r/Worldpackers

Hi! How long in advance do you book your experiences. I usually preplan my life but I’m finding a few host telling me to reach back out next month. My trip is in September. I’ll be traveling to Italy. That makes me a little nervous to be cutting it close. Has this happened to anyone else before?

Hi everyone! I'm a 24 girl and I've been thinking about traveling alone for a while, but since it's my first time, I'm a little worried about travel alone. My goal is to volunteer in Asia, but first I'd like to visit Europe; somewhere close to home just to start and get used to being alone. I'm deciding between Worldpackers and Workaway. I'm considering Portugal, Madrid, and Barcelona. I'd also like to meet someone both before and during my stay, so I've been thinking about working in hostels and I've found many more opportunities on Worldpackers. I'd like to leave as soon as possible; if I could, July would be perfect. Do you think I could find something in such a short time, and would you recommend Worldpackers over the other? Thanks to all :P

Anyone from the United States volunteered in Japan? How do I go about getting a working holiday visa. Planning to stay 5-6 weeks. Thanks!

So I’m (22) doing solo travel for the first time and I’m concerned about staying in a mixed dorm. My family think I’m insane for even considering it and are convinced that I’d be putting myself in a dangerous situation.

It’d be fairly easy to get back home if things felt dodgy, but the hostel wants a £100 deposit that I’d only get back at the end of my 2 month stay so I’d be losing money by leaving.

Weighing up whether to go or not. Not sure I’d feel safe but I really want to travel

Hallo

This is my first time to volunteer in my life.

I want to volunteer in September specially in Switzerland. But worried about not finding a volunteering chance. I don’t want to pay the membership than being not accepted. Is it worth it ?

Is it bettter to have membership with Worldpackers or work away? Do either of them have extra fees?

Many thanks for your time

So it’s my first time solo travelling and I have no previous experience with housekeeping or cleaning professionally. The role requires the cleaning of bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens and common rooms in a hostel and it’s for 2 months but only 3hrs a day. Would I likely struggle with this? Anyone else been in a similar position?

18 F , first time solo traveling.

I have around 3k saved though I know I may not need all of it, thinking maybe a 2-3 week trip since it'll be my first one?

From Southern USA where do you recommend I start out? I dont mind learning basics of the native language but with it being my first trip id like to not have a huge language barrier? it'll be August-September before I can travel (waiting on passport)

id like somewhere not cold because I want to be able to travel with the clothes I already have from the warm southern states just to save money --- after im open to everywhere!

Also here are some things i've gathered ill need to bring besides the obvious: universal adapter - microfiber towels - padlocks

Advice?

Hey everyone!

I'll be reaching Manali soon as part of my 3-month solo backpacking trip across the Himalayas. I'm looking for someone who could host me for a short stay and/or let me keep my backpack/luggage at their place while I head out on treks. I don't want to carry all my gear into the mountains.

I'm a genuine backpacker and trek leader with experience trekking and mountaineering across the Himalayas. Happy to verify my identity, share my social media, or meet in person first if that makes you more comfortable.

If anyone can help or has any suggestions (hostels, cafés, gear stores, etc. that offer luggage storage), I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance! 😊

Hey all, I really need advices right now.

Im staying in a hotel, working 30h a week. Today is my third day and the work is harder than what they described, [ heavy cleaning, and the place was very dirty ]. But the biggest problem is actually the volunteer/ staff room. When I arrived I was staying in a very ok room, could not complain. But last night they asked me to change rooms, and this bedroom right now is very disgusting. There’s mold and dirt on the walls. The window is broken and stays open, and it’s making 10 degrees at night (no heater inside). It’s just very unpleasant. The black stains on the wall makes me nauseous. And the city here it’s very humid so people say mold is common, but it’s everywhere on the walls here… ah I don’t know, I would not invite anyone to sleep here in this room even for free, it’s disgusting.

The thing that makes me weird about asking them to change rooms is that the last volunteer that was staying here before me (also in this moldy room) made a very nice review, we had a chance to talk and she didn’t have any complains, didn’t mention the room at all.

This is my first experience with Worldpackers and I chose this hotel because they had some nice reviews and they were looking for someone, so it was very quickly approved.

EDIT/UPTADE:
Guys I talked with the hosts and they came in person to check the room. Apparently they didn’t know how the room was because there was a volunteer living here for 2 months and then other volunteers came and they didn’t check the room for more than 3 months. We talked and they offered me another room. They were nice and willing to help. I think the communication was weird because we were just texting ever since I got here but they came here and we talked and they gave me a nice impression.

Hi, why didn't anyone tell me before I paid for my Worldpackers membership that getting accepted is this difficult?

Do I really need to have exceptional experience and an impressive background, as if I'm applying for a full-time job? Or do I simply need to be a woman? I've noticed that women seem to have a much higher acceptance rate overall.

What made me laugh the most was being rejected from one opportunity because the host lives with his partner and didn't want me to "disturb their lifestyle." I assume that's because I'm from Saudi Arabia.

But why not ask me first whether that would be an issue for me? Maybe I wouldn't mind at all. What gives you the right to judge me and make assumptions about my beliefs without even asking?

Hi everyone!

I’m Naz, an 18 year old from Turkiye. I’m planning to do my first Worldpackers experience in the UK, but I’m really confused about the visa requirements.
As a Turkish citizen, what type of visa would I need? I’ve seen some people say that a Standard Visitor visa is enough, while others say I need a Work visa.
The thing is, as far as I know, Worldpackers doesn’t provide sponsorship for a work visa. So how do people legally do Worldpackers in the UK?

Has anyone from a visa-required country (not the EU/UK) done a Worldpackers experience in the UK? What visa did you use, and how did you handle the process?

I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience. Thank you!

I just arrived for my third Worldpackers experience, this one in Albania. I signed up to help with breakfast at a hostel from 8-12, 6 days a week. Upon arrival, I was informed via text by the owner that I will instead be working reception shifts either from 12-5 or 5-10 still 6 days a week. This would be an additional 6 hours per week than what I agree to. The owner is out of town and will return in 2 days. I’m going to have a discussion with her then, but I’d like to hear advice from people who have had shifts change unexpectedly before, or if you’ve had to go through Worldpackers insurance before.
Thanks for any advice!

Hey guys,

quite a vulnerable post. I am a 26 y/o woman who is feeling very understimulated in her current life, get very bored and struggle living at home and I am lonely in aspects. I don't mind my job and I was diagnosed with ADHD and my brain is running away with itself. I think I want to travel because I would love to meet people and love socialising. I was thinking about doing workaways but scared incase I don't receive any approvals, as it can be competitive and don't want to apply to any before I have left just to 'try it out' if I am not sure. I basically feel like I want to get a work exchange easily which sounds ignorant of me. I have a decent amount of money saved but I just doubt myself. I am meant to sign a lease with some people but I am not sure if I should travel a few months, see what the vibe is and then go home and move in with other people. The main fear comes from not getting a job either on workaway or when I come home, because I look like I am a job hopper. I want to travel to make friends but I am like, could I get a more stimulating job and move in with these girls and that will appease to me ? I am just very much an acts of service person and keep listening to so many opinions that I feel overwhelmed.

Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Hi everyone! I'm from Pakistan and I'm interested in starting a volunteering experience abroad.

Can anyone guide me on whether Global Work & Travel or Worldpackers is legitimate? If you've used either platform, I'd love to hear about your experience.

Which one would you recommend for someone who wants to start volunteering, and why?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Like for example at a hostel or language school?

If so, how did you get all your documents and things squared away while abroad?

Or how did it go down in general?

In my country I barely need a visa for every other country so I don't know if i should to get the visa for any country and then look for the options in it or find a host who agrees on me first and then get the visa and what should I do with the host if the visa got rejected.

And it's my first time to travel out of my country I experienced volunteering many times so I have a good amount of experience but travelling abroad is a new thing for me so I will be grateful for any type of advice 🫡

I saw that this question had kinda been posted before, but it was posted a year ago and didn't have a lot of responses.

I'm just worried about going on a group trip with strangers and like ... not coming back (iykwim). I haven't heard or seen much epic trip content from people who aren't travel influencers or something similar.

I talked to the group leader/host and she's SUPER nice don't get me wrong, very welcoming and helpful. But yk like everything on the internet can kinda... be fake.

Ik that worldpackers is generally a legit and reliable company but this is like a whole other beast. It feels a little too good to be true, and honestly for everything they plan, its pretty cheap, similar to what my cheapskate solo traveler heart would plan myself.

I'm just hoping to hear from someone that has gone and returned and is normal (aka not an influencer) to make myself feel better about booking.

UPDATE: It's been confirmed through a previous guest that the host is a sexual predator and WP has taken down multiple negative reviews for his homestay. Thanks guys for all your help! Don't stay in a WP homestay alone with a man and his cat!!! All the reviews appear positive but the negative ones are erased!!!!

I found a host in Beijing that seems suspicious just at a glance, I wanted to ask what you guys think:

Host is a single Chinese man (25-35??) living alone in an apartment with a cat.

It's advertised as a homestay where volunteers pretty much just cook and clean for up to 5 hours a day.

I opened an application to see what he asks, and it's standard questions about yourself... but he also wants to know your date and place of birth for "zodiac purposes"...

There are only 7 reviews, mostly women, but all 5 stars.

As a woman myself, I struggle to understand what would make a woman spend weeks living alone with a man in his private apartment?

I get it if it's a farmstay or hostel or something but this is just his personal residence and the tasks are just maid duties.

The zodiac question is tripping me up because I know there's a huge marriage crisis over there and zodiac is one of the most important things they ask when looking for a "match".

What do you guys think? Is it sus or am I overthinking it???