DripDrop's Medical Mission in Costa Rica

Escape To recently collaborated with DripDrop to send one of our photographers, Brian Baldrati, on their medical mission to Costa Rica. The DripDrop team along with their partner FIMRC spent several days providing life-saving dehydration relief and medical care to refugee communities on the outskirts of San Juan.

Below are a few snapshots from the field and ways that you can get involved in DripDrop’s mission.


Dr. Dolhan, DripDrop’s founder, provides children dehydration relief in a refugee settlement.


The DripDrop Team assessing the site where refugees from all over South America are living in Costa Rica.


Our photographer Brian Baldrati captured moments of relief that families felt after receiving much-needed medical attention.

Weeks after returning from Costa Rica, I haven’t been able to forget the families that I met. While many of us may feel that the refugee situation worldwide seems hopeless, I learned that with the right intention and team, we can solve problems like health and nutrition. I am grateful to DripDrop for the hope that this trip and their overall mission has instilled in me— Brian Baldrati, travel photographer and content creator

How to Get Involved

  1. Learn more about DripDrop’s mission work and follow them on social media for updates from the field.

  2. If you are volunteering or traveling abroad and working with under-resourced communities, consider bringing a few DripDrop ORS with you. Often times, travelers ask us what they can bring to children as a donation. The ORS are a way to provide them with a simple healthcare solution that they can benefit from.

  3. Spread the Word. This collaboration has allowed our team to learn more about how dehydration is easily preventable, yet causes so many diseases and deaths around the world. Share photos from the field with family and friends and explore the hashtag #sticktoyourmission campaign on Instagram.

To learn more about how to collaborate with us on content creation, get in touch.

Our Vegan Tour of India

This month we wrapped up our Vegan Tour of India which was dubbed “A Vegan Adventure”. By all accounts, it truly was an adventure. Each day brought an exploration of different food, different neighborhoods of the city, a variety of workshops and meetings with the local vegan community and surprises that we never planned on the itinerary. Not being a typical travel company that only offers tours allowed us to offer the group activities that locals do on a daily basis. Sometimes it is in these ordinary experiences that travelers find the most authentic spirit of the country they are traveling through. Check out some of the highlights from an amazing group of vegans from around the world, traveling through India.

1) Road trips are definitely more fun when you stop for endless plates of vegan South Indian food. Millet dosa and Akki Roti were a HUGE hit.


2. Street Food is very exciting and an alley filled with vegetarian/vegan street food is even better. We tried all different kinds of food, lychee fruits and mango and coca cola popsicles.


3. Impromptu Indian Wedding? Yes Please! Also, saris make us look amazing.


4. This was supposed to be a vegan adventure and so we rode jeeps all the way up to the top of the hills at 3:30 in the morning to catch the sunrise. It was exhilarating and worth it.


5. Eating on a banana leaf is more delicious and more sustainable than on plastic!


6. Sometimes we got a little lost while hiking…at least the surroundings were beautiful


7. Even vegans need to take shots every now and then


8. Indian markets are full of color


9. We need to support India’s animals. Travelers and locals alike can donate to assist injured and abused wildlife.


10. India’s vegan food scene is growing and it’s best experienced by traveling here to explore it.


Missed this trip? Join our upcoming vegan trips in June and September of 2019.

How To Do Off-Beat Activities in India

Traveling in India…Uniquely With Brian Baldrati

Photo from @isthisreal during his Is This Real Trips tour of North India


Last month, we partnered with Brian Baldrati and his travel company Is This Real Trips to host a group of Brazilian travelers who had come to see the “real” India. Part of their trail were the more touristy sites such as the Taj Mahal and New Delhi, Jaipur as well as the Thar Desert. In order to create a program for them that was different than what is already tried and tested, we included activities that helped support various non-profits and small businesses along the way. Here are 3 favorite moments from the trip.

  1. Meeting Acid Attack Victims near the Taj Mahal

    We took the travelers to the Sheroes Hangout Cafe owned and operated by acid attack victims. Many of the victims had their own parents and siblings throw acid on them. They have built an incredible non-profit that supports, sheds light and does advocacy work for acid attack victims. Also, the women are incredibly happy and loving and the food is delicious. When we asked one of the travelers, how they felt after visiting the cafe, their answer was “happy because the women are happy”. Make sure not to miss the Sheroes Cafe if you are visiting the Taj. In addition, follow @isthisreal on Instagram as he took 3 lovely ladies to the Taj Mahal during sunrise to do beautiful portrait photography. Stay tuned as he explains more about this important initiative and what we can do to help.

  2. Stay with a Bed and Breakfast with the Royal Family

    When we visited Jaipur with the group, instead of opting for one of the hostels or corporate hotels, we chose to stay at a small bed and breakfast with descendents of a royal family. With only 8 rooms, the BnB was an extension of the family’s house. We woke up in the morning to chickens and ducks in the courtyard garden, used auto-rickshaw drivers that had been working with the family for over two decades instead of a taxi, and ate a homey simple dinner in a beautiful dining room that was essentially just for us. By being intentional of where we stayed, we were able to support the family, the father and son who drove us around in their auto-rickshaw and see remnants and artifacts of the royal family.


