Travelers today have a host of options if they want to travel for a cause — a style to fit anyone with a desire to travel for good. Melinda Johnston of LUX World Travel, a company that specializes in personalized travel with an emphasis on sustainability and philanthropy, shares five great types of travel to create change one vacation at a time.

With the world getting smaller and traveling getting more “personal” than ever, the well-seasoned traveler is looking for something more than tourist-filled plazas and resorts. …

For decades, many people came to America looking for the American Dream or “the good life.” What is the American Dream? For many it’s getting a great education, great paying professional job – perhaps even becoming a successful entrepreneur, getting married, having kids and owning a big house in the suburbs.
But really, the American Dream is much bigger than that – it’s about the freedom to choose how you live.
With the accessibility and attractiveness of the global world made possible by affordable travel, proliferation of the Internet, emerging …

A group of Habitat volunteer travelers to Vietnam believed they uncovered perhaps the next hotspot in the making during their break from volunteer duties. Though not quite the hotspot like Phuket in Thailand yet, Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam has all the ingredients of a hotspot — pristine beaches, untouched natural environment, easy going and relaxed atmosphere, good food, friendly locals — and the Vietnamese government is intent on making it a destination!
Earlier this year, a group of Americans and New Zealanders volunteering with Habitat for Humanity International to …

Poverty is in the spotlight, and helping the poor, dare we say, is in vogue. With rapid technology, images of the poor and messages of needs are quickly and frequently transmitted by media outlets, internet, and social media. The number of charity organizations is growing rapidly. Heart-strings are tugged, curiosity aroused, and people want to get involved. This interest in the poor has extended to travel.
Touring impoverished areas of the world is fast becoming a global travel trend. Inevitably questions arise.
Well-to-do Westerners are putting down serious …

Peru is a land that is full of nature’s beauty. While most people come to Peru to see the “Lost City of the Incas,” there’s much more to see beyond Machu Picchu. The country is also known for its culture, food, vast rainforest, temples, and a variety of wild life that roams the land. There are many mountains and deserts that provide a gorgeous backdrop. For natural wonders, Colca Canyon and Cotahuasi Canyon are the two deepest canyons in the world. The Cordillera Blanca mountain …

Unfortunately, they’re not often thought to be related. Travel is typically a form of consumption. You’re purchasing an experience, and most people when they travel aren’t really thinking about helping others along the way. That’s just what travel is traditionally.
Then there is volunteer travel abroad. Traditionally, this involves volunteering in a foreign country the entire time you are there. Some volunteers will travel around the country after their volunteer assignments, but many volunteers return home immediately after their stints. Their exposure to the host country is limited to interactions …

New York Times Op-Ed Columnist, Nicholas Kristof wrote an interesting column this past weekend, “Cum Laude in Evading Bandits” (May 31, 2009), encouraging students to travel. In some ways, it’s also a pronouncement of the education system.
The kind of travel he talks about doesn’t include enjoying luxury hotel services, sipping latte or cappuccino or visiting popular tourist venues. He’s talking about traveling to impoverished areas of the world where lessons on tolerance, diversity, human struggle, and compassion are better taught than in the classrooms. In fact, he advocates schools to …