Inspirational Travel: Fishing For Friendship
Here in a small fishing village on the coast of Brazil, nobody spoke English. I came here on a volunteer vacation. This was my first visit to a location where neither was English prevalent nor did I know the language.
Making a Difference in Bangkok-In Search of Sanuk
Dwight of Insearch of Sanuk works tirelessly to help make the lives of urban refugees in Bangkok easier. He runs this charity that brings food, money and hope to families living illegally in Bangkok. He visits their loved ones that are detained in the Immigration Detention Centre and recruits volunteers to come with him to help briefly reunite families living separately in the IDC of Thailand.
Giving Back in India, with Art Refuge
When Mariellen sent us her story about volunteering as an art therapist in Dharamsala we were eager to include her in our Giving Back Series. Although it is a copy of what she has on her site, she wanted us to share the story as it is written from the heart and impossible to write any other way. It is beautiful and we are happy to get word out and to raise more awareness for great projects like Art Refuge.
Giving Back: 12-Weeks of Inspiration
As the time of our travels draws near, we want to reflect on our giving Back Series. The diverse stories that we gatherer over the past couple of months have been inspiring and touching. It is a reminder to us to be more responsible in our travels and to revisit the incredible stories. For those of you who are new to our blog, it gives you the chance to meet some incredible travelers that have given back to thes world while they explore it. We are greatful for everyone’s contributions and we learned a great deal about different ways that one can contribute to the communities that they visit.
The Impact of NGO’s and Voluntourism
I am a strong believer that travel can be done better, as can anything else, if we come up with new and creative solutions to the negative impacts that come as a side product of the actions that we take. I think tourism can and has been a negative force in many areas and I feel the same way about Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) yet I have my feet in both of these worlds.
Volunteering Global, a Valuable Resource
Type “volunteer vacation” into a search engine and jot down how many hits you get. Now look at the first page of results and note how much those trips cost. Wait – they cost something? You’re willing to give your time and effort to a community project, but you’re expected to pay? And at $1,000 for a week, they’d better give you backrubs and ice cream, because your airfare isn’t even included.
This is what I encountered four years ago as I looked for a summer project. It was confusing and frustrating; these groups assumed volunteers had disposable income.
Villas Tranquilas: A Vacation Property Gives Back
While the global economic downturn may be affecting private aid in terms of total dollars, some travel/tourism businesses continue to offer partnerships with their clients and the indigenous peoples to the benefit of all. Villas Tranquilas, a Costa Rica Vacation Rental Property is one such company that offers adventure travelers several opportunities to practice these new brands of tourism.
Make a Difference with The Global Volunteer Network
I love my job, and I feel so lucky to be able to say that. There’s no doubt, it’s a fantastic personal experience to take part in a volunteer program abroad, and through my work I feel even more privileged to be involved in and stay connected to our partner projects and volunteers each and every day.
Giving Back, Teaching Monks in Nepal
There’s one question that crops up with seemingly every new person I meet along my travels: What’s my favorite country? The simple answer, Nepal. Though there are several countries that have touched me, really it’s the people along the way who have impacted me the most; they have shared with me moments, view points and perspective and altered my perceptions of the world.
Giving Back: ARCAS, Guatemala – A One in an Only!
Every move we make in our lives is based on a decision. That decision can be of minor importance, or like in my case the one that changes the path of my life forever. When I hopped on a bus to take me from Belize to Tikal, Guatemala I had no idea what was awaiting me!
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