3. Support Art

In a world of Ikeas and Amazon, it is crucial that we use our purchases when we travel to support art and artisans that are painstakingly keeping artistic traditions alive. Instead of going to a more commercial place selling mass-produced paintings, we took our travelers to an artist in the royal city who has been making paintings for decades in the city. His hand-crafted paintings were exquisite and made a fantastic gift for souvenirs. Whenever and wherever we travel, we believe in experiencing and supporting artists.


Looking for more off-the-beaten path experiences while traveling to India? Visit our Ongoing Trips page to see which trips pique your interest.

What We Learned from Volunteering with the Elderly


Volunteering in India with Elderly

Last month we spent time at the Old Age Home around 35 minutes outside of New Delhi, India. Along with a few Brazilian travelers, we wanted to see how we could better understand the issues that impact the elderly and geriatric care in the country.


  1. The elderly need love and personal attention. There are around 60 senior citizens who have been abandoned, neglected or forgotten about their families. When we spent time with them, they were happy, holding our hands and hugging us. When we would leave, they would start crying.

  2. The government provides them basic facilities, but come up short on key essentials. The government has provided a “dental office with a dental chair” but not enough money to hire an actual part-time dentist that can come check up on the residents. They have set up an “entertainment” room that has a TV but the space could do with a few musical instruments and more games to help the residents pass their time.

  3. Their life is monotonous: The residents have an outdoor space where they can exercise. However, the area as they step out of the home is in shambles and they are unable to go to a park or take walks.

  4. Funds are Low: Staff at the center is limited by the provisions the government has provided. If they want to do more activities or provide better facilities, staff has to pay out of their own pockets. The staff don’t make much money so it gets difficult for them.



  1. We need more Volunteers: It cannot be overstated that the elderly do not have anyone in their life except the other residents and the staff. Every fresh face, every friendship and all time spent with them is meaningful and good for their mental health. The more they feel people are visiting them, hugging them and listening to them, the less alone they feel.

  2. Outreach to other non-profits: We need long-term volunteers who can spearhead initiatives to do outreach to other non-profits that could provide more support to the center. This could be in the form of reaching out to dentists and other health care providers who can do pro bono work.

  3. Vary Up Activities: Volunteers can try to put together day or afternoon outings to nearby places of culture that enrich the lives of the senior citizens. This may or may not be possible in a short amount of time, but with the right volunteer, things may be able to be pushed through.

  4. Assist Staff on Fund Proposals: Volunteers can create content in the form of pictures, videos and proposals that can ultimately help the center’s staff ask for better budget allocations from which to provide the residents better facilities.

If you have any further ideas, please do get in touch with us below! If you are interested in volunteering abroad for this particular center, make sure to fill out the volunteer abroad inquiry form.

Name *

Vegan Trip to India Q+A with A Southern Gypsy

















Which experience on the trip are you most excited for?  


What kind of group are you anticipating attracting on the trip?





Any words of encouragement for first-time travelers to India?  



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Combining Non-Profit work Into Your Travels

We are so excited to announce our brand new projects for 2018-2019!  We stand by the fact that Escape To... has some of the most unique and varied internship and volunteer opportunities within the international education community.  Here are new programs that you can sign up for starting…immediately!  You can apply by sending over an email to prachi@fairkonnect.com.

Art Internship:



International interns can gain experience in India’s art community by helping to empower rural artisans and providing support and resources to create awareness about art throughout urban populations. Interns will be working for a start-up that focuses on the following things: 1)Corporate Art: Helping rural artists sell their work. The initiative is to help struggling rural artists by showcasing their talent on the global market, helping them sell their paintings, and providing them with resources to pursue their passions. 2)Enrichment: Focus on enrichening the livelihoods of tribal communities located in Southern India. Help make their products more marketable/appealing/contemporary to the common public. Help increase income for these craftsmen so they can make a sustainable livelihood for themselves.

Dance Internship:


We has an opportunity for those interested in music and dance to intern at a dance company in India that specializes in dance and fitness classes. Interns will get a chance to help coordinate an organization that has helped bring contemporary dance to India’s urban population, create a rich range of options for its students such as Bollywood and fusion, and helps empower street children through dance and performing arts. This is a great opportunity with those from a music and dance background who want to experience modern India’s dance culture. Interns will focus on: 1)Coordination with staff and artists 2)Marketing and promotion of performing arts 3)Management of partner and student relations 4)Assisting with charity and outreach projects for street children dance initiatives 5)Assisting with any events or performances 6)Working on communications and correspondence (writing, editing, drafting) 7)Learning how to run a successful performing arts space. 


Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation:


Interns can get involved in the rescue and rehabilitation of urban wildlife and outreach programs about animal welfare to universities, corporations, and communities. There is a 24 hour rescue call for injured, traumatized, and abandoned animals that need emrgency care. There are also mobile ambulances that treat injured, sick, and ill animals. In a 2-3 month time period you would be able to handle over 300 animals, many of who are endangered and fighting for survival. Some of them would be cobras, parakeets, eagles, vultures, owls, slender loris, fruit bats, hares, etc. You will also be able to work with the forest department to go out and seek out illegally detained wildlife. We would also love every intern to bring their own proactive ideas about how to increase awareness about animal protection within urban India.

Interested in getting involved either before or after your trips or simply as a one off experience? Fill out the form below and we'll get back to you! 


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