Eco Holidays

posted by Catherine on Jul 3

How much paper is wasted while you are off on your vacation?

When you think of your trip away – I bet you don’t really think about it’s impact on the paper industry?

What I mean by this is that it isn’t just the tickets and the passport that are the only important tree-based items you need to worry about. For example do you think about your insurance documents or bank statements?

I thought not.

What Have My Statements Got To Do With Anything?
Well, while you are off on holiday, I don’t think you are going to be opening your post. Am I right? So why have you bank statements sent to your home? And why print out loads of mini statements from cash points around the world if you can check your bank account details online – from almost anywhere?

If you were traveling for a long time – like 4 weeks or more, why not make sure that everything was set up with your bank to check everything online. You can transfer money between your own accounts or you can pay off bills or credit cards from other accounts – all without a single piece of paper changing hands or getting folded up in your diary or rucksack.

And if you think online banking isn’t ‘safe’ – how secure so you think bits of paper are floating about your bag that you leave on top of buses or in your empty room while you are out exploring?

And, if you start using a ‘top-up credit card’ – where all the money is on it already – you don’t need statements printed out on headed paper – as you only have a certain amount on it in the first place. And, if it gets lost, you know that there is a maximum to your loss rather than the dread of some thief buying a Lear Jet with it!

What Else Can I Reduce?
Your Junk Mail can be stopped! If you are away on vacation – or whether you just want less junk mail anyhow – can stop all unsolicited mail! Think of the trees you could be saving – and the ink and energy and transport, etc.

You rarely need junk mail when you are at home anyway – but a build-up of junk mail out of your mail-box while you are away could also encourage thieves to investigate further! So get it cancelled! Apparently, the average American gets almost 560 pieces of junk mail delivered to them every year! This totals to about 100 million trees being used every 12 months just to produce the 4.5 million tons of pizza and diet pill flyers that clutter our mailboxes!

To help out here with normal mail – you can get your mail company to re-direct your mail to an alternative address for a short period of time or they may be able to store it for you until you return. That way, nothing sensitive will be sitting out there while you are away. For longer trips you can redirect your mail for up to 2 years to an alternative address at home or abroad.

You can also put a hold on most magazine subscriptions while you are away – therefore not returning home to a whole pile of out-of-date news – but having all those ‘missed’ newsletters or magazines added on to the the end of your current subscription. Also setting up any renewals by direct debit or in advance can save on all those company reminders letters being sent out for nothing.

Anything Else Here?
There are probably a whole host of other things relating to boring paperwork that you can plan better for while you are away – like not losing important documents that will need to be replaced or buying guidebooks you forget to take with you!

Things not even related to your actual trip can also help to make your vacation even more eco frindly – reducing your impact on the environment even further.

posted by Catherine on Jun 29

Can’t take your dogs on your local holidays? We’ll soon solve that…..

If you are travelling locally for your next vacation and want to take your dogs – then lets make sure that they are going to enjoy it with you. A large percentage of dogs are ‘travel sick’ or do not enjoy the journey at all.

Maybe they bark the whole time, maybe they jump about all over the place or maybe they just won’t get in in the first place!

Lets Get Started:
You need to find out what part of the journey is upsetting the dogs and start from there – so you need to observe their behaviour.

Basically anything from the sight of the car (scared of the actual car), to associations with the car (only go in it to the vets) to the actual movement of the car (travel sickness) can be the issue – along of course with just lack of proper training (you let it be disruptive)!

So lets examine these briefly to show you the way forward from here.

Won’t Get In The Vehicle.
If you dogs show an aversion to the vehicle itself, then you need to spend a little time getting them used to it. Dogs respond to how the humans react, so if you ignore the dog (don’t pet it) throughout the desensitisation process it will work a treat.

Ideally get you vehicle off the road first, but start to play or sit around the vehicle. Don’t make the dog come to you just look happy and the dog will soon wander closer. Over a few days, open the boot or door depending on where you want the dog to enter and sit on the vehicle yourself – maybe have some treats with you that you give occasionally.

Make sure the dog can get in to the vehicle itself and then leave treats inside it, then hopefully it will become relaxed. Only when it is relaxed can you try pulling the door to. And when it is used to this then start the engine for a short while, then when it is used to that, go for a short drive…..

