Hands Up Holidays releases inspiring luxury travel ideas for families who resolve to travel more sustainably and meaningfully, incliding new destinations for 2018

Award winning ethical luxury family travel specialist Hands Up Holidays (www.handsupholidays.com) has trips for families to travel and give back and help those less fortunate. And with Hands Up Holidays, all trips are 100% tailor-made to enable travelers to create their ideal ethical luxury family trip that changes lives…not just their own.

These give-back trips are so popular with families because:

• Children become inspired to be world-changers;
• Children appreciate how fortunate they are; 
• Families bond closer together;
• Families get to interact with and gain insights into another culture;
• Volunteering can increase the chances of university entry

New destinations for 2018 where families can resolve to travel more sustainably are:

Sri Lanka - renovate low-income homes, coach promising youth sports teams or help conserve sea turtles, and combine this with spotting leopards elephants and even blue whales and dolphins on safari, savor the finest teas, explore UNESCO World Heritage temples, and relax on sublime beaches.  

Italy – serve meals to refugees and other homeless people in Rome, gain insights to what it is like to sleep rough, and combine this with your chosen highlights, such as Florence, Sicily, Sardinia, Venice, Amalfi Coast, Puglia or Lake Como.

Zimbabwe – help build a home for a needy family, interact with them and hear their stories, then finish off with exploring Victoria Falls and Big 5 safari in pristine game parks.  

St Lucia – assist at a remedial reading program and help with homework in the library afterschool, and provide mentoring and support to disadvantaged youth…blend this with hiking, sailing, zip lining, aerial tram rides and beach relaxation.

Barbados – make a difference with the Variety Children's Charity and feed the homeless…combine this with a submarine trip, catamaran and snorkeling excursion, wildlife parks, rum distilleries and beach relaxation. 

USA (Texas) – help at a center for riding for the disabled: interact with horses, clean the stalls and get your hands dirty with horticulture and facility projects, and learn about the incredible human-horse bond and the therapeutic benefits to the disabled…combine this with enjoying the highlights of Dallas, Austin and San Antonio, finishing up in the wilds of Big Bend National Park and quirky Marfa.      

Perennial Family Favorites for Making New Years Resolutions Count 

• Costa Rica: assist at a rescue center for injured, orphaned or illegally traded animals: prepare meals for monkeys, cleaning parrot enclosures, introduce new sloths to their new living quarters, and assist the resident vet on his rounds. Combine this with white water rafting, hiking around a volcano, hot springs, spot wildlife in one of the many national parks, or take in some beach time.

Suggested itinerary: www.handsupholidays.com/suggested_itinerary/costa-rica/  - 10 days from $6,650 (£5,350) per person excluding flights

• Zambia: build a house for a widow and her children, which can be combined with the splendour of Victoria Falls, white-water rafting, kayaking and 'Big 5' safari in South Luangwa National Park, or neighbouring Botswana.

Suggested itinerary: www.handsupholidays.com/suggested_itinerary/zambia/

10 days from $9,890 (£7,995) per person 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.

Suggested itinerary: www.handsupholidays.com/suggested_itinerary/new-zealand/

15 days from $15,595 (£12,755) per person 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 bike rides through the temples of Angkor, spotting Irrawaddy dolphins, and island relaxation.

Suggested itinerary: www.handsupholidays.com/suggested_itinerary/cambodia/

10 days from $9,525 (£7,660) per person excluding flights

• Brazil: renovate a community center that has run out of money to complete its building in a Rio favela, which families can blend with exploring the Amazon, delving into culturally rich Salvador, or relax on one of the plethora of stunning beaches.

Suggested itinerary: www.handsupholidays.com/suggested_itinerary/brazil/

10 days from $5,490 (£4,500) per person excluding flights

• Hawaii - build a playhouse in the playground of a pre-school center in a low income part of Honolulu, and combine this with your choice of Pearl Harbor, surf lessons, scenic heli-flights, golf, spa, and beach relaxation.

Suggested itinerary: www.handsupholidays.com/suggested_itinerary/hawaii/

10 days from $7,795 (£6,300) per person excluding flights

• Mexico - Help at a center in Cancun: a day-care at the women's shelter. Play, color, and practice English with the children; prepare and serve lunch at the Elderly Home; assist in the Bread and Shelter home by sorting donations and organizing their bazar…finish up by exploring Chitzen Itza, Tulum, Islas Mujeres or try your hand at Mexican cooking or beach relaxation.

Suggested itinerary: www.handsupholidays.com/suggested_itinerary/mexico/

7 days from $5,890 (£4,750) per person excluding flights

Family Friendly 

All of these trips are suitable for families, and can be tailor-made to suit their preferences, such as length of trip, activity, and accommodation.

Founder of Hands Up Holidays, Christopher Hill, says “by incorporating an element of 'giving back' to a luxury family trip is a powerful way to bring families together, and also for children to appreciate how fortunate they are, and as get immersed in another culture in a safe context. When this is combined with fantastic activities and relaxation, this makes for a memorable and meaningful way to fulfil your resolutions to be a better person and help those less fortunate in 2018.”   

About Hands Up Holidays

With offices in London, Auckland and New Jersey, Hands Up Holidays is an award winning responsible luxury tour operator dedicated to offering luxury tours that blend sightseeing with meaningful, hands-on ways to make a difference.

Hands up Holidays offers trips in 40 countries throughout the world, with a special focus on luxury family travel.

Contact Details

Sarah Milner-White

Communications Manager

sarah@handsupholidays.com

or

Christopher Hill

CEO

chris@handsupholidays.com

Phone: 0207 193 1062 (UK) or 201 984 5372 (USA)