Voluntourism and How it Works

Elizabeth recently emailed us with a question concerning volunteer travel, she asked: "Some friends of mine and I are interested in volunteering on vacation. I checked out voluntourism.org but have some questions... Namely, do we pay for the entire trip ourselves? Do group rates apply? Can you give me more info on this? Thanks!" GREAT question, Elizabeth.  Many trips are different, many you have to pay for entirely, yes, although it varies depending on the organization. We have found some great articles that explain why some tour operators will charge a trip fee. If the price seems exorbitant for your ...

Innovative Ideas for Destinations on the Edge

There are only 12 days left to enter the Geotourism Challenge 2010 put together by Ashoka's Changemakers, National Geographic, and the Inter-American Development Bank. December 1, 2010 is the deadline to enter an idea or nominate an existing model. Three entries will be selected and awarded a US$5,000 top prize. The idea behind this year's theme, Places on the Edge: Saving Coastal and Freshwater Destinations, is to identify solutions that incorporate innovation, social impact, and sustainability. Ideas and models that ...

‘The Lunatic Express’ by Carl Hoffman, An Encouraging Read for Local Travelites

This article was published by our friends at thetravelword, who have agreed to its republication here. View the original article on their blog. By Cynthia Ord If local travel means putting oneself in the shoes of a local, then travel writer Carl Hoffman has earned status as an expert local travelite with a compelling story to tell. In his latest book, The Lunatic Express: Discovering the World via Its ...

A Refuge for Andean Culture in Peru

This article was first published by our friends at thetravelword, who have agreed to its republication here. View the original article on their blog. By Maureen Valentine With its origins in Peru’s central highlands more than 1000 years before to the rise of the Inca Empire, Quechua civilisation has an extraordinary cultural heritage of religious, musical and literary traditions. Unfortunately, a growing influx of tourism through Peru’s legendary Sacred Valley has left local indigenous villages fighting to preserve their Quechua way of life. Thankfully, an innovative local organisation aims to safeguard Andean mores by instilling ...

November, 2010 Photo Contest

This month's photo was taken by Burk, a Volunteer Card holder and the founder of Creative Cares. He recently volunteered with Solar Hope in Tanzania; here, water is hard to come by and so they used this (pictured) to mix into instant coffee. Be the first to identify the mystery ingredient by sending an e-mail to editor@travelofftheradar.com with the correct answer and we will send you a free Volunteer Card courtesy of IVC. Volunteer Card provides multi-trip Travel insurance, 24/7 Travel assistance, and 1000’s of discounts. Last ...

Teaching in Tibet

“(I moved to India because…) I didn’t want to be the poorest student among all my classmates. I want to be a useful person, not a destructive man. This was my destination when I left the school in Tibet. I wanted to learn English. I want to become a peaceful person, not like a rude person, not like a negative person and I believed myself that I was a simple man. (…) This is my golden time to learn more knowledge and to become a useful person. This is my second step to become an educated person." These are the words ...

Re-learning Community through Traditional Maasai Skills

"Raw." The simple, but evocative word Susan Fanning chooses to describe Africa. After spending a good chunk of her life on the continent (eleven years), native Irishwoman Susan decided to return once again and continue her love affair with the country and its people. This time, she spent it within the Maasai community through a Maasai Warrior Training program put together by Laura Alessandrini and Silas Kitonga. Silas is a Maasai from Il ‘Ngwesi, the area where Maasai Warrior Training takes place. The eponymous Il ‘Ngwesi Lodge also happens to be the site of a documentary, ...