Experiences:
Language immersion (see category below). 4 weeks; Latin America and/or Spain
Safari. 1 week; southern Africa. Budget-buster. Feb. - May is the season.
Extended volunteering (see category below). 4-6 weeks; various global locations. Per-week costs scale down substantially at 3+ week commitment. Maybe shoot to do one community-based and another conservation-based? Timing flexible.
Farm work (see wwoof.org under volunteering category). Series of 1-3 week stays; greatest concentration of members in Europe. Family interests: cheesemaking, wool, olives, beekeeping... Budget boon, if family placements really are feasible. Sept-Oct is olive & almond harvest in Spain/Portugal.
Trekking the Inca Trail. 1 week. Budget buster. Season seems to be March-Dec. Sierra Club occasionally runs a lodge-to-lodge trip which has its appeals... but would be tricky to schedule around.
Galapagos. 1 week. Budget buster. Audubon runs occasional family trips on small boats, as does National Geographic, either of which would presumably be well-narrated.
Boat loop. 4 months (!!). Budget buster.
Spanish Immersion:
Conversa Costa Rica: Medium, in town of San Ana just outside of San Jose; homestays and campus dorms. (Frommers)
Centro Panamericano Idioma: 3 locations in Costa Rica: Monteverde, Guancaste, and Heredia. We checked out the Monteverde campus, which looked very comfy and professionally run.
Amauta: in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Same school has facilities in Bariloche, Argentina; Montevideo, Uruguay; and Cusco, Peru (though I can't tell if all of them accommodate families). Montevideo and the campus in the Peruvian rainforest look especially promising.
Eco Escuela Guatemala: Small, in town of San Adres, closer to Tikal/Belize than Guatemala City; homestays; fly into Flores through Cancun or Belize. (McMillon book)
Vida Verde Ecuador: Combines immersion, classes, a bit of ecotouring and a bit of volunteering in three locations
Simon Bolivar Ecuador: Four locations, of which the beachfront sounds positively lovely
Montanita Ecuador: Named (?) one of 5 best Spanish schools in the world; can combine with volunteering; will organize Galapagos side trips. Not clear if they encourage families but basic framework seems based on 1-1 lessons.
Habla Ya Panama: Medium, in town of Boquete, bit of an exercise to get to; homestays.
Don Quixote: in multiple locations in Spain, and also Mexico, with partners throughout Latin America. Recommended by Book Bus; good TA reviews. Frankly I can't navigate the website without getting a headache.
Quorum: in Nerja, Spain (Andalusia)
Volunteering:
Idealist.org: Vast searchable database of volunteer projects all over the world (>12,000 projects, including both agency and direct volunteer placements). Focus in on a specific country, then search for specific parameters. Some countries (Thailand) are far better updated than others, but it's worth trying anywhere. Affiliated with Points of Light Institute.
Cross-Cultural Solutions: Agency with opportunities for families in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Peru, Brazil; China, India, Thailand; Ghana, Morocco, Tanzania, South Africa; and Russia. (McMillon book; references) 501(c)3; program fee deductible; programs from 1-12 weeks. Reviews emphasize handholding and comfort (not a bad thing) and weak connections/ support to underlying projects, FWIW. IVPA member. NAA.
Cross-Cultural Solutions: Agency with opportunities for families in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Peru, Brazil; China, India, Thailand; Ghana, Morocco, Tanzania, South Africa; and Russia. (McMillon book; references) 501(c)3; program fee deductible; programs from 1-12 weeks. Reviews emphasize handholding and comfort (not a bad thing) and weak connections/ support to underlying projects, FWIW. IVPA member. NAA.
United Planet: Non-profit agency with opportunities for families with young children in Chile, Peru, Romania and Nepal. Many other locations for older aged kids. Their program in Peru seems an especially appealing way to acclimate / immerse / see Cusco and Machu Pichu. 501(c)3; program fees deductible; both short term programs as well as 6- and 12- month programs. IVPA member. Program fees vary by country (use multiplier of 3.3X for us); generally NAA but some (Tanzania basic) are NQM. Peru, Tanzania (check on families) and Costa Rican turtles (check on families) all look very cool. Tibet, alas, entails a 16 hour bus ride to get out to the site. Reviews are limited and mixed.
Globe Aware: Non-profit agency, based in Canada but registered as US 501(c)3, with short term (1 week - 6 month) opportunities in wide range of countries. Working with children with Downs in Cuba among the most intriguing (see FAQ for US citizens); also see Peru, Laos and Cambodia (Nepal, sigh, is currently on hold due to political situation). Families welcome. Project costs vary; generally NAA.
Global Crossroads - For-profit agency that advertises family volunteer stints in a wider range of places that seems quite plausible... has a critical mass of *volume* of gap-year age placements and many reviews compared to other agencies.
