8 Travel Blogs and Instagram Accounts That Are Giving Back In Big Ways
Travel is learning. And some of the most important lessons are about traveling responsibly and giving back to the community. Meet 8 of the best travel blogs and Instagram accounts that are showing us all how to adventure better.
For travelers, the benefits of exploring other places are plentiful. There’s the opportunity for rest and relaxation, the promise of adventure, and lots in between.
And one of the best “in between” parts might just be the chance to really learn through travel.
There’s nothing quite like understanding a culture better by actually experiencing it.
But what about the impact of travel on the vacation destinations that we visit? How do we help ensure our positive experience traveling doesn’t have a negative effect on them? Or that it doesn’t have a negative impact on the environment?
How do we make sure the benefits of travel are available to more people, especially those with disabilities?
How do we best hold those who benefit from tourism also accountable for responsible travel? And how do we highlight those who are truly giving back to the community?
Our blog was born out of a desire to answer questions like that. And to help find a way to combine travel with giving back.
The good news is we’re not the only ones focused on combining giving back to the community through travel. Bloggers and others in the travel industry have been asking those same questions. And lots of them have come up with some pretty great answers.
They’ve found ways travel can benefit not just tourists, but also others.
We’ve connected with 8 of the best travel blogs and Instagram accounts for families who want to be sure they’re traveling responsibly. They’re helping others plan trips that don’t skimp on great things to do or amazing places to see. They’re ensuring your family vacations are full of fun, adventure and a dose of “doing good”.
Go and Do Good: The Best Travel Blog For Finding Hotels And Resorts That Give Back
When I began travel blogging, Meg from Go and Do Good was one of the first people I met in the travel community. I knew I wanted my blog to have a philanthropic focus. And a charity I am involved in offered to give me her contact info.
Meg was willing to spend an hour on a Zoom call with someone with a pipe dream of having a travel blog. If that doesn’t speak to her commitment to doing good, maybe this will…
Meg runs a directory filled with hotels that support great causes. The mission of Go and Do Good is to encourage travelers to choose hotels that give back to the community.
Take for example, Morgan’s Rock Hacienda and Ecolodge. Their revenue supports a foundation that provides educational opportunities for children and work opportunities for adults in Nicaragua. Or check out the Omni Mount Washington, a hotel that donates meals to needy families for every completed stay. And don’t miss The Rock at Ranch Creek. Their initiatives support affordable childcare, more access to emergency medical care, and other local needs.
Fuel your wanderlust with Meg at @goanddogood on Instagram too, where you’ll find different hotels listed in the directory. These accommodations span the globe and range from budget-friendly options to luxury stays. You may even find one of your favorite hotels is already a Go and Do Good hotel.
Travel on Purpose: The Best Travel Blog For Giving Back Through Local Connections
Dianne from Travel on Purpose is another person from the travel community I’ve been blessed to get to know.
For many years, Dianne used her knowledge as a former teacher to develop a successful educational travel blog. She and her family traveled to learn about the world and shared their experiences with readers.
Dianne later developed Travel On Purpose, a full service travel agency that connects travelers to organizations doing good. She now works with families and individuals who want customized itineraries to one of several countries throughout the world. Trips include stays at fantastic, hand-picked hotels and bookings for all the best things to do in an area. Each trip is specifically tailored to individual travelers.
While travelers get a luxury vacation, trips also come with a chance to give back to the community. Dianne has personal connections with charitable organizations located in the vacation destinations she services.
Travel on Purpose itineraries allow travelers to connect with local organizations that address important causes. As Dianne explains, trips are part luxury vacation, part cultural immersion, and part philanthropy.
Dianne’s focus on responsible travel goes beyond individually planned trips. Travel On Purpose also hosts several group tours throughout the year.
Dianne organizes a book club focusing on both fiction and nonfiction book selections.
And she writes about everything from gifts that give back to other ways to support do-good organizations.
On Instagram, @TravelonPurpose has tons of tips about how to travel intentionally. Dianne posts about things like how to “pack with purpose”, ways to honor the cultures we visit, and book recommendations. She truly helps travelers give back while they’re exploring great destinations.
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Wonders Within Reach: The Best Travel Blog For Learning That The World Is For Everyone
Jen from Wonders Within Reach is someone who taught me that social media really can be positive. It’s not just about the subject of her Instagram account and blog, which is that the world is for everyone. It’s also about the fact that her posts always just make me smile. She’s so relatable. She’s the type of mom I love “sharing” coffee with while I read her posts.
Jen writes a top 10 disability travel blog. She posts about accessible family adventures, including wheelchair-friendly travel destinations and getting outdoors with kids with a disability. She also provides suggestions to hotels and other businesses about how they can make their location more accessible to all.
Even if you’re not traveling with someone with a disability, Wonders Within Reach provides lots of fantastic travel information. She highlights fun family vacation destinations.
She finds fantastic places you will want to take your kids to.
She talks about cool travel and kid products.
