Volunteer Travel - Travel Deals

There are all kinds of wonderful reasons to travel, and for many people the idea of combining a trip with giving something back to the community they’re visiting is appealing. Volunteer vacations are increasingly popular, and they’re even more enticing when you can save money on them.

Gap Adventures is currently running a 10%-off sale on their voluntourism trips, and the discount is good through the end of April. There were already quite a few destinations where Gap offered voluntours, but because more people are interested in them Gap added 13 new voluntours in 2010. The volunteer opportunities vary by location, but there are enough different kinds of volunteer activities that you should be able to find something that you find interesting as well as emotionally fulfilling. You can work on things like wildlife conservation, animal rehabilitation, and community development.

Here are some of the Gap Voluntours that are on sale. The prices listed at each linked page already reflect the 10% off discount as long as you’re booking while the discount is in effect, which is through April 30, 2010.

By its very nature travel is an intensely enriching experience. It challenges you to learn new things and it exposes you to different ways of life. Spending time in another culture often tells us more about ourselves than anything else. One of the best ways to experience the personal growth that comes with travel and to really get to know the people and culture you are visiting is to spend an extended time there and to become more than just a person with a backpack passing through.

There are a growing number of travelers who are opting to go the route of meaningful travel. Whether it is spending a week helping to build houses in Central America, teaching English for a year in Nepal or working on a farm in South Africa, volunteer travel is a great way to gain a global perspective while also contributing to the places you visit.

The Tandana Foundation is an excellent organization that is helping to develop cross-cultural learning opportunities and service projects. Among the many ways you can get involved in its projects is to take part in a volunteer vacation in highland Ecuador. The time you spend volunteering in local schools, daycare centers, health clinics and other projects can literally help to change lives while also enriching your own.

For the best deals on flights to Ecuador, search for cheap international plane tickets today.