Projects Abroad: For-profit agency with opportunities for families in Peru, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Nepal, Senegal, South Africa, Sri Lanka. NOT 501(c)3; does full year placements. IVPA member. Reviews here. NAA.
Global Volunteers: Non-profit agency with opportunities for families in Costa Rica, Ecuador; China; Greece, Poland. 501(c)3; program fee deductible.
Global Volunteers International: Different (!) agency with various family projects around the world; conservation in Borneo and Ecuador, and orphanages in Nepal and India, worth looking into. Kids under 18 pay 33% of full program fee. NQM Have 12 week teaching projects, and shorter term volunteer vacations, in Swaziland, though these are not currently encouraged for families. They also coordinate gap years, though not in Ghana.
Global Volunteers International: Different (!) agency with various family projects around the world; conservation in Borneo and Ecuador, and orphanages in Nepal and India, worth looking into. Kids under 18 pay 33% of full program fee. NQM Have 12 week teaching projects, and shorter term volunteer vacations, in Swaziland, though these are not currently encouraged for families. They also coordinate gap years, though not in Ghana.
Global Volunteer Network: Different different (!) non-profit agency out of New Zealand with many projects in LA, Africa and Asia. 2 week to 6 month durations. Unclear how many of the projects are open to families, though some seem to be. Cited by Bill Gates. Not deductible because it's NZ.
Global Citizens Network: Agency with opportunities for families in Ecuador, Guatemala, Peru, Mexico, Brazil; Tanzania, Kenya; Nepal, Thailand; native American communities in US and Canada. (McMillon book; their links to newsclips). Short term trips, mostly less than 3 weeks. Appears not to be 501(c)3.
VentureCo: For-profit travel agency based out of UK specializing in voluntourism. Used by Book Bus. Also organizes volunteer trips to Jatun Sacha.
GapAdventures: For-profit travel agency which organizes family and voluntourism trips in Galapagos, Machu Pichu, Tanzania and elsewhere. Used by wideworld.
Natural Habitat Adventures: For-profit conservation-focused travel agency that partners worldwide with World Wildlife Fund. Runs family programs and does voluntourism extensions to trips. Programs include Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Kenya (voluntourism), Namibia, Tanzania and more.
Natural Habitat Adventures: For-profit conservation-focused travel agency that partners worldwide with World Wildlife Fund. Runs family programs and does voluntourism extensions to trips. Programs include Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Kenya (voluntourism), Namibia, Tanzania and more.
Earthwatch Institute: Non-profit running limited number of family service trips. Locations and trip dates vary; some trips include accommodations and others don't.
Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms: Partial or full accommodation in return for farm work; some opportunities for families; article by mother of young child who's done it in Spain (repeatedly affirmed by Frommers, LP and others) Many intriguing listings in Denmark.
The Book Bus: UK-based non-profit with highly credible founders that runs mobile library to circuit of schools in Zambia, Malawi and Ecuador. Organization looks very cool; not clear if they accept kids. Review in Guardian about Zambia; another here about Ecuador. African season is October - May. Not deductible because it's UK.
Idealist.org: vast searchable-by-country database of opportunities; linked to Thousand Points of Light
WorkingAbroad: UK based for-profit; opportunities for families in rural Thailand and (specified elsewhere) cloudforest in Ecuador
GoEco: MB For-profit matchmaking agency with opportunities for families. They originally set up shop in Israel and that still appears to be where they have the most opportunities, including living on a kibbutz, construction of an eco-village, and working in a multicultural school. Projects in South Africa (schools and sustainable agriculture), Thailand (school and orphanage) and Lotan kibbutz (sustainable agriculture) look like nicest fits for us. (Check back in.)
Rogpa Charitable Trust and Ramana's Garden - JM's school in Dharamsala, India
African Centre for Volunteers: Places education and medical professionals in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Ghana, and Zambia for 3+ week durations. Far lower placement fees than through agencies. Not at all clear that placements can accommodate children. Affiliate of Brookings' Building Bridges Coalition.
Global Service Corps: Non-profit with placements in Thailand, Cambodia and Tanzania. Only Thai education program is currently open to families (rural locations throughout Thailand). Affiliate of IVPA. 2 weeks NQM; 3 weeks MB
ProWorld: For-profit with placements in 10 countries, including Ecuador, Peru, Ghana, and Thailand. Not clear about families; NAA.
Jatun Sacha / Ecuador: Two-week fairly hardcore conservation projects, including in Galapagos; also runs education-focused trips with lighter volunteer duties. (McMillon book). GVI does placements here; others coordinate directly. Nice review, including slideshow, by youngish backpacker; another here by 54-year old woman.