Scared Of The Vets?
Most people only drive their dogs to the vets – and most dogs don’t like this! Therefore, you need to make up some short journeys that are to somewhere nice and possibly take a vets appointment (on foot or bus if possible) that is going to be lovely – ie just a nice check up with treats to match! Then drive your dog home – which will be a nice thing!

Try some short drives to your dogs favorite park or woods – or even to someone’s house that has some great toys or great food! If possible gradually start to drive in the direction of the vets, but pull off after a minute or 2, next time go a bit closer before pulling off – then when your dog doesn’t seem too bothered – drive right by the vets and off to somewhere nice!

Make sure with this and the first example, that you don’t move to fast – otherwise you can undo everything. Only when the dog is totally relaxed should you move on to the next step.

Your Dog Is Travel Sick.
Travel sickness occurs when the brain receives conflicting messages from the balance organ in the body and the eyes. Therefore using the eyes to show a level horizon or shutting them completely usually relieves the symptoms. And as you cannot really ask a dog to stare at the horizon or go to sleep – it may help to have them travel in a crate with limited views of the outside of the car.

Nausea can also be caused by stress – so the best way to relieve the symptoms is as we would do for ourselves. Limit the movement of the dog and/or offer it something to calm it down – such as a relaxant or mild sedative. Make sure that there is a steady flow of fresh air to the car, and that they have an empty tummy!

You Have A Naughty Dog!
A car crate of car harness are the main ways to control your dog in your vehicle – and are also recommended anyway to keep yourself safe – and other drivers on the road! If you have your dog leaping about while you drive – you could cause an accident!

A barking dog, a howling dog, a bounding-all-over-the-place dog can all be resolved with some basic training. Read up on the basics yourself and go from there. Obviously you can’t drive the vehicle and train your dog at the same time, so make sure that you have an assistant to make things safer!

And happy holidays!

posted by Catherine on Jun 23

If you understand the environment you are visiting – you can see so much more!

I know sometimes it is fun to just turn up somewhere and take in everything you see at face value – but it is so much more of a vacation if you actually know what you are looking at and why it is there.

Why Learning Is Fun.
On a recent trip to Costa Rica I had brought some wildlife guide books (as I have a keen interest in mammals anyway) and had a good look through them on the journey there.

They didn’t just teach me about the mammals themselves, it set up the whole scene for the different locations I was going to visit: The cloud forests of Monte Verde, the tropical shores of Samara and the wetland environments of Cano Negro.

The Wildlife:
By learning the most common mammals, birds and trees all around you will be a great help. You will know more about where to spot certain species and not book a tour to see the ones that are everywhere anyway!

And you won’t look like a fool in a group of travellers getting all excited about something that is really obvious – like a tourist squealing about a raccoon in the States!

Mammals:
In Costa Rica there is no need to book a day time mammal tour at all really – as most of the common mammals are everywhere you go. A walk through a small section of cloud forest will easily put you face to face with agouti, sloth and several species of monkey.

If you are quiet enough, they won’t wander off either, so you can flick open your guidebook and find out exactly what they are and what they are doing there.

More elusive mammals will hear you coming way before you even see them – so if you do catch a glimpse of one – it would be great to know what it was!

Most of the other mammals are mainly nocturnal – i.e. they are asleep in a hole all day – so a night tour is your only option. However, you will be aware to check out the site of your night tour during the day beforehand to make sure that it suits the need of the species you want to see.

Birds:
A bird tour without a guide is virtually pointless (unless you are very experienced and know your basic bird groups to start with.

Most of the frequently spotted birds are SPG’s as the guides say – small, brown and gone! You really need to know your stuff to tell all the warblers apart for example!

Experienced bird guides can also tell most birds by their call (which you probably can’t) so they are invaluable if you want to find something elusive or spectacular – like the resplendent quetzal! They will usually know what sex is calling and what the call means – for example one meaning ‘human approaching’ probably means it’s about to fly off!

Guides also carry great equipement that you may not have either – such as a digi-scope or powerful binoculars. They will share these with you to get the best close-up views and have more specific guidebooks to help you see what you are looking for!

Reptiles:
Reptiles can be just as elusive as mammals – and some have great camouflage – but as usual, the guides know where to look.

