Why We Select Our Destinations
Justifi is runs trips in many regions: Asia (Thailand and India), Latin America (Peru, Colombia, and Nicaragua), Africa (Uganda and South Africa), and even the Middle East (United Arab Emirates). We are constantly in the process of researching and designing new itineraries, so be sure to stay tuned for updated progress as we are all very excited to be expanding.
For those who aren’t exactly aware of what we do here at Justifi, our programs are typically a combination of the following things:
1. Travel to a great destination
2. Setting up meaningful service projects with local partners
3. Exciting adventure activities and opportunities
4. Fantastic groups of people who are all led by amazing staff
So, of course at the center of all this is where we go! The following information is just to give you an idea of what we look for, how we decide and what goes into each AMAZING Justifi trip…
Opportunities for Meaningful & Impactful Service Projects
Behind each destination we go to, we address a serious local issue in partnership with local organizations. These include issues such as human trafficking in Thailand, child domestic labor in Peru, post-apartheid injustice in South Africa and environmental devastation in Nicaragua. An understanding of each of these is the heart of each trip and in making it the sole priority, we work to make sure there are great organizations within those places that we can partner with to help further address them.
As you may likely already know, there are thousands upon thousands of volunteer organizations and projects out there that we could partner with, however, we want to go to a place where we know there is a real need and where we can make a real difference.
An Extraordinarily Beautiful Place
In addition to helping out with local projects and communities, each destination we head to through our Justifi trips is a place where we know is filled with natural beauty, incredible history and a place you simply may never want to part with. Whether it’s the rice paddies and stunning temples of Thailand, the incredible volcanoes of Nicaragua or the unmatched Table Mountain of South Africa, each place is nothing short of breathtaking. We know that being in the midst of so much beauty can only add positivity to your trip and it is our goal as a team here at Justifi to make sure we create as many ‘take your breath away’ moments as we possibly can for everyone that heads out on the adventure with us.
Something You Can Check Off Your Bucket List
If you have gone out of your way to track us down, spent some time finding out about who we are, and chosen to take the time off of work in order to head out on an adventure with us, you better believe we are going to make sure you have a trip you filled with plenty of “check marks” covering your bucket list. We want you to come back with a story to tell your friends and family and plenty that you will be looking back on for many years to come. Examples of these types of adventures would be hiking the ruins of Peru’s Machu Picchu, rappelling down a 40-meter waterfall in Nica or swimming in volcanic lagoons. In other words, creating memories and experiences you may have never thought you could accomplish. We want you to feel like your effort of heading out with us on a trip was all worth it.
Full Experience in a Short Period of Time
Most people on our trips have limited time off, which is why we want to offer a full experience in a short period of time. The last thing we want you to do is to fly all the way to Peru or Thailand just to spend your entire trip in one single town or village. Instead, we want you to see as much as possible, do as much as possible and experience a wide variety of things even within a short amount of time. If you decide to travel to Nicaragua for 7 days with us, you will be exploring a TON of places throughout the entire country and if you decide to spend 10 days in South Africa, your time will be spent traversing all the awesome highlights the country has to offer. We want to make sure we give you the perfect combination of meaningful projects, beautiful surroundings and plenty of adventures.
Incredible Adventure & Extra Curricular Activities
We understand that not everyone who decides to join us on a trip is going to be an adrenaline junkie, and that is totally OK! However, if you are a thrill seeker, we want to make sure you have the option to experience something pretty epic in each place we head to. Whether it is ziplining in Peru, high speed boat rides in Thailand or overnight safaris in South Africa, there is always going to be something exciting to be done. Plus, after a long day, we make sure there are also plenty of fun places to relax and explore. Rooftop bars in Chiang Mai, Thailand or local discotequas in Peru, we make sure your days begin and end in the best ways possible.
Safety is Always a Priority
We could have the best trip ever for most of our participants, but if even one of our participants were to get lost, that would pretty much ruin the trip…which by the way, has never happened just in case you were wondering. We always make safety one of the top priorities in the midst of all the fun and craziness by talking to local experts, past visitors, visits done by ourselves, reviewing government agency sites, reading news articles and making sure that it is in fact a safe destination. Although there are always risks involved with anywhere you travel, we want to take minimal risks and only travel to countries we are confident in as far as safety concerns go.
Jewish Considerations
Lastly, and of central importance, is the consideration – is it a safe place for Jewish travelers. As Jewish volunteers and travelers, we have additional considerations that must be taken into account. Is the population friendly to Jewish people, is there a local Jewish population, is there any existing Jewish infrastructure in the country? By asking these questions, we ensure that the destinations we visit are exciting, with great opportunities for service work, and (most importantly) safe for our groups.
