Family Values in Kenya
Five-star safaris are decadent, but this tour operator connects you with real people—and gives back, too
Kenya's Masai Mara is a notoriously popular safari destination. But at the seven-tent Naibor Camp (shompole.com), tucked amid a riverside acacia grove, you are just one of 14 travelers on the edge of an 8,500-acre conservancy. Tented doesn't mean it's not deluxe: The camp is part of Micato Safaris' collection of luxury Kenyan and Tanzanian destinations, and the tents are decked out with king-size beds, hand-carved furniture, and private verandas with daybeds overlooking the Talek River. "What they do with a tent is unbelievable," says Camille Feldman, of Palos Verdes, California, who traveled through the Mara with her family on a Micato safari in 2007. The trip was wonderful, but she says the experience that changed their lives was a visit to Harambee Center, which serves orphans from the Mukuru slum, outside Nairobi. It's run by Micato's foundation, AmericaShare, which—with the help of travelers—also sends hundreds of youths to boarding school. The visit inspired Feldman's 16-year-old son to raise $34,000 for the center—enough to send four kids to boarding school for four years. The center's success is a direct result of travelers' generosity, says AmericaShare Director Lorna Macloid. Three years ago, a single donation built the facility. Today, it houses a Microsoft-funded computer lab that teaches computer skills and HIV/AIDS awareness through interactive video games.
The Give: $1,500 sponsors a child's tuition, books, uniforms, and room and board for an entire year.
The Get: A real connection—sponsors correspond with the children and receive progress updates.
Going Local: Masai elder Rakita Ole Nkere explains how your visit helps his people ( micato.com.

The Real Kerala
Tourism is helping revive spiritual and musical traditions on India's Nila River
In the village of Mannon, in Kerala, India, you can watch musicians in sarongs play high-pitched drums as villagers in elaborate orange headdresses dance. "The villagers wanted to play for us," says Copenhagen-based Karen Stigsen, who visited last December with her husband and two boys. "This was not staged." Gopinath Parayil, founder of the Blue Yonder tour company ( theblueyonder.com), never asks the musicians to play in a hotel, away from their natural environment. Indeed, the point of traveling with his company, which supports a foundation working on the Nila River's environmental problems, is to experience the real Kerala. Blue Yonder is supporting local culture and traditions that have been threatened by industrialization. Until recently, the performers, who come from the lower castes, had no outlet for their music. "We wanted to build social acceptance for these people," says Parayil. After performances, travelers mix with the villagers. "We have 24 interpreters who have learned English because they want to share their legends with the world," says Parayil. Travelers sail on boats traditionally used in the coconut trade and visit artists, potters, and bell-metal workers. They stay in 400-year-old homes, ending at Cochin's luxurious Malabar House, where tradition meets chic.
The Give: Parayil pays the musical troupes more than $150 per performance.
The Get: Development. Some villages, where the daily wage is only $8, use the funds to start microcredit systems.
Going Local: Traditional pottery from craftsmen in a village along the Nila River ($2).