Worldpackers: travel and exchange your skills for accommodation

Worldpackers team (facebook page)

Worldpackers is the newest and most efficient work and travel company out there at the moment. Their whole idea revolves around traveling and finding interesting places, experiencing new things while exchanging your skills for accommodation.

On their website they define themselves as “a community based on collaboration and honest relationships that make travel more accessible to those seeking a profound cultural experience. Through an online platform, we connect travelers – looking to exchange their skills for accommodation – with incredible hosts from all around the world.”

(facebook page)

Worldpackers was born through the “life experiences of two friends, Riq Lima and Eric Faria. Riq, is an economist who left his job as an investment banker to travel the world for 4 years with little money, but a creative mind. Eric, a certified accountant, initially travelled to the USA to learn English, but ended up staying for nearly four years. His first two years were spent helping out at USA Hostels in San Diego, as a receptionist, a housekeeper and a tourist guide by exchanging his skills for accommodation. He then helped to found International Travelers House, a hostel chain located in California and whose staff was made up entirely of volunteers. Worldpackers is a platform for travelers and hosts, made by those who live and love travel.”

Through their website you can choose between terrains and themes, either if you want to enjoy nature and beach, have a long journey in unexplored places, mingle through multicultural tropes, or be the change you want to see in the world. Their website also lets you choose between the kinds of skills you’re good at, narrowing down where you could go, from art and music, to social work, farming and hands on activities to photography and touring.

One of Worldpackers’ members with her students in Cape Town (facebook page)

They could be the perfect option for travel with their set of values that revolve about learning, discovering, and proving your worth as an equal human being to others.

Worldpackers allows you to discover and apply for unique places around the world to exchange your skills for accommodation, getting in touch with hosts you like. They’ve won a number of awards including “Best Travel Technology Product” and “Global Youth Travel award 2016”