Some people would call me well traveled. I have not traveled as much as many people, but I have been to 20 countries and most of the states. Most of these countries I was in for work and saw things from a perspective that many tourists never do. I was often paired with locals who showed me how locals live and showed me places that were frequented by the locals. Part of my job was to build communications systems and the most satisfying part of my job was knowing that I helped local people. I helped them by doing my part in establishing a reliable communications system. It may sound small to many people, but it meant a lot to me to provide something that we in the US take for granted. I have always been thankful for being able to see places and things that most tourists never see.
Like most people, I derive great satisfaction helping my fellow man. What I love about this book is that it marries the concept of volunteering and vacationing. This is something I would have loved to have done. Personally, I am an outdoors person. How awesome would it have been to study dolphins and whales in Italy, hang with the Great White sharks in South Africa, or clean up a beach on the Galapagos Islands?
This book has something for all interests. There are projects working and studying animals, working with orphaned and sick children, teaching English in foreign countries, teaching music, working with and teaching about art, helping make community improvements, and helping seniors. The locations of the experiences are all over the world. If you are interested in a region, chances are there are multiple volunteer experiences to be had.
In each of the 500 entries, the book outlines the basic details of the project, the location, the basics of the location, costs, what is included, travel tips, who to contact, and any required skills or knowledge needed for the project.
One of the things that caught my eye in the book was one of the Dont Miss suggestions. I am very familiar with Alaska. Once of the projects was based out of Juneau and the associated Dont Miss site was the Bering Land Bridge National Park. The distance between the two is about 1100 miles with no roads between the two. This is like saying that if you are in Chicago, you should visit Denver, except there are no roads or major airports (at least airports the size of OHare and Denver) between the two. This really made me wonder about the sight seeing tips in the places that I know nothing about.
Some of the contents of the book are what I would consider perishable. Given the nature of some of the projects, they will eventually end and the information will be out of date. However, the book does list the associated website of the organization that created the experience. Using the book as a guide, it should be very easy to get updated information and project availability.
Many of the vacation experiences are a bit expensive if you are looking for a family vacation. The price of the experiences range from free to over $5000. Most of the experiences seem to be in the $1000 to $3000 range. Many of the experiences I am interested in would have been excellent vacation ideas before I had children. However, I personally do not have $10000 to spend on a family vacation, so my choices would be limited if I were to involve the entire family.
Obviously the market for this book is for people who are looking for a unique vacation experience. It is geared toward those who want to give their time and abilities to make a difference in the life of someone and/or something. Given the prices of most experiences, I think single people or couples traveling without children would benefit most from the choices. If you have a high school student who could use some volunteer work for a college application or to get into an organization, I think this would be a splendid resource to find a project that would really stand out on an application.
I would have loved to have this book when I was a bit younger and had more disposable income. It would have changed the way I vacationed.
Like most people, I derive great satisfaction helping my fellow man. What I love about this book is that it marries the concept of volunteering and vacationing. This is something I would have loved to have done. Personally, I am an outdoors person. How awesome would it have been to study dolphins and whales in Italy, hang with the Great White sharks in South Africa, or clean up a beach on the Galapagos Islands?
This book has something for all interests. There are projects working and studying animals, working with orphaned and sick children, teaching English in foreign countries, teaching music, working with and teaching about art, helping make community improvements, and helping seniors. The locations of the experiences are all over the world. If you are interested in a region, chances are there are multiple volunteer experiences to be had.
In each of the 500 entries, the book outlines the basic details of the project, the location, the basics of the location, costs, what is included, travel tips, who to contact, and any required skills or knowledge needed for the project.
One of the things that caught my eye in the book was one of the Dont Miss suggestions. I am very familiar with Alaska. Once of the projects was based out of Juneau and the associated Dont Miss site was the Bering Land Bridge National Park. The distance between the two is about 1100 miles with no roads between the two. This is like saying that if you are in Chicago, you should visit Denver, except there are no roads or major airports (at least airports the size of OHare and Denver) between the two. This really made me wonder about the sight seeing tips in the places that I know nothing about.
Some of the contents of the book are what I would consider perishable. Given the nature of some of the projects, they will eventually end and the information will be out of date. However, the book does list the associated website of the organization that created the experience. Using the book as a guide, it should be very easy to get updated information and project availability.
Many of the vacation experiences are a bit expensive if you are looking for a family vacation. The price of the experiences range from free to over $5000. Most of the experiences seem to be in the $1000 to $3000 range. Many of the experiences I am interested in would have been excellent vacation ideas before I had children. However, I personally do not have $10000 to spend on a family vacation, so my choices would be limited if I were to involve the entire family.
Obviously the market for this book is for people who are looking for a unique vacation experience. It is geared toward those who want to give their time and abilities to make a difference in the life of someone and/or something. Given the prices of most experiences, I think single people or couples traveling without children would benefit most from the choices. If you have a high school student who could use some volunteer work for a college application or to get into an organization, I think this would be a splendid resource to find a project that would really stand out on an application.
I would have loved to have this book when I was a bit younger and had more disposable income. It would have changed the way I vacationed.
