It is that time of year when we make our resolutions, most of which are about being better people.  Award winning luxury tour operator Hands Up Holidays is at hand to help you realise your resolutions to both be better, and do better in 2016. Hands Up Holidays has inspiring luxury travel ideas for families, couples and solo travellers to get 2016 off on the right footing, give back and help those less fortunate.

They do this by preparing tailor-made luxury itineraries that blend expert-led sightseeing with a meaningful philanthropic volunteer project, such as:

-      Building or renovating a house for a needy family in Morocco, Guatemala, Zambia or Cambodia

-      Changing the life of a paraplegic by installing a disabled-accessible bathroom for him/her in Bali

-      Conserving wildlife, including elephants (Thailand, India and Namibia), bears (Romania and India), penguins (New Zealand), kangaroos and koalas (Australia) and monkeys, parrots and more in Costa Rica

By travelling with the award winning Hands Up Holidays you will enjoy luxury accommodation throughout, tailor-made for you to create your perfect fulfilling trip that changes lives…not just your own.

Founder of Hands Up Holidays, Christopher Hill, says “incorporating an element of 'giving back' to a luxury family trip is a powerful way to bring families together, and also for children to appreciate how fortunate they are, as well as get immersed in another culture in a safe context. When this is combined with inspiring activities and time for relaxation, this adds up to making 2016 memorable and enriching, with a trip that the whole family will treasure.

Volunteer trips are of course fantastic for couples and solo travellers as well, in fact the range of volunteer opportunities are greater for them, as they are not restricted by the ages of their children, which can affect the volunteer projects that we recommend.”    

New Destinations for 2016 where you can fulfil your New Year's Resolutions

1.      Namibia – guests can conserve desert elephants by digging alternative water sources away from communities 

a.     combine this on a tailor-made basis with highlights such as Sossusvlei, the Skeleton Coast, and Etosha National Park

2.     USA– clients can restore native plant and animal habitats, or sort food at a food bank in San Francisco; serve meals to the homeless in New York, or renovate homes in New Orleans 

a.     combine this on a tailor-made basis with highlights such as the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Miami, and Napa Valley

3. Australia– families can conserve koalas, tiger kuolls, kangaroos and wallabies

combine this on a tailor-made basis with highlights such as Sydney, Melbourne, Kakadu and the Great Barrier Reef

4.    New Zealand – clients can help maintain penguin habitats

a.     combine this on a tailor-made basis with highlights such as the Bay of Islands, Queenstown, Milford Sound and Rotorua

5.     Bhutan – travellers can help build a home for a low-income family

a.     combine this on a tailor-made basis with highlights such as Punakha, Thimpu, and Tiger's Nest

6.    Italy – guests can serve meals to the homeless and gain insights into what it takes to live rough on the streets of Rome

a.     combine this on a tailor-made basis with highlights such as Florence, Puglia, Sicily, the Amalfi Coast, and the Dolomites