• Travel Features
  • Global Action
  • Take A Trip
  • Travel Guides
    • Podcast
    • Courses
    • Bookshop
  • About
  • Sign Up
Menu

CATALYST PLANET

  • Travel Features
  • Global Action
  • Take A Trip
  • Travel Guides
  • Discover
    • Podcast
    • Courses
    • Bookshop
  • About
  • Sign Up

Experience Life as a Mongolian Nomad

November 24, 2025

Mongolia is known for its beautiful and varied landscapes, nomadic culture, and rich history. On this trip, travelers. From the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar, this trip takes travelers from the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar through the Mongolian plains, from steppes to the Gobi desert by horseback or oxcart to the realm of 21st century nomads. Within Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, nomadic families continue to live in gers, a round, portable dwelling, ride horses and make their own garments. The group will experience these parts of life in the steppes, living with a local host family and get a taste for nomadic life on the Mongolian plains. Travelers will visit a natural history museum to learn about the natural environs, hike through sand dunes, listen to Mongolian throat singing, and visit monastery ruins while immersing themselves in a different way of life.

This is a 14 day trip and costs $2,699. This trip is led by the sustainable travel company G Adventures. All G Adventures trips are led by a local guide, a CEO, Chief Experience Officer, and trip revenue is driven to help the local community.

learn more

<< Back to trip search

In Outdoor, Wildlife, Indigenous Peoples Tags Continent: Asia, Focus: Adventure, Country: Mongolia, Cost: $1000 - $2500, Organizer: G Adventures, Duration: 0 - 2 weeks, Focus: All Travel
Comment
Small Icelandic town in the valleys.

View Otherworldly Landscapes on a Trek Across Iceland

August 9, 2022

travelers will veer off the beaten path on a trek through the highlands of the country, discovering some of its many hidden wonders. Departing from Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, on the first day, the group will head to their Icelandic basecamp where they will prepare for their wilderness journey for the next five days.

Read More
In Outdoor, Environment Tags Organizer: Under 30 Experiences, Country: Iceland, Continent: Europe, Cost: $2500+, Focus: Adventure, Focus: Hiking + Outdoors, Focus: All Travel, Focus: Ages 18-35
Comment

Volunteer in Coastal Conservation in Auckland

August 3, 2022

During this trip, volunteer travelers will spend the majority of their time outdoors, partaking in activities such as beach clean-ups, water quality testing, habitat restoration for marine wildlife and invasive species removal

Read More
In Volunteering, Wildlife, Outdoor, Environment Tags Organizer: International Volunteer HQ, Country: New Zealand, Continent: Oceania, Duration: 2 - 4 weeks, Duration: 1 - 6 months, Focus: Wildlife, Focus: Community Development, Focus: All Volunteer, Cost: $1 - $500
Comment
Indigenous in Amazon

Experience the Amazon with a Host Family in Ecuador

July 26, 2022

The Amazon Rainforest, the world’s largest tropical rainforest, is home to over 3 million species and covers much of Brazil and Peru, as well as Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and Ecuador. During this experience, travelers will have the unique opportunity to live with the Quechua people, the Indigenous people of South America who speak the Quechua language, and learn more about both the rainforest and the people themselves. Beginning their journey in Quito, Ecuador, travelers will go by bus and truck into the Amazon Rainforest, where they will spend the next four nights with a local Quechua family in the small town of Tena. In the town, travelers will be able to learn about medicinal plants as they explore the rainforest, go on a canoe ride to the amaZOOnico Animal Rescue Center, experience a shamanic healing ceremony and participate in a blowgun contest. Other activities include a natural mud face mask treatment and a cacao culinary experience and tasting. At the village, travelers will get to know the Quechua people on a personal level, sharing meals with them and learning about the secrets of the rainforest with local community members as their guides.

This is a seven-day trip and costs $559. This trip is led by the sustainable travel company G Adventures. All G Adventures trips are led by a local guide, a CEO, Chief Experience Officer, and the trip revenue is driven to help the local community.

learn more

<< Back to trip search

In Environment, Wildlife, Outdoor Tags Country: Ecuador, Continent: South America, Organizer: G Adventures, Cost: $500 - $1000, Focus: Adventure, Focus: Wildlife, Focus: Hiking + Outdoors, Duration: 0 - 2 weeks, Focus: All Travel, Focus: Ages 18-35
Comment

Run The Erbil Marathon in Iraq

October 20, 2021

The Erbil Marathon in the capital city of Iraqi Kurdistan is an annual international sporting event created to promote peace, love and non violence in Iraq. It has helped to create powerful connections to international partners for the people of Iraq who are committed to finding peace and justice for their country.

Read More
In Action Sports, Activism, Outdoor, Women & Girls Tags Continent: Asia, Organizer: Untamed Borders, Cost: $1000 - $2500, Duration: 0 - 2 weeks, Country: Iraq, Focus: Adventure, Focus: Sports, Focus: All Travel
Comment

Volunteer With Marine Conservation in the Great Barrier Reef

September 11, 2021

The Great Barrier Reef, located just off the coast of Queensland, Australia is considered to be one of the most diverse and spectacular marine features in the world. However, the Great Barrier Reef is also under immense threat. Climate change is threatening the future of the reef, and all the species that call it home. Yet, there is still a lot that humans can do to protect this pristine underwater environment. This volunteer opportunity brings travelers to Cairns in the north of Queensland. Once there, volunteers begin their marine conservation project where they will collect data on the reef, gather marine debris and help rehabilitate sea turtles. All these efforts contribute to research on the Great Barrier Reef, as well as help to protect Earth’s great wonders. 

