Travel With a Purpose: The Best Places for Connection With Locals & Meaningful Experiences

They say that travel is supposed to be something that changes us. No longer all about fly-and-flop holidays that skim just the surface of a destination, an increasing number of holidaymakers are looking for culturally-immersive trips that forge deeper connections with both the locals and the landscape, and luckily the industry is sitting up and listening.

From eating your way around Puglia to crafting keepsakes with locals in Morocco, here are seven top experiences that will take you onto a road less travelled.

Combine Conservation and Coastlines in Africa

As to be expected, one of the most popular destinations for meaningful travel is Africa, with safaris becoming more and more unique as the years go on. Luxury travel company Pelorus are your people here, who can arrange one-of-a-kind trips that combine the bush and the beach while giving back to the local community at the same time.

Case in point? How does joining a conservation team on a mission to assist with rhino and pangolin conservation experiences in South Africa followed by a stop in Mozambique to help support marine research at Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies sound? End the trip at the five-star Kisawa Sanctuary, a 300-hectare haven of forest, beach and sand dunes, where the minimum plot size of your secluded suite is one acre of private tropical paradise complete with picturesque beaches, spa, world-class cuisine and plenty of opportunities for diving, sailing, surfing and stand-up paddle boarding.

Take a Culinary Adventure Around Puglia

They say there’s no better way to get to know a country than through its cuisine, and if you’ve never eaten something so delicious while traveling that it becomes the defining memory of your trip then you’ve probably never been to Puglia.

Combine the key sights of the southern Italian region with a progressive exploration of the food and wine specific to its charming towns through one of its many culinary tours, where you can try your hand at whipping up local dishes during a cooking class with local nonnas. Not only will you learn where the ingredients come from, but you’ll also discover the story behind the recipe and really master the techniques, too. Don’t forget to spend some time visiting Puglia’s various food producers, markets and wineries too – they really are some of the best in the business.

Coral Reef Generation in the Maldives

If you thought a trip to the Maldives was all about lazing the day away on pristine white sand beaches with a cocktail in hand then think again – a number of its top resorts are leading the charge on travel with purpose, creating one-of-a-kind experiences that go much further than a BBQ on the beach.

Take Velaa Private Island, for example. Yes it’s home to the Maldives’s only Troon golf course, air-conditioned tennis courts and 18 plush overwater villas, but it also happens to run one of the largest coral regeneration projects in the Indian Ocean with its in-house marine team. Not only can you snorkel or scuba with the resident marine biologist who will share expertise and knowledge of daily marine conservation responsibilities of the foundation, you’ll also have the opportunity to adopt an individual coral line to add to Velaa’s reef rainforest and take home a coral adoption certificate along with biannual updates of its development as a thank you for all your hard work.

Luxury Meets Local in Thailand

On a mission to help travellers forge deeper connections with their destination, luxury hotel chain Banyan Tree recently launched its Stay For Good programme, aiming to provide its guests with authentic and immersive experiences that contribute to local communities and honour their heritage and traditions.

Curating remarkable journeys to some of the world’s most unique and lesser-known cities, one such trip takes place at its Phuket outpost, which is designed to connect hotel guests with the residents of a nearby village, Bang Tao. Home to around 150 people, not only can you enjoy activities like joining local women to prepare a meal of herbed rice served on waxy banana leaves and embark on a gentle jungle trek, you can learn all about the Banyan Tree’s remarkable history during a trip along a lagoon on one of the resort’s wooden long-tail boats, pick fruit in the neighbouring orchard and spend time with workers on a small rubber plantation, to name a few.

Save Turtles in South Africa

Consistently voted as one of the best travel destinations in the world, Cape Town has an abundance to offer throughout the year, and its premier hotel, One&Only Cape Town, serves up a number of culturally immersive experiences including sushi masterclasses with top Nobu chefs, yoga classes on top of the majestic Table Mountain and private standup paddle boarding sessions on the V&A Waterfront waterways.

Its most meaningful experience, however, comes in partnership with Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation, which actively rescues, rehabilitates and releases stranded and distressed sea turtles. As part of their conservation mission, guests can participate and assist with turtle care tasks such as feeding and cleaning hatchlings in the turtle hospital as well as meeting the sub-adults under rehabilitation. This is one to get the whole family involved in.

Rewilding the Scottish Highlands

Aiming to re-wild the Scottish highlands so it can be enjoyed for future generations, Trees for Life has planted more than a million new trees since its inception. Why not plan something productive on your next big holiday and get involved in one of its Conservation Weeks, which see volunteers help out with planting as part of the organisation’s main restoration project, the 10,000 acre Dundreggan forest located near Loch Ness?

Alternatively you could check out the Forest Discovery Weeks which teach volunteers skills such as plant identification, wildlife tracking and foraging. Each week is led by two experienced guides, and while the work can be physically demanding, it’s also incredibly rewarding all at the same time.

Make Handicrafts with Locals in Morocco

If you love spending your holidays exploring local markets for souvenirs to take home to the grandkids, why not treat them to something extra special by making it yourself? All about luxury arts and crafts, join travel company Zicasso in Morocco for a multi-day tour which will immerse you in the country’s timeless handcrafts, meeting with master artisans who continue to practice their time-honoured traditions.

One day you might be designing your own kaftan under the guidance of a master-weaver, the next learning how Moroccan rugs come to life. Then there’s crafting leather slippers, shaping tagine clay pots with a master potter and witnessing the art of crafting delicate mosaics of Zellige tiles. You can also take the Caravan Trail to the Sahara Desert, where you’ll spend a night in a luxury camp beneath the starry skies. Does it get any better than that?