The 7 best trips for do-gooders

By Megan Padilla

updated 7:06 p.m. ET Oct. 18, 2006

We not only love to travel to far-flung locations to experience their cultures, but we want to make a difference and learn while we’re there. In this vein, ISLANDS has selected seven trips orchestrated by companies whose missions we admire. Whether you’re looking to make a tangible contribution, or you intend to travel in a mindful manner — minimally impacting the people and the place while ensuring that profits from your visit directly benefit the local economy — we’ve got the trip (or the company to help you find the trip) that’s right for you.

Sri Lanka
Witnessing elephants in their natural environment is the experience of a lifetime. Imagine having the equivalent of a backstage pass to get up close and personal. Join a Global Vision International volunteer group in the Matale District, the central province of Sri Lanka, and you’ll be part of a new field study program conducted by the Sri Lankan Wildlife Conservation Society that will have you doing everything from compiling a photographic catalogue of the area’s pachyderms to conducting dung counts and their analysis. Yes, you’ll be two hours from the nearest Internet café and without electricity, but in return you will be based in the beautiful Sri Lankan wilderness. Projects last from two to 12 weeks. www.gvi.co.uk/

Blackbird Caye, Belize
Few of us are immune to the charms of dolphins. But what do you really know about them? Here’s your chance to become part of the scientific process, collecting behavioral information, mapping dolphin locations and capturing images of these fascinating creatures. Travel with the National Wildlife Federation and spend a week on a remote Belizean caye, 90 minutes by boat from Belize City, assisting researchers from the Oceanic Society. They’ve been studying bottlenosed dolphins in this area since 1992. You’ll stay in comfortable beachfront cabanas bordered by white-sand beaches. April 14–21. www.nwf.org/expeditions

Bali
Planning a trip to Bali? Contact JED Village Ecotourism Network. It will customize a day trip or an overnight home stay in one of four villages — each preserving its unique way of life. Go with a farmer to tour seaweed plantations by canoe on Ceningan Island. Learn about the cultivation and making of salak wine in Dukuh Sibetan, where you can also help prepare the village for a ceremony or festival. Intrepid travelers can hike four to five hours from here to Tenganan, an ancient fortress village, to learn about customs based on philosophies of interconnectivity lost to the rest of Bali. All profits from these trips go directly to community development or conservation projects in the villages. www.jed.or.id

St. Croix
Night life takes on a whole new meaning after participating in an Earthwatch Institute mission to help protect the eggs and hatchlings of leatherback turtles on St. Croix. Patrol the beaches of Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge each night to watch for female turtles, which can weigh up to 1,300 pounds, coming ashore to nest. Then, you’ll record data such as nest location and number of eggs laid. Later, volunteer teams help hatchlings reach the sea. This program is largely credited with the dramatic recovery of leatherbacks in the area. Eleven-day research missions are scheduled for April and May. www.earthwatch.org

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