Some travel to get away from it all; others travel to dive right in. For those behind door number two, a vacation with Reality Tours is like a fact-finding trip. The intense itineraries take you to far-flung corners of the world, like Ecuador or Venezuela, where local activists and scientists give first-hand accounts of issues ranging from environmental problems to social justice to literacy. You contribute by participating and opening a face-to-face dialogue. It's not exactly a classic July vacation, but the beaches and bbqs will still be there next year.

For more information, go to globalexchange.org.

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