Volunteer Travel: Vacations That Make a Difference

Photo: Logan Abassi/The United Nations

Angelina Jolie has done it many times over. Celebrities and other public figures are constantly getting into the news on their trips all over the world, particularly when the destination is facing some sort of calamity – natural or otherwise. And if you happen to have any of the talents that agencies like CARE are looking for, you can too!

Sure, there's always the standard vacation of a road trip, a stay at a resort or a cruise, but wouldn't it be oh so much cooler to say, "I spent my vacation helping to provide fresh water to folks in Haiti"? It's work, but for anyone who's looking to end up with the bragging rights, it's well worth it.

Photo: victoriapeckham

But what if you don't have the skills (or the desire to do all that work)? Well, the folks over at World Nomads have tons of information about safely traveling all over the world. Maybe that list of places you want to see before you die includes a hidden temple like the one Jolie went to on her journeys to save the world in Tomb Raider. It's sitting in Cambodia, waiting. Even if you're not the traveling type, you can live vicariously through the Blogs of the nomads.