How I Volunteered at a Surf Hostel in Morocco
The most amazing two months
One of the best experiences I have had during the past nine months of travel has got to be the two months I spent volunteering at a surf hostel in Morocco. Call it fate, or maybe just stubborn planning, but before I even left home, I knew I wanted to spend at least a few weeks at a Moroccan surf hostel. I’m so glad I managed to make it happen.
But, that’s not to say that it was easy to get there.
I use the website Worldpackers for all of my volunteering experience while traveling. The platform makes it super easy to apply for all kinds of work-trade positions all over the world, and you can read reviews from past volunteers before committing to a host. I’ve always felt safe using it, and everyone I’ve volunteered with has had great things to say about their own experiences too. Worldpackers also runs their own background checks on both hosts and travelers, and anyone with too low of a rating or with a complaint will be removed from the platform.
In order to stay as long as I wanted in Morocco without going broke, I figured my best bet would be to volunteer there. I ended up sending 11 applications (yes, I counted) to different surf hostels, And for most of them, I applied multiple times for different roles: reception, housekeeping, social media. Like I said, I was determined.
Eventually, a hostel in the tiny fishing village of Anza wrote back to us. We scheduled a video call with them, talked about our experience managing social media. And that was it! We booked a hostel in Anza for two months, doing reception work and content creation.
Once of the great things about Worldpackers, is that every host clearly lists what they offer in exchange for your work on the exchange’s page. In my case, I worked 30 hours a week, split between reception and content creation. And in return, we got a bed in the volunteer dorm, daily breakfast, access to the kitchen, use of surfboards and wetsuits, and a free spot on excursions and tours.
The surf perks were a big, well… perk. It is one of the main reasons I was determined to stay at a surf hostel actually. Jordan got really got use of the surfboards and actually got really good at surfing during our stay. I on the other had developed a fear of waves, so I spent most of my time with a surfboard on the sand practicing exposure therapy.
The reception shifts were split between three volunteers: morning, afternoon, and night. So depending on the day, my schedule looked a little different, but it always started the same way: hostel breakfast and coffee (and sometimes more than one coffee).
If I wasn’t on the morning shift, I’d usually spend my time working on my blog or managing social media for either the hostel or my mom’s business. Then, I’d head over to a cafe to get a quick bite of lunch and a tea or a smoothie while enjoying the beach views.
Then, I’d do my reception work. Usually it was very easy, helping guests check in or out, answering any questions, and helping guests rent boards or book day trips and excursions.
Another daily part of my routine was heading over to the souk to pick out the ingredients for dinner. Most nights, I would end up cooking dinner, at least for Jordan and I, if not for the rest of the staff. It is always nice having a family dinner, so I never minded (especially because it meant I never had to do dishes).
After dinner all the volunteers, guests and staff gathered on the hostel terrace, to swap stories, play cards and chess, and just chat about our days. Some nights there were only a few of us, but other nights the terrace was so full that we all had to squeeze in just to fit. It was always such a nice way to round out the day with all of your new friends.
Another thing I love about work-trade experiences like this is the chance to build skills in areas you might not otherwise break into. Even though I already have experience in social media management with my mom’s travel agency, Jordan doesn’t have any prior experience. But volunteering gave him hands-on experience, a portfolio and the confidence to potentially do content creation in the future.
The work went by quick, and what we got out of the exchange was well worth the hours we put in working. Not only did we get all the perks promised on the listing, but we made incredible memories with the other guests and volunteers, which is what it is all really about.
You might think that after volunteering at the surf hostel for two months, I’d be itching to move on. But quite the opposite actually. I wasn’t nearly ready to go, I could have easily stayed for another two months. The hostel had become my home without my even realizing.
I would recommend volunteering through Worldpackers to everyone. To those looking for a cheap place to stay while they work remotely, to young travelers on their own for the first time, and to anyone who has ever considered it before. One of the main reasons I enjoy doing it is because it provides a bit of a deeper experience than just moving from place to place, you actually get to live in and enjoy an area.
Every single time I have done an experience through Worldpackers, it has been incredible for me. As I’m writing this post, I am actually on my fourth volunteer experience. From gardening at a castle in Scotland, to a desert campsite in the Sahara, to doing social media for Butterfly Valley in Turkey — the experience is always unique and rewarding.
If you are considering volunteering with Worldpackers, just make sure you always read the reviews of people who came before you. To be extra safe, you can even reach out through the app directly to the volunteers who went before you. And if you can, try to chat with the host before you agree to live with them for a few weeks.
Hello Abby I was considering giving a small donation. But it seems as if you want receive it. I've assisted with you ina few volunteer projects in Raleigh NC. this Lorenzo I see a lot of your past coworkers.