Follow in Michael Palin’s new European footsteps

Travellers inspired by Michael Palin’s new series ‘Michael Palin’s New Europe’ that travels through Eastern Europe should consider experiencing destinations at a grass roots level on a volunteering holiday offered by Hands Up Holidays.

This specialist tour operator offers volunteering opportunities in 32 destinations worldwide including Romania, Serbia, Turkey and the Ukraine, all of which are visited as part of the BBC series that started broadcasting on 16 September.

These trips blend travel with meaningful volunteering experiences and allow travellers to see a country in a way unmatched by any other tour, combining sightseeing with volunteer project work, interacting and helping local communities. Visitors can help to restore a Romanian soup kitchen; teach Ukrainian orphans to use a computer; repair and restore flood damaged Serbian houses; and plant trees or pave roads in Turkey. By doing so, visitors gain a better understanding of these different communities and their cultures.

All Hands Up Holidays’ volunteer trips can be undertaken as part of a group or bespoke tour.

ROMANIA

Renowned for its stunning monasteries, medieval castles and Count Dracula, can be explored as part of a 9-day trip. Sightseeing highlights include the capital Bucharest, with dinner at the Count Dracula Club, visits to the monasteries of Voronet and Neamt, plus Dracula’s castle and the mountain resort of Sinaia.
The community development project is in Baia Mare and guests spend three nights either helping to restore a soup kitchen or teach English. Prices start from £1,000.

SERBIA

Has a fascinating mix of Eastern and Western cultures, boasting great food and wine, ancient monasteries and fortresses, hospitable people plus the cosmopolitan vibe of its capital, Belgrade. Sightseeing highlights of this 8-day itinerary include Belgrade, Novi Sad, the museum town of Sremski Karlovci, the monasteries of Krusedol and Grgetag, Kalemegdan fortress and the Carska Bara nature reserve.

The three-day volunteer project is located in the town of Jasa Tomic where flood damaged homes and buildings are repaired. The local river burst its banks in 2005. Volunteers can also choose to teach English. Prices start from £1,000.

TURKEY

The only country to straddle Europe and Asia, reflects the cultural elements of both as well as its Muslim influences. This 15-day trip explores Istanbul and the remarkable region of Cappadocia with its underground cities and ‘tufas’, thousands of mounds of porous rock formed by ancient volcanoes. Other sightseeing highlights include sailing in the Mediterranean, snorkelling and swimming.

The community development project involves five days working on local initiatives like painting schools, paving roads and planting trees. Prices from £1,000.

THE UKRAINE

Perhaps the most off the beaten tourist track destination of the four, offers travellers a chance to witness this fascinating nation in its infancy as a travel destination. Sightseeing highlights of this 9-day trip include the capital Kiev, exploring many of the villages in the Carpathian Mountains and visiting the world heritage city of Lviv.

The development project is in the beautiful villages of the Carpathian Mountains where four afternoons are spent teaching children from an orphanage English and how to use computers; installing new computer programmes or helping the elderly disabled people in the villages by chopping wood or repairing houses. Prices start from £1,050.

All prices, exclusive of international flights, include accommodation on a B&B basis in 3* and 4*hotels (there are some 2*guesthouses in Turkey), domestic transfers, services of a local guide, the volunteer project plus some lunches and dinners.

For further information on these trips or any of the other featured destinations worldwide visit Handsupholidays.com.