And she’s just plain fun to follow.
On Instagram you can find Jen at @wonderswithinreach. You can follow along on her adorable family’s latest accessible adventure. And you’ll get lots of practical tips for your travels too.
Savour the Detour: The Best Travel Blog For Giving Back To The Earth
Ana from Savour the Detour began her blog with the goal of teaching others that sustainability is attainable. Based in British Columbia, she has a love for nature that she expresses with beautiful prose. In both travel and everyday life, she helps readers and followers be mindful and intentional.
My favorite part about Ana’s posts is that there’s no guilt here! She embraces the imperfection that is part of learning in her encouraging posts. Ana’s positivity is infectious and her small-steps-to-success approach is actually doable.
Want to know how to find eco-conscious lodging? Camp in an earth-friendly way? Find gifts while traveling that support conservation efforts? Or use less plastic on the road? Savour the Detour is the go-to spot for lots of great tips.
On Instagram, at @savourthedetour, Ana posts beautiful shots of nature from her home in British Columbia and on her travels. Followers can see the inspiration that sparks Ana’s love for the earth.
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Kyndertravel: The Best Travel Company For Finding Ways To Spread Kindness Through Travel
(Photo courtesy of Peru Eco Camp)
I’ve always felt that traveling has a way of connecting us with humanity in a way that few other things can. Whether it’s a trip around the block or across the globe, getting out of our own little space binds us to others.
Kyndertravel is a company that wants to make sure those connections are positive, kind, and helping to make the world a little better than we found it. Their mission is “to celebrate humanity in hospitality by spotlighting the businesses who put people, the planet, and communities first.”
They promote eco-friendly and ethical practices in travel. They work with companies who provide fair wages and employee support. And they do it all while highlighting travel experiences that promote visitor wellness too.
On their site, you’ll find hotels and inns, retreats, restaurants and small shops that support local communities. The collection is located in parts of Europe, California, Ecuador, Peru, Los Cabos, and Winnipeg. And there’s more great locations coming in the future.
On their social media platforms, found at @kyndertravel, you’ll find posts that celebrate connections, kindness and hospitality in travel. Their belief in positivity, love, and goodness is palpable as they encourage and inspire.
My Town Travels: The Best Travel Blog For Finding Small Town Travel Experiences
Most of my favorite travel memories are about the people we’ve met more than the things we’ve seen. And this is never more true than when we visit small towns.
That’s why I love following along with Kristy from My Town Travels. She spotlights small town destinations and great things to do in them. Her trips help families plan travel to places with smaller crowds, welcoming cultures, and interesting history.
The My Town blog, podcast, and social media platforms also embrace the idea of giving back through supporting local businesses. Kristy knows small, locally owned shops, hotels and restaurants are good for locals (and often the environment). And they are the best ways for travelers to see family vacation destinations outside of big cities.
Small Town also offers S.T.E.P. (Small Town Enthusiast Program) for businesses and representatives of small towns. Membership helps others find out about things happening at their business or in their town.
On Instagram, at @mytowntravels, you can follow Kristy on small town adventures. You’ll learn how you can support local entrepreneurs. And you’ll learn why traveling to a small town might just be your best vacation yet.
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Making Home Here: The Best Travel Blog For Winning A Trip While Supporting Giving Back
Heather Nelsen is a mom of 4 young kids who runs the blog and social media platform Making Home Here. Her work focuses on travel, community, and service. Her commitment to faith, family, and giving back is contagious.
Heather shares mom life, like recipes and room makeovers amid highlighting destinations her family loves.
Heather also works with hotels to gift a trip to their family’s favorite spots to another family!
The Nelsens also partner with charitable causes like One World Health, for example. In 2021, they doubled every dollar donated to a project with the organization to build a Diagnostic Center in Managua, Nicaragua. The center now provides crucial medical testing in the region.
Following along with Heather and her family, on her blog and @makinghomehere, is more than learning about family vacation destinations. It’s a dose of Southern charm, food for the body and the soul, and family values. It’s about parenting during those long days and short years and giving back in the middle of it all.
Bountiful Blessings: The Best Travel Blog For Learning About Unique Voluntourism Opportunities
Voluntourism is one way travels can give back and Jodi from Bountiful Blessings helps readers find opportunities for just that.
Jodi hopes to give back to the community by cultivating altruism. She highlights quirky, quaint and kind destinations. Her goal is to make intentional travel easy.
Bountiful Blessings focuses on places and things to do in Ohio and nearby, but also highlights other areas as well.
Want to find a store that focuses on giving back in small town Ohio? Need tips for supporting locally owned businesses in Boston? Would you love to stay for free in exchange for a few hours of volunteering near the Blue Mountains of Australia? Jodi’s site is the stop for posts on those and similar topics.
On Instagram, you can find Jodi at @bountiful_blessings_travel. Here her tips for giving back to the community help families travel intentionally. And her posts are served with a dose of humor to keep you smiling while you scroll.
