In Lausanne, whether it’s in the sub-station district, in unusual alleys or nestled in public monuments, if you’re looking for a good place to enjoy a cup of coffee, you’ll be spoilt for choice. So much so, that over the years, I have developed quite a long list of cafés that I recommend. At the end of this article, you will find an interactive map of the best cafés in Lausanne.
Shall we go for a coffee?
Whether it is a consensual social habit, a sacred ritual or a need for caffeine to wake up, the café (whether it is the drink in French – coffee, or the place – café) is a gathering place. A stimulating environment in terms of architecture, the art of living and atmosphere, but also a place to relax in a friendly setting.
Ticino, land of water. There’s nothing wrong with this, as the Italian-speaking Swiss canton is full of beaches, rivers, gorges and waterfalls. It is enough to develop a cascade of memories in Ticino.
With its two lakes (Lugano and Maggiore) and its many valleys, the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland is a canton to be discovered and a favourite place to get away for German-speaking city dwellers. A place which for them does not seem so out of place, as the Swiss-German language has become common in Ticino (which is a pity, as Italian is much more melodious).
There is an old Portuguese adage that puts Porto into context: “While Lisbon is being beautiful, Coimbra is studying, Braga is praying and Porto is working”.
Although I had visited Porto on a previous family trip, I had no memory of the Portuguese city, which made it an ideal destination for a friend’s trip. However, I had a feeling I was going to enjoy Porto; a guaranteed crush with its good and positive vibes between its dazzling colours and its messy azulejos.
Switzerland is full of breathtaking hiking trails that lead to stunning destinations. Most of them are already well known (Grosse Mythen, Augstmatthorn, etc), but there are still some real hidden treasures (such as la Tine de Conflens). The Limmernsee hike I am presenting to you today is one of them, hidden in the canton of Glarus.
It’s a canton that is still unknown but worth visiting, especially because it has majestic mountains called the Glarner Alps. And where nuggets emerge, such as the Limmernsee hike, which I’ve been eyeing for some time (thanks Instagram!).
7:00 am the alarm clock rings, painfully early after a short night in the youth hostel in Graz. The 10:40 train ride of the day before is also felt, and I’m about to undertake a short 2-hour journey to the centre of Austria, to discover a timeless place.
A surprising place that was the main reason for my trip to Austria in the summer of 2021. I will take you to Admont, a small Austrian municipality located in Styria (whose capital is Graz).
The city of Innsbruck is a small Austrian nugget that manages to mix nature, urbanism, gastronomy, culture and sport. What more could I ask for in a destination?
The possibilities of visits and activities are numerous and yet it breathes an Olympian calm between vintage historical heart and new modern architecture. Innsbruck is the “capital of the Alps” and of the Austrian Tyrol. Fifth Austrian city in terms of population (behind Vienna, Graz, Linz and Salzburg), it became my second favourite city in the country of the Schnitzel after the romantic Salzburg.
The Scottish Highlands is the region not to be missed when visiting Scotland, yet another area whose landscapes and assets are to be valued is sometimes overlooked. During several trips from Edinburgh, I had the chance to discover picturesque and authentic places in the northeast of Scotland, such as Fife and Aberdeen districts. Places that deserve more exploration but which, without a car, are sometimes difficult to access.
So, instead, I set out to discover a few towns by means of a guided tour from Edinburgh and another day by train. A change of scenery from the beautiful capital.
Let’s face it, this title is a lie. I’m not a religious person, so announcing a pilgrimage… yet it is appropriate for the article that follows: the description and visit of Einsiedeln, a place known in Switzerland for its religious character.
Long before I thought about my own cultural identity, I was telling myself that three simple facts could define me: my first name, my age, and my nationality. Then, growing up and traveling mainly, I realized that other, much more significant features could also characterize me, although putting words or theoretical terms which, such as “cultural frameworks” or “small cultures” on all this, does not really help to understand the complexity of this issue.
