Host the social side
The activities are the hostel. Somebody has to get people out of the common area and onto the walk, and that somebody is usually a volunteer.
Work exchange
Volunteer at Travelogue Guesthouse Kuala Lumpur
Free accommodation and an allowance, in exchange for being the person who gets everybody out of the door. Bring the guests to the activities and gather the travellers like family: those are the hostel’s words, not ours.
Ask about volunteering
Volunteers apply through the Worldpackers app, and the hostel also runs a volunteers-wanted post on its Hostelworld listing.
The role
What the role actually is
Not reception work. The role is the social side, and it is the reason people remember this place.
Take the group out
Batu Caves in the morning, the Petronas Twin Towers at twilight, Chinatown, Thean Hou Temple, the Jalan Alor food walk. You will learn the routes in your first week.
Keep the group chat alive
Reminders, changes and the next day’s plan go out in the guest WhatsApp group. It is where the social side of the hostel actually lives.
Write the board
The week goes up by hand on the blackboard beside reception. It is the first thing every guest reads.
The exchange
What you get
- Accommodation
- A bed at Travelogue Guesthouse for the length of your stay, free.
- An allowance
- Paid on top of the accommodation.
- Minimum stay
- Two weeks.
- Hours a day
- Five, on average.
Who it suits
- You have travelled on your own and remember what the first evening in a new hostel feels like.
- You are comfortable talking to a room of strangers in English, and whatever else you have.
- You would rather be the person who makes the introduction than the person waiting to be introduced.
Applicants are responsible for holding the correct visa or immigration status for their stay in Malaysia.
I had the chance to volunteer at this hotel for 3 weeks, and honestly, it became one of the best hostel experiences I’ve ever had.
FAQ
Asked before applying
What the hostel gets asked by people considering it.
What does a volunteer at Travelogue Guesthouse actually do?
Hosting the social side: taking guests to the activities, keeping the guest WhatsApp group going, writing up the week on the board beside reception, and making sure the person who arrived on their own has somebody to eat dinner with.
What does Travelogue provide?
Free accommodation at the hostel for the length of your stay, and an allowance on top of it.
Do I need to speak Malay?
No. The hostel runs in English and the guests come from everywhere. Any other language you have is a bonus rather than a requirement.
How do I apply to volunteer?
Message the hostel on WhatsApp from this page and say you are asking about volunteering. Somebody at reception will pick it up.
