Inspired by Random Acts of Kindness Day (17 February) to make a difference on your next holiday? From a beach clean-up to helping conservation efforts, here are some purposeful holiday ideas from Travel PR:
Help to conserve Laos’ remote Cloud Forests – from £1,295 pp with InsideAsia Tours
Phou Louey, or Forever Mountain, is a rare cloud forest in Laos, visited by just 400 people each year. Trek to the summit (2,257 m) as part of a trip that gives back to the local community and their conservation efforts in the Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area. With over 20% of the cost going directly to this work, pass through rural villages, dense jungle and help with wildlife tracking, whilst staying in unique accommodation that includes traditional homestays and nests hanging from the tree canopy. Priced from £1,295 pp (two sharing), the itinerary includes nine nights’ full-board, transfers, the activities listed and expert guides. Flights extra. Call AITO* member InsideAsia Tours on 0117 244 3380.
Read Mark Bibby Jackson’s adventure to Nong Khiaw and a Hundred Waterfalls, Laos.
Keep Cornwall looking beautiful – from £75 pp with Pride of Britain Hotels
Join the Fistral Beach Clean in Newquay, which meets at the Sea Spray Café on the last Saturday of each month (9.45am), to help remove litter which causes harm to Cornwall’s marine life and disrupts the beauty of the landscape. Simply turn up to join in; all equipment is provided. Reward your efforts with a stay at The Headland Hotel & Spa, which overlooks the bay and features a 2-AA Rosette restaurant and spa with a heated pool, Swedish sauna, hot tub and Cornish salt steam room. An overnight stay is priced from £150 per room total/ £75 pp (two sharing), including full Cornish breakfast. Call Pride of Britain Hotels on 0800 089 3929.
Conservation through education – Namibia from £3,226 pp with Expert Africa
Track one of Africa’s most endangered species – black rhino – with Save The Rhino Trust; enjoy a walking tour guided by one of Namibia’s best, Bruno Nebe, whose tireless efforts have paid off in converting former cattle ranches into the beautiful Mundulea Nature Reserve; plus, stay at Okonjima Plains Camp, linked to AfriCat Foundation – a charity committed to the protection of big cats. Conservation is at the heart of the White Rhino Self-Drive, which costs from £3,226 pp (two sharing), including 15 nights’ accommodation (five nights’ B&B, five nights’ half-board, five nights’ full-board), hire car, information and maps and the Bradt Travel Guide to Namibia. Flights extra. Contact AITO* member Expert Africa on 020 3405 6666.
Female empowerment and adventure in Panama – from £2,090 pp with TravelLocal
This eight-night trip – aimed at adventurous women – journeys through Panama, taking part in adrenalin-filled activities and spending time with two non-profits. The first, in Panama City, runs workshops helping underprivileged women handle finances and skill up. In beautiful Bocas del Toro, visit a rural community dependent on cocoa production which runs chocolate-making workshops led by indigenous women. To cap it, TravelLocal’s ethos is to trade fairly with its suppliers rather than take the lion’s share of the holiday cost, directly benefitting the local economy. This trip costs from £2,090 pp (two sharing) including B&B, transfers, excursions & local guide. Flights extra. Call TravelLocal on 0117 325 7898.
*AITO is The Specialist Travel Association: more than 120 specialist travel companies providing an unrivalled collection of holiday ideas that cover every corner of the world. Consumers booking with AITO can be assured of high-quality holidays and excellent personal service. Visit www.aito.com for further information.
