Book Review: “The Volunteer Traveler’s Handbook” by Shannon O’Donnell

“The Volunteer Traveler’s Handbook‘ is an insightful read with many helpful tips for new travelers and old vagabonds alike. Shannon O’Donnell weaves together enjoyable stories with essential travel information in a way that allows the reader to move through each part of the book without noticing the transition.

O’Donnell begins with a personal story about her volunteer experience in Cambodia before moving on to the basics of international volunteering. O’Donnell guides the potential volunteer through the process of analyzing why they want to volunteer, what to expect and understanding the impact they will have on the local community.

While this may seem pretty simple, the real hard work begins when you start reading the ethics section. This is where O’Donnell really shines. She can help us see the impact of some volunteer projects from the aid recipient’s side.

“And what about the difficult relationships that children build with temporary volunteers in orphanages? Some short-term volunteers want to play and cuddle with orphans, see their fate and perhaps read them a story. Then the volunteers leave with the feeling that their afternoon has ‘done something good for the world’, while the children wait to temporarily bond with the next group of Good Samaritans.”

She continues to say that the key to successful volunteering is maintaining the dignity of the person you want to help and working to eliminate dependency. The grace with which she distills this complicated issue into a few simple points is exemplary. This allows the reader to assess their potential project against their own values, supported by some of O’Donnell’s information. O’Donnell strategically avoids creating a list of do’s and don’ts and replaces it with information to help the reader understand the issues facing development work.

After refining the methods for evaluating projects, partners and pitfalls, O’Donnell moves on to more travel-oriented advice. The transition section ‘While you’re on the road’ discusses the challenges you are likely to face in volunteer tourism. This section is packed with tips to help you get the most out of your experience by being prepared for the difficulties of traveling in the developing world. Particularly useful is the page on ‘How to be the volunteer from hell’.

The last part discusses the problems that often arise while traveling. There are tips on everything from visas to malaria medications, from safety to packing. O’Donnell again helps us weigh the pros and cons rather than preaching specific courses of action.

In summary, this book was a delightful read with entertaining travel stories and points to think about. It is suitable for both the first-time traveler who needs help pinpointing the problems and for the grizzled old veteran who occasionally needs to reconsider his modus operandi. The numerous contributions from others provide the reader with a broader, better rounded, and more interesting view of the issues than if this had simply been the latest treatise on the do’s and don’ts of volunteer travel.

Disclosure: The volunteer was given a free copy of the book with the expectation that a fair and honest review would be written about it.