The Ritz-Carlton hotel chain is once again offering guests the chance to do good in 2012 with their Give Back Getaways project.

The philanthropic initiative gives guests the chance to spend a half-day volunteering with Ritz-Carlton employees in the communities surrounding their properties across the world.

The Give Back Getaway projects often also include an experience volunteers wouldn't be able to have otherwise. The Dallas Soup Savior Project, for example, lets hotel guests work with the culinary team behind the scenes in The Ritz-Carlton kitchen. The end result is a soup that will be delivered to the SoupMobile, which serves approximately 600 meals to the homeless in Dallas on a daily basis.

For more information about what projects are available this year, visit RitzCarlton.com.

[Photo: Ritz-Carlton Dallas]]]> cmb 2012-01-25T14:30:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/12/21/131946/06

Volunteers in Colorado are helping to build a completely new hiking trail, called the Continental Divide Trail (CDT), that stretches from Mexico to Canada and across Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. Volunteers with the Continental Divide Trail Alliance (CDTA)—based in Golden, Colorado—dig out the trail, clear vegetation and move huge boulders and trees from the established route.

If forging a new trail sounds like a New Year's resolution you'd like to make, CDTA is already lining up volunteers for next season, which runs from April to October. Volunteer trips can last from one day to one week and include trail building, maintaining the existing trail, helping the crew chefs prepare meals, and participating in educational outreach programs. Trip leaders provide all gear, food and water, while volunteers bring their own tents, sleeping bags and day packs. ]]> cmb 2011-12-21T14:31:35-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/12/7/125848/824

If you've ever thought about taking a volunteer vacation but haven't been sure if it's for you, next year you'll have a chance to get your feet wet in the world of voluntourism, without traveling too far from home.

Biosphere Expeditions, an international volunteer organization that runs conservation expeditions around the world, is giving potential volunteers a chance to see what it’s like to be in the field, without making a huge commitment. ]]> cmb 2011-12-07T12:58:48-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/10/19/12814/733

Interested in taking a volunteer vacation without making a long-term commitment? Well, Boston-based United Planet is now organizing short-term volunteer trips to Ecuador to work with wildlife, without using too much vacation time.

Included in the packages are opportunities to either work at an Animal Rescue Center in the Amazon or in environmental conservation in the Galapagos, where you can study marine life and then relax on white-sand beaches.

"Ecuador is a wonderful place for almost anyone seeking to volunteer: it’s easy to get to, the dollar is strong, and the people are famous for their warmth and hospitality," said Theresa Higgs, Vice President of Global Operations at United Planet.

Excursions have flexible start dates and lengths of stay (from 1 to 12 weeks) and include local home stays or on-site lodging options, as well as 3 meals a day.

For booking details and pricing information, visit UnitedPlanet.org.

[Photo: Wikipedia]]]> cmb 2011-10-19T12:32:37-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/10/12/12150/426

For those of us hoping to soak up some sun while doing some good this winter, Baja Expeditions has put together a whale watching and turtle research excursion to Magdalena Bay in Baja, Mexico. This unique trip gives volunteers the opportunity to help local conservationists in their green sea turtle research and learn about gray whales as they migrate to Baja from Alaska.

The eight-day package includes six days camping on Magdalena Bay and two excursions each day, monitoring turtles and going whale watching. But it's not all work and no play, as there's also a daily happy hour with fellow campers at sunset and two days of shopping and exploring in nearby La Paz, which bookends the camping trip.

The Baja Turtle Research & Whale Watching Project is open to everyone and costs around $1500, which includes transportation to the camp site, accommodations and meals at camp. For more information, visit GoVoluntouring.

[Photo: govolunteering.com]]]> cmb 2011-10-12T14:07:39-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/10/5/131751/873

Volunteer travel can be fulfilling, and costly. Some trips, depending on their location and duration, can cost do-gooders between $2000 and $3000 dollars, not including airfare.

But, Rustic Volunteer and Travel is now offering affordable volunteer travel opportunities in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, for a tenth of the price. One of Rustic's most popular volunteer packages to Atenas, Costa Rica, starts at only $357, including accommodations with a local family and 3 meals a day. ]]> cmb 2011-10-05T13:30:11-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/7/13/122352/882

Since Japan was hit by a tsunami last spring the country's tourism industry has been struggling, even though most areas are completely safe and ready to welcome back tourists. TravelVolunteer.net wants to remind people that Japan is still a great travel destination, and so they've launched an online contest to win a 101-day trip to the country.

The winner will depart on September 15, 2011 to visit all of Japan’s 47 prefectures and share their impression of each location through blog updates and social networks. All of the selected traveler's accommodations and airfare will be covered.

The reason for such an awesome contest? Hiroshi Kuchiki, founder of The Real Japan/Magellan Resorts (sponsor of the contest), explains:

After seeing the coverage about Japan in the media, we felt some important information was missing: although it encountered a terrible disaster which claimed thousands of lives, Japan as a country was NOT entirely destroyed. We decided to create this project to show that Japan still is a safe & wonderful country to visit and promote it amongst the world's travelers

To apply, visit TravelVolunteer.net, but do it soon since the deadline is July 31.

[Photo: TravelMaharishi] ]]> cmb 2011-07-13T14:42:01-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/