Favorite Links

Backpacking Diplomacy

Backpacking Diplomacy is a site dedicated to the idea of new diplomacy. New diplomacy is the idea that people as individuals play a key role in diplomacy through cultural-exchange and education. Backpacking is a great method to learn about other cultures and experience the world first hand. In this site, Andy does his best to provide quality travel tips and travel insight that all backpackers could benefit from.

http://www.backpackingdiplomacy.com/

Lateral Movements

Lauren Fitzpatrick's post-university life has been a series of lateral movements, both professionally and geographically. She's had had more than 30 jobs in 6 countries, including a carny in Australia, a barista in Ireland and selling gym memberships in London. Her website has lots of great articles for working abroad plus an awesome set of links to blogs about people traveling and working abroad.

 

http://www.lateralmovements.com

BajaPerma / Red Verde / Green Network

The goal of BajaPerma is to help people or organizations involved in low impact building, organic growing, “waste” repurposing (using recyclable materials locally for other uses), energy, water for low impact living and permacultura. (The word "permaculture" comes from "permanent" agriculture" and "permanent culture". It is about living lightly on the planet, and making sure that we can sustain human activities for many generations to come, in harmony with nature.) On a world tour in an expedition vehicle with his wife Martine since 2005, they do volunteer work to help build a better world and are active ambassadors of the Muskoka Foundation. The BajaPerma website and green network were successfully launched in September 2012 in Todos Santos.

http://bajaperma.wordpress.com/

Travel Matters

At Travel Matters we are pleased to support TravelPledge. Do you return from your holidays and want to give back to the country you have been to? This is a great way of being able to ensure funds go directly to the communities you have visited. Click through to check out the projects we are supporting: In the United Kingdom - A holiday for others and in South Africa, Klipat – Bicycle maintenance, community owned bicycle shop.

http://www.travelmatters.co.uk

Adventures of a Goodman

Greg and Carrie Goodman have hit the road and are volunteering with Muskoka! They recently were scouting out partners in Chiang Mai, Thailand and Greg posted an article all about Muskoka and "doing good as you go" on his website. Check it out!

http://www.adventuresofagoodman.com/muskoka-foundation-nonprofit-travel/

Write Around the World

Write Around the World is a non-profit organization dedicated to the support of quality education for the underprivileged children of the world, while offering a sense of community service in America’s youth. Founder and President, Michael Lewis, has been a chiropractor in the metro-Seattle area for the past 15-years and has extensive volunteer experience locally. In the spring of 2009, Dr. Lewis left Seattle for an around-the-world motorcycle journey. As he travels, he will visit many rural and impoverished areas. The relationships he establishes along his route will be the basis for Write Around the World’s school projects. Write Around the World is his way of combining his adventure with a socially conscious project that leaves a positive footprint in his rearview mirror. His blog can be found at:  mikesglobaladventure.com

http://writearoundtheworld.org/

Debora Garcia

Brazil-native Debora Garcia is busy planning a year long trip through Latin America to North America. On the site she posts about what car would be good on the trip as well as a victory in getting a U.S. visa. Debora's site is in Portuguese and if you don't speak the language just translate it online! There's also an article about how she plans to work with Muskoka and info on the programs that the Foundation runs. http://www.expedicaonovomundo.com.br/fazendo-o-bem-na-estrada-tambem

http://www.expedicaonovomundo.com.br

Chris Smith & Liz Peel

This cool web site is all about "Finding Manchester". Did you know there are 52 cities names Manchester in 52 countries? Well, Chris Smith and Liz Peel are out to find them all in 52 weeks! On the site you'll find blog posts and photos from their travels.

http://www.findingmanchester.com/

Candice Walsh

In this website, Candice Does The World as she travels through Canada and Europe. In her own words,  "This blog is reflective and narrative. My life is a tangled mess of unfortunate coincidences, bizarre experiences, and shady characters. You will find no grandiose exclamations of life lessons here, nor any 'Top 5 beaches to get in touch with your inner yogi'shit." Her writing is funny and frank and full of relfections on "French love, fruity drinks, and airplane pillows"!

http://www.candicedoestheworld.com

Ruined Adventures

Brenton and Shannon Cooper are in the midst of a journey from Texas to the tip of South America! They started our Global Citizenship Program at Buen Pastor in Guanajuato after volunteering at El Ranco Faro Orphanage in Enseneda. The program is designed to break the ice with youth and forge good relationships and so far, has been a success!