You may have your own basic guide book which may well have described the best environment to see them. So you know that you don’t need to pay for a tour into a rain-forest to see an iguana – as they are probably sunning themselves on the banks of a river! And you won’t see a poisen dart frog on a beach!

Also, many larger reptiles know there is no real danger from passing boats – so a river trip is great for seeing them – iguanas, baselisk lizards and even a feeding boa constrictor! Even the guide hadn’t seen that before!

posted by Catherine on May 2

It’s not just in the tropics that disease can spread and be debilitating!

The Northern Hemisphere has it’s ‘bug’ that can ruin your eco holidays, andit is found in woodlands all over the US and Europe.

It’s called Lyme’s Disease and is now classified as an emerging infectious disease as it is becoming more widespread over the past 10-20 years.  It is not yet as bad as some diseases, but if you have plans to go camping, trekking or hiking – then give this a quick ‘Heads Up’.

What Is Lyme Disease?
This is currently the most common tick-borne disease affecting humans north of the equator.

Ticks are the main vector, and having fed on an infected host like a woodland deer, they fall off onto the floor until they are hungry again.  They then sit and wait for the next warm body to come past to hop on for dinner!  That could be you.

Once on you, it will search for direct contact with the skin – bite through – and then start feeding.  This prolonged contact with your blood allows the infection to pass into your system.

Think you would pick it off before it bit you?  Well, no.  It is usually the nymph stage of the ticks life cycle that carries the disease, and they are a lot harder to see than the adults!  And – they have materials in their saliva that prevent you from feeling pain where they are feeding.

Therefore, making sure that you are well covered in clothing or natural tick repellent is a must.  Especially from May through September as this is when the nymph stages are most active.

What Are The Symptoms of Lyme Disease?
There are currently 3 distinct stages of Lyme Disease, but not all stages have symptoms and symptoms can vary immensely from person to person, so these are only a guide.

Stage 1: Local Infection.
Well, you may well get a large rash at the wound site within a few days or up to a month, looking a bit like a ‘bulls-eye’.  However, not all people get the rash and it is generally painless.

You could also experience flu-like symptoms, including headaches, tiredness, muscle soreness and a fever.  But you could get no noticeable symptoms at all at this stage.

Stage 2: Spreading Infection.
After the initial localised rash, the infection starts to spread around the body in the bloodstream and it is possible to get more rashes anywhere across the body.

Others include a purple lump appearing on the earlobe or other extremities, heart palpitations and muscle, joint and tendon pain.  If Stage 1 was left untreated, symptoms can be worse – and include meningitis and facial paralysis (Bell’s palsy).  Also shooting pains throughout the body and swelling on the brain have been noted as well as mood changes!

Stage 3: Late Persistent Infection.
This is usually only found in untreated patients – and is reason enough to prevent tick bites in the first place!

Many patients go on to develop severe (short term) or chronic (long-term) symptoms including many important organs: brain and heart, as well as nerves, eyes and joints – and can be disabling.  In severe cases it can even be fatal!

And Your Pets?
Dogs, cats, horses and even cattle can get Lyme Disease too from infected tick bites – although the symptoms and time scale are different.  It has even been identified in other small mammals.

How To Prevent Infection:
So, when you are planning a summer trip to the woods – make sure you have adequate protection for your skin – either with clothes or natural and organic repellent sprays.

May is actually Lyme Disease Awareness Month, to raise the profile of the problems surrounding this little known but growing infection.  Although it is not transmitted people-to-people, it is still important not to get infected in the first place, and to avoid the symptoms.

Don’t let this put you off having a great eco adventure in the forest – but just be aware that we have nasty little bugs too!

posted by Catherine on Apr 14

What makes an Eco Lodge an Eco Lodge?

Most people would reply: A log cabin in the middle of a rain-forest clearing, with huge verandas and a river nearby. It would run on solar power and grow all it’s own food on-site. No doubt, monkeys and other animals would be wandering around outside and the local hosts would be teaching you the lingo!

However, we need to be a bit more realistic about what eco accommodation is, and where it is can make all the difference. Not only will the country you are heading to change the variables – but in what setting it is in can also alter the way it can be compared to other ‘eco’ properties.