WorldTeach: Originally founded in 1985 by a group of Harvard graduates, focused on teaching; wide range of placements. Not really suitable for families but looks like a neat organization; file for EG and/or a later stage of life. IVPA member and 501(c)3.
Voluntourism.org: Prior volunteers' experiences, eco-lodges hawking, advice, and more. Nice newsletter.
Pack for a Purpose: Devote 5 pounds of your suitcase capacity to bringing in school or medical supplies when you're otherwise staying at a participating eco-lodge (just drop package off at the check-in desk). US 501(c)3 affiliated with Sustainable Travel International. (Many of my already-discovered gems, including Hotel de la Paix and Black Sheep Inn, participate -- site is probably useful just to search for funky accommodations.)
Pack for a Purpose: Devote 5 pounds of your suitcase capacity to bringing in school or medical supplies when you're otherwise staying at a participating eco-lodge (just drop package off at the check-in desk). US 501(c)3 affiliated with Sustainable Travel International. (Many of my already-discovered gems, including Hotel de la Paix and Black Sheep Inn, participate -- site is probably useful just to search for funky accommodations.)
Due Diligence:
International Volunteer Programs Association - Seal of good housekeeping from Brookings' Building Bridges Coalition (inclusion on list does not necessarily mean organizations are 501(c)3 -- only that their programs are legitimate and cleanly run; and certainly does not mean their programs are appropriate for families)
Charity Navigator: Evaluates non-profits largely according to admistrative costs/efficiency
GiveWell: Run by a bunch of hedgefund refugees; evaluates non-profits on basis of efficacy as well as administrative efficiency. Not many organizations meet their bar. Good reading for anyone interested in development.
Acumen Fund: 501(c)3 focused on providing seed capital to sustainable businesses with development impact. Itself seeded by Ford Foundation and Cisco foundation grants; roster of corporate refugees on board and management.
American Institute of Philanthropy: Another US 501(c)3 watchdog
Guidestar: Another devoted to vetting US-registered 501(c)3's.
Ashoka Fellows: Good place to start when looking for in-country projects (Kristof and Betty Longergan both utilize well!)
Good list of diligence questions to ask when considering a volunteer agency, compiled by IVPA
For further investigation:
Volunteer Thailand: Vast database from idealist.org of local NGOs in Thailand. Most want 3+ month commitment, but some are shorter term and a handful explicitly welcome families; peruse anew closer to timeframe.
AboutAsia Schools: Cambodian non-profit, also registered as US 501(c)3, supporting 6 schools in Siem Reap. Affiliated with Points of Light.
BridgeVolunteers in Swaziland (not clear re: families)
Orphanage Outreach in Dominican Republic and Nicaragua; 501(c)3; take families; NQB
South African Volunteers: From pictures, appears that families have done it
Cloudforest Conservation in La Hesperida, Ecuador (90 km from Quito); specified elsewhere that they are very flexible with families; have Montessori school on premises; on-site Spanish classes as well; 4 week commitment preferred
Butterfly Conservation in Costa Rica (also listed under wwoof)
Ceiba Foundation / Ecuador: runs conservation projects in several locations. Shorter term visits OK; not sure about families
Living Waters Children's Center / Arusha, Tanzania
Bead for Life / Uganda: beadforlife.org/5curriculum.html (WTM)
Rising Star / India: www.risingstaroutreach.org/ (sixintheworld)
Conservation AfricaNet/ South Africa: http://www.conservationafrica.net/projects/tutuka-family-conservation-project
Volunteers Making A Difference: Siem Reap orphanage / street kid program; accepts families
Daktari / Limpopo South Africa: Animal rehabilitation and community development (?) near Kruger National Park
Unvetted links to various short-term (as short as 1 day) volunteer opportunities throughout South America
Deep Griha / Pune, India: medical facility (Canadian Carlsons)
Making a Difference: Siem Reap; article from couple who'd done it
Mom's Tree-Hugging Organizations' Excursions:
World Wildlife Fund: Runs once-a-year trips to varying locations including Galapagos and southern Africa.
National Geographic: Runs very regularly scheduled trips to Galapagos and occasional forays to many other locations including southern Africa and Peru.
Sierra Club: Runs once-a-year trips to various locations including Galapagos, lodge to lodge (!) Peru, Costa Rica and southern Europe. Very nice list of recommended books corresponding to each location...
Audubon: Runs two trips a year to Galapagos; others on Amazon and in Central America
Appalachian Mountain Club: Runs trips to various locations; Alaska, Central America and southern Europe seem to be frequent.
Earthwatch: Runs many good-looking trips; but family offerings are limited, sigh; and kids have to be 10, double sigh...
Smithsonian: Limited family trips, including one to Galapagos
Heifer Study Tours: Intriguing. Snailmail newsletter suggests they're strategically re-directing away from these, but they seem still to be planning new ones.
