As a frequent traveler to "third-world" destinations, I have been lucky to make wonderful connections with individuals I have encountered -- from a woman selling her wares in the market, to a family inviting us to join a meal to a child offering up a smile and a request for candy -- these are the people that make a trip memorable. In these encounters I wonder, "How can I help?!?" Handing out one more bic pen, a few bucks, candy or even toothbrushes (yes, I tried) isn't the answer - but what is? It sounds like Lemon Tree has a fantastic answer. It certainly makes a vacation more meaningful on so many levels to have a chance to connect with locals and best of all "teach a man to fish" rather than participate in a small handout that has no lasting impact. To have a chance to learn from people we meet and to share some knowledge we have in return...this would be fantastic. Please share information about next trips -- south america and central america especially!

What a refreshing idea to see a business initiative that combines someone's passion for travel with their professional experience to provide a trip of a life time. Working in the tourism industry, these types of innovative ideas in volunteerism are most recently in demand.

Not only does this business allow guests to experience a new culture but also allows them a more authentic experience within communities by helping villagers with medical expertise and a needed service to deserving villages. This is a new venture that is needed in this world; a conduit for medical professionals to not only enjoy a different country but to also use their knowledge to help people less fortunate than themselves.

Thanks for providing this opportunity in our world today where we emphasize a deeper connection and understanding of those we are visiting and teaching as well as learning from our experiences abroad.

Lemon Tree Tours is an exceptional initiative that pursues a humanitarian ideal in a pragmatic way. Combining her vocation with her passion for travel, Ms Adler has built a thoughtful and well-conceived plan for healthcare professionals who want to give back - put simply - it eliminates the obstacles. A truly worthy venture and exactly what the world needs right now.

Lemon Tree Tours is an exceptional initiative that pursues a humanitarian ideal in a pragmatic way. Combining her vocation with her passion for travel, Ms Adler has built a thoughtful and well-conceived plan for healthcare professionals who want to give back - put simply - it eliminates the obstacles. A truly worthy venture and exactly what the world needs right now.

This is a great idea. I am a physician and would love to go on one of these trips. I also think that the opportunity provided by Lemon Tree Tours is a fantastic one for young people deciding what career path to take and for business people who need a little vacation but want to do something more. I know that it is difficult for some people who are not in healthcare or part of a church group to find these types of experiences--Nurse Adler is to be commended for her great idea.

This is a great idea. I am a physician and would love to go on one of these trips. I also think that the opportunity provided by Lemon Tree Tours is a fantastic one for young people deciding what career path to take and for business people who need a little vacation but want to do something more. I know that it is difficult for some people who are not in healthcare or part of a church group to find these types of experiences--Nurse Adler is to be commended for her great idea.

I am inspired by Amy's motivation and desire to launch such an important endeavor as Lemon Tree Tours. So many individuals want to volunteer but the barriers to doing so often get in the way. Lemon Tree Tours would take away those blocks and allow those interested to pursue volunteering within the parameters of their travel plans. As someone who has volunteered on and off through life, I think this is meeting a an unmet need. I eagerly await to be able to book my next tour with Lemon Tree!

I can think of so many people who are committed to social change and are looking for new adventures - myself included. However, my challenge has always been the intimidation factor: how could I possibly plan a trip for myself that would meet important social objectives, much less get me from Point A to Point B?! Lemon Tree makes this easy, which is incredibly important for someone like me, with limited experience in international travel. I love the camaraderie aspect, the health aspect, and the idea that this is both global and locally customized and targeted. I can't wait to sign up. I am also eager to alert family and friends to this opportunity. Lemon Tree deserves support.

Amy Adler's Lemon Tree Tours is an exciting, worthwhile venture. To read the literature is to want to sign up and go! The tours provide an excellent opportunity for people to "give back" and have fun at the same time. It reminds me of religious mission trips. Yet not all philanthropic thinkers belong to a church. This is a wonderful option for many of us who want to be helpful, but have fun at the same time. I am most impressed by the combination of proactive health services for the community and cultural exchanges for the volunteers. "Voluntourism" is a new and exciting concept. Lemon Tree Tour's many price and comfort options would attract a wide variety of people looking to experience something new.

Lemon Tree Tours fills a unique niche in the volunteerism market today. Its flexibility to provide trips that fit both individuals on a budget and those who aren't make it appealing to a greater number of travelers. There are many people who love vacations, but feel a lack of true immersion in the culture. Lemon Tree fills that void and provides the opportunity these people are looking for. Lemon Tree connects otherwise superficial tourists with a different culture and takes their vacation to a deeper and more rewarding level.

When we are constantly being bombarded with images of misery and war through out the world, it is uplifting to see that Ms. Adler wants to do something to help bring people together. Lemon Tree Tours will be a great way to reach across cultural and spatial barriers which so often hinder us from knowing others. We often travel to other countries in search of discovery but are disappointed when all we find are Western fast food chains and hotels. It is time to understand and help one another, and Lemon Tree tours seems like an ideal way to do it.

What a great collaboration of skills and passions! This idea brings a solution together for the medical professional where they can enjoy their passions and employ their professions to benefit a community. There are many caring individuals out there who would prefer to give their time and this provides an outlet.

I think Amy is exactly correct when she says, "voluntourism provides the richest travel experience possible." The benefits of this experience would be immense for all parties involved.

When reading the entry for Lemon Tree Tours I was profoundly impressed with the humanitarian outreach potential of this business concept. Applying the principals of "voluntourism" by bring the host community and the healthcare professional together would be a sought after travel and booking service for the many caring individuals and groups who desire to give their time and energy to worthy causes. I'm sure they rarely have the time or ability to put an itinerary for a foreign destination together.
People in the medical field have pursued this career with the desire to help others. Giving these professionals the opportunity to blend their desire to help with a passion for adventure is an ideal combination. This is an entry worth of praise and support.

I love the personal connection provided by Lemon Tree Tours. A vacation becomes more than a vacation when you can connect with locals and other travelers that want to make a difference one small step at a time.

I have volunteered here and there throughout my life, but never enough. It has been too easy to blame it on 12 hour work days or the fact that I have young children. Lemon Tree takes away this delimma.

I believe this service would allow me to better enjoy my down time abroad, participating in a new culture as opposed to merely watching as a voyeur. It would be great too to show my children that there is more in this world than what they see here in London.