When most travelers think of Machu Picchu Peru, visions of mist-shrouded Inca ruins, emerald terraces, and breathtaking mountain views come to mind. But what if your journey could go deeper – beyond sightseeing – into meaningful engagement with local people and culture? With a Globe Aware volunteer vacation, this iconic destination becomes a gateway to purpose-driven travel that blends adventure with impact.
Peru consistently ranks among Globe Aware’s most popular destinations – and it’s no wonder. With its vibrant Andean culture, breathtaking landscapes, and strong spirit of community, Peru offers volunteer travelers an experience rich in purpose and connection.
Family vacations have the power to shape a child’s worldview – but few travel experiences are more transformative than volunteer travel. When families choose to serve abroad together, children gain a deeper understanding of global cultures, compassion, and responsibility.
Globe Aware specializes in child-friendly volunteer travel programs designed to give families hands-on experiences that strengthen bonds and positively impact communities. These short-term, accessible trips create memories-and values-that stay with children for life.
Volunteer travel has become one of the most rewarding ways to explore the world. For first-time volunteers, choosing the right destination can shape the entire experience – from cultural immersion to comfort level to project impact. Globe Aware specializes in short-term, accessible volunteer travel programs designed to support local priorities while giving volunteers a meaningful, well-organized experience.
When most people think of a vacation, they imagine beaches, sightseeing, food, and rest. But what if your next trip could do much more than recharge you? What if it could help others, deepen your cultural understanding, and create a lasting positive impact on a community? That’s the heart of a volunteer vacation — a unique travel experience championed by Globe Aware.
As the holiday season approaches, many travelers are searching for something different — a journey that’s festive, meaningful, and memorable. While destinations like the Philippines, with their world-famous Christmas celebrations, or Peru, with colorful Andean traditions, offer magical experiences, there’s another increasingly popular option: taking a volunteer vacation.
Ancient South America, vast American national parks, and volcanic islands in Asia all appear on the travel guide’s roundup for the year ahead, two being Globe Aware destinations! Find out which one on today’s blog!
Ancient port cities, volcanic islands, lush mountainous counties and vast national parks all appear on the travel guide’s roundup for the year ahead
By Liv Kelly
October 23 2025
TimeOut
As 2025 gradually draws to a close, you’re probably going to not only start thinking about all the cool places you ticked off the bucket list this year, but also about what lies ahead for your travel plans in 2026, right?
Well, if you need some fresh contenders, Lonely Planet has just published its roundup of the best places to travel, and along with some already-popular destinations like Mexico City, Botswana and Sardinia, there are some out-of-the-box suggestions on the agenda, too.
In this episode, Brent welcomes a truly inspiring guest – Kimberly Haley-Coleman, founder and CEO of Globe Aware, an organization redefining what it means to travel with purpose. Kimberly’s mission is simple yet profound: to make “voluntourism” – the combination of travel and meaningful community service – accessible, sustainable, and life-changing for both volunteers and the local communities they serve.
Twenty-six new sites, including Globe Aware locations in Malawi, India, and Cambodia, have been recognized on UNESCO’s World Heritage List for their cultural and natural significance! Find out what they are!
July 18, 2025
By James Doubek
NPR
Twenty-six sites have been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List, designating their cultural and natural importance.
Locations this year include a sacred mountain in Malawi; petroglyphs in South Korea; remains of a port and forts from 17th century Port Royal, Jamaica; a king’s palaces in Germany; and a river canyon in Brazil noted for its biodiversity.
The World Heritage List, now numbering 1,248 locations, includes “cultural and natural properties of outstanding universal value.” Sites have been added almost every year since 1978. UNESCO is a United Nations agency focused on culture, science and education.
Representatives of 21 countries on the World Heritage Committee met this month in Paris to finalize which locations to add to the list. Countries with World Heritage sites must commit to preserving them; countries with designated sites could also receive funding to help with that conservation.
Here’s a selection of some of the locations added this year:
Bavarian palaces
Neuschwanstein Castle is part of the four palace complexes included in the World Heritage Site list.
King Ludwig II of Bavaria had these grand palaces built between 1864 and 1886 in what is now Germany, according to UNESCO. He ascended to the throne at age 18 and has been called the “Mad King,” because of his long rants, hallucinations and paranoia. The four palace complexes listed are called Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Schachen and Herrenchiemsee. The palaces are now a tourist attraction, “records in stone of the ideal fantasy world which the king built as a refuge from reality,” according to a biography on a website for the palaces.
Imperial tombs in China
An aerial view of Mausoleum No. 4, part of the imperial tombs of the Xixia Dynasty.
Administrative Office of Xixia Tomb Area of Yinchuan City/UNESCO Nomination File
The necropolis is located in north-central China’s Ningxia region. People from the Xixia Dynasty are buried among the “nine imperial mausoleums, 271 subordinate tombs, a northern architectural complex, and 32 flood control structures,” as UNESCO describes. The dynasty lasted from 1038 to 1227, when it was destroyed by Genghis Khan’s Mongol army.
China’s government said the site shows “the crucial role of Xixia as a key distribution center on the Silk Roads during the 11th and 13th centuries.” It added that the location is “the largest, highest-ranked, and most intact archaeological site from the Xixia period that has survived to the present day.”
Remains of 17th century Port Royal, Jamaica
Fort Charles museum in Port Royal, pictured in 2012. The fort was built in the 1600s.
Port Royal, in southeastern Jamaica, was a major English port city in the 17th century. According to UNESCO, it was a center of transatlantic trade, which included enslaved Africans. It was also a hub for pirates. A 1692 earthquake pushed much of the town underwater.
Ecosystems of the Bijagós Islands
Wildlife in Orango National Park on the Bijagós Archipelago.
The Bijagós Archipelago, off the coast of Guinea-Bissau, is known for its biodiversity. It’s home to “endangered Green and Leatherback turtles, manatees, dolphins, and over 870,000 migratory shorebirds,” UNESCO says.
Memorials to the Cambodian genocide
People look at skulls at the Choeung Ek memorial in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in 2018. The location is part of a newly designated World Heritage Site.
The communist Khmer Rouge regime was responsible for the deaths of some 1.7 million Cambodians in the 1970s. Two former prisons and an execution site are included in the World Heritage List designation. An international tribunal ended its work in 2022, holding just three senior Khmer Rouge members accountable for the regime’s crimes.
The full list of new sites for 2025
The committee also approved extending two existing national parks that were already listed. Vietnam’s Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park was extended to include the adjoining Hin Nam No National Park in Laos. And South Africa’s iSimangaliso Wetland Park, listed in 1999, was extended to include Maputo National Park in Mozambique.
Jaipur, India’s vibrant Pink City, has clinched the 5th spot in a Best Cities 2025 list, surpassing Florence! Globe Aware volunteers can visit to experience its celebrated immersive cultural tourism and warm hospitality firsthand, and see why it earned the honor!
July 22, 2025
Times of India
Jaipur, the Pink City of India, has proudly secured the 5th spot in Travel + Leisure’s prestigious World’s Best Cities 2025 list, ranking above iconic global destinations like Florence. Known for its royal palaces, heritage hotels, colourful markets, and vibrant Rajasthani culture, Jaipur has emerged as one of the top travel destinations in the world.