Logistics:
RTW flights http://wikitravel.org/en/Round_the_world_flights
Star Alliance RTW fares. Frustratingly, Star Alliance is peculiarly ill-suited to handle South America (would that LAN would join them!!). It would appear that our best bet would be to do the South America piece with a OneWorld South America Pass, and then start a Star Alliance RTW out of Buenos Aires. (Frankly OneWorld's interactive fare-builder is loads and loads better than Star Alliance's also...)
Within Star Alliance, best partner for Latin America is Continental and their local partner Copa (Copa hub is Panama City)
Promising-looking but unvetted list of Airpass programs in Asia (sure wish I could find South American equivalent...)
Actually, ask and you shall receive: South America Air Pass - too bad it's OneWorld when all our miles are on Star Alliance. Nonetheless, it looks like the best program for anyone looking to do multiple countries within South America (must book outside South America)
ITA Software: Air travel software used by many travel agents; not set up as retailer but you can use it to see what flights exist from point A to point B and it's much faster than travelocity, orbitz etc
International Volunteer Card: Unvetted; but appears to have plausible affiliates (including many of the above IVPA volunteer agencies). If real, it would cover its costs in LP travel book discounts alone.
Car purchase / repurchase and again here (for longterm European stint; appears to work best within France)
Rick Steves on Combination RailPass / Car Rentals, available by country or throughout Europe. Might make sense if we did long term stay in city where we didn't need car.
Agoda.com: Global hotel search of large network, that allows you to earn points towards subsequent stays within network (unvetted; associated with Priceline)
House / Apartment rentals:
Across Europe (high end): Interhome
IHA / Internet Holiday Ads: Western Europe
Homelidays: Western Europe (particularly wide range in Spain, Portugal, France and Germany)
O Espana (links to city- or regional-sites in Spanish)
Granada rural houses (Spanish speaking!)
Agriturismo (throughout Italy; short- and long-term stays)
Hostels:
Guide for Europe: Includes reviews and more detailed descriptions than HI listings
Hostels in castles or other very cool places: Breuberg Germany, Monschau Germany, Nurenberg Germany, Bacharach Germany, Burg Altena Germany, Koblenz Germany, Libertingen Germany, Windischleuba Germany, (for more/smaller hostels in Germany, do an advanced search on DJH and click off "family suite" and "castle") Domburg Netherlands, Carbidsdale Scotland, Isle of Rum Scotland (non-HI), St. Briavel's England, ; Celtic Castles link to wide range of (non HI) castles throughout UK and Ireland
AO Hostels: Non-HI chain in Germany that is supposed to be especially targeting families
Online country / city guides:
In Your Pocket: online guides to (largely off-the-beaten path) cities in Europe
Rick Steves' podcasts on most European countries (include audio tours of major museums)
RTW Family blogs:
Polas on the Go (3 younger boys; still going; remarkably parallel itinerary; have done Spanish immersion and family volunteering)
Our Travel Lifestyle (The Burnses; still going; little kids)
rtwferrers (2 boys 10&12; still going; very wordy!)
Livin on the Road (couple with 4 kids under 10 RV'ing in Australia since January 2010; god bless them)
Sixintheworld (Family of six. Happily, Anne is doing well and recently wrote a new post for the first time in many many moons.)
Gilladventures (teenaged girls)
Canadiancarlsons (5, including 13 year old boy)
Tims (5, doing it 5 star)
Jo's Great Adventure (solo backpacker, not family; but very nice write-ups and photos of year in Latin America)
Connecting Locally:
SERVAS: http://http://www.usservas.org//
Progressive / trilingual congregation in San Jose, CR
HandsOn Tokyo: Offshoot of New York Cares; affiliated with 1000 Points of Light (check in for one-off soup kitchen-type activities)
Our Cabana: Girl Scout Global Center in Cuernavaca, Mexico (B&B, volunteering as well)
Sangam: Girl Scout Global Center in Pune, India
South American Explorers' Club: has "clubhouses" in Lima, Quito and Cusco; various info services throughout region
Good advice on selected subjects:
Upfront thinking process before you start actual planning by Adam S
Upfront self-reflection questions before you plunge into voluntourism, by voluntourism.org
Pre-departure logistical checklist by idealist.org
Refueling / Longer stops in SE Asia by the Burnses
Good iGear for kids by the Burnses (they're total MacGeeks, FWIW)
Gear, generally by Anne of sixintheworld
Volunteering as way to slow down and connect by 58-year old woman who did it in Bhutan
Lowdown on Argentine bus travel (headline: full cama or bust...) by Adam S
Country-specific booklist by rtwferrers (otherwise too wordy to be helpful! but just right for this purpose)
Communicating / Posting pictures
Travelpod: free photo site with blog & map links
Global phones from Cellular Abroad, Mobal
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