Study and volunteer programs, including Spanish language programs, are often great ways to travel and experience a country in greater depth than simply sight-seeing can afford. Cultural immersion and integrating with locals leads to a richer and unique experience for the romantic traveler in all of us.
Some international relief organizations, such as Doctors Without Borders and CARE, accept volunteers to work in crises and relief efforts. The devastating earthquake in Peru 2001 was one such episode which brought hundreds of volunteers to Peru.
Cross-Cultural Solutions, with offices in New Rochelle, New York, and Brighton, U.K., offers weeklong volunteer programs in Peru, especially Lima, Ayachuco, and Trujillo. Their volunteer abroad section lists a number of opportunities for volunteering in Peru, including CARE, volunteer teaching, and environmental research.
Habitat for Humanity, with a base in Arequipa, and Volunteers for Peace also offer opportunities in Peru.
If you're more interested to work alongside scientists, Earthwatch Institute is the one for you. They have a unique mission — they send travelers to work in the field alongside scientists involved in archaelogy and environmental conservation. There are three Peru research and education trips: you can join a 13-day excavation of a pre-Inca site, assist with research of Peruvian macaws, or document the biology of Andean rivers. But the trips aren't all work; they're a great way to see a fascinating part of the country from a conservationists perspective.
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