Top 5 Volunteer Vacations for Retirees

With so many animal species endangered these days, there are opportunities all over the world to aid research and to rescue animals in need.

Instead of spending your leisure time lounging on the beach, you could help save bottlenose dolphins and other marine mammals in the western Mediterranean. A program in the Ligurian Sea employs volunteers to track and study the animals to learn how to better protect them in a designated cetacean sanctuary. An itinerary in Kenya offers volunteers 11 days of rehabilitating mangrove ecosystems -- a task that bolsters the local fish population and aids the people who depend on those fish for food. If you prefer a seaside destination, numerous programs focus on improving the survival chances of sea turtles on beaches around the globe.

Programs like these benefit from the help of retirees who have the maturity to understand that wild animals, though they need our help, are not cuddly pets. Be sure to think carefully about your comfort zone in terms of accommodations and hands-on work with animals before you commit to a program.

You've spent an entire career building your skills. A volunteer vacation is a great chance to teach others what you've learned. If you can't think immediately of a subject you can teach, think again. English teachers are among the most needed volunteers in countries where English is not the native language. Many students need a command of English as a second language to advance in their education. A working knowledge of English can help others take advantage of economic opportunities available in the tourism and hospitality industries.

English teaching assignments often require little beyond English fluency. Conversation with a native speaker is what language students need most. No need to worry about lesson plans: In many programs, volunteers are paired with trained teachers. Explore your English-teaching opportunities, and you might find yourself spending three months in the spectacular Himalayan foothills, teaching English to Nepali children -- truly a vacation to remember.

Remember: Volunteers are needed to teach many subjects other than English. Spend your vacation teaching music to Maori children in New Zealand, or teach Indian children how to swim -- a critical skill in areas prone to monsoons. Teaching makes for a satisfying volunteer vacation. It's an excellent way to make contact with people in another culture, and you'll probably learn as much as you teach.

It's always nice to step back and look at something you've built with your own hands. After your volunteer vacation, you could leave behind a playground, an irrigation system, or a much-needed community center. Whatever your vacation legacy is, it's guaranteed to give you a real sense of accomplishment.

Now that you no longer have the pressure of work to worry about, you might find that some physical labor is just what you need. It gets you moving and offers a pleasant break from your routine.

Opportunities abound for this type of volunteer vacation. The best-known volunteer construction organization is Habitat for Humanity, which builds homes for deserving families in the U.S. and abroad. You can take part in one of their projects in almost any location you can name, and you need no special building experience or skills. Many other groups connect volunteers to worthy construction projects around the world.

Preserving historic sites and digging up ancient ruins are popular activities for volunteer vacationers. The projects often need volunteer help, as funding for these endeavors does not always match their importance. For example, you might work on the preservation of the battlefield at Antietam, Maryland, one of America's iconic historical sites.

The range of archeological digs, building repairs and maintenance projects available to volunteers is practically unlimited, and could take you almost anywhere in the world. You could restore a Buddhist monastery in Nepal or excavate a Roman villa at Pottio Del Molino in Italy. Wherever you go, you'll combine healthy physical work with a hands-on learning experience.

Travel is great, but a volunteer vacation close to home can be even better. Here's why:

For a volunteer "staycation," all you need to do is put aside your routine for a week or a month and devote that time to a charitable project. You might join crews cleaning up city parks or building playgrounds. Maybe you'll volunteer full-time at a hospital or animal shelter. Or you could spend a holiday week preparing food at a local food bank.

Volunteering close to home also enables you to follow up on your efforts. Form an ongoing relationship with a volunteer organization by pitching in from time to time, or simply walk past a park you helped restore and enjoy the fruits of your labor.