Frommer’s 500 Places Where You Can Make a Difference

By Andrew Mersmann
Frommer’s, $19.99, 471 pages

Travel for fun, sun, and a better planet! 500 Places where you can make a Difference is sure to change the way you view “vacation.” The book’s title is self-explanatory: it lists 500 service-based trips for every interest you might have in nearly every corner of the globe. Through these pages, you’ll travel from Asia and Africa to New Orleans and North Carolina. You can build a school or change baby baboon diapers. If you want to give back while taking a break from your cubicle life, you’re sure to find inspiration here.

“Your vintage rubber-boom-era riverboat will be a moving home base in the remote Lago Preto and Pacaya Samiria Reserve regions near the headwaters of the Amazon.”

The text is offered as more of an overview than a true guidebook: each entry is no longer than a page with a summary of the volunteer work to be expected, highlights of the area’s tourist attractions, and contact information to conduct your own detailed research. The well-laid indices are helpful tools: one is listed geographically (in case you are already planning a trip and want to add a volunteer component), and also alphabetically. The book also serves as a delightful tale of the many positive organizations and worthy causes around the globe. You probably can’t read this without booking yourself on the next project!

Reviewed by Amber K. Stott