This volunteer opportunity is offered by International Volunteer HQ. Packages are offered at either 1 or 2 weeks of volunteering, with one week costing $1,010 per person. Volunteers must be adept at swimming in the ocean. International Volunteer HQ focuses on providing volunteer travel opportunities around the world by partnering with local community organizations focused on long-term positive impacts.  

Learn more

<<< Back to Trip Search

In Climate Change, Volunteering, Outdoor, Environment, Wildlife Tags Continent: Oceania, Focus: Sports, Country: Australia, Duration: 0 - 2 weeks, Cost: $1000 - $2500, Focus: Wildlife, Focus: All Volunteer
Comment

Road Trip through Northern Pakistan

September 23, 2020

Visit the Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountain ranges, known for being some of the most beautiful on Earth. Explore Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, before flying north to Chitral. Experience an animistic culture in the Kalasha Valleys before adventuring on rope bridges, exploring glaciers and journeying into the high mountains.

Read More
In Action Sports, Arts and Culture, Outdoor Tags Organizer: Untamed Borders, Country: Pakistan, Continent: Asia, Cost: $1000 - $2500, Duration: 0 - 2 weeks, Focus: Adventure, Focus: All Travel
Comment

Travel in the Footsteps of the Incas in Peru

August 2, 2020

The trip begins with an arrival in Cusco and a short hike to start acclimating to the high altitude. The following day the hike begins in Chinchero and includes some farm work. Chinchero, while a small village, has many Incan ruins and is home to Peruvian weavers.

Read More
In Action Sports, Outdoor, Arts and Culture Tags Country: Peru, Continent: South America, Cost: $1000 - $2500, Duration: 6+ months, Organizer: Under 30 Experiences, Focus: Adventure, Focus: Hiking + Outdoors, Focus: Art + Culture, Focus: All Travel
Comment

Hike the Portuguese Way on the Camino

January 17, 2019

Embark on a transformative journey with AdventureWomen as the traveler hikes the final 71.5 miles of the Portuguese Way on Spain’s famed Camino de Santiago. This women-only adventure begins in the historic town of Tui and leads the traveler through rolling Galician countryside, charming medieval villages, and vibrant towns such as Pontevedra and Padron. Pontevedra, brimming with old-town vibes, sustainable lifestyles, and extremely high walkability, is also home to the Church of the Pilgrim Virgin, uniquely shaped like a seashell. Padron, known for its scenic riverside location, is native to Padron peppers, small edible green peppers that are mostly mild, but occasionally give the recipient’s tongue a spicy palette. Legend also has it that the city is connected to St. James, as the body of James was brought by boat from Jerusalem. Along the way, explore ancient roads, centuries-old churches, and local traditions while enjoying regional cuisines and the camaraderie of fellow travelers. Designed for active women, this trip requires good physical fitness, with daily hikes of 10-15 miles over varied terrain including forest paths and cobbled streets. The traveler’s luggage is transferred each day, so the full experience of the trail can be felt with just a daypack. Stay in welcoming country inns and guesthouses that offer comfort and authentic Galician hospitality. Highlights include soaking in the thermal waters of Caldas de Reis, sampling fresh seafood and Albarino wine, and earning your official Compostela certificate upon arrival in Santiago de Compostela. The certificate, or “pilgrim passport,” written all in Latin, is obtained once the traveler walks the distance to Santiago and collects stamps for it–at least two a day, and then at the end, once presented to the Pilgrim’s Office, the certificate is obtained. With expert local guides, cultural immersion, and AdventureWomen’s signature spirit of connection and empowerment, this journey is more than a hike–it’s a meaningful pilgrimage of discovery, both outward and inward. Step into history, friendship, and personal growth on the Camino de Santiago.

AdventureWomen is a women-owned and women-run travel company founded in 1982 by Susan Eckert to create empowering adventure trips exclusively for women. In 2016, the company was passed on to Judi Wineland and her daughters, Erica and Nicole, who today continue the mission of inspiring women through travel and adventure. Today they offer life-changing trips to 60+ countries. This 9-day trip is $7,195 per person, and includes private accommodations for solo travelers.

Learn more

<< Back to trip search

In Women & Girls, Arts and Culture, Action Sports, Outdoor Tags Continent: Europe, Country: Spain, Country: Portugal, Organizer: adventurewomen, Cost: $2500+, Duration: 0 - 2 weeks, Focus: Adventure, Focus: Hiking + Outdoors, Focus: All Travel
Comment

Also check out...

Featured
Vietnam’s Floating Markets Are Disappearing
Vietnam’s Floating Markets Are Disappearing
The Supernatural Role of Masks in Nigeria’s Yoruba Tribal Culture
The Supernatural Role of Masks in Nigeria’s Yoruba Tribal Culture
Opening the World to Deaf Travelers with Lily Yu
Opening the World to Deaf Travelers with Lily Yu

Featured trips

Featured
Offer NGO Support While Visiting Quito
Offer NGO Support While Visiting Quito
Experience Life as a Mongolian Nomad
Experience Life as a Mongolian Nomad
Help Grow Organic Costa Rican Coffee
Help Grow Organic Costa Rican Coffee

Sign up for the CATALYST newsletter

Sign up for our newsletter to get the scoop on international travel, global social impact insights, our latest podcast releases, and more from around the world, all delivered right to your inbox!

We respect your privacy.

Thank you!
Newsletter Sign Up | Advertise | Careers + Internships | Privacy Policy | Submissions | Contact Us

Copyright © 2025, MISSION MEDIA LLC. All rights reserved.