( CNN ) -- It 's common for newlyweds to honeymoon abroad . It 's less common for them to fix kids ' bikes during their trip -- but Aaron and Kristen Berlin did just that two days after saying their vows . The Massachusetts twentysomethings got married in October and spent five days volunteering at an orphanage in southern Thailand before exploring Bangkok , northern Thailand and Cambodia . `` We learned a lot about the culture , '' Aaron Berlin said . `` That was one of the great things about volunteering . We were really incorporated into the daily lives of the children and the volunteers who ran the orphanage . '' The two are examples of what some call `` honeyteers '' -- ­ newlyweds whose honeymoons double as volunteer projects . These couples not only tour distant locales but also get involved with the communities they find there . `` I think it 's just , going to Cabo is getting really old , '' said Alexia Nestora , who writes the blog Voluntourism Gal . `` This is a way to give back to the community and connect a bit more . Before , you had a bit of a stereotype of going out Peace Corps style . Now it 's a bit more mainstream . '' Today 's newlyweds were in college when the `` volunteer boom '' began , she adds . Now that they have grown up and found jobs , they want to go back . Do celebs like Jolie inspire voluntourism ? Lisa and Yvan Lagasse had long dreamed of visiting Africa by the time they booked their flight to Moshi , Tanzania , for their honeymoon . There , they taught English and French to teenagers in a boys ' home through a Cross-Cultural Solutions volunteer program . The two had also talked about going to a beach , but the Moshi trip won out in the end . Both said the trip would n't have been the same without their companion . `` It 's such a life-changing experience , '' said Lisa Lagasse , `` such a humbling experience , that to have someone there with you , ­ especially your partner , who understands what you went through and learned­ -- without that , the experience would have almost died on us . '' Complete coverage : Humanitarian Travel . During their four-week stay , the couple stayed in separate men 's and women 's housing during their honeymoon . It did n't matter , because they were there to volunteer -- and getting to know the local kids was the highlight of their trip . The Lagasses are incorporating Swahili into their own children 's names and have even started looking into adoption . One day , they hope to bring their young son with them for a visit . `` We just want him to grow up to understand that there are other people in the world less fortunate than us , and we have to be thankful for everything we have , '' said Yvan Lagasse . Kam Santos of Cross-Cultural Solutions said the organization 's volunteer projects all lead to an overarching goal . In other words , the work does n't end after four weeks . The next group of volunteers moves the project forward . `` The relevance is in the continuity of the relationship and ongoing support of the organization , '' Santos said . `` What we see globally is increased attendance in schools and increased awareness of issues faced by the organizations . '' Finding volunteer trips that actually help . For some couples , these kinds of trips also raise awareness about the life they will share with their partner . Lina Fenequito and Ray Mancini married in June 2008 . They went on their honeymoon in Xi'an , China , about a year later when they could get time away from the web design company they own . Mancini said the trip was an opportunity to learn about his wife 's heritage . `` Lina 's mom is from China , and I know Chinese people here , but it really gave me an appreciation for the culture and the incredible history , '' he said . `` When you go there , it 's just overwhelming . When we have children , they 'll have a part of this . It 'll be part of their heritage and their history . It sounds very sentimental , but that 's what I felt . '' The couple taught English to students ages 8 to 14 , collaborating with translators on lesson plans . In one of the scenarios they designed , students `` bought '' clothes using fake money , then modeled them in a classroom fashion show . The experience showed Mancini another side of his wife . `` I saw her as a teacher , as there with the children , and that 's exciting for someone hoping to be a father some day . You see her as a leader . She knows a little Chinese , and I do n't know a lot , so it was nice to see her getting us around and helping me out . '' `` It 's a bonding experience , '' Fenequito added .
`` Honeyteers '' are newlyweds whose honeymoons double as volunteer projects . One couple taught Chinese and French in Tanzania , Moshi , on their honeymoon . Trip was an opportunity to learn about wife 's heritage for one husband .