One factor that is often overlooked when becoming a volunteer abroad is the best time of year to go. Many people that volunteer abroad only look at and take into account the duration of the program, cost and location of the project. As with anything abroad you must pick the right time of year to travel to really get the most out of your project. Some major factors include on/off peak, weather seasons and holiday periods. Finding out which is the best time to participate in volunteer work can really help you make the most out of your project. Although there is no exact science to volunteering abroad at exactly the right time, it is important to listen to any advice given to you. Although there is no exact formula about when to travel and when not to travel it is important to ad head to any advice you are given. If you do not plan your trip properly i can lead to disruption and disappointment.

It is important to research projects although there are a lot of them many are time and season sensitive. Conservation work entirely depends on the wildlife and if you pick the wrong season to travel you may find out that there is no wildlife there. For example the Wildebeest migrations takes place from Kenya to Tanzania in March to July so if you want to work at this period there will be no animals to work with. This can be the same problem for people who want to volunteer in Zimbabwe or in fact many other African countries.

Another important point to make is that you must check up on the country you are travelling to and any public holidays they may have. These holidays only usually last for one day and most government offices and shops are closed. It is probably a good idea if you are to volunteer abroad to miss Christmas, Easter and any festivals such as Ramadan as not only can it affect your travel plans but also you will find most things closed.

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