For example, if the hotel is crammed in a busy town center, it cannot change its percentage land use or have extensive areas for wildlife to live and breed. However, if it is set within acres of rain-forest it can afford to have vast areas ‘untouched by development’.

In addition, if it is an existing accommodation being transformed into a more eco-friendly location it can only do so much with what it has – as demolishing it and rebuilding might be more wasteful than just modifying what it has! However, a new development has an empty canvas – so it can immediately have a beneficial impact on the environment.

However, is a new build resort that eco-friendly in the first place? Did it need to even be built when that land could have been left un-developed and a brown-field site used instead?

So many factors…….

Where to start:
I think you can only really set your own standards depending on the type of accommodation and the location you are hoping to travel to.

If you are visiting a city, then your expectations will need to be reined in and comparisons can only be made with other city accommodations – also less individual travel as the airport/bus station will be close.

However, if you want isolation and low impact countryside living, then development, alternative power, local impact and wildlife disruption need to enter the equation! And don’t forget the distance you have to travel on top of your international flight or bus journey to get to the middle of nowhere…..

You also need to decide whether the impact of your journey there is worth all the fuss – for example if you were to camp nearby to your home that would be a real ‘eco holiday’ (less travel, less resources, less impact) – but it really wouldn’t be an adventure.

However, if you want to impact positively on distant communities and experience different cultures then you must breach the whole ‘carbon emissions’ dilemma of getting there in the first place!

Comparisons:
Basically, whenever searching for accommodation for your eco holidays, make sure you take a good look at whats out there before booking.

Don’t be too hard on yourself to find the ultimate eco destination otherwise you could be taking all the fun out of your trip! However, make sure you set your lowest factors before searching (for example – no all inclusive packages or no international hotel chains, etc) and go upwards from there.

Making your impact there can be just as important. If you go to a city and select an eco hotel and then hire a car and eat in Burger King then why take ages choosing yourself an eco hotel?

At the other end – you could book yourself into a hotel that does the basic eco activities and then make your actions more ‘green’ For example you could stay longer, volunteer within the community, shop ethically, eat locally with local establishments, don’t drop litter or leave waste and use resources sensibly – more than making up for your accommodation using mains electricity.

The End Result:
Don’t forget that it is a holiday after all – so if you aren’t going to enjoy yourself – there is no point in going.

If the most eco friendly hotel isn’t in the place you wanted to go then you need to make a choice. If the hotel you love has everything you want and need but doesn’t recycle – again, the choice is yours.

I’m sure your house back home isn’t the most responsible house in the world – but you have done your best with what you have and what you think is important. Your hosts may have done the same.

Also – should you only support those companies already offering the best eco solutions or should you help fund those companies still trying to achieve them? Your money as a guest can make all the difference to a growing firm improving the whole area not just over-booking the one resort.

Don’t stress about it to much – vacations are for enjoying!
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posted by Catherine on Apr 9

Would You Buy A Tiger Cub?

The trade in live animals and animal parts is one of the most active in the world – and only people like you can stop it by refusing to buy any animal parts or any live animals – and by reporting anything you see that is suspicious to the WWF

Live Animals:
Even if it is legal to import live animals into your home country – why would you do so?

They will no doubt be live caught (with parents and siblings often killed to collect them) and will have been badly handled and possibly smuggled in tiny spaces to you or your seller. The rates of survival on these journeys are very low, so for every animal that arrives, huge numbers could have died along the way.

As the animal is not endemic to your country, it may well need imported foods or specific diets and nutrients that you may be unaware of, equipment to maintain the correct humidity and temperature (which you might not even know yourself) and no doubt any illness or disease it has already got or may pick up from your end may not be treatable by a local vet as they have no experience or the veterinary equipment and medications to treat it.

And most obviously, if you brought one, then someone else might want one therefore creating or increasing the numbers caught and traded. You are perpetuating the cycle of death and destruction of species and habitat.

Stuffed Animals:
For the same reason – be wary of buying stuffed animals that are endangered species.

We all know that the rarer something becomes – the more it is worth, so by buying even a really old stuffed animal that has since become endangered you are letting that vendor know that there is a demand for whatever it was. It may well encourage him to find someone to supply him with another one……

Traditional Medicines:
There is no scientific proof that traditional medicines are effective against disease or can increase your fertility. It’s like your bank manager telling you how to make loads of money with shares and investments – when if he knew how to make loads of money – why is he still working in a bank rather than in a big mansion on a desert island?

