Community Engagement

People living in rural villages in the remote and inaccessible terrains of Chanapaura face many basic challenges. Visit the village with instructors and interact with the local Chanapura community through activities such as English lessons and learning about sustainable initiatives.

Volunteer with the Fuhong Society of Macau Creative Art House – a space dedicated to nurturing the artistic talent of people with disabilities and exhibiting their work. Guests will be taught creative artistic techniques, such as making tie-dyed ceramic tiles, while co-creating with the local community to support their creativity and development.

Join us on a boat tour through the ages, to the well-preserved, ancient town of Suzhou. Guests will learn about the traditional art of bamboo weaving and try crafting their own, to help preserve the cultural craft that has been practiced in the community for centuries.  

Qingyuan is famed for its Yingde black tea, which can be traced back more than 1,200 years to the Tang Dynasty. Visit the Qingyuan Dexin Organic Tea Garden to help plant tea, followed by a tasting, and discover how to preserve this integral part of Qingyuan’s history and cultural heritage.

The late artist Mario Miranda, one of India’s most famous illustrators, was known best for his brilliant depiction of Goa and capturing everyday encounters on ceramic tiles. Join our local artist for a lesson on Mario Miranda’s painting technique to support an important local art form with strong influence in Goa’s art culture, and take home your artwork on a ceramic tile.

Known as one of the four famous brocades in China, Zhuang brocade is an iconic handicraft with a rich history in Guangxi, dating back to the Han dynasty. Join a hands-on brocade workshop to learn about the history of this traditional craft and the importance of preserving the art form, while weaving your own.

The city of Qingdao is known for its rich history, beautiful architecture, and its traditional craft of paper cutting. Join our local expert for an educational tour of the city – a regular nominee as one of the most livable cities- followed by a paper cutting workshop to gain a deeper understanding of this intangible cultural heritage, while preserving the traditional art form.

Discover and help preserve one of Suzhou’s intangible cultural heritages – the unique tradition of nut carving. Guests will learn the history behind the nut carvings, which often depict Chinese folk stories, landscape gardens, or symbols of good luck. The nut-carving master will then teach guests simple techniques so they can attempt to create their own masterpieces of nut carving.  

Xinglong, home to China’s first coffee plantations, is known for its rich culture and high-quality Robusta coffee. Guests are invited to support the local coffee community by participating in a workshop to learn how the terroir gives the Robusta coffee beans their distinct flavor, pick up some barista skills including creating latte art and learning to brew pour-over coffee.

For the past 600 years, temples have been cornerstones of the local communities in Kyoto. Join a local priest at Zuiho-in Temple for meditation and cleaning, followed by tea with the priests and their family to deepen your understanding of Japanese culture.

Guests are invited to immerse and learn about the traditional artforms of Buddhist culture revered and preserved by Tibetans for over 800 years. Observe local artisans making incense, carving sculptures, and making intricate Thangka paintings – done on textile or canvas that requires detailed brushwork.

In Southern Fujian, the ancient stone-shadow carving craft is one of the National Intangible Cultural Heritages. With a history of more than 300 years, its unique engraving technique incorporates painting into the stone carving process. In this experience, guests will attend a guided tour at Huihe Stone Cultural Park to learn about the intricacies of stone carving to aid in the preservation of this intimate craft and try their hands at the craft with professional guidance.

Immerse yourself in one of Zhoushan’s intangible cultural heritage , the Zhoushan marine folk culture is famous for its fishing community and paintings of coastal life produced by local fishermen. Guests are invited to attend a workshop to learn the history of these fishermen painters and folk art, whilst practicing the traditional art techniques unique to this era. 

Road accidents remain the second leading cause of death for children in Thailand, with a significant number of young people losing their lives simply because of the lack of helmet use. Through this experience, guests will participate in a helmet painting workshop to understand why and how they can improve road safety for children in rural Thailand. The painted helmets are then donated to the local communities to support the usage of helmets.

Rajasthan is home to thousands of architectural masterpieces, but sandstorms have eroded the beloved Jain Temple over time. Help us give back to the local community and preserve its cultural heritage by volunteering to restore this beautiful, 200-year-old temple at the heart of Jaisalmer.

