Do you want to travel in style, go green, make a difference, and have an amazing vacation all at the same time? - Well now you can.

Hands Up Holidays specializes in tailor-made luxury tours that all contain a volunteering or philanthropic component, whilst using fabulous eco-luxury properties around the world.

Our consultants would be delighted to assist you with an enquiry you may have, and help you plan your luxury adventure that counts. 

Some of our favorite eco-luxe properties are:

Australia 

- Wilson Island - at this luxury tented camp, share the remote coral bay with  turtles, birds and a sea filled with extraordinary marine life. 

There are no permanent buildings on the island and the tents are spread out to ensure maximum privacy. 

Water is brought in and waste water is shipped back out again. Solar power generates all the electricity and heating. 

All the garbage is shipped off the island and the bottles and paper are sorted for recycling. 

Fantastic to combine with a luxury voluntourism tailor-made trip to New Zealand or Fiji

Brazil 

Cristalino Lodge - Conserving 24,000 acres of primary rainforest, this lodge excels in composting, recycling, solar heating, hydrokinetic electricity generation.

Innovative roof design helps air flow better and keep the room temperature naturally lower.

The lodge was built in harmony with the surrounding forest and with respect for the region. They offer eco-friendly bungalows and the small number of rooms ensures that you have personalized attention and a unique experience.

Stay at Cristalino Lodge as part of your tailor-made luxury voluntourism trip to the Pantanal.

Costa Rica

Pacuare Lodge - nestled in the jungle, accessible by raft, no trees were cut down to accommodate the bungalows, and the thatch roofs were made by local Cabécar Indians in their traditional style using palm leaves collected in the forest reserve.

A modern septic system means waste does not reach the river; recycling is rigorous, and they use a bio-digester to produce gas from organic waste.

This is an incredible place to relax, go zip-lining, or even assist in tree planting or jaguar research.

You can stay at Pacuare Lodge as part of your tailor-made eco-luxury voluntourism trip to Costa Rica.

Ecuador (Galapagos Islands)

Finch Bay Ecolodge - with its own desalination plant and filtering to cut down on plastic bottles, solar panels, rain water usage, organic vegetable garden, and ecologically friendly waste disposal, this lodge is designed to blend in with the environment and thus attract much birdlife.

It is also your base for making a difference giving back and helping preserve the Galapagos Islands for future generations by assisting with beach clean-ups.

Click to see one way you can enjoy Finch Bay Eco-lodge as part of an eco-luxury voluntourism adventure in Galapagos.

Kenya 

Basecamp Masai Mara - This lodge leads the way in commitment to sustainability and community development (President Obama and his family stayed here when he was a senator, chosen for their eco principles). They collect shower water to water trees, use solar energy for heating and power, recycle plastic bottles to use for planting young tree seedlings (over 50,000 trees have been planted already), even the fence posts are made from recycled plastic.

The toilets in the luxury tents are compost, and food is also composted. 100% of the food is organic.

On the social side, the lodge sponsors a guide school, provides scholarships for girls' education, trains local people in producing wonderful, mostly recycled, Fair Trade handcrafts, and conducts HIV/AIDS awareness in neighboring communities.

Get inspired with a suggested itinerary for an eco-luxe voluntourism trip to Kenya.

Maldives

Soneva Gili -  The choice of building materials and interiors was dictated by a desire towards sustainable development; hence the absence of rainforest teak, coral, or turtle shell. Materials such as pine, telegraph poles, palm wood, bamboo and plantation teaks were used instead. 

Interior items such as water hyacinth (the reeds that clog rivers), and papier-mâché (old newspapers covered by rice paper) demonstrate a good use of waste products. 

The resort has a dedicated Social and Environmental Manager, and you can make a difference as well by giving back in a hands-on way, through:

- coral reef conservation (for qualified divers)

- help teach local communities about waste management and assist them towards self-sufficiency

- help teach local children about how to conserve the environment, as well as about other subjects

Contact us to book your eco-luxe trip to the Maldives. 

New Zealand

Fiordland Lodge - Overlooking Lake Ta Anau and situated close to the Fiordland National Park, Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound, this lodge is made of non-native wood, and uses an innovative wastewater treatment system (dealing with waste is the biggest issue in a remote location like this).

The lodge is designed to blend in with the environment, and does so successfully, with native vegetation retained and the local ecology conserved.  

You can enjoy Fiordland Lodge as part of your luxury tailor-made voluntourism trip to New Zealand.

South Africa

Vineyard Resort & Spa - despite being only a few minutes from the center of Cape Town, this resort has huge gardens to wander through, and has excellent water and energy conservation principles. 

Moreover, the hotel has an impressive recycling program, and staff assist in regular programs to clear alien vegetation in a section of Table Mountain.

This is an ideal base to make a difference through volunteering or philanthropy, such as teaching in a township, helping with environmental education, or assisting in preparing and serving meals in a community kitchen.

For a suggested eco-luxe voluntourism itinerary for South Africa, click here.  

Thailand

Aleenta Resort - at this stunning resort just north of Phuket, fresh water is sourced from an artesian well, and grey-water (used water, such as from showers) is filtered and used to irrigate the gardens.

Any items that can be recycled – such as paper or aluminum cans – are sold to local recycling companies, and the resort regularly participates in organized beach clean-ups with neighboring properties and is committed to ensuring beaches are maintained in their natural state without being changed or re-shaped in any way.

The resort supports the local school with scholarships and financial assistance, and staff participate in school activities and help with educational and renovation projects - you can too!

Aleenta supports the local turtle sanctuary, and has been actively involved with educational and awareness raising programs in the community.

For your own eco-luxe voluntourism trip to Thailand, click here for a suggested itinerary to get you thinking.

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