Supporting Girl Power in Jordan
You must see the ruins at Petra and Jerash. But check out Queen Rania's women's projects, too
Jordan has one foot in the ancient world and one foot in the future. At the 2,000-year-old ruins at Jerash, you can practically see the Roman chariots rolling down the colonnaded lanes and smell the oils from the ancient thermal baths. And in Petra, the rose-red capital of the Nabatean (an Arab trading empire), time seems to have stood still since the city was chiseled into a rift canyon in the first century b.c. But back in modern Amman, you can see how the country has become a beacon of progressive thinking in the region. You can even stay at a hotel that is part of that process. With the support of Queen Rania's Jordan River Foundation, Marriott, Four Seasons, and Sheraton have launched an ambitious training program for underprivileged youth. So just by dining at one these hotels' fine restaurants, in a sense, you will be supporting the development of a new professional class. Stop by Rania's Bani Hamida crafts project, which provides first-time employment for bedouin women. And if you are traveling with Abercrombie & Kent, you can visit the Balquees School for Girls, part of Rania's "Madrasati" public schools rehabilitation project, which has been adopted by A&K. Field trips will be organized for the girls, many of whom have never seen the sites of Amman.
The Give: $50 to buy a space heater for a classroom.
The Get: You will be helping underprivileged girls—many of whom will be the first women in their families to graduate from high school—to stay warm enough to study. Balquees School for Girls has two shifts, so the donation will do double duty.
Going Local: Shawl woven by bedouins at Jordan River Design Project ( osmoqueen.nl $220).

Eco-Tripping in Costa Rica—the Easy Way
The rain forest and beaches are wild, but at these do-good hotels, roughing it never felt so great
Costa rica is known for ecotourism, but the whole rain forest thing can sometimes sound a bit, well, unpolished. The good news is that at a handful of unique hotels, you can have spa treatments, lounge by the infinity pool, zip-line through the trees—and actually help the locals and the environment while you're at it. For example, at Lapa Rios Ecolodge ( laparios.com)—which uses solar power to heat its water, implements extensive recycling, and also built a school on the Osa Peninsula—the decks are perfect for watching a family of howler monkeys swing across the valley below. (The peninsula's rain forest is home to more than 375 bird and 700 tree species.) After Lapa Rios, fly to the Guanacaste Peninsula for a few days on the beautiful, rugged beaches. At the Punta Islita Hotel (hotelpuntaislita.com), which has 30 thatched rooms with balconies, hammocks, and an infinity pool, you can surf or horseback ride on a black sand beach. What really sets this hotel apart is its community projects: scholarships, training for craftsmen, recycling programs, and jobs in an impoverished region known for unsustainable slash-and-burn agriculture. Visit the little museum, which was built by the hotel, and purchase works by local artists. And have a spa treatment that incorporates herbs used by the local Chorotega tribe—all while knowing you are doing good.
The Give: Sign a voluntary pledge to use energy judiciously; plant a tree during your stay; and visit one local restaurant.
The Get: In return, you receive a reward such as a free spa treatment. The museum reaps $25,000 a year in art sales to travelers—revenue that supports 62 local artists, providing the women with income for the first time. You will probably need to spend the night in the capital, San José. Stay at its most eco-friendly hotel, the quirky 13-room Finca Rosa Blanca Country Inn (fincarosablanca.com), which has its own worm composter.
Going Local: Seviche with mollusks at Cambute Restaurant, owned by an Islita villager (about $6).