Volunteer Vacation

" Welcome back 46 minutes now past the hour if you're looking for creative ways to give back this holiday season want to plan a volunteer vacation. These trips -- for the chance to see exotic places all around the world like Africa our Peru. While the same time they offer an unforgettable experience had a chance to make a real difference here that everything you need to know about -- vacation days. Any word travel writer and author of travel therapy. Where do you need to go Karen similar Karen thanks for being here so much for -- so -- things like this catching on these cheaper vacations. And they also allow you to give back."

" Yeah that's exactly right -- whole idea with volunteer vacations as you can go to an exotic location and still give back lot of these trips used to hear about -- would go from month. What people can't take a month. Wrestle with these -- they're one and two week trip and they mix volunteering. For instance an orphanage with fight scene and the whole idea is to understand the culture that you're volunteering."

" Now you spent about a month and Africa researching a lot of these trips what did you find when -- that when you were there what was then need that you that you would you feel like people like you know we couldn't meet in that country -- an -- that."

" You know I've really found the biggest need it was not financial you know you think it is because a lot of us right now this is a tough economic times I know when I went I was financially strapped I thought that I can't I don't have a lot of money to help these children. I was at an orphanage it turns out these kids were not looking forgets they were looking for time and love and someone to listen to -- so it really is a way to give back -- yourself. Not so much financially and the trips if it's two weeks. The organization I went with ambassadors for children they run under 200 excuse me 2000 dollars for two week and that includes your -- Everything -- wonder if it can be under thousands what filing your time. I want unprovable. Now tell our viewers who might be interested -- how they can research exactly what the best volunteer opportunities for them -- I -- want to go build houses -- wanted to work with kids how do you figure out what the best -- and you know what I did the travel therapy book that was exactly the thought process behind it there's a chapter called pay it forward. And take a personality quiz at the at beginning of each chapter actually fits you with a trip that's right. We don't want to take the wrong track so if your builder you can build houses if you want to work with children you can do that if you want to teach. You can also empower people -- not -- so you really need to research the trip. And finally -- back in -- says there's a website travel therapy trips dot com. And what we find on that website that website is filled with all the different information that's in the book a little bit of a taste of things that are happening right now today the book is actually coming out in April. But you can get it online right now for 32% off because of the economy that's a really good bargain to help you pick a trip that's that's. And the website has the latest deals daily deals today on the website you can find a way to give back for ten dollars 25 dollars fifty dollars for pay for 25 children in Korea to have that's great I'll put it on the blog it's travel therapy trips dot com -- thanks so much including his -- about it I'd."