There is no place like Yosemite. I first visited there in 2011. I had just finished a photography class at UCLA and decided to drive up to the famous park and test out my newly acquired skills. I entered the Valley on Highway 120 and was immediately awestruck by the golden granite cliffs and sparkling…
In 2015, CONAF – the Chilean agency entrusted to manage Torres del Paine National Park – asked ConservationVIP® about the viability of converting a horse trail in the park into a hiking trail. A new trail would relieve severe overcrowding on a section of the hiking trail known as “the W”. We responded that it…
I have traveled to San Jose, Costa Rica many times to support a children’s home, but I wanted to see more of the country. I found ConservationVIP’s Costa Rican volunteer trip a way to “Travel with Purpose,” expand my interest, and to be a great opportunity to experience and serve those in remote communities. The…
“Traveling, it leaves you speechless and then turns you into a storyteller.” ~ Ibn Battuta This quote by Ibn Battuta is intensely the experience that I have on each trip with ConservationVIP. I wish I had enough page to tell you all of the speechless moments that I’ve had while traveling with ConservationVIP. The intense…
Sustainable travel is currently a hot topic in the travel industry. As CEO of Conservation Volunteers International Program, I have been thinking a lot about the sustainable travel discussions, because our conservation volunteer projects are entwined with the travel industry. ConservationVIP® organizes volunteer trips to public lands around the world to help sustain some of…
Vacation [def]: An extended period of leisure and recreation, especially when spent away from home or traveling. You can probably picture the perfect vacation lying on a warm sunny beach gazing at the turquoise blue water watching dolphins frolicking in the ocean waves. You’re relaxed and peaceful without a care in the world. For me…