www.handsupholidays.com “ I loved every moment of this experience; I discovered things I didn’t know about myself, and I have met some amazing and inspiring people who will remain my friends forever. It certainly helped put my life in perspective.” Chantal Khoueiry, travelled to India, from England “ The trip was excellent. Linda was a fantastic guide, and so very much on the same wavelength as us. We were very blessed having her meet us at the airport and drive us around for the first afternoon helping us orientate ourselves. We all agreed it is an ideal way to do a trip!” Helen Harrison, travelled with her family to South Africa, from England “Thank you for the great experience in Vanuatu. I really enjoyed my time; it was a real privilege to be welcomed into a community such as the one on Tanna and that was all thanks to you. I am already looking forward to doing something similar again. We got to see the real Vanuatu thanks to Hands Up’s contacts. I will be highly recommending Hands Up Holidays to my friends and family.” Russell Cathcart, travelled to Vanuatu, from New Zealand “ I had the experience of a lifetime on my trip to Vietnam. The highlight for me was interacting with the local people, and being able to experience daily life, especially while volunteering at a local school and our time spent with victims of Agent Orange at the Friendship Village. It was a real delight to see the children responding to our time spent with them, and seeing how volunteers can make a real difference in peoples’ lives. We had 2 fabulous local guides with a real passion for their country. They had a real knowledge of its history and great hopes for its future. To top it off we were treated to a very high level of service, accommodation and delicious food! I had the best holiday and can’t wait to partake in some more adventures with Hands Up Holidays!” Jo Currie, travelled to Vietnam, from New Zealand “ Peru was the most exciting country I have travelled to. I loved working with Hands Up Holidays to create a holiday that was “just right’ for our small group. The time in the village impacted every one of our group, giving us an opportunity to give something back to the country we fell in love with. The village embraced our tiny efforts and helped us maximise the short time we had. Thanks for a great experience - we are planning another trip (or more) for next year!” Dr Liz Fitzmaurice, travelled to Peru with a group of doctors and others from New Zealand and England “ I speak for all the people attending, it was an amazing country, full of vibrant people, incredible scenery. It was a trip of extremes, in culture, climate and civilisation. We loved our time helping in the orphanage, and the island cruise topped it off well” Peter Kelly, travelled to Fiji, from England “ Did Imogen and I contribute much through our volunteering? I’m sure we got a lot more out of India than we gave back - and both of us are desperate to go back, especially if we can repeat the experience of staying in - and becoming part of - a small community again. But the low impact, sustainable tourism practised by Help Tourism and Hands Up Holidays is bringing money into the area, improving education and health services and hopefully convincing the Indian government that the Sunderbans – and its most royal residents – are worth preserving.” Jill Insley, travelled with her daughter to India, from England 14

www.handsupholidays.com “ W Wow! What an awesome trip, from the minute we arrived to the minute we departed! I think our friends and family are already sick to death of hearing about our ‘holiday of a lifetime’! Thank you enormously for helping us create this spectacular trip and for making our dreams come true. The thought and the logistical planning that must have gone into our itinerary is just amazing, we were constantly amazed and astounded at each and every day. The hotels were just fabulous, each with their own charm and oh so luxurious, the excursions and the people that ran them were also just incredible, the professionalism and hospitality, wow! Argentina is one amazing country! We will take these memories to our grave that’s for sure. Take care and thank you again!” C harlotte Varley, travelled to Argentina, from the UK “ O Our stay in the Sundarbans (with our nine-year-old daughter) was without doubt one of the most important and rewarding - as well as one of the most fun - experiences of our lives. The chance to leave the developed world behind and immerse ourselves in the incredible beauty of nature and the rhythms, activities and relationships of village life was priceless. We all cried when we left and can’t wait to go back.” L ee Ann Merrill, travelled to India with her family, from the USA The Financial Times ‘Passports, Tickets, Conscience’ “ ...I felt truly useful, utility matched to ability, and saw that rewarding glimmer of light in pupils’ eyes when they realised they really could converse with a foreigner.” Dec 2007 Hands Up Holidays ‘Sunderbans Smiles’ trip named ‘Ultimate Eco Trip’ “ Guests in this brave new breaking-down-the-barriers type of tourism can spend part of their time spotting flora, fauna and tigers, or on conservation projects...which means it’s a win-win-win situation” Feb 2007 ‘Voluntourism: a guilt trip?’ “By day three, I’m on first-name terms with at least a dozen of the older children, and dangling a toddler off every fingertip. I’d trade any number of riverboat cruises and five-star suppers to spend a few more days here. But it’s time to go. On balance, I reckon I’ve got more out of my stay than the Baan Dada orphans. But I will definitely do more volunteering - and Chris later confides that, with short-term volunteers, that’s secretly the point.” Dec 2007 15