Hello –

My partner and I are planning a trip to Oaxaca, Chiapas and possibly Guatemala around February 2011. We were hoping to get involved with some cool cultural things, possibly relative to the Mayan calendar while down there. Do you have any suggestions about organizations to get involved with or happenings down there around this time?

Many Thanks,

Jami W.

Hi, Jami

Our cup overfloweth with recommendations throughout Oaxaca and Chiapas. In fact, Chiapas just hosted the 2011 Adventure Travel World Summit. We recently worked closely with Traditions Mexico located in Oaxaca. They connect travelers with the local craftsmen and women who have a keen interest in pottery, weaving, culinary discoveries, and local festivals.

We’ve featured a few other operators in past issues. Take advantage of StepUp Travel’s portal where you’ll find many local operators who have some of their offerings on display. For example – spend the night in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala visit Comunidad Nueva Alianza where you can learn about the way coffee and macademias are grown (and no doubt have one of the best cups of coffee in your life). Make your way up through Tapachula (which borders near Guatemala) to the Argovia Finca Resort in Chiapas, Mexico where you’ll find plenty of horseback riding and spend your days harvesting coffee with the staff. Argovia is also connected to Ruta del Cafe, a trail that links you to 12 other coffee fincas in the area.

In Oaxaca, stay at Casa Machaya, a picturesque bed and breakfast that also offers Oaxacan Cooking Lessons courtesy of Dona Lancha. Everyone will probably be jumping at the chance to come to any dinner party you throw after you take those lessons.

Best of luck – let us know how your travels go!

Tania + the Off the Radar Team

“I would like to go on an Voluntourism adventure. I have no one else around willing to take on a trip with me. I wondered if your organization puts groups together?”

Hi, Talia

Off the Radar doesn’t organize groups, but we do know a few organizations who do. Check out their website, read their reviews, and send them an email for more detailed information. Be sure to include in your email that you specifically want to do a group trip.

A great resource when planning your travels is StepUp Travel which also has quite a few Voluntourism listings from several different organizations. Type in “Voluntourism” in the search bar.

There are several others who also lead group Voluntourism trips in specific areas around the world. They would be worthwhile to look into if you have a specific location in mind or a specific volunteer focus

• Community Support Network facilitates coral replanting in Fiji & cultural immersion, while funds cycle back through to the community
• Educational Support Tibet is always looking for volunteers who can help teach Tibetan Refugees English in northern India
• PEPY Tours, based in Cambodia, is a great organization to go through, check out their tours and work, online.
• Voluntour Morocco partners with NGOs throughout Morocco to identify some of the most pressing needs in the area and also put together great trips that facilitate cultura immersion.
• Venture Expeditions is a faith-based group. Many trips include trekking, cycling, running, and mission trips

Also, if you are thinking of volunteering abroad, check out International Volunteer Card for travel insurance and other benefits.

Best of luck to you - Send us some pictures of your trip!

Off the Radar

“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 budget, it might be a good idea to expand the impact and reach of this trip by including others through fundraising.  This gives you the chance to explain what you will be volunteering for and learning about. One of the main ideas behind voluntourism is the idea that it will educate the traveler who will continue to support the program – either financially or by educating others.  When you return from your trip, you could hold a small gathering where you brief your donors on what was seen, learned, and what their money is supporting.

The best advice though is to research the trip you want and who provides it, and then ask them your specific questions about group rates and so forth.

Check out a few of these articles about volunteer travel:

• PEPY has been pioneering the way in Voluntourism as well as learning the best way for it to make an impact on the community it serves. They also provide a tour fee breakdown that explains how the money supports their programs.
• “Finding volunteer trips that actually help”, (CNN Article featuring Daniela Papi of PEPY)
• An interesting blog post by our friends at International Volunteer Card (they also have a lot of other good posts)

Good luck! Let us know how the trip goes!

Off the Radar

We’ve been dreaming about a trip to Egypt and the Holy Land and we are confused about the best way to see it where we would avoid huge crowds and be able to understand the tour guide and yet have it affordable and especially safe. We attended your workshop at AARP Orlando and thought you might have some suggestions.

Phyllis H.

Hi Phyllis,
Thanks for your question!

A great ecotourism company in Egypt is Gateway to Egypt (gatewaytoegypt.com)  – our friend Manal Kelig is a partner in managing this company, one of few based in Egypt to emphasize small groups and authentic cultural experiences.  You might ask them to help you plan a trip.  Also, another company we’ve recently met is Wild Guanabana (wildguanabana.com) – founded by the first egyptian man and youngest Arab to summit Everest.