I had to leave, travel a little to understand something: I am constantly changing, I open my eyes to the world and I confront my opinions, which transforms my identity. Traveling and becoming more adult, has taught me that you cannot be associated with one feature only. I am still Alessandra (although few people call me that, but rather Aless or Ale) and still Swiss, my age differs over the years as does my identity. It’s not something that is anchored or stabilized. Over time, it changes.
With its azure sea, Santorini, the Cycladic island, is an invitation to travel, so much so that the mere mention of it awakens my imagination.
Santorini was born during the Minoan eruption, which occurred around 1,600 BC and gave it its present horseshoe shape following the curve of the ancient crater. Combining typical Greek charm, history and fabulous landscapes, this little paradise has everything to attract visitors.
Germany is becoming more and more popular for young people and the city of Freiburg is no exception. I was able to discover this lovely little town thanks to my friend Elodie who spent a year there. Through her eyes and her statements, Freiburg appears very simple yet so friendly and lively. And this is indeed the feeling I experienced during my few visits.
Situated at the foot of the Black Forest mountains, Freiburg im Breisgau is a quiet little town in south-eastern Germany, which is easy to visit and where there is a lighter and kind of carefree atmosphere. With almost 1,800 hours of sunshine per year, it is the warmest city in the country. Thanks to its geographical position, many Germans, Swiss and French people take advantage of coming for a weekend, or sometimes just for a short visit, to soak up what it has to offer.
Salzburg is a baroque gem that is a must-see! Whether musical, historical, vibrant or traditional, the Austrian city can be discovered in less than 48 hours. With a thousand-year-old fortress, a sparkling river that divides the city and a mountainous environment, you will feel like you are in a fairy tale from the moment you arrive.
Looking for new walks to recharge my batteries, one place had been catching my eye for a while: the Val d’Hérens and more particularly Mont Miné Glacier, which is at the far end of a Valais valley.
I will take you for a simple but wild hike in a mountain setting that will turn into a timeless, lunar landscape.
Give me a lake and mountains and I would feel at home. I didn’t think I’d get such a familiar impression when I first went to Iseltwald and Lake Brienz, and throughout my visits, it has become my favourite place in Switzerland. A place for which, one day, I could perhaps leave my beloved Riviera.
Situated in the Bernese Oberland, this corner of Switzerland is certainly the perfect postcard and shows the diversity of landscapes that Helvetia enjoys. Colourful lakes, majestic mountains, enchanting villages and lush green fields – no more clichés than that. And this is probably its charm!
“There’s no leaving Edinburgh, No shifting it around: it stays with you, always.”
Alan Bold
With my eyes fixed on the gloomy sky that covers Lake Léman with an opaque mist, I see no ray of sunshine emerging from my balcony. I am simply reading but my thoughts are elsewhere. My heart too. I am nostalgic, happy to be back in my beloved Switzerland, but I can’t repress the tiny depression that hugged me when I returned at the beginning of the year 2020. It seems that students often feel this feeling when they return from a university exchange. I miss it, I miss my adventure, I miss my Scottish life, and above all I miss Edinburgh!
This state of mind doesn’t go away but, life goes on, you get used to it again, you start classes again. Then, Covid-19 takes over… It’s almost a year since I left for Edinburgh. But I look back and ask myself: How did this city manage to fascinate me so much, to give me an incredible feeling of freedom? Everyone is different and will experience the same thing in a totally distinct way, yet Edinburgh is worth visiting, worth living, and I will reveal its secrets in this article. This is the complete guide to discovering the Scottish capital.
Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, appears to be a quiet and trouble-free little town. However, beneath its apparent tranquillity, it hides a dynamic city. Situated on the Baltic Sea, Stockholm is built partly on fourteen small islands at the mouth of Lake Mälaren and is mainly grouped into five districts that are not to be missed (Gamla Stan, Ostermalm, Södermalm, Djurgården and Norrmalm).
Slovenia has some of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the world, and the Vintgar Gorge is, without doubt, one of the most beautiful places of all! But all this instagrammable beauty comes at a price, and it can be frustrating to struggle to get a glimpse of it without crowding and bumping into hordes of tourists along the narrow paths and trails.
