Luxury voluntourism or philanthropic experiences for you

The Concept

Hands Up Holidays is a luxury travel company with one BIG difference. We are obsessive about you having more than an amazing vacation; our passion is for you to have a remarkable luxury travel experience that you will treasure forever, by combining expertly-led sightseeing with meaningful community development through volunteering or philanthropy. Touch lives, including your own.

So what makes us special?

The secret ingredient that makes our trips so special is the combination of a fantastic tailor-made luxury holiday with a ‘taste’ of volunteering or philanthropy.  Combining the two gives you the chance to get under the skin of a destination and interact meaningfully with the local people and giving them a 'hand up' in life. 

Don’t just scratch the surface: help that African girl have a safe place to live, teach hospitality skills to the Colombian coca leaf grower so he isn’t reliant on an illegal trade for a living, or help conserve elephants in Thailand. In so doing you will find yourself immersed in local life, championing a cause and learning new things, all combined with sights that you want to see, led by an expert local guide.

Some of our clients have been so transformed by their journeys, that it has inspired them to change careers and in a few cases they have even moved to the country of the project.  Now, this might not happen to you, but rest assured that you will have fun and return with great memories and touching stories.

Your Safety and Financial Security

Your safety is our top priority, and Hands Up has a 100% safety record. Moreover, your money is 100% secure through our membership with the Travel Trust Association, and our ATOL licence, which protects your payment right up until when your return home. 

Hands Up Holidays and Rainforest Alliance have established an alliance to support sustainable tourism

A sample 9 day trip:

Days 1-3 are with your local, English-speaking guide; exploring your chosen destination and also learning some of the local language, cultural norms and etiquette. Your accommodation is generally 4-5* but we tailor-make trips to suit all budgets.

Days 4-6 are your taste of volunteering or philanthropy days. Here you experience meaningful interaction with local people while you give back through volunteering. This includes (a) being a reading partner, (b) helping at an orphanage, (c) building a house, (d) environmental conservation, (e) repairs and renovations.

Days 7-9 are for reflecting on your community development experience, for consolidating any group bonding, relaxing and continuing to explore with your local guide.

All our trips are rated out of five for Comfort and Activity level, so you can find the trip that suits you best.

These volunteer adventures are for you if:

• You are interested in having a break, want to explore a destination, and also give something back to a local community.
• You value meaningful interaction with other cultures - achieved through the medium of volunteering.
• You value small group or tailor-made sustainable tourism practices that directly benefit local communities.
• You do not have specific skills, but have a lot of enthusiasm and a positive attitude (OR if you do have specific skills, we will match your skills where possible)

Most of these trips are upmarket, some of them even luxurious in terms of accommodation, as we know that this is your holiday, and volunteering does not have to involve sleeping on the floor; luxury volunteering is our specialty - although we can arrange this if you prefer, and will gladly tailor-make a trip to suit your budget and requirements.

The volunteering portion of your trip is generally 4 days out of a 14 day trip - not enough time to save the world, but sufficient to make a positive impact, rub shoulders with the local people, and have your worldview challenged.

It is our hope that after experiencing a Hands Up Holiday voluntourism trip, you will feel inspired to volunteer for a longer period somewhere (even in your home town), or become a lifelong advocate or donor for the Community Development project you got involved with.

Hands Up Holidays is a founding member of the Ethical Tour Operators Group, part of Tourism Concern that is committed to sustainable tourism that benefits local communities and the environment.

Come and join us for your Adventure That Counts!

A message from the Founder - Christopher Hill

"I founded Hands Up Holidays to give you the opportunity to not only see amazing sights, but also to have authentic interaction with local people and give something back in a “hands on” way to local communities through a taste of volunteering.

In my life I have been blessed to have had some incredible travel experiences in over 50 countries, from African sunsets on safari, to swimming with dolphins, to hiking up volcanoes and even gasping for breath in the Himalayas.

But as amazing as those experiences are, my most enduring memories are the times when I have engaged in meaningful ways with the local people: becoming the official photographer at a village wedding in a remote section of North-East Vietnam, sharing chai with Indian farmers, sheeshah with Touareg nomads or copious brandies with gracious Serbian hosts are memories I cherish.

Moreover, when these interactions are overlaid with giving back through volunteering, they became incredibly fulfilling, inspiring…and life changing. Experiences such as helping build a house in South Africa and teaching English to my host family in a home-stay in Guatemala are great examples, and the lifelong friends I have made as a result and the lives changed were the catalyst for leaving my job in the City in London and setting up Hands Up Holidays.

Through volunteering, and the consequent meaningful interaction with local people, I gained an insight into peoples' lives, and was blown away by how whilst they had little materially but were incredibly rich culturally and socially.
I was both challenged and inspired by this, and I decided to adopt a simpler, more contented attitude to life – being grateful for what I have, rather than striving for more and more possessions.

I started working on Hands Up Holidays in 2003 to make it easy for you, fellow travellers, to have incredible voluntourism experiences and dig a little deeper into a community and give back in ways that enable you to make a positive impact in 3-5 days with a taste of volunteering.

I am passionate about you having amazing travel experiences through Hands Up Holidays. Expect to have a meaningful holiday with us, while at the same time being challenged to look at the world in a new light.

That’s why we are Hands Up Holidays – Adventures That Count…for you, and the community."

Christopher Hill

Managing Director and Founder