Unfortunately there are people out there who want to take advantage of kind-hearted travellers. Use your discretion to decide whether a need is genuine or not.

Helping a community is probably best done through an already-established organisation, however small, rather than through an individual. We would suggest that taking money is not a good idea.

When you go to find an organisation you heard of from another traveller, please be alert and, if at any point you feel the organisation is not genuine or you are being mislead, just walk away. We'd rather you had a great holiday and stayed safe than put yourself in any danger. Also don't forget that if you have a bad experience with an organisation, you can leave feedback on the website to warn other visitors. You can also contact us if you feel that an organisation should be removed from our database.

Travelling is a fantastic experience, but it's important to be aware of the pitfalls you may face in a given country particularly if you are travelling independently. We recommend having a look at the link below for further travel advice.

Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) Travel Advice