From the vineyards of Franconia to the first foothills of the Bavarian Alps, the Romantic Road is a lovely trail that meanders among the most authentic and historic German towns for approximately 400 kilometres.
It is the most renowned and valued itinerary in Germany and whether we are foreigners or native Germans, we all have the same feeling: an impression of going back in time to discover the rich history of that region and its culture. All of that is pleasantly accompanied by landscapes which change over the crossed territories: vineyards, countryside, meadows, forests, and to conclude marvellously the journey, the Bavarian mountains.
From Lower Franconia in Würtzburg to the south of Bavaria in Füssen, gateway to the prestigious castles of Ludwig II of Bavaria, let yourself be guided by one of the most charming roads in Europe.
Nestled among the rugged Dachstein and Salzkammergut mountain ranges and overlooking a crystal-clear lake, the alpine village of Hallstatt in Austria offers a truly breathtaking sight. In recent years, however, this place has become a major centre of European mass tourism. When I visited it in the summer of 2019, I never thought I would be surrounded by so many tourists, even in the middle of July. I mistakenly thought that this village was not affected by the summer tourist season. But at the same time, if I had been able to discover this place on social networks, a lot of people could have done the same…
* This article groups together the different Québec national parks described in the various articles
Vastness territory where nature is omnipresent, Québec represents a world of discoveries. During our road trip in the province, we focused on this wild natural side of the region, which led us to explore several Québec national parks.
Quebec national parks are grouped under the name “SEPAQ”, literally “Société des Établissements de Plein Air du Québec”, administered by the Quebec government, although some of these parks are part of the Canadian national parks network. Only three parks in Quebec are given the appellation of “Parks Canada”.
With over twenty destinations located throughout Quebec, according to the organisation’s official website, these parks list more than “6,995 km² of protected areas”.
We return to the shores of the St. Lawrence River after leaving it when we arrived in the Gaspésie. However, in this part of the river, known as the “Lower” part, the landscapes are completely different, but the beauty of the blue water is still impressive.
Edinburgh has seen the birth, growth and death of many writers and especially their greatest masterpieces. It is therefore not insignificant that the city was declared the first by UNESCO: City of Literature. A well-deserved title, since the city, arouses curiosity, that impalpable atmosphere that gives inspiration to the greatest writers. And host nowadays a dozen of Edinburgh’s bookshops.
It is true that culture, in all its forms, is present in Edinburgh, but literature is the one that stands out the most, or I would say that has touched me the most. My only desire is to return in August for the International Book Festival, which is one of the most famous in the world. And then, I discovered the history of these writers linked to the city but also to Scotland.
The Gaspésie was my favourite stop on our Canadian road-trip! The Gaspésie is an encircled peninsula where ocean, mountains and wilderness come together. Indeed, it is this piece of land that looks like a small paw when you look at the map of Quebec. Its name comes from the Micmac “gespeg” which means “where the land ends”, and it is true that arriving at the extremity of this piece of land, I am surprised to think that indeed, facing the Atlantic Ocean, the impression of being at the end of the world is perceived.
We spent a few days discovering the Gaspesian land and its many assets that make it a popular destination for Quebecers and a destination that is as big as Belgium! As soon as we arrived in Matane with the ferry, we took route 132, which splits in two in the gaspésie to form an itinerant loop of about 885 kilometres. We decided to take the northern route of the island in order to arrive in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region while having seen the vast majority of the Gaspésie.
Who doesn’t know Harry Potter? I may not be a fanatic, but it is a universe that is fundamentally rooted in my generation (I was born in the year the first book came out). And then, when I arrived in Edinburgh during my university exchange, I learned that the Scottish capital was the birthplace of the young wizard.
I have always wanted to attend the Olympics, indeed, as a huge sport lover (yes watching sport on television is a sport to me) being able to attend such a competition would be phenomenal. Then, two weeks before I left for Edinburgh, I discovered a documentary about the Highland Games. For twenty minutes or so, I was stunned on my sofa by what I was seeing on television – no, but who has the idea of taking a tree trunk and turning it into an event? I absolutely had to go and see it for real, but it quickly went off into a corner of my head with the last final touches before I left for my university exchange.