Yogyakarta is renowned for its culture, and hospitality offered by the native residents. Despite the steady economic growth, many families still fall below the poverty line and suffer from hunger and malnutrition. Sheraton Yogyakarta invites guests on a meaningful journey to learn the origin of Javanese cooking, and more importantly supporting the community through hot food distribution.

Lingnan culture manifests itself in Cantonese Opera, an important cultural heritage of the Guangdong province of China that is included in UNESCO’s World Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Tour around the Chinese garden at Lichee Bay to witness and learn more about Cantonese Opera , attend an opera class, and experience traditional paper cutting.

Learn about the ancient traditions of delicate white tea as you explore the beautiful Handunugoda Tea Estate situated on the coastal belt of Sri Lanka. Guests will explore the lush green surroundings of the plantation estate and support the intricate tradition of artisanal tea making from skilled tea workers.

Chapora Fort is an exemplary icon of Goan history, but in recent years, its attraction has been diminished by the high levels of waste pollution from tourism. Join us on a group clean-up to remove debris and plastic waste, and help restore the Fort to its original charm.

Over the years, the Ikat weaving tradition has slowly started to fade. In partnership with the Togetherness Project, we invite you to embark on a cultural journey to Pesalakan Village in Bali to unveil the untold story of the village’s long-forgotten artisan craft and interact with the local weaver community.

In the tiny village of Chendamangalam, Kerala, the art of traditional handloom weaving is on the verge of diminishing . Meet and support the small indigenous community of weavers through learning about the loom weaving process under the guidance of the artisans who are keeping this art form alive.

Join us in creating a better and more colorful learning environment for our future generation. Help us with painting and brightening up the local Government Higher Secondary School, making meaningful impact for our children’s development.

We invite our guests to visit a local school for children with disabilities, and participate in a classroom sharing session, engaging, and inspiring the children with stories about their personal life experience, country, and occupation.

Traditionally made local, sustainable products are crucial to the livelihood of the ethnic communities in Nepal. But globalization is threatening demand with easily accessible alternatives. Join Nepal Knotcraft Center’s traditional craft experts for a hands-on experience in making Nepalese traditional crafts using locally sourced materials.

Rapid tourism in Bali is challenging the island’s authentic cultural values. Visit a nearby local village to learn about Bali’s rich culture and history, meet local villagers, and support the temple community by cleaning the grounds.

Bali is home to over a thousand temples with a rich Hindu culture. Join us to learn about the simple ritual that Balinese Hindus practice every day and create 'Canang Sari’ offering with flowers and coconut leaves to be donated to the local village. Gain a deeper understanding of why and how local Balinese find harmonious balance.

Lacquer work, known locally as Liyelaa Jehun, is a traditional art believed to have come to the Maldives centuries ago from Chinese traders and settlers. It is now only practiced by a few locals and is at risk of being lost forever. Guests are invited to join an interactive workshop with our local lacquer workers, to learn the art and help preserve one of the oldest traditional crafts in the Maldives.

Volunteer your time with St John’s Gold Coast Crisis Centre – a center that aids community members who need “a hand up”. At the centre, you will learn about issues facing the less fortunate in the Gold Coast community and assist in daily activities such as food preparation, cleaning and sorting clothing donations.

One-third of all leftover food in the world is rotting in landfills while many struggle to put food on the table. Prepare meals from surplus food and ingredients which is then packed safely and delivered to the most needy across Bali.

Nanjing Yunjin is an exquisite form of silk brocade from Nanjing, China. But this ancient intricate art is slowly disappearing. To help keep the tradition of Yunjin silk brocade alive, join a hands-on exclusive experience at the Jiangning Imperial Silk Manufacturing Museum to learn about its rich history and the craftsmanship behind this traditional craft.

Chiang Rai is known as the cultural city of Thailand, with pottery being a treasured local traditional artform that is slowly disappearing. Take part in a hands-on workshop guided by local potters at Doy Din Dang Pottery to learn about its cultural heritage, while supporting local artists.