 

"A big reason we travel is to get to know the people and culture of the places we visit, says Shannon. "Muskoka has given us a meaningful and memorable way to do this. We have really enjoyed our time working with Muskoka and their partners and appreciate the opportunity to do good as we go."

 

Brenton says, "When we decided to do an extended trip we really wanted to do some good while traveling. Unfortunately we found the world of volunteer travel to be very confusing, overwhelming, and expensive. Muskoka has redeemed our faith in the process and enhanced our experience through the people we've met and places we would have otherwise missed.

http://www.RuinedAdventures.com

Danell Lynn

Danell Lynn is a one-woman powerhouse! Danell has done humanitarian work in Estonia, Kenya, El Salvador, Malawi, Haiti and Morocco and she creates custom clothing but does so in a refreshingly different way. With a love of travel and art she voyages the world to purchase material from merchants in developing countries. Proceeds from every purchase of dl-couture clothing go towards humanitarian aid. dl-couture also operates Threading Hope which works directly with non-profits and foundations to bring warm handmade quilts to children and those in need in underprivileged countries. 

But wait! There's more!  Danell also operates Highwire, a non-profit which bridges cultural gaps with hope, imagination and art. It all started with San Salvador Danell visited two villages in the country and held art classes. After the earthquake in Haiti she went to Port au Prince to work in the hospials and created art kits that the children could use to help them heal through art. She also brought quilted blankets from Threading Hope. Also, take a look at her personal site: http://www.dlfineartist.com

http://www.dl-couture.com

Treasure of Travelers

Treasure of Travelers tells the tale of the travel adventures of Aurelie! She's got great stories, photos and advice for visiting Australia, North America, France, the U.K., Spain and the Caribbean. Also check out her interview with Muskoka's own Travel Site Relationship Manager, Daniel Angarra. She asks about volunteers who have participated and there's info on how to get started. Check it out! 

http://www.treasure-of-travelers.com/

HoneyTrek

HoneyTrek is the honeymoon trip of Mike and Anne Howard. Their plan is to go to places too far to visit while they're employed and too rugged when they're retired. They're moving slowly but thoroughly and they're not trying to see every single thing. Mike and Anne have an idea of where they're heading but they're not letting an itinerary bog them down. If they love a place, they get to know it, meeting locals and living the local ways. They're not trying to change the world but Mike and Anne will definitely help where they can. Their website has lots of info about the destinations they've visited and an amusing Etc section of blog entries including a Volunteering As We Go posting about their time spent at Tio Lino's Art Center in a favela in Rio. 

http://honeytrek.com/volunteering-as-we-go/

http://honeytrek.com

Earth Circuit

Andy and Dunia are on a trip all around the world, or to circuit the earth! They started out taking the Amur Highway across Siberia to the Far East. From South Korea they shipped across to Canada and stated on the West Coast traveling south to Latin America. From there Andy and Dunia will head to South America with the intention to ship across Europe in 2013. Their website has lots of interesting tales from their journey as well as a cool article on their blog about the Muskoka Foundation. (http://www.earthcircuit.org/blog/2012/06/24/volunteering-with-the-muskoka-foundation) They explain about Muskoka and how the Foundation works and also about their experiences volunteering with Casa Esperanza in Panama City.

http://www.earthcircuit.org

Expedition Portal

When Muskoka Foundation founder Jay wanted a "second opinion" on the development of the family expedition vehicle he posted a build thread up on The Expedition Portal. Seventy-Four pages and Four-Hundred-Thousand views later, the opinions are still flowing in! There remains nowhere else on the Internet with more information about designing and building a vehicle for overland travel, than the Expedition Portal.

They have been a fantastic supporter of The Muskoka Foundation since day one, and we are proud to call them a partner.

http://www.expeditionportal.com

Horizons Unlimited

Horizons Unlimited, or simply "The HUBB" is one of the most central communities for overland motorcycle riders around the world.

Hosted by Grant & Susan who themselves are veteran motorcycle travellers - RTW north to south, two up on a 1986 BMW R80 G/S from 1987. They've been to over 50 countries since then, traveling and working all over the world. If you're looking for a friendly, informative place to get into the world of dual-sport adventure riding, then this is the place...

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com