However, what was my surprise, when I saw the list of events for the university’s fresher’s week, to see a one-day expedition to the Pitlochry Highland Games. I could not resist the temptation.
Dublin, the capital of Ireland, had long been on my list of European cities to discover. As you know, I have in mind to visit all the European capitals before I turn 30 (see bucket list) and for 2019, the only one that was discovered is Dublin. Apart from crossing this city off my list, Dublin was to be explored for two main reasons: Trinity College Library and Guinness Storehouse!
I will tell you more about my adventures in the library in another article, as this one will talk about Guinness, my favourite beer! So, coming to Ireland and not visiting its famous brewery would be like a serious crime for any self-respecting beer lover or to anybody who wants to spend €18.50. But anyway, we decided to pay the entrance fee for the Guinness Storehouse, since I couldn’t leave without having discovered the secrets of this beer and above all, I also wondered if it tasted different in Ireland, but I’ll come back to that later.
This is our third step of our road trip after having spent some days at Lac Saint-Jean, which is famous for its microbreweries (I wasn’t expected Canadians to be so good at making beers). We are quietly heading towards Saguenay, a region well known for its fjord and its beautiful national park. While spending a few days in Saguenay, we had the opportunity to visit two national parks and then gently make our way to Tadoussac, a famous place in Quebec for observing whales. We were also able to discover a bit of the Côte-Nord region before boarding a ferry to reach the Gaspésie peninsula.
During my road trip in Slovenia, we stopped for the day in Piran and Izola before starting our return to Switzerland.
DISCOVERING SLOVENIAN ISTRIA
Its history is particularly rich and long and goes back to times before the Roman Empire. This past can be felt by strolling through the narrow streets of the coastal towns but also by exploring a little further inland. Although tourism has developed greatly in this region, the human atmosphere of a very welcoming Slovenian people, open to passing travellers, is noticeable.
Berlin is fascinating! The German capital bears many scars left by the Second World War and by an iron curtain that split it up until 1989, yet you go there once and want to return as soon as possible.
Being a Berliner at heart and visiting this city every year, during the month I spent in this incredible city in 2016, I heard the name Mauerpark for the first time.
Vastness territory where nature is omnipresent, Québec represents a world of discoveries. During our road trip in the province, we focused on this wild natural side of the region, which led us to explore several national parks.
Quebec national parks are grouped under the name “SEPAQ”, literally “Société des Établissements de Plein Air du Québec”, administered by the Quebec government, although some of these parks are part of the Canadian national parks network. Only three parks in Quebec are given the appellation of “Parks Canada”.
With over twenty destinations located throughout Quebec, according to the organisation’s official website, these parks list more than “6,995 km² of protected areas”.
Moravia? No clue about that place, would you tell me. And yet, it is a magnificent region of the Czech Republic that deserves to leave the vibrant Prague to make a diversion for a few days.
Spending two days in Bratislava, I seized the opportunity to discover another aspect of the Czech Republic since Moravia is located on the Slovakian border. It also interested me to confront these two countries which, during a good part of the 20th century, were grouped into one nation: Czechoslovakia! The history of these two countries is absolutely captivating, especially because of its Austro-Hungarian past and then, of course, the Second World War and the consequences that followed (Warsaw Pact).
I decided every year to try to visit at least one European capital, in the hope of arriving at the age of 30 and having discovered them all. I made a commitment, about ten of these cities remain on my bucket list and for the year 2018 (yes, I am late in my articles), Bratislava intrigued me. Taking advantage of the extended Easter weekend, I ventured there for two days and then continued my exploration in the Czech Republic, in the Moravian region.
You don’t drool over Bratislava, but the Slovakian capital arouses curiosity. As a young emancipated city, Bratislava confronts the advantages and disadvantages of the small and recent capitals that are still developing. However, it seems to be starting to emerge from the shadows of its sisters Prague, Budapest and Vienna to become one of the new Central and Eastern European destinations that count.
