The winter holidays always inspire a sense of travel and wanting to “get away.” Many people travel every year, sometimes to the same place as a family tradition or sometimes to different locations just to see the world. However, the typical holiday vacation may leave some feeling a little dull. Every year a trip is arranged, flights are booked, amazing hotels are visited, and a wonderful time is had by all. If you’re looking for a holiday vacation with a bit more meaning, though, you might try a humanitarian vacation. While the trend isn’t quite the norm yet, it is becoming more and more popular. Taking a vacation during the holidays that gives back can be extremely rewarding.
Here are some tips on humanitarian vacations:
What’s The Point?
A humanitarian vacation is one during which the travelers attempt to make a difference by helping those in need, instead of just laying out on a tropical beach.
The basic point is to do the following:
- Help Others – Since the winter holidays are generally seen as the season of giving, being able to take some time off to help others has become more appealing to many.
- Teach Valuable Lessons – If you have children, a family humanitarian vacation can be extremely rewarding for them, as they learn valuable lessons about why it is good to give, see how other people live in other places, and learn about good deeds.
- Step Outside Comfort Zones – By getting out of your comfort zone and stepping into the circumstances of others who are struggling for basic necessities in life, your mind is opened to how other people live, and you may be more willing to do similar activities in your local community once you return.
- Gain Gratitude – Many people can easily come to take for granted the situation in which they live. Many everyday “necessities” are luxuries to others, and by seeing that, you can develop a broader sense of gratitude and be inspired to continue giving works.
Where To?
You might be saying “Great! But where do I go?”
Here are some ideas:
- Disaster Relief – This list of locations is ever-changing, but visiting a disaster relief area to help rebuild can be a great way to help fellow human beings, as well as gain the benefits of a humanitarian vacation as listed above. Some disasters happened so long ago it’s easy to think that they might be cleaned up by now. However, even as of this writing, there is still a large need to help in places like Haiti, New Jersey, the Gulf, and other places where disasters happened long ago.
- Missionary Service – Many missionary organizations, such as Adventures in Missions, exist for those with a spiritual inclination to service the spiritual as well as physical needs of those both domestically located and abroad, as well. Whether it’s Africa or Atlanta, GA, there are many places that need spiritual help, and if that is something you have interest in, there are many humanitarian vacations available for you, also.
- Staycation – A “staycation” or a vacation where you stay relatively local and in your community but do something you don’t normally do, is also a great way to have a humanitarian vacation. You would be amazed at the urgent need for clothing, housing, food, warmth, and sometimes just a friendly conversation, that exist all around you. Checking with those who help the homeless, orphans, abuse victims, and so on in your area may present opportunities for giving works right in your local community.
Who Goes There?
If you’re interested and have some ideas in mind, you might be a little wary about jumping on the next flight to Haiti, and you should be. You should always make sure that you go on these humanitarian vacations, also called volunteer vacations and voluntourism, with a reputable group. These groups have resources and contacts in various locations to help you be of most help. Here are some of those groups.
- Gap Adventures – Focuses on developing stable economies in different locations. They currently have 19 trips you can attend, and they last from one to two weeks. Currently, their top trips are in Peru and Brazil.
- Micato AmeraShare –You might recognize the name Micato as the luxury safari tourism company. However, Micato AmeraShare is the non-profit arm. They work on sending tourists into orphanages and schools in Mukuru, a slum in Nairobi, Kenya. Recently, they hosted a trip of optometrists from Indiana who, in 5 days, gave over 3,000 children and adults eye exams and corrective lenses, if necessary.
- Tribewanted – This group is another sustainable community volunteer organization, “tribe members” will go to a country for an average of one month and assist with helping villagers learn basic skills, such as gardening, financing, and other skills that will help them with sustainability. They are most notably working in Vorvoro, Fiji, planting gardens, caring for animals, and constructing necessary buildings for the people there.
- Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village – This is the international arm of Habitat for Humanity, sending tourists to build homes and necessary structures in places worldwide. It has sent over 70,000 volunteers to build in global locations within the last 25 years alone.
- Global Volunteer Network – Here you will work for a minimum of one week in shelters, orphanages, schools, refugee camps, and the like in one of any number of countries in need of assistance. Whether you are aiding wildlife conservation or instructing locals on H.I.V. and AIDS prevention, you’ll have a rewarding experience. They have sent over 14,000 volunteers to 22 countries in the last nine years.
- African Conservation Experience – This focuses on the long-term sustainability of wildlife and is great for those who want to help animals. While they are a long-term focus group that has 10 years of experience, they have also benefited greatly from the work of short-term volunteers.
Whether you want to help animals, work with the homeless, teach villagers about sustainability, or just give back in any way at all, any one of these options is viable for a short-term vacation during the holidays. Be prepared to work hard and walk away with a greater appreciation of life. The reward of embarking on a volunteer vacation is a feeling of absolute joy and satisfaction, knowing that you’ve seriously impacted the lives of other human beings in a great way. These vacations are not limited to the winter holidays, either. You can take them any time. Contact any one of the above organizations, or do additional research online by searching “voluntourism organizations” and find which one suits you best. Giving back on your holiday vacation may just turn out to be the best holiday present you could have asked for.