Pioneers in Impactful Tourism
Abroad Escape is an authorised partner of The Green Lion, one of our key partners for immersive volunteer and meaningful travel experiences around the world.
The Green Lion has been creating community-based travel experiences since 1998, combining cultural immersion, volunteering, adventure and wellness across 45+ countries and 100+ destinations.
What makes the relationship particularly valuable to us is the depth of on-the-ground experience behind the programmes. The Green Lion designs and operates its own programmes, working with local teams and communities to create experiences that go beyond conventional tourism.
For travellers, that means you are not simply choosing a destination. You are joining an experience built around local connection, participation and purpose.
Why we work with The Green Lion
At Abroad Escape, we believe choosing the right programme is more important than simply finding a programme.
There are many destinations, projects and ways to travel with The Green Lion. Our role is to help you understand the differences and find the experience that makes sense for you — your interests, available time, preferred destination and expectations.
The Green Lion provides the programme and on-the-ground experience. Abroad Escape provides the personal guidance that helps you choose and arrange it.
Kurt Decorte has worked with The Green Lion for more than 15 years and knows the organisation, its programmes and the people behind them. That first-hand experience means we can give you practical advice before you book — not just send you a link to a programme catalogue.
A global network of meaningful experiences
The Green Lion operates across Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe and the Pacific, with programmes in more than 100 destinations.
Its experiences can combine:
- Volunteering and community projects
- Cultural immersion
- Conservation and environmental activities
- Education and community development
- Adventure and exploration
- Wellness and personal development
The emphasis is on creating genuine connections with the places and people travellers encounter.
The Green Lion's local teams play a central role in making these experiences work. They know their communities, understand the local environment and support travellers throughout their time on the programme.
Impact with purpose
The Green Lion's philosophy is built around responsible travel and meaningful engagement with local communities.
Its work is supported by the Wyld Orange Foundation, the not-for-profit arm of The Green Lion Group, which supports community-led initiatives in areas including education, environmental protection and wellbeing.
The Green Lion has also been recognised for its contribution to impactful tourism. In 2026, it received the Outstanding Contribution to the SDGs Award at the Global Youth Travel Awards for its Eco Bricks Project in Palawan, operated through the Wyld Orange Foundation.
This recognition reflects the work of The Green Lion's teams, community partners and travellers — and the wider idea behind its programmes: that travel can be enjoyable and personally rewarding while also contributing positively to the places we visit.
The Green Lion story
The Green Lion began in Thailand in 1998, originally as Greenway, with a focus on responsible tourism and grassroots volunteer projects.
Over the years, it grew into an international organisation while retaining its focus on local relationships and community-based experiences.
Today, The Green Lion brings together teams across multiple continents, creating programmes for travellers who want to experience a destination more deeply and travel with greater purpose.
I've been working in volunteer travel since 2006, and I've worked with The Green Lion for more than 20 years.
People sometimes ask me why I continue to recommend them after all these years. The answer is simple: I know them, I trust them, and I know the quality of what they deliver.
Over the years, I've seen how The Green Lion operates and have built personal relationships with the people behind the programmes and the teams on the ground. That matters to me. When I recommend a programme, I want to know that the organisation behind it will look after travellers properly.
For me, The Green Lion consistently stands out in four areas: quality, support, impact and experience.
Their programmes are well organised and professionally delivered, with strong local teams supporting travellers on the ground. They have built their own programmes rather than simply reselling experiences created by someone else, which gives them a level of knowledge and control that I value.
I also believe their approach to impact is important. The programmes are designed to create meaningful connections with local communities and give travellers the opportunity to contribute in a practical and respectful way.
But perhaps most importantly, I know the people.
After more than two decades of working together, I know the organisation, the programmes and many of the people behind them personally. That gives me confidence when I recommend The Green Lion to someone who is trusting me with an important part of their travel experience.
That is why I still work with them today.
There are plenty of organisations offering volunteer and meaningful travel programmes. I continue to choose The Green Lion because, in my experience, they combine high-quality programmes, excellent support, genuine impact and people I know I can trust.
"I know the people, I know the programmes, and I know the quality. That's why I continue to recommend The Green Lion."
Why book through Abroad Escape?
We are also the most affordable partners of The Green Lion.
You can research The Green Lion programmes yourself. But choosing between destinations, projects, durations and accommodation can quickly become confusing.
That's where we can help. We don't simply sell you a programme. We help you choose the right one.
When you contact Abroad Escape, we can help you:
- Understand which Green Lion programmes best fit your interests
- Choose between destinations
- Decide how long to go
- Understand accommodation and practical arrangements
- Answer questions before you commit
- Check current programme and pricing information
- Arrange your Green Lion experience
Ready to travel with purpose?
Explore the Green Lion programmes and discover where your experience could take you.