For a Zurich or Geneva resident, time in Bern passes more slowly. Overcoming a hard-skinned cliché, it is true that hurry and frenetic activity are foreign words in the capital. The Bernese naturally declare that they are celebrating a true “art de vivre”. They even have their adage for their city: “Bärn i ha di gärn”, which could be translated as, “Bern, you are in my heart”. And you have to admit, you let yourself be carried through the historic town and take the time to appreciate what the town and its people have to offer.
It was in Sigiriya that we experienced a typical breakfast for the first time. We stayed in a guesthouse which allowed us to discover the local cuisine of a multitude of flavours, somewhat spicy but delicious.
The national dish is the famous rice and curry, which will be different in each restaurant. However, although extremely good, it was the roti that was my favourite taste of the island.
During our trip, Sri Lanka brought us many memories and experiences. It was my first time in Asia, and it was a great discovery!
As with every country, there are comments, clichés and stereotypes, but it is my own impressions that count in the end. In this article, you will find some things that struck me about the pearl of India.
Ella, a haven of peace and greenery, was my favourite destination in Sri Lanka. After a night’s rest in Nuwara Eliya, we said goodbye to our driver and took the train to Ella. I have already told you in the article on the itinerary that this train ride was not as beautiful as I had expected, although it is still a route that I recommend to soak up Sri Lanka. And if you’re lucky, if the weather is nice and if there are not too many people in the train (that’s a lot of ifs though), it’s the most beautiful track on the island!
When I prepare a trip, I will always “stalk” photos of the country or place in question on social networks and mainly on Instagram, in the hope of discovering places off the beaten track. There are so many places in the world that have gone from singular activities to viral places to visit during your trip. A few popular Instagrammers or Bloggers expose a simple location and then, little by little, it becomes a must-see when visiting the country!
After getting my driving license, it was unthinkable not to kidnap my friend Elodie for a road trip! Eventually, we hit the road! After brief planning (we just had in mind the destination) and the car kindly lent by my father, here we are on the way to Slovenia, an unrecognized country of the Balkans. We were going to Bled.
*This article has been first published in April 2019 in French. Since that date, many things might have happened which is not mentioned there.
This is the question that has been debated for some time about this place, which is well known from the tourist circuits and which I also visited during my stay. By doing a little research before our trip, this orphanage seemed interesting and reliable, mainly because it is under the aegis of the government. Hotels in the area are also well rated on various sites (I always rely on Booking.com) and we had found just the right accommodation, the Elephant Bay Hotel, from where we could see the elephants bathing in the river.
The orphanage was created in 1975 by the Sri Lankan government to collect, care for and protect the elephants, the sacred animal of the island, which are victims of malicious owners, hunting, poaching and deforestation, and which have been thrown out of their natural habitat. Located in a national park, when it opened, it had only five baby elephants. Nowadays, the orphanage, located in the village of Pinnawala, is home to nearly 90 elephants, males, females and young elephants combined.
So, at first glance, it seemed like a fantastic place where we could make a positive contribution to the well-being of these animals and then when we hear “elephant orphanage”, it seems like it should be legitimate, shouldn’t it be?
When we were preparing our itinerary, Adam’s Peak was very welcome, in particular knowing that we would have the opportunity to witness a magnificent sunrise. And then we also learned that it meant a lot to many cultures. Indeed, the idea of joining a stream of pilgrims of all religions for a nighttime ascent seemed interesting to us, although we have no particular beliefs. Moreover, as we liked to walk in our Swiss mountains, it seemed within our reach… However, indeed, we did not expect what we discovered in terms of effort.
This summit is revered by Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians, at the crossroads of religions, since the giant footprint at the summit is variously claimed to be either that of Buddha, Shiva, Adam or St. Thomas. Several legends mention this trace. It is said to be one of the oldest and most sacred footprints ever made (this footprint was even cited in the writings of Marco Polo)!
