The thing is, you don't create excuses to stop giving back just because you're travelling. On the contrary, I find my trips much more rewarding when I take a good long look around and see if there're anything I could do to give back.
Feed the homeless
Back in my home country, I volunteered in several street feeding organisations and have contributed financially as well. As such, I find it difficult to ignore a hungry man/woman when I walk pass one. If you could spend your savings on travelling, was it so difficult that you could not pay for a simple meal for someone else? They don't need anything fancy, they just need sustenance and a large bottle of water.
Back in Istanbul, my partner and I walked pass a father and son refugee from Syria. We all know the situation and Syria and I'm sure we can all understand the dire circumstances of these refugees. The man had 5 children (including the boy with him) and needed to feed his family. It was so simple to walk up to the man and to offer to buy him and his son dinner. Although I was living in Sultanahmet (a very expensive and touristy area), I was still able to find a kebab shop. I was still able to afford a meal for the man and his son. I didn't have to buy extras for his 4 children because people around me soon offered to buy him meals as well, when they saw what my partner and I was doing.
In Paris, my mum and I saw a lady sitting outside a supermarket. We know she's been sitting there for the last few days because we could see her from our apartment's balcony. Since we were in the supermarket anyway, mum picked out a bar of chocolate as a treat for the lady. The chocolate bar cost us a mere EUR2, out of the EUR20 something we were paying for the week's groceries.
Prague's square had an array of traditional Czech food for tourists to nibble on at the main square. There were also plenty of homeless people looking for their next meal in trash cans. That's right, the eat the leftovers tourists throws away. I couldn't stomach the fact that someone was eating, by my definition, trash; while my partner and I had more food that we could both eat. So we gave up one of our uneaten meal to a man rummaging through the trash. Guess what, the man we were sharing our table with gave up his meal to another homeless man as well. You see, good deeds are contagious.
As I've said, all it takes is for you to ask and for you to take action. Sometimes, you don't even have to ask. Just offer them your food. It helps a lot to someone who's been hungry.
Make someone's day
I had a day all to myself in Prague because my partner went to a concentration camp tour and I was supposed to go sky-diving. Unfortunately for me, the weather in Prague has been gloomy and the dive was cancelled. So I had until 6pm to wander around Prague because I didn't want to spend on a return ticket back to my accommodation.
I went into a supermarket to get a bottle of water and in front of me, there was a lady and her child. They don't look too healthy. Instead, they look like they were from the streets. I knew they were most probably what everyone labels as gypsies. I couldn't understand them but I could only assume that the child wanted a bag of chips and sweets that his mother said no to. To be honest, it could be that the mum refused the child because chips and sweets aren't the best nutrition for a child. But I bought them anyway. Then I ran after them to give them the boy, who was shy initially but smiled when his mother gave the approval nod. If I could afford a couple thousand krona for a dive, I can afford a bag of chips and sweets, easy peasy.
The most basic and simplest thing you could do, it to be aware.
On a travels, I've seen so many people ignorant to the woes of nature. Was it not apparent that the trash around you is destroying the city that you're falling in love with? Is it too difficult to follow some rules that are made to preserve the beauty you enjoy today?
When you arrive in Pamukkale, you will discover that the pure while calcium mineral terraces you see on postcards are just photoshop versions of the truth. The terraces are 'dying'. By that, they are turning black and losing their pure white appearances. The water that brings the minerals down to the terraces are drying out (global warming) and as such, the terraces are not receiving the minerals they need to stay white or to even have pools of water. Yet, it seems completely ambiguous to many tourists that the terraces are dying and that they need to be preserved if they are to be enjoyed by later generations. If the rules say not to step on certain parts of the terraces, it is because they don't want it to be further damages. It is not because they want to prevent you from taking a good picture. If the rules say no shoes allowed on the terraces, I don't bloody care if you have it will ruin your hundred dollar manicure or if someone will steal your Birkenstock, leave your damn shoes at the entrance. Frankly, I don't see how even your expensive Louboutin can justify harming the terraces, much less some Birkenstock.
Do the things you do back home
We know that travellers walk loads, especially those on a budget. Yet, the same rules apply when you're travelling as when you're not. If you spy an old man without a seat in the bus, offer your seat. It's almost a no-brainer in these modern times. I lost count the number of times my partner and I stood up to offer both our seats to one person and then refusing to sit down again, which means we have two person standing and one empty seat.
Perhaps another simple deed we could all do is to be responsive and be kind.
As a traveller, I rely on asking strangers plenty of directions, recommendations and just general questions. I lost count on the number of times I sat at hostel common rooms or local hangouts to chat with fellow tourists or locals to get the low-down of the city. I can only hope that I do the same to those who come to me for the same. As a traveller, we may not be as knowledgable as the locals, but I'm sure your travels have given you some insight on what's good and what's not. So why not share them? Some good advice goes a long way, in terms of experience as well as budget.
What will you do the next time you travel?
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