【推荐1】Did you watch the popular TV series Meet Yourself during your winter vacation? In the TV series, the heroine Xu Hongdou travels to a village in Yunnan province and volunteers at a local cafe. She gets free meals in return. As the show finds a growing audience, volunteer travel—an old-yet-modern form of travel similar to Xu’s type of work — has attracted more attention.

Volunteer travel refers to taking a trip where all or part of the purpose of the trip is to participate in an arranged service opportunity to help others. These volunteer trips are usually arranged by church organizations, human interest groups or nonprofit organizations, and they take form of equal exchanges. During the trip, volunteer travelers often provide services like teaching, cooking, animal caring, and cultural activities. In exchange for their help, the volunteers may get free or discounted accommodation, meals and laundry, activities, or classes.

Traditionally, the volunteer activities take place in a foreign country. However, just as what Meet Yourself describes, more volunteer trips have taken place within the same countries or regions the volunteers originate from in recent years. Sanlian Lifeweek magazine commented that volunteer projects in rural areas are now attracting more urban visitors as a break from the fast and stressful pace of urban living. Yang Yan, a founder of a volunteer platform, told the magazine that it has indeed been a growing trend for urban residents to volunteer in rural areas.

People try volunteer travel for several reasons. By working voluntarily while traveling, travelers may make a real, positive impact on the world. The services volunteers provide can be through charities with lower costs for the communities they serve. Another benefit of volunteer travel is that it helps urban residents to experience rural life. For those who are sick of urban pressure but can’t make up their minds whether to move permanently to the countryside, volunteer travel can be a solution. In this way, as Yang comments, travelers can catch some relief from their busy lives, while rural communities also benefit by receiving more customers for local tourism industries and temporary high-quality labor.

【推荐1】Undersea Adventures

This unique activity is a must-do and you don’t even need to know how to swim. Walk on the seabed using underwater helmets (头盔) or ride along under the waves on scooters (轻便小车). Children from 1.2 metres tall can walk on the seabed using helmets and the minimum height for the scooters is 1.4 metres tall. It is a unique experience that the whole family can do together. Just book with a deposit (订金) and pay the rest on the day of the activity.

Pick-up from your hotel in the Ayia Napa/Protaras areas;

All equipment;

Professional instruction, safety briefing and dive guidance;

2.5 hours’ experience including 30 minutes’ diving.

Photos of the dive (available to purchase if you’d like) ;

Snacks and refreshments.

You may be required to complete a health questionnaire before you dive;

Minimum age/height requirements: Helmets-width of shoulders 32 cm and height 120 cm, minimum age 6 years old; Scooters-height 140 cm and minimum age 13;

Diving is in small groups of up to 6 people with helmets and up to 4 people on the scooterss

No previous experience is necessary;

Available every morning and afternoon from May to October, weather permitting. Please book at least 48 hours in advance.

Scooters cost € 57 including a deposit of € 12;

Helmets cost € 47 including a deposit of € 12 (For adults);

Helmets cost € 37 including a deposit of € 7 (For children);

No paper tickets are required for this tour;

Emergency contact number will be sent with your confirmation email.