Have fun, and let us know how it goes!

Best regards,
Off the Radar

Hi, Lisa!

Thank you so much for taking the time to contact us about possible volunteering opportunities. There are a myriad of healthcare volunteering opportunities.

Take a look at an operator we featured on OTR, Buffalo Tours, they offer a medical trek throughout Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. You might be able to squeeze in a little scuba or stay longer after the medical trip ends.

WAVES for Development is another organization you might check out, their primary focus is serving the youth in Peru through teaching. Again, you might send an email and inquire about any need they might have at the moment.

Also, check out the StepUp Travel, there you can search for local organization, tour operators, and accommodations around the world who are available to connect directly with travelers or volunteers.  VolunTourism is another website, they offer many resources, tips, forums, and VolunTourism trips.

Another website I highly recommend checking on Responsibletravel.com, they have an entire section dedicated to healthcare volunteering where you might be able to find something in a city near plenty of diving.

Your training in nursing is extremely valuable, many areas that appeal to the adventure traveler are also areas that are underdeveloped and lack basic necessities such as access to healthcare. So even if there are no specific nursing volunteer positions open in an organization you might be interested in, it wouldn’t hurt to send them an email and see if a nurse is needed.

Best of luck, let us know how it goes!

Off The Radar

Hi, Roshni!

Thanks so much for contacting us, we have featured several different tour operators and stories from others who have ventured through areas of Southern Europe. I’m sending you links to the articles, hopefully you find them helpful, many of them mention tour operators and specific areas and activities to do there. Or perhaps they might spark a few ideas of your own… :)

Also, be sure to check out StepUpTravel where you can find local tour operators as well as local accommodations in the area.

Hiking in the Northern Albanian Alps

Rock Climbing in Sardinia

Mountain Biking in Northern Montenegro (also pretty soon there will be a comprehensive tourism site for northern Montenegro, www.northernmontenegro.com)

More Mountain Biking in Northern Montenegro – Guided or On Your Own

Hiking, Caving, and Eating in Crete

Cycling in Slovenian Villages

Definitely let us know how your trip (and trip planning) goes!

-Off The Radar

Hi Mayumi – we wrote about kayaking in the Philippines here.

We can also point you to adventure.travel which has a list of operators who work in the Philippines.  And for some great local opportunities, check out StepUpTravel.org.
Thanks for contacting Off the Radar! – Natasha

Hi Kim,

Thanks for the question! We checked in with our resident Surf Expert, Dave Aabo, who runs WAVES for Development in Peru.  He suggested you check out Chica Brava, an all-girls surf camp in San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua or Bahia Aventuras in the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica.

In the next two weeks, we will be posting Top Ten Lists, including, “Top Ten Women Adventurers,” be sure to check back for that.

Thanks! Natasha

I’m planning a two week trip to Brazil in August with two other friends. If time allows we would like to take a short trip to one of its neighboring countries as well…

Any suggestions? Travel tips?

Thank you in advance!

Hi Miko!

We definitely suggest you do two things: One, visit Chapadas dos Veadeiros in the center of the country, about two hours from Brasilia – its full of high waterfalls and beautiful rivers. If you hook up with Ion from Travessia, he can organize a fabulous three or four day canyoning adventure, where you stay at little inns, make your way down the river, hiking, rapelling and swimming. We had a great time there.

From there, you could go to Iguazu Falls, which is a great way to cross into Argentina. We love the northern part of the country, Salta. Be sure to contact Rafael Kuhl, Fernando and Fabrizio (see the bottom of this newsletter for their contacts – even if you don’t book with them, they are great sources of information about what there is to do around the area. Tell them Christina and Off the Radar sent you.)

If Salta is a bit far, an 18 hour bus ride from Iguazu will get you to Buenos Aires, a city where you could easily spend a week and never get bored. Our recommendation for adventure in the city, if you tire of tango, shopping, eating steak and drinking great wines, is kite-surfing on the Rio de la Plata.

Travel Tips: You probably know that you’ll need a visa for Brazil – the requirements are pretty stringent so be sure to get it well in advance.  We had some trouble with ATMS, so be sure to carry a little cash with you as well.  If you are in Sao Paolo you must have pizza – for some reason, no matter what restaurant we were at,  it was by far the best pizza any of us had ever had.

Hope this helps! Off the Radar

Hi Tad, thanks for writing.  Check out our December 2008 issue where we featured a trip: Living with Namibian Bushmen.