May

23

Going Global.

Posted by Christopher Waldrop

May 23, 2008 |

Earlier this week I stumbled across an article about travel to Suriname, a country that’s rocketed to the top of my list of places to see. There are still many places I want to visit, but Suriname is safer than Sri Lanka, easier to get to than Easter Island, and warmer than Norway. And it’s off the beaten path. Tucked between Guyana and French Guiana and North of Brazil, Suriname sounds beautiful, unspoiled, and, most importantly, friendly.

Freelance journalist Vicky Baker, who’s travelling through South America, was hosted in Suriname by members of Servas, a global non-profit network of people willing to welcome travellers into their homes and act as hosts. Bob Luitweiler, who founded the organization in 1949, the organization’s stated philosophy is “to build understanding, tolerance and world peace.” I’d never heard of Servas before, but it’s just one of several organizations with similar missions. In high school I travelled through Europe and stayed with families in Austria, France, and Spain as a People To People Student Ambassador. I love to see interesting places, but, for me, the best thing about travel is meeting other people and learning about different cultures. Travel itself doesn’t really broaden the mind–it’s the people that do.


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