Adam’s Peak in English is the most important peak on the island of Sri Lanka, but by no means the highest, an honour that goes to Mount Pidurutalagala, also located in the part of the country known as the “Central Highlands”. At 2,243 metres, the peak is located 7 kilometres from the village of Dalhousie, commonly known as Nallathanniya. The ascent consists simply (what we thought at the beginning!) of climbing steps, more than 5’500 (yes, this is where it gets complicated) to reach the summit. To give you an idea, the Eiffel Tower has 1665 steps, and the Empire State Building has 1860. As a result, in just a few hours, we climbed up and down the famous New York landmark almost three times.
Although not fading away immediately, the tears of the 2004 tsunami and particularly of the civil war which will have caused thousands of deaths until 2009 have calmed down and dried up so that Sri Lanka can start smiling again and above all open up to tourism. Nearly 10 years after the declaration of the end of the war, this small country has become a fashionable destination that travellers love since Sri Lanka was crowned “major destination” for Asia and “best adventure destination” in 2017 by the World Travel Awards in the Asia & Australasia category.
So it was not innocently that I ventured into these faraway lands. Firstly, with the accounts of several of my friends who had spent holidays there, this island, formerly called Ceylon, seemed to have a lot to offer, and in particular, would allow me to spend a stay filled with adventure and relaxation. Besides, I had never set foot in Asia.
Asia is a continent that at first sight does not really attract me. In fact, you evoke with me South America or Europe and I am already looking at the flights, my bank account and my availability to fly to these destinations that amaze me, whereas when you mention Asia, my heart doesn’t make as much excitement. It is true that the Asian culture and its landscapes, although so rich, have always attracted me the least. So, I also had hope when planning to go to Sri Lanka, to discover and why not fall in love with this part of the world.
Exhilarated, this is the feeling I had when I arrived in Brazil and met up with my two friends. Having arrived around noon in Foz do Iguaçu, I gently acclimated myself to this country and its atmosphere. The girls took me directly to eat the traditional feijoada: in Brazil, they are the guides!
We soak up the quiet city (although some 200’000 Brazilians live there) which doesn’t offer much interest but allows us to feel safe, to tame the Brazilian culture and to enjoy a bit of rest. And then, looking back in the evening on the rooftop of our hostel, how could I be more pleased than at that moment? I’m surrounded by Argentina and Paraguay and the next day, I’m finally going to discover the Iguaçu Falls, the ones I missed on my previous trip, the year before in Argentina and Chile.
At the crossroads of cultures, this geographical intersection represents the meeting point between the borders of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, naturally delimited by the crossing of two rivers: the Rio Paraná and the Rio Iguaçu.
Sunday morning, families are cheerfully wandering, by bike or on foot, elderly people do the same, sometimes at a nicer pace, in the largest forest of Berlin, Grunewald.
Letting the walkers go deeper into the forest, we amble on the main road when suddenly a wood panel tells us to take that direction (actually, we didn’t know which way was going to the top). Heading to the hilltop, we eventually arrived up: but not on the right hill…
Despite some independence movements, Brazil became ” popular ” when the Portuguese royal family arrived in the country in 1808. As a result of this and the economic boom, many foreigners, mainly Europeans, immigrated to what they called “the new world”. A year after the return of the royal court to the country, the king’s son proclaimed the country’s independence and was crowned emperor in 1822. Without bloodshed, the transfer of power was easy but left slavery behind, which was in contrast to the reputedly liberal regime of the time. Slavery was abolished definitively many years later in 1888.
Subsequently, the republic was proclaimed in 1889. From these years onwards, a great deal of political and cultural change followed (a period of industrialisation and nationalism, but also of foreign modernist movements), which reinforced social inequalities.
*this article was first published in French on the 3rd of January 2019
Being the subject of fantasies or apprehension, Brazil generates a lot of clichés that are a bit hard-skinned. But are they really accurate?
For example, to mention just a few negative comments about this country, I was asked why I ventured there, apart from waddling my booty on beaches with a caipirinha in my hand, or that it was too dangerous to be an unaccompanied girl (three in this case for this trip) of a man to avoid being bothered!