However, most traditional medicines are made with animal parts – and many of these animals – like tigers – are endangered. There is no need for you to try any of these treatments as you are very likely encouraging illegal poaching and trapping.

And as with most ‘natural’ remedies that sound to good to be true – they probably are. Surely if there really was a part of an animal that really did prevent disease almost 100% of the time – do you not think that medicine would be available worldwide rather than in some tiny backstreet store outside of town??

Any Unidentified Animal Parts:
If you really want to do everything you can to avoid encouraging illegal wildlife poaching, then avoid buying anything made of or by any animal.

Just as the sale of leather from cows is a by-product of the beef and dairy industry, so the sale of teeth, bones and fur, feathers and quills can be the by-products of other trades.

It is a minefield out there, so you need to be quite broad with your shopping choices no matter how pretty or ‘amazing’ that souvenir is – because it would look a lot better if it was still alive!

And remember no matter how bad the trade is – if you buy it – they will make more. Just look at McDonalds!!!

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posted by Catherine on Apr 5

We continue on with more ‘not to buy’ souvenirs below – including endangered sealife and caviar.

Tortoiseshell Products:
Now, even I didn’t know that this ‘name’ was actually representing turtle shells!  I just used to think it was the name of the ‘print’ or ‘design’, but real tortoiseshell products are generally derived from marine turtle shells – mainly the Hawksbill turtle: critically endangered since 1973!

It was mainly found as accessories like sunglasses and hair clips, which were very common in tourist resorts, hotels and airports.  A man-made alternative was developed – but still buy with care – or not at all!  Unfortunately, unless they are clearly made of plastic such products should be avoided to be sure they are not affecting wild populations of turtles.

Seahorses:
These can be brought dried or alive – but obviously neither is recommended! 

Import and export of all seahorses is controlled by CITES under Appendix II, although Indonesis, Japan, Norway and South Korea have opted out of these trade rules!

Captive-bred seahorses are now becoming popular as wild caught specimens usually don’t live very long once captured.  This obviously lowers the threats to wild populations, but should be thoroughly checked before purchase to make sure of their true origins.

Corals:
The colors and shapes of corals have attracted buyers for years, although obviously has been taking it’s toll on marine environments.

Corals are very slow-growing and damage to a reef can take decades to recover – that is why diving guidelines have been changing to help prevent further damage.

Islands like the Maldives have ‘coral sand’ which is made up of dead and eroded coral and sometimes contains large chunks or material – however this coral is what makes the beach!  If coral offshore is destroyed for sale and large pieces of dead coral are collected from the beaches – there will be nothing left to protect the islands from eroding away!

Coral reefs are extremely diverse marine ecosystems – home to a whole host of exotic marine fish that can suvive nowhere else – so destrying their home will be destroying their chances of survival.

Seashells:
Mainly for the same reason as above – the discarded sea shells make up the beaches in most tropical destinations, helping to create the ‘sandy’ beaches and protect the land.

Depending on the shell type it is also possible that the live creature was captured and killed to alow the shell to be cleaned and polished for tourists to buy – not a good thing!

Also, many shells are used as homes for hermit crabs, and the more shells we take of of beaches, means that competition for new homes becomes fierce and ‘homeless’ crabs will be unprotected and likely prey.

Caviar:
A more unusual problem as it is not to everyones taste, but never-the-less sturgeon populations are in dramatic decline due to over-fishing and illegal fishing activities.

Since 1995, one species of sturgeon in Europe has been reduced by 40%, and around 12 tonnes of illegal caviar were seized in the European Union alone.  Governing bodies are working with CITES to create a labelling system to identify legal caviar.

Things aren’t always so easy to identify, so just think twice about your purchase.

Join us for Part 3 next – which covers live animals and animal parts…..

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posted by Catherine on Apr 1

Should you buy anything ‘animal’ when on holiday?

As with all retail, there is a certain aspect of personal choice, but if you want to make sure that your holiday souvenirs don’t end up destroying local habitats or result in the deaths of endangered species – then you