From csmonitor.com: How you can take a break and help others.

Travelers who want to infuse their trips with service to others may be outnumbered by sun-seekers lounging on the beach, but the trend of volunteer vacations is spreading fast.(…)

"People are seeing all these natural disasters around the world … and they want to jump in and help out a little bit, as well as enjoy their vacation at the same time," says Amy Kaplan, a spokeswoman for i-to-i, a British company with offices in the United States that coordinates volunteer trips in 30 countries for about 5,000 people a year. (…)

African countries are popular choices for i-to-i volunteers as well. One project in South Africa that fills up fast involves animal conservation work with lion cubs. Volunteers play with the cubs and bottle feed them. They also tackle less glamorous tasks such as cleaning. For beachgoers, there’s a trip in South Africa where people learn to surf and then teach that skill to children who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity. [continue]