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Voluntourism: Luxury tailor-made travel...
with a meaningful volunteering component

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For an adventure that counts, I recommend Hands up Holidays

Voluntourism - Your chance to have an inspiring tailor-made luxury travel experience that blends sightseeing with voluntourism or philanthropy.

Be the change
Enjoy a luxury voluntourism or philanthropic adventure and return with treasured memories and incredible stories, knowing you have touched lives.

At Hands up Holidays we want to give you more than just a fun vacation. We want you to have a travel experience that nourishes and inspires you, so that it lasts long after the trip is finished. Help us create a voluntourism or philanthropic travel experience that is tailor-made to meet your exact requirements.

Change lives through travel ATOL licence - T7389

.....including your own!

Voluntourism in Costa Rica. Enjoy a Rainforest Alliance verified trip to a country considered one of the most biodiverse places in the world. Volunteer at an intimate animal conservation project and help keep Costa Rica that way.

Voluntourism in Colombia as seen in:

The Sunday Times calls Parque Tayrona, the location of our volunteer projects, one of the "Caribbean's last undiscovered corners". Article ...>

Top 10 Trips		Activity Level	Comfort Level
1. Costa Rica	'Conserving Costa Rica'
2. Peru	'Incas & Amazon'
3. New Zealand	'Natural New Zealand '
4. Thailand	'Taste of Thailand'
5. India	'Ultimate India'
6. South Africa	'Southern Hospitality'
7. India	'Sunderbans Smiles'
8. Morocco	'Taste of Morocco'
9. Ecuador	'Galapagos & Volcanoes'
10. Vietnam	'Vietnamese Venture'

Click here to use the Interactive Map to find your tour

Destination of the week - visit stunning Costa Rica

the Travel Foundation caring for places we love to visit

Is voluntourism for you?

Firstly, a definition. Voluntourism is a vacation where you combine sightseeing with volunteering.

What sort of volunteering can you do on a voluntourism trip?

Due to the short term nature of volunteering whilst on vacation, lasting typically 4-5 days, the sort of projects where you can make a positive impact are:

Repairs and renovations of needy schools, orphanages, clinics;
Building something, such as a house for an impoverished family
Being a reading partner to a struggling student, or a conversational partner for a bright student
Helping with environmental conservation, such as caring for elephants, planting trees, or participating in a conservation survey

But still, is voluntourism for you?

Studies have demonstrated that there are health benefits from voluntourism…why:

Being part of a cause is important, and volunteering provides this to you
Volunteering provides meaningful interaction with new people
Volunteering provides a sense of purpose and fulfilment
Voluntourism gives you a warm glow and a feeling of appreciation from a person who has also benefited from your time, skills and care

You love vacations, so why not make it a voluntourism vacation?

Voluntourism is brilliant for:

Families – your children can appreciate how lucky they are
Honeymooners – a perfect way to consolidate your wedding
Retirees – you can leave a legacy
Companies – team building and Corporate Social Responsibility from an ethical incentive trip

Why choose Hands Up for your voluntourism adventure?

Award-winning, with a 100% safety record, so you can book in confidence
We tailor-make your voluntourism vacation to meet your exact specifications and preferences, so you get just what you want
We specialize in luxury voluntourism, so book with us if you want to stay in style whilst making a difference
Our consultants know each destination and have experienced the volunteering personally, so you are dealing with experts who understand you and the communities you want to help
ATOL licensed and Travel Trust Association members, so you have peace of mind that your money is safe

Videos

Watch a TV news clip about the launch of Hands Up Holidays

A mini-documentary about a Hands Up Holiday in Fiji

View an introduction to what Hands Up Holidays is all about.

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Voluntourism: Luxury tailor-made travel...with a meaningful volunteering component

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Voluntourism: Luxury tailor-made travel...
with a meaningful volunteering component