United Nations Charity Day and Luxury Travel

Charity and luxury, do they mix?

September 5 is the United Nations International Day of Charity. The main objective of the International Day of Charity is to raise awareness and provide a common platform for charity-related activities around the world for individuals, charitable, philanthropic and voluntary organizations for their own purposes at levels local, national, regional and international. .

Very interesting, but what does this have to do with luxury travel?

A lot, as it turns out.

I am convinced that luxury travel is so much more meaningful when you add a charitable component, i.e. doing something that improves the lives of others less fortunate. There are two ways to help:

1. Philanthropy and
2. Volunteering

1. Philanthropy

Some ideas:

• On a safari in South Africa, fund and assist in the relocation of a rhino from a heavily poached reserve to a safe reserve in Botswana; this is where you can sit in the helicopter while the vet launches the rhino, lands and spends time with the sedated rhino, then helps it get airlifted to Botswana;

• In Indonesia, after, say, relaxing in Bali, funding and seeing the release of a orangutan family from an area facing habitat loss due to palm oil production to a protected reserve;

• In Australia, fund a scholarship for a promising Aboriginal art student and, in return, commission your own unique work of art from an established Aboriginal artist; Where
• In Italy, experience a cooking masterclass with a Michelin chef in exchange for a donation to a soup kitchen that the chef supports.

These trips are all about leaving a legacy and having unique dinner stories to tell.

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2. Volunteering

Some ideas:

• In Belize, Peru or India, spend a few days building an eco-friendly stove for a family. These stoves are fantastic in that they are enclosed and replace open flames, reducing burning incidents; they have a chimney to expel smoke, which greatly reduces respiratory problems such as asthma, and they consume much less fuel than traditional stoves, so they are better for the environment;
• In Costa Rica, help for a few days in a wildlife rescue center; prepare meals for monkeys, parrots, etc., feed them, maintain their enclosures, create enrichments to engage the animals and assist the veterinarian in his daily visits;
• In Morocco and Argentina, install solar panels for families and communities;
• In Thailand and India, take care of elephants: prepare their meals, hand-feed them, walk with them, and watch them bathe and socialize;
• In Zambia, Guatemala and Cambodia, build a house for a family in need of decent housing; and
• In Bali, building a handicap-accessible bathroom for a paraplegic: immeasurably improving his sense of independence and self-esteem

And the luxury aspect?

A specialist travel agent is adept at combining charity with luxury travel, on a tailor-made trip. For example, some of the places you can stay in the destinations mentioned above include:

• One&Only Cape Town, The Key of the Mountainsand Morokuru Ocean House in South Africa
• Nihi, Yacht Aman in indonesia
• Park Hyatt, Arkaba Conservatory, lizard island in Australia
• Minaret Station, The Lindis, Kauri Cliffs in New Zealand
• Copal Tree Lodge in Belize
• Kasiya in Costa Rica
• Dar Ahlam in Morocco
• Four Season Tent Camp, Siameseand Soneva Kiri in Thailand
• Tongabezi in Zambia
• Amankila, Alilaand buahan in bali

Even a single day devoted to a charitable cause as part of your luxury trip can make a difference to you and others. This International Charity Day, contact a luxury volunteer travel specialist or a luxury philanthropic travel agent and see for yourself how good it is.

Christopher Hill is founder and CEO of Hands up. Hands Up Holidays is an award-winning travel agency specializing in bespoke luxury family travel that combines sightseeing with hands-on service projects.

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