To sum up, although I was a little annoyed by these prejudices about a country that does indeed have stereotypes but like every country on the planet; I challenged myself to deconstruct them and make my own analysis. Because of course, I also have my own preconceptions and I often ask myself a lot of questions about what I am going to discover while travelling. It is precisely this curiosity that allows me to change my points of view or to strengthen them, to open my view of the world and particularly of our society today.
I am always so surprised when I talk about the Tine de Conflens and my interlocutor answers me that she/he doesn’t know this place at all. Then, I show her/him a few pictures and here I am once again on my way to make her/him discover this magnificent place.
However, more than a year ago, I didn’t know this place either. And what a discovery! Only a few kilometres from Lausanne, we can’t imagine the wonder that we are going to discover well-hidden at the heart of the Gros-de-Vaud!
« What an adventure!», is the last line of the film That Man from Rio (L’homme de Rio in French), which cradled my childhood and which perfectly describes my thoughts in memories of my trip to Brazil.
While sorting through my academic records, I came across a report that I had to submit in December 2019 as part of my Intercultural Organisational Management course at Napier University in Edinburgh.
So it occurred to me to add a new page to the blog, around travel and my reflections (click here to get there). So I am posting this report here, which has been very well received and which allows us to take into account important information when we think about voluntary work. This report stems from my personal experience but also from a reflection made throughout the semester in this course, which was very interesting and enriching. This puts certain practices into a better perspective.
Introduction
Volunteer tourism, or voluntarism, is a growing trend. But the sector is controversial (Wearing & McGehee, 2013; Guiney & Mostafanezhad, 2015). Halfway between tourism and humanitarian volunteering, the economic model of these companies has been booming since the 1990s (Miller, 2019) and continues to play a significant role in the idea of post-colonialism (McMichael, 2016) and in the exploitation of the Global South (Bandyopadhyay, 2019).
There are many discussions around volunteer tourism in terms of positive and negative effects on the different actors involved (Wearing & McGehee, 2013). Indeed, moving from a simple term of “volunteering” to “voluntarism”, we can definitely ask ourselves today whether the objective of volunteer tourism is to bring the Global South to the same level as the developed Global North or to force them to remain the same different, exotic and pure as they are projected (Bandyopadhyay, 2019). Therefore, does volunteer tourism make a real difference?
By referring to academic sources, stakeholders involved and intercultural issues, intersectional power, the role of the media, and the language will be analyzed. Finally, a brief part will examine my own reflection on volunteer tourism.
Stakeholders and intercultural issues
Voluntarism has become a real industry that brings together different stakeholders. These aid projects exist all over the world, determined by the same configuration: volunteers from the North who go to help poor communities in the South, through a wide variety of tourism or profit-making organizations, such as private companies, universities, or associations, which organize the project against expensive remuneration.
In this context, the volunteer thinks he/she is doing good while traveling. As Bandyopadhyay (2019) states, a volunteer’s vision ranges from « mixing travel and work, hedonism and purpose, charity and self-growth.” However, what are his/her real motivations? Does he/she have the skills to care for children in orphanages or to work in hospitals?
Ethical limits come into play that cast doubt on the real investment of volunteers who find themselves in an unknown place, where they do not understand the language and where their role is ambiguous since volunteers perceive themselves as helpers but, in reality, this ideal designation proves unrealistic, once the unusual and difficult cultural conditions and their reduced skills have been added to the equation (Palacios, 2019). The image of the volunteer can be compared to the one of the “White Savior” (Bandyopadhyay, 2019) or the one of the “Barbie Savior” (Wearing, Mostafanezhad, Nguyen, Thanh Nguyen & McDonald, 2018), which refers to the idea of colonialism and to the real motivations of volunteers in terms of how they perceive and do volunteer work.
