Stay Free in Exotic Places

How to get free room and board in far-off locations.

DAILY POSTCARD  | MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2026 Dear International Living reader, At International Living we do a lot of traveling, so we've picked up a few tips and tricks along the way.  Some are simple, others are little-known gems that can turn your average vacation into a trip of a lifetime.  Below, Susan Haskins shares her tip for getting room and board free in some of the best places in the world. P.S. Can you keep a secret? I ask because I want to give you an exclusive book full of insider travel secrets. For FREE with a special offer today. Recommended Resource: From $112: Yachts, Jets, and 5-Star Suites (access insider tips) Get 101 travel secrets inside your free copy of my travel book... It's called: Secrets Travel Writers Never Share. Grab your copy with this offer. Please click here. Free Room and Board in Some of the World's Most Exotic Locations By Suzan Haskins If you like spending time in the garden… love to eat healthy, organic food… and enjoy traveling, there's a way to combine these passions—and do it all for free.  WWOOF—an acronym for Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms—offers you a way to travel the world for next to nothing. (Normally, you pay only to get there.)  At the organization's website, Wwoof.net, you can search the database of organic farms around the world to see who's looking for someone to help out. You can volunteer at an organic farm next to the Podacarpus National Park in Vilcabamba, Ecuador, or at an apple orchard and organic bakery in Mendoza, Argentina.  Help make goat cheese on an Irish farm near Ballyvaughan, County Clare, learn about wine-making on a vineyard in Italy's Piemonte district while staying in a village house with a view of the Alps… The beautiful village of La Morra and its vineyards in the Langhe region of Piedmont, Italy. How about joining a team running a surfing school at Curio Bay in Southland, New Zealand? Or renovating a 100-year-old timber house with a view of the Pacific on the Fiji island of Ovalau?  You don't need any serious experience, just a willingness to take on agreed-upon tasks. You won't be paid by your WWOOF hosts, but as a volunteer, or Wwoofer, you'll get free meals and accommodation, which can range from rustic to luxurious.  Besides planting, tending, or harvesting organic gardens, Wwoofers may be asked to milk goats, build chicken coops, or, in the case of small hotels, help with cooking, cleaning, or with guests.  Bordering Belize's lush Spanish Creek Rainforest Reserve, for instance, a family farm grows a variety of fruit tree crops and has a large organic garden and subsistence food plantation. They also raise chickens and horses and need help building additional guest palapas from jungle materials and thatch.  Wwoofers will stay in an onsite guesthouse with free WiFi and all meals included. WWOOF requires that hosts and volunteers agree in advance on the details: time commitment, type of work to be done, accommodation, etc. You pay a minimal fee to join one of the 50 WWOOF independent country organizations and gain access to databases. Membership price is $40.00 (single) or $65.00 (joint) for one year.  Membership provides you with a member profile, instant access to the online host directory, and online messaging and booking tools. According to Emily Navar, owner of boutique Hotel Macan ché in Izamal, Mexico, WWOOFing is a "win-win situation."  "You don't need any experience. Our locale is a bit unique in that we're a hotel with a small organic garden rather than a farm," she says. "We've had couples and singles—mostly women on their own, although a single guy arrives this week. They have mostly been from the US and Europe but also from as far away as New Zealand. The last couple traveled by bus all the way from Denver. They've all been hard workers, respectful, and low maintenance. Most are looking for a way to be in Mexico and not spend much money."  As Emily explains, some Wwoofers have experience in farming and others don't… and it takes a bit of a proactive spirit on both sides.  "We give them tasks and let them work out how to accomplish those on their own. "They agree to work five hours a day, and we provide a free room with a private bathroom and hot shower and two meals a day… breakfast and dinner. They eat really well here." Editor's Note: I want to gift you my new book. I'm giving it away—FREE—with a special offer we have on the table. The book is called: Secrets Travel Writers Never Share: 101 Ways—and Places—to Travel Better, Spend Less, and Enjoy the World More. And it's packed with never-before-published travel secrets, tips, and tricks from my team of travel writers and editors here at International Living. But hurry, this offer ends tomorrow. Click here for details. Inside you'll find 101 travel secrets designed to help you explore the world more easily, richly, and at less expense, like… How to snag an invite to the first-class lounge – even when you're flying economy. Dine on lobster, sip an Old Fashioned, or pamper yourself in the spa…all before take-off. The secret "luxury travel clearing house" where you can find super-swank hotel rooms, first-class flights and more – going for as little as $1.  Do this and become your flight attendant's best friend. Most passengers get treated like a number. But you'll be treated like a guest of honor. Discover these plus 98 more travel secrets—inside this exclusive new book. Don't miss out. Grab it here. Recommended Resource: "Life is Magical Here!" 14 years ago Mike Arthur was dealing with a daily commute in Dallas. Now, he lives his best Pura Vida life in Costa Rica. Discover Mike's story…why he chose Costa Rica…and why he chooses to stay there more than a decade later… Get a discounted spot to meet Mike in person this July at the Fast Track Costa Rica Conference 2026. Details—and a BIG discount—here.   What "Cheap" Living Really Cost Me After 16 Years in Thailand By International Living Inbox too crowded? Don't worry—if you can't keep up with our International Living Postcards every day, click here to switch to the Weekly Best of IL Postcards instead. If you no longer wish to receive IL Postcards, click here to unsubscribe. Your feedback is very important to us, so if you would like to contact us with a question or comment, please click here. © 2026 International Living Publishing Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Protected by copyright laws of the United States and international treaties. 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