraising
  • Alumni Center
  • News/Media
  • Privacy Policy
  • Agreements
  • Site Map
  • Contact
  • Podcast
  • Volunteer Portal
  • Employment
Global Volunteers
375 East Little Canada Road
St. Paul, MN 55117-1628 USA
(800) 487-1074 | toll-free
(651) 482-0915 | fax
globalvolunteers.org
email@globalvolunteers.org

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Subscribe receive notifications of new posts and updates by email.

Global Volunteers - Partners in Development ® | © Copyright 2002 - Present Global Volunteers
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
  • Global Volunteers is an apolitical, non-sectarian, non-profit (501C-3) tax-exempt organization.
  • Send feedback about this web site and its administration.
Learn and Serve While You Travel the World Take this quiz to help you decide where to volunteer!
Scroll to top
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.