Voluntourism
What is Voluntourism?
Voluntourism is the combination of volunteering and sightseeing, enabling travelers to not only visit the scenic highlights of a destination, but also to engage in a meaningful way with the people and/or the environment, by giving back in a hands-on way.
As such, voluntourism can take many forms, as long as it contains both the elements of:
- volunteering, and
- sightseeing
Examples of voluntourism are:
- A family of 5 goes to Costa Rica where, in addition to experiencing stunning accommodation, beaches, volcanoes and jungle, the family can help care for animals (including sloths, kinkajous, raccoons, owls, peccaries, monkeys (spider, squirrel and howler monkeys), macaws and parrots) that have been kept illegally as pets;
- A honeymoon couple realises that there is only so much time that can be spent in bed, and that 'honeyteering' is a great way to consolidate their new lives together, and books a luxury trip to Thailand where they enjoy incredible eco-luxe hotels, take a rice barge cruise Bangkok to Ayuthaya, relax and snorkel at the beach, and spend 3-4 days doing repairs and renovations at an orphanage that was established after the tsunami
- A busy executive decides to have a career break and opts for a voluntourism experience through South America, enjoying such highlights as the Iguazu Falls in Brazil, hiking the Inca Trail in Peru, marvelling at the wildlife in the Galapagos Islands, exploring the joys of Colombia's colorful colonial Cartagena before teaching business and book-keeping skills to former coca leaf growers who are setting up an eco-tourism business.
- A retired couple feels that they still have a lot to give and worthwhile knowledge to impart, and elects to teach English in Kenya to young ladies fleeing female genital mutilation. They also have time to go on safari in the Masai Mara, getting up close and personal with lions, leopards, cheetahs and elephants, finishing up with some relaxation on one of Kenya's lovely beaches, or even on Tanzania's Zanzibar Island.
- A company wants to reward its top-performing staff with an incentive trip to Cambodia and Vietnam, taking them on a 'trip of a lifetime' through Angkor Wat, cruise down the Mekong into Vietnam, explore Saigon and enjoy superb cuisine and the finest accommodation, and also wants to improve its Corporate Social Responsibility ("CSR") reputation, so includes two days renovating classrooms at a school, building them a library, and providing scholarships for the children to go on to High School.
Hands Up Holidays specializes in tailor-made voluntourism experiences, meaning that we delight in ensuring that your itinerary is prepared according to your exact preferences.
Hands Up Holidays also specializes in luxury, or eco-luxe voluntourism, meaning that we know the upmarket hotels and lodges best, and we actively seek out the finest properties for you, with those that have strong environmental and social commitments being given the highest priority.
Sounds good? If you would like to know more, feel free to explore the site further, or you can
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contact us to book your own luxury voluntourism adventure.
