Okay its official! Three weeks in and we’re now well and truly knee-deep into 2018. While January 1st ceremoniously launched us here at Love Volunteers into our 9th year of operation (wow how time fly’s), for many, this is the time of year for some personal reflection, some self-evaluation and perhaps even some ‘re-alignment’ of priorities. This is also often the time to set the goals that will allow you to one day look back and say “2018…that was the year that I did something really great!” From promising yourself to put more effort into school work (that’s just work for us oldies), getting that dream job, or something a little more unique to you, the plans and goals you set now can have a profound effect on whether 2018 is one to remember or one that simply fades into memory.

If you’re at all like me, your thoughts may even swing towards something far more adventurous, something to push yourself out of your normal comfort zone, perhaps even something that puts the needs of others before your own for once. Nodding your head? Then you know it’s time to seriously consider that volunteering abroad program once and for all!

But where you ask? Well, this article is great place to start. Below I will outline some of the bright and shiny NEW Volunteer Projects, in fantastic locations, that are now on offer to volunteers just like you in 2018. Read on, be inspired, and make this year one to remember!

Istanbul, Turkey

Okay I probably shouldn’t lead with this one as its only going to make writing about other locations (as great as they are!), very difficult. But here goes anyway..

Honestly the entire team here at LV has been buzzing ever since it was announced (admittedly quite a while ago now) that we would be supporting some amazing new local volunteer programs in Turkey, and maybe it’s just me, but Istanbul….ISTANBUL! If you’ve been lucky enough to spend any time travelling abroad, you would no doubt have at least heard stories from wide-eyed travellers about the magical city of Istanbul. It’s truly unique sights and sounds, it’s kaleidoscope of people, it’s infamous bazaars and secret alleyways, and the signs everywhere you look of a city so etched into history that it makes wandering travellers feel like they have been instantly transported back a thousand years or more. And that’s just the location…!

The volunteer projects available to intrepid travellers in Istanbul include Agricultural & Farming and Childcare & Development, which are both great projects in their own right, but the jewel in the crown, at least as I see it, has got to be the new Syrian Refugee Support Program!

This program (fully backed by the Turkish Government) offers both local Turkish and international volunteers like you a unique opportunity to help some of the 2 million plus Syrian’s who have been forced to seek refuge in Turkey by assisting them to integrate into Turkish society. Participating in this program is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Ubud & Tianyar Villages, Bali

For those of you out there who are looking to combine volunteering with some personal travel and were thinking of a slightly more ‘tropical’ setting, then Bali has everything you are looking for! A tourist mecca for well over a decade and located smack bang in the middle of the Indonesian Ocean between Australia and the expansive continent of Asia, the Indonesian Island of Bali is a veritable paradise for the young intrepid traveller. Heck, these days ‘Bali’ is almost a byword for ‘holiday’!

While you’re there, spend some time supporting some great local initiatives through one of our Volunteer Programs in Bali - located in the city of Ubud, the sleepy coastal fishing village of Tianyar, or within the central highlands of the Tabanan Region. All of which have been implemented by a dedicated and professional team of local Balinese to help improve the lives of those who sadly don’t get to see their own country the way foreigners do.

As if you needed another reason to visit a paradise island, we’re about to launch an awesome Reef Conservation Program in Tianyar Village as well! Watch this space!

Interested? Get yourself to this paradise island, hire a scooter to cruise around on and give something back to the local community through these wonderful programs. Now that’s an intrepid holiday!

Cabarete, Dominican Republic

For those of you who want to get off the beaten track and volunteer somewhere completely different, but don’t want to undertake a mammoth flight half way around the world (or pay for it!), there’s a wonderful new Teaching English Volunteer Program in The Dominican Republic – just a short hop, skip and jump of six or so hours from main air travel hubs in the USA!

Set in the tropical seaside town of Cabarete, on the DR’s northern coast, this project allows volunteers with a penchant for education the chance to work alongside local teachers and teaching assistants to impart vital English language skills on some of the Dominican Republic’s most at-risk youth. As if that wasn’t enough, when the working day is done, why not walk to beach, take a dip in the crystal clear blue waters of the Caribbean, then jump into a hammock swinging gently between two coconut palms. Sounds relaxing right!

Granada, Nicaragua

I have to admit, this location has been an option to Love Volunteers for a few months now, but volunteering in Nicaragua is such a cool option for 2018, that I think it just has to be included in this list.

A similar distance as the Dominican Republic is to the USA, Nicaragua is just a short (and hence inexpensive) flight from the states, making it a great option for those looking for a short-term volunteer abroad program without breaking the bank. With a full range of projects available, including Childcare & Development, Education Support, Women’s Empowerment and even a Medical Internship, Nicaragua has a project to suit almost everyone’s skills and interests.

Set in and around the picturesque Spanish colonial town of Granada, on the shores of Lake Nicaragua, these projects are having a wonderfully positive impact on the local communities they support and volunteers in this location are spoilt for choice when it comes to day trips, sightseeing and the many other adventures Nicaragua has to offer.

Well, what are you waiting for? Join the thousands of other Love Volunteers around the world and volunteer in one of these hot new Volunteer Programs in 2018!