Romantic Travel Ideas With A Twist For This Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day usually means chocolates, red roses and a dinner for two, but travelers might want to think outside the candy box this February. Often described as “trips of a lifetime”, who better to do a volunteer vacation with than the one you love? Here are some volunteer travel ideas in some of the most exotic and romantic destinations around the world.

Romance on the River in the Amazon: The vast Amazonian forests of northeastern Peru harbor an incredible diversity of wildlife. Pink river dolphins and caimans still swim these waters, while extraordinary birds fly through the canopy. Uakari monkeys abound along the Yavari River and manatees swim in the lakes of Samiria. Help to conduct a survey of the area’s biodiversity to develop sustainable conservation strategies for the region. Illegal timber companies, pet traders, and hunters have decimated wildlife in other areas of the Amazon, lending urgency to the conservation of these nearly pristine reserves. Prices start at $2775 USD / $2737 CAD / $2133 EUR for 8 days including accommodation, food and program activities.

TLC in Trinidad and Tobago: This tropical island off the coast of Venezuela is known for its vibrant ethnic diversity and rich cultural events. It is also the site of one of the most important nesting beaches for endangered leatherback turtles, enormous reptiles that can weigh a ton and dive deeper than many whales. Each night under swaying palms and bright tropical stars, volunteers patrol the beach with the staff of Nature Seekers. Volunteers will tag, measure, and weigh these turtles, which can grow as long as 2 meters/6.5 feet and weigh up to 900 kilograms/2000 lbs. Prices start at $2825 USD / $2786 CAD / $2171 EUR for 12 days including accommodation, food and program activities.

Art Allure in Italy: Volunteers stay at an 18th century Roman Hunting Lodge as they explore the Puglia regions of Southern Italy. Helping to restore ancient frescos and sculptures, volunteers will have a hand-on experience in a place entrenched in history and culture. Prices start at $2889 USD / $2850 CAD / $2200 EUR for a 3-week sojourn including accommodation, activities and meals, running June 13 – 30 and July 4 – 21, 2013.

Meet the Gods of Greece: Based in the charming Greek village of Vonitsa on the Amvrakikos Gulf, volunteers help researchers conduct daily surveys on the area's bottlenose dolphins. Dolphins have permeated the Greek culture since ancient times. Countless artwork and several myths celebrate their strong and intimate bond with humans. In recent times, however, dolphins have almost fallen into oblivion. Volunteer teams will search for dolphins and record information on their numbers, group composition, behaviour, movement patterns and interactions. Prices start at $2575 USD / $2540 CAD / $1979 EUR for 8 days including accommodation, food and program activities.

The Love Boat of Africa: There must be something in the water at Mercy Ships as over 150 of their volunteers have hooked up, with a few weddings being performed at sea too. Mercy Ships was founded in 1978 and is the world’s leading non-governmental, ship-based charity. Working with Mercy Ships, volunteers will be part of a mission to bring hope and healing to the world’s forgotten poor through delivering medical care and developmental programs with integrity and compassion. Prices start at $263 USD / $260 CAD /  $202 EUR for 14 days including room and board.

Goodbye Trinidad and Tobago!

After my last snorkel, it was time to say goodbye to Trinidad and Tobago. Although I felt like I was on a whirlwind tour, I already plan to return to experience the infamous Carnival celebration and enjoy some downtime in February 2011. Thank you to Kiran Maharaj, Newton George, Trinidad and Tobago Tourism and Cheryl Andrews Marketing for a wonderful trip!

PHOTO: On Maracas Bay in Trinidad with Kiran Maharaj.

Welcome to Tobago!

I woke up early the next morning to catch my flight from Trinidad to Tobago, which was about a 20 minute flight and costs about $50 (US) round trip. I arrived in Tobago, met with Nigel (my tour guide) and Roger (my driver) and they drove me to the Bacolet Beach Club (http://www.bacoletbeachclub.com/) where I stayed for the next two nights while in Tobago. I had just enough time to appreciate the rose petals scattered over my bed, drop my bags off and get back in the car as we headed to Argyle Falls.

A 15-minute hike took us to the island’s highest falls. The Argyle waterfall is located on the Roxborough Estate which was a thriving sugar estate up to the 1870s. Ruins and artifacts of the old sugar mill are still in place. Today it provides a natural area for residents and visitors to enjoy. After the falls, we had lunch at Jemma’s Seaview Kitchen & Treehouse Restaurant, which serves sides family style with your choice of fish, chicken, lobster or shrimp for your main course. A great meal with a fabulous view!! During our lunch I met Newton George who is widely recognized as the leading bird watching, wildlife and natural history tour guide leader on Tobago. Bird watchers from around the world come to Tobago in order to see amazing, one-of-a-kind birds here, as well as learn from Mr. George. Nearly 470 birds have been recorded on Tobago and Newton knows them all by sight, sound and often nests.

After lunch we departed from Blue Water’s Inn for our Little Tobago Tour, which included bird watching with Newton George. This small, forested island just offshore of Speyside is one of the most important seabird sanctuaries in the Caribbean. The nature series "The Trials of Life" by Richard Attenborough was filmed here. It plays host to the Red-Billed Tropic Bird among others and at one time was home to transplanted Birds of Paradise from New Guinea. The Tropic Birds are most prevalent during the months of October to June, so I was just in time. It was a real honor to be guided by Newton as he knows everything there is to know about wildlife in Tobago. We not only saw the birds, but learned about their habitats, feeding habits, mating rituals and life cycle. It was truly amazing! After the island tour, we stopped at the reef for some snorkeling. Randy pointed out several different kinds of fish, such as the Blue Tang, Grouper and Parrotfish. After our snorkel, we enjoyed dinner at Kariwak Village Holistic Haven and Hotel (www.kariwak.com), which included a delicious buffet and live music (dancing optional).

Photo: Girls Getaway to Tobago with Newton George, Tobago's #1 bird and nature guide.

Welcome to Trinidad!

Located just seven miles off the coast of Venezuela, Trindad and Tobago are the southeasterly islands of the Antilles. This is the birthplace of calypso music and the steelpan, which are both evident in the variety of musical events held throughout the year. I arrived at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad (http://www.trinidad.hyatt.com/), dropped my bags and went directly to their spa for four hours worth of spa treatments, which included a soak, scrub, massage and facial. These were amazing treatments that were much needed after all the traveling I had been doing before I even got to Trinidad. After the spa, I was off to Trinidad & Tobago’s Fashion Week, which was held that night at my hotel and where we watched some of the best fashion designers from the two islands showcase their fashions.

PHOTO: Ode to the steelpan at Trinidad airport.