by Adrian Northrup & Julia Spiro
What’s up Debra Do-Gooder? You’re a diva who likes to share the love and wants to make the world a better place for everyone. In your free time, you volunteer. You buy fair-trade coffee and clothing. You donate your unwanted items to charity. You’re a diva with a cause!
You travel to your vacation destinations with a purpose. While you take your time to relax, you also take time to give back. May it be planting trees or helping out at a soup kitchen, you don’t just want to see the happy side of the world. You want to see it all and help those who need it! Here are some of Tango Diva’s suggestions for philanthropic vacations.
Beaver Creek, Colorado: RockResorts The Pines Lodge
RockResorts has teamed up with some of the best hotels in western America to create vacations that combine relaxation and indulgence with the opportunity for visitors to get their hands dirty and give back a little. Stay at the charming and plush Pines Lodge in beautiful Beaver Creek and enjoy mornings hiking and learning from a U.S. Forest Service staff member who will guide participants through conservation work at a scenic trailhead. The hotel offers reduced rates at this luxurious hotel for those who participate in the conservation program. And when the mornings are over, guests can relax in the hotel’s elaborate, cozy rooms and feast on afternoon tea and cookies and then gourmet cuisine at the hotel’s restaurant. The hotel also features a fitness room, heated outdoor pools, Internet access, and more.
For more information and to make a reservation, visit the RockResorts The Pines Lodge Web site.
Africa: Exquisite Safaris Philanthropic Travel
Exquisite Safaris plans vacations across the world that they like to describe as “enlightened luxury.” Their trips throughout Africa, in particular, have had strong and lasting impacts on participants. Guests receive personalized itineraries, including flights, hotels, dining, ground transportation, and guides. The family-friendly trips feature gourmet cuisine, five-star accommodations, bi-lingual guides and concierge consultative planning. With this base of luxury, Exquisite Safaris then adds another element of philanthropy, which is what the vacation is centered around. Throughout the trip, guests are inspired, educated and empowered through their exposure to and aid in places and people in need of help. Guests leave with a new knowledge of Africa as well as a new outlook on the world and how to help.
For more information and to make a reservation, visit the Exquisite Safaris Philanthropic Travel Web site.
Learn more from David Chamberlain of Exquisite Safaris, as he explains the company’s mission as well as some of his most memorable moments as part of the Visionary Philanthropic Travel team in David Chamberlain: Philanthropic Travel Visionary.
South America: Global Volunteers
This program specializes in short and long term community service opportunities all over the world. Participants have a variety of choices of service to choose from, including teaching English, building schools or repairing buildings, and different kind of childcare. Working with at-risk children living in poverty is challenging but rewarding, and all that is truly required is a big heart and a sufficient amount of energy. Volunteer work can include teaching, tutoring, organizing arts and crafts, and more. Solo travelers enjoy the companionship of fellow volunteers and friendships often form quickly through weekend excursions and free nights.
For more information, visit the Global Volunteers Web site.
More Philanthropic Vacations
Ten Trips for Women who Wander
Hunan, China: Moving In, A Volunteer Teacher’s Story
Global Greening: Lessons from Abroad
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