Do you have a desire to “do something good” on your vacation and experience new places and challenges in locales you might not otherwise visit? A new form of travel called voluntourism might be your answer.

Voluntourism combines the best elements of traditional travel - arts, culture, geography, heritage sites, the environment, and recreation etc. with the opportunity to actively contribute to the destination you are visiting – its people, places, and things (voluntourism.org). This concept affords people a sense of purpose and “giving back” while also enjoying the leisurely activities of a vacation.

Volunteer travel should be adventurous, educational and fun and, most importantly, benefit local communities. With so many tour operators on the market now, it is important to select an organization, and project, that truly benefits the local destination and people. PEPY Tours is one example of a responsible educational adventure and service-learning tour company that organizes trips across an entire country on road bikes - now that’s a sustainable and eco-friendly vacation! PEPY reinvests 100% of the money raised for its tours into supporting and running educational programs in developing countries. Another one of my favorites is Coral Key Conservation (CCK) – an award winning specialist in coral reef and tropical forest conservation. Volunteers help gather data needed to save the endangered coral reefs and tropical rainforests.

Naturally, an international trip of volunteering and adventure to a remote part of the World is not everyone’s cup of tea. For those of you who are outdoor enthusiasts but would rather stay closer to home, you can also do some voluntouring.  Working alongside other outdoor enthusiasts, you can give some of your time to help preserve and restore the hiking paths and foot trails that make visiting our national parks so amazing.

Intrigued? Take this Voluntourism Survey to gage your level of interest and determine what type of trip would be right for you.