One of the most common questions from would-be volunteer travelers is how to select a good volunteer travel company…

Do you avoid being around crowds of people, especially tourists, when you travel?
Many travelers have places they considered “hidden gems.” These spots are generally off the traditional travel radar. Either they have not been discovered by the mass or on the verge of being discovered. Travel blogger BackpackerBen offered some recommendations from his travels.  We checked them out and here are five beautiful, no-fuss destinations you’ll like.
Island of Flores, Indonesia

To avoid the crowds in Indonesia you need to get away from Bali. Yet navigating the various island is no small …

Will the economy put a dent into your travel plans this year?
Despite continued economic instability, it is widely expected that travelers are planning trips — they are just looking and waiting for deals (see our recent post, 5 Big Value Destinations for 2010). Last year was awash with travel deals, but this year deals may be harder to come by. Many travel providers, such as airlines and resorts, have adjusted capacity or held off discounts, hoping the economy rebounds. This means travelers will have to be more creative to save …

With the start of a new year, many of us start anticipating (and planning) where we like to travel. Here are five hotspot destinations you’ll want to put on your travel radar. Our list contains three destinations identified by Tripadvisor Travelcast as up and comers, a “forbidden” and undiscovered locale, and of course, we’ve included a destination that has ample volunteer opportunities.
Patara, Turkey

With a 12-mile of golden sands backed by the dunes and the Taurus mountains and an abundance of Lycian and Roman ruins peeking out of the sand dunes, …

We found seven online tools and websites aimed at organizing travel tips that are worth checking out.

In this age of rapid, proliferated, and uncensored information, you can pretty much find anything by googling. Before you go and celebrate this amazing information access, consider this — it may be a double-edged sword — you get the quantity but how is the quality? You get tons of information instantly — often more than you can handle, but then the real work begins when you have to sort through them for reliability and revelance. As a traveler, Google will provide you no shortage of volunteer travel organizations and programs …

National Geographic Books released the third of its popular The 100 Best Vacations series this past May on 100 Best Volunteer Vacations to Enrich Your Life.  The book is more than a travel guide, it’s a book that showcase a collection of trips that inspire and awaken your soul. Author Pam Grout is especially skilled at making the content informative, fun, and inspirational. Information-filled sidebars provide travel trivia, background facts and useful information for people volunteering.

Ms. Grout in her introduction illustrates a key reason for volunteer travel:
“The thing all …