Globe Aware volunteers can visit some of these haunted sites on their volunteer vacation! Locations include South Africa, Rajasthan, Romania, Puerto Rico and Mexico!
43 Most Haunted Places in the World That Are Beautifully Scary
Even the faint of heart will find something to love.
BY CAITLIN MORTON October 18, 2019
Nothing beats a good ghost story on Halloween, and our planet is chock full of ’em: UFO sightings in Transylvania, murders on luxury cruise ships, and spirits wandering the halls of British castles. No matter where you’re traveling, you’re sure to find some sort of haunted site, as well as a ghost tour to go along with it. But even if you’re not a fan of paranormal activities, some of the spookiest locations are still worth your time, whether for their beautiful architecture, jaw-dropping locations, or fascinating histories. Here, the 43 most haunted places in the world you’ll want to visit any day of the year—not just on October 31.
Meet Kimberly Haley-Coleman | Founder & CEO Globe Aware
October 21, 2020 Shoutout DFW
We had the good fortune of connecting with Kimberly Haley-Coleman and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Kimberly, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business? When stuck abroad on business over weekends, I sought meaningful, organized short-term volunteer experiences, and just couldn’t’ find any. When I started pulling together my own, I found so many others wanted to do these alongside me, that there was clearly a demand for these programs. Doing good is quite naturally one of the best ways to feel good.
Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others? Before Globe Aware, there were no organizations that offered short-term organized experiences abroad that were a good fit for most working North Americans. Most were geared toward high school and college students with weeks or a whole summer to burn, and were fairly unstructured, with the thought that you would eventually find out how to use your own time. Our culture is focused on productivity and making the most with the small amount of free time most of us have. This is at odds with the perspective in many cultures, especially those cultures that have less material resources. Therefore the big challenge was to find a way to tailor such experiences that would be provide a meaningful, productive opportunity to give back but would also NOT infringe on the local/receiving culture/way of life. Our staff coordinators in each country are the key to finding this balance. Additionally, the lions’ share of our peers in this industry will not used donated funds toward materials in the thought that it creates local dependency. We do not agree. Funds can be spent in a way that enable capacity rather than create dependency. As an example when we assemble and donate wheelchairs to landmine victims in Cambodia, they are given mobility in a way that allows them to support themselves. That is the magic win-win we week.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc. Hands down, the Dallas Arboretum is my favorite place to take locals. It is such a glorious spot, every day of the year. I love that you can bring a picnic and your own wine and on certain “cool Tuesdays and Thursdays” listen to music and watch the sunset over downtown in the distance. For a meal, I also love taking out of towners to Pecan Lodge for the best bacon infused, sinful macaroni and cheese ever, and that ridiculously amazing brisket!
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout? I am so grateful my tribe supported me, from my family to my friends, neighbors, and past colleagues. So many people stepped forward to help publicize my organization, I certainly would not have succeeded without them. I was shocked that we got so much media coverage. I remember early on when the NBC Today show did a story on us, without our knowledge. It really made me think that when you do something the world needs or wants, they then the world will enable you.
Thailand Awarding Essential Workers Vacations During COVID-19
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has a giveaway that will send five deserving essential workers and one guest on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Thailand. We encourage Globe Aware volunteers and alumni who are amazing essential workers to participate in this giveaway!
Thailand to Award Vacations to Essential Workers Amid COVID-19
DESTINATION & TOURISM LAURIE BARATTI OCTOBER 11, 2020
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has partnered with U.S. digital media company Matador Network on a giveaway contest that will send five deserving essential workers and one guest on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Thailand.
It’s part of TAT’s ongoing ‘Thailand Gives Back to Heroes’ project, an initiative aimed at returning the kindness of those who have risked their own well-being to work on the COVID-19 pandemic’s frontlines.
A global pandemic might not seem like the most ideal time to go on vacation, but solo female travel is on the rise for 2021. The increase is in large part due to the hearty appetite of Americans aged 50-plus for traveling solo and Globe Aware provides the ideal volunteer vacations for solo women travelers.
50 Best Trips For Solo Female Travel (And Why Now Is The Time To Go)
Laura Begley Bloom Senior Contributor ForbesWomen
A global pandemic might not seem like the most ideal time to go on vacation, but solo female travel is on the rise. Witness the explosion in interest that Overseas Adventure Travel has seen: More than 24,000 single travelers have booked trips for 2021, with women-only departures growing in popularity. According to the company, the increase is in large part due to the hearty appetite of Americans aged 50-plus for traveling solo, especially women. “We see solo women, in particular, with a passion to meet and bond with the local people. It’s life-changing,” says CEO and president Brian Fitzgerald.
Professional Background: CEO and Founder, Globe Aware
Education:
Southern Methodist University – MA, Art History
University of Dallas – MBA, International Business
Emory University – BA, Art History, French, Marketing, Italian
About Kimberly Haley-Coleman and her company: Pairing her business acumen with a passion for international volunteering, Kimberly Haley-Coleman has been a leading figure in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors for more than two decades as she has helped promote awareness and access to volunteering opportunities abroad.
Thailand will start issuing special visas to foreign tourists starting October, easing a more than five-month-old ban on visitors. Globe Aware provides two volunteer vacations in Thailand is excited move forward with this new travel update.
Thailand Moves a Step Closer to Welcoming Back Foreign Tourists
Bloomberg Natnicha Chuwiruch and Suttinee Yuvejwattana Bloomberg
September 15, 2020
(Bloomberg) — Thailand will start issuing special visas to foreign tourists starting October, easing a more than five-month-old ban on visitors to revive the nation’s ailing tourism-reliant economy.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha’s cabinet approved a proposal to issue visas to tourists planning to stay between 90 and 280 days in Thailand, according to government spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul. The tourists will undergo a mandatory 14-day state quarantine on arrival at partner hotels or hospitals and follow health and safety regulations, she said.
As lock down restrictions are eased in many countries, borders are being opened up again too. Many countries rely heavily on travelers during the summer therefore it is vital for the economy to get tourists vacationing back in their country again.
Where can I travel this summer? Countries open for tourism
June 15, 2020
The coronavirus has forced several countries to close borders and airline companies to ground flights but what countries can I travel to this summer?
The coronavirus continues to spread in some areas of the world and is fluctuating in others from week to week. As lockdown restrictions are eased in many cities and countries, borders are being opened up again too. Many countries rely heavily on tourism during the summer with Spain, for example, relying on the tourism industry for €159 billion a year and 2.65 million jobs. Therefore, it is seen as pertinent to the health of the economy to get tourists back into the country.
Globe Aware volunteer recognized for community service will share in a Lions Club scholarship as she prepares to attend Duke University.
Saratoga Lions Club Awards 2020 Scholarships
THURSDAY, 11 JUNE 2020 BY SARATOGA TODAY
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs Lions Club Scholarship Committee proudly presents $32,500 in academic awards to seven Saratoga Springs High School Seniors. All seven seniors are pursuing four-years + in academic programs with diverse fields of study.
It is disappointing that the annual Lions awards luncheon was unable to be held this June, however, we are anxious to share these students and the honor they receive for their hard work and perseverance during this difficult senior year.
Racism, like in many other sectors of society, has been built into the travel industry. Globe Aware, a nonprofit that specializes in volunteer vacations, takes their responsibility to be anti-racist seriously.
How the Travel Industry Can Do Its Part in the Fight Against Racism
ALEX TEMBLADOR JUNE 02, 2020 TravelPulse.com
One of the first features I wrote about the subject of race and racism in the travel industry, a travel executive reached out to me to ask me who or what had made me so angry to write the piece. As a brown woman of color, he was essentially inferring that I was an “angry brown woman,” a stereotype that has long been used to highlight women of color who discuss controversial topics such as racism.
To say that I wasn’t surprised by his reaction is accurate. The travel industry tends to think of itself as a space of leisure, fun, and escape where such things like racism are left behind for good times. The problem is, for black individuals and people of color, escaping racism is not something they can do by taking a vacation. Racism, like in many other sectors of society, has been built into the travel industry, both knowingly and unknowingly.
Travel is slowly starting up again and people locked down for months want to go out, whether its a road trip or international volunteer vacation. Learn how you can safely explore the world without endangering yourself or others.
Is it safe to travel now? It depends.
Here are the best practices for getting on the road without endangering your health—or anyone else’s.
BY JOHANNA READ National Geographic
PUBLISHED MAY 28, 2020
ALTHOUGH MANY RESTRICTIONS are still in place, travel is slowly starting up again. People locked down for months want to stretch their legs, see something other than a screen, and boost the economy. Restaurants and some tourist attractions (Florida’s Universal Orlando Resort, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston) are opening for local and domestic travel. A few countries (Greece, Italy) are starting to welcome international travelers.
But how can you safely explore a world of potentially deadly encounters with friendly people who might infect you (or who you might expose to the virus)? Is the airplane really a soaring petri dish? Is visiting a national park possible while social distancing? And if you choose a seemingly safer road trip, can you stop to use a public restroom?