This instagram account has also tried to raise awareness on the subject
Moreover, Gray & Campbell (2007) mention that “while it is important to understand the volunteers, they represent only one half of the story”. Indeed, there are very few studies that focus on the benefits or negative aspects towards host populations. Guttentag (2009) states that there is great neglect of the desires of locals, a reinforcement of the conceptualization of the “Other”, and encouragement for cultural change.
Intersectional power
There is still a great complexity of power issues and relationships in contemporary global voluntary tourism contacts (Wearing, Young & Everingham, 2017). We must look at the structural inequality that is reproduced at each encounter. Indeed, volunteer tourism brings economically powerful volunteer people (Mostafanezhad, 2013), who have sufficient resources to afford a trip abroad, and disadvantaged host communities where poverty is a criterion for which voluntarism exists.
Concerns about helping reinforce this inequality of power and privilege and can lead to neo-colonial thinking, since the discourse (see the section below on language) of volunteering is based on the idea that a Westerner, even inexperienced and unskilled, can be an agent of change and development.
This inequality of power is enhanced by the fact that it is only Western companies that offer “volunteer packages” to see and help the “spectacle of the Other” (Hall, 1996). This is reinforced by the comments of Sardar (1999) who explains that “the real power of the Global North does not lie in its massive economic development, but rather in its power to define, represent and theorize the “Other”.”
In the end, power is in the hands of volunteers who have paid to assume the role of specialists in local communities of which they know little (Wearing, 2001; Raymond and Hall, 2008) and sometimes for which the host feels inferior and lets the volunteer do it his/her way because he/she needs the money given by the helper (Stanley, 2017, p.112).
Role of the media and language
The volunteer tourism imagery is based on a discourse of saving and helping others. Indeed, companies that send volunteers abroad use language to make a difference to attract volunteers which reinforces the fact that volunteers leave for unreasonable reasons (Simpson, 2004). This advertising role builds a cultural and racial self for volunteers while for hosts, we find an idea of “otherness” (Stanley, 2019).
The role of the media and advertising for volunteering is clearly a kind of profiling of volunteer tourists and not of people in need, in order to express through a marketing objective the motivations of these people to be volunteers in order, then, to better meet their desires (Guttentag, 2009) and not to meet the desires of local communities. Palacios (2010) expresses the fact that the denomination of “volunteer” is also an important social marker of identity, what companies have understood and try to promote.
These companies offer catalogs with locals, often with children, that promote what Westerners find exotic and not the reality. To find volunteers, they will never, for example, highlight the traffic jams in São Paulo or the slums in India. Indeed, if we take the website of Projects Abroad (n.d.), which defines itself as “an international social enterprise specializing in the organization of volunteer missions abroad”, we quickly notice that its offer is worthy of a major tour operator with many destinations around the world. They highlight people to make a difference by going abroad but as Kascak & Dasgupta (2014) would say, can individuals taking pictures surrounded by poor children be ever justified in making a difference?
My own reflection on volunteer tourism
My feelings about volunteer tourism are simple but also complicated. As such, I have no problem with people who want to help and travel through volunteer tourism, since it can create good for communities and can be mutually beneficial. I don’t mind if people want to spend a lot of money to go and help, but it would be better to turn to local and not international agencies. In addition, I think it might be good that qualified people work in developing countries where there is a need.
However, I think that in order to avoid contributing to this business and maintaining all the criticisms that have been made on this subject, we should simply ask ourselves the right questions before leaving abroad. What I don’t like are projects that are not needed at the local level, that don’t take cultural differences into account, and that are more focused on the aspirations of volunteers than on the community they are trying to help. Indeed, I find that the motivations of volunteers are very paradoxical because the final aim is never really to help people but rather to help oneself, to contribute to one’s own development
Conclusion
It cannot be denied that volunteer tourism is the subject of strong criticisms and there are valid concerns. It is true that with all this, as Wearing, Young & Everingham (2017) state, we are missing what voluntary tourism should be, which is bringing together volunteers and host communities, whether through preservation or community-based projects to cooperate in reciprocally valuable cultural interactions.
I think that a greater awareness of the possible negative impacts of the sector is needed so that missions can be developed in an optimal way for all stakeholders.
References
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