10 Dec 2015
Tags: travel awards, family travel, Luxury Travel, voluntourism, Luxury voluntourism, luxury family travel
Hands Up Holidays scoops three awards
Eco-luxury family travel specialist Hands Up Holidays (www.handsupholidays.com) is delighted to announce that it has won three awards:
- Highly Commended Award for Best Family Educational Holiday – Family Traveller Magazine
- Highly Commended Award for Best Family Tour Operator – Junior Magazine
- Runner Up Award for Best Volunteering Travel Organiser in Thailand – Thailand Green Excellence Awards
The founder of Hands Up Holidays, Christopher Hill, says “These awards have capped off a stellar year for us, and we are thrilled to get this recognition: in two of the main family publications, Family Traveller Magazine and Junior Magazine, and from one of our most popular and favourite destinations: Thailand.
Winning the Highly Commended award for Best Family Educational Holiday highlights our key strengths of family trips that educate, inspire and enrich the lives of our family clients and those they help.
And winning the Highly Commended award for Best Family Tour Operator in the Junior Magazine Design Awards was a tremendously encouraging start for our new look website, as the judges received a sneak peak of the designs.”
The awards
The Family Traveller Awards were judged by Jane Anderson, Family Traveller Editor, special columnists Mariella Frostrup and Simon Reeve, Jane Knight, Travel Editor of The Times, Sue Ward-Davies, Travel and Lifestyle Editor of Elle magazine, and readers, who voted in their tens of thousands.
See more at http://familytravellerawards.com/
During its rich 15 year history, Junior has strived to celebrate the best designer and high street children's fashion labels, the luxurious hotels and fine restaurants that can cater to a family's every whim while retaining high standards, the funkiest and most child-friendly interiors, and the top classic and modern toys and books.
Read more about the Junior Design Awards at http://www.juniormagazine.co.uk/travel-awards/junior-design-awards-2015-results-family-travel/20336.html
The Thailand Green Excellence Awards UK highlight Thailand's dedication to the conservation of its natural and cultural resources, and support sustainable tourism development. Read more at http://www.thailandgreenawards.com/previous-winners.aspx
Hands Up Holidays' New Look Website
The new-look website has the following new functionality:
- Add to Wishlist – anything, from an experience such as a private cooking class with a celebrity chef in Bangkok, an eco-luxury hotel in Cape Town, to a volunteer project in Peru, can be added and saved to a wish-list, which clients can log-in to via Facebook, and return to whenever they like
- Plan My Trip where clients can submit their travel preferences
- Be Inspired – a panel of inspiring photos from around the world to get the travel juices flowing
- A dedicated Family Trip section
- A dedicated Eco-Luxury Accommodation section
New Luxury Voluntourism Destinations:
1. Namibia – guests can conserve desert elephants by digging alternative water sources away from communities
a. combine this on a tailor-made basis with highlights such as Sossusvlei, the Skeleton Coast, and Etosha National Park
2. USA– clients can restore native plant and animal habitats, or sort food at a food bank in San Francisco; serve meals to the homeless in New York, or renovate homes in New Orleans
a. combine this on a tailor-made basis with highlights such as the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Miami, and Napa Valley
3. Australia– families can conserve koalas, tiger kuolls, kangaroos and wallabies
a. combine this on a tailor-made basis with highlights such as Sydney, Melbourne, Kakadu and the Great Barrier Reef
4. New Zealand – clients can help maintain penguin habitats
a. combine this on a tailor-made basis with highlights such as the Bay of Islands, Queenstown, Milford Sound and Rotorua
5. Bhutan – travellers can help build a home for a low-income family
a. combine this on a tailor-made basis with highlights such as Punakha, Thimpu, and Tiger's Nest
6. Italy – guests can serve meals to the homeless and gain insights into what it takes to live rough on the streets of Rome
a. combine this on a tailor-made basis with highlights such as Florence, Puglia, Sicily, the Amalfi Coast, and the Dolomites
Finally, destinations which still have limited availability where families can make a difference over Christmas include:
- South Africa: help care for orphaned babies or renovate a day care centre in a needy community; blend this with Cape Town, Table Mountain, wine tasting, and of course Big 5 safari.
Priced from £6,000 per person for 9 days (£3,350 for children under 12) excluding flights. SOLD OUT
- Morocco: renovate the home of a needy family in Marrakech, then head into the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert for an intrepid family give-back adventure.
Priced from £4,000 per person for 9 days (£2,650 for children under 12) excluding flights.
- Kenya: play a part in securing the future of children by building a classroom in an inspiring Masai community, which can be combined with safari in the Masai Mara and beyond. Finish up relaxing on the beach soaking up the sun. Priced from £7,000 for 10 days (£5,500 for children under 12) excluding flights.
- Zambia: build a house for a widow and her children, and combine this with the majestic Victoria Falls, white-water rafting, kayaking and 'Big 5' safari in South Luangwa National Park or neighbouring Botswana.
Priced from £5,800 per person for 10 days (£3,500 for children under 12) excluding flights.
- Cambodia: build a house for a family in need, who could never afford to have a decent place to live to call their own, which can be combined with expert guided tours through the temples of Angkor, spot Irrawaddy dolphins, and finish up relaxing on an eco-luxury island.
Priced from £6,000 per person for 10 days (£4,500 for children under 12) excluding flights.
- Italy: help feed the homeless in Rome, and discover what it takes to live on the streets, then head up to Madonna di Campiglio for some skiing and breath-taking Dolomite scenery.
Priced from £3,000 per person for 10 days (£2,000 for children under 12) excluding flights.
- New Zealand: help maintain the habitats of endangered penguins in the South Island, which can be combined with cultural encounters, geysers, sailing, hiking, wine-tasting, bungy jumping, zorbing, glaciers and beaches. Priced from £10,000 per person for 10 days (£6,000 for children under 12), excluding flights. SOLD OUT
The Benefits to Families of Luxury Voluntourism
· Children appreciate how fortunate they are by helping others less fortunate
· Families bond closer together
· Children get to interact and engage with another culture in a meaningful, safe context
· Luxury accommodation means families can make a difference and don't have to rough it
· Tailor-made itineraries mean families get to volunteer and explore the destination, with expert guides
· Families add a new dimension to their travels as they get to know the locals
· Children learn about sustainability as they stay in eco-luxury accommodation, eat from restaurants that source their food locally, and use eco-friendly transport options
· Even children as young as four can get involved with wildlife and environmental conservation projects
These luxury trips are ideal for families, and can be tailor-made to suit their preferences, such as length of trip, activity, and accommodation.
To find out more visit www.handsupholidays.com or email info@handsupholidays.com.
Travellers can also request their Guide to Making your Luxury Family Vacation Meaningful here: bit.ly/FamilyReport.
About Hands Up Holidays
With offices in London and San Diego, Hands Up Holidays is an award winning responsible luxury tour operator dedicated to offering eco-luxury tours that blend sightseeing with meaningful, hands-on ways to make a difference in all of its trips.
Hands Up Holidays offers eco-luxury trips in 40 countries throughout the world, with a special focus on families.
Contact Details
Sarah Milner-White
Communications Manager
or
Christopher Hill
Founder and CEO
Phone: 0207 193 1062
Mobile: 0776 501 3631
