Have a heart this Valentine’s day

For a Valentine’s break with a difference, Hands Up Holidays, the operator that believes travel can make a positive difference, offers a choice of holidays which combine luxury and romance with meaningful voluntary work.

Share the rewarding experience of ‘giving’ to others in a setting of scenic beauty. All trips include luxurious accommodation for two and input to various long-term local community projects.

For couples interested in orphanage work, the options include Thailand, South Africa and Fiji whilst for those seeking more physical work, opportunities such as helping to build a local school playground or assisting with renovations are available in Mozambique, India and Vanuatu. If ecology is your focus, choose the Galapagos where you will work with local fishermen to ‘clean-up’ coastal areas or Australia, for turtle conservation work with Aboriginal rangers. New Zealand too provides an ecology focus with involvement in a native tree-planting programme in the Marlborough Sounds.

Suggested itineraries include:

THAILAND - Bangkok, River Kwai, Ayutthaya, Khao Lak, Elephant Hills, (assist at an orphanage) 9 days, £1,600 (departures February 2 and February 16)

SOUTH AFRICA - Cape Town, Winelands, Luxury game lodge, (renovate an orphanage or assist at a community kitchen) 9 days, £3,350 (departure February 9)

INDIA - Delhi, Chambal Safari, Agra, Ranthambore National Park, Jaipur, 14 days, (teaching, repairs and renovations) £3,450 (departure February 16)

MOZAMBIQUE - Guludo Lodge with excursions to local villages/islands, (help build a school playground) 12 days, £2,350

VANUATU - Efate Island throughout, based in Port Vila, 8 days, (teaching, repairs and renovations) £1,200

ECUADOR/GALAPAGOS ISLANDS - Quito, Galapagos Islands, Riobamba, Otavalo, 15 day, (involvement in environmental conservation) £2,450

AUSTRALIA - Cairns/Port Douglas, Atherton Tablelands, Great Barrier Reef, Aurukun Wetland, Cape York Turtle Rescue, Haggerstone Island, (turtle or cassowary conservation) 16 days, £6,350

NEW ZEALAND - Auckland, Waiheke Island, Bay of Islands, Rotorua, Marlborough Sounds, Queenstown, Wanaka, Fox Glacier, Milford Sound, 16 days, (environmental conservation and organic farming) £12,850

Prices are per person and include domestic transfers, accommodation and most meals but exclude international flights. Several itineraries are offered with set departure dates in February. All others can be arranged on a tailor-made basis.

For further information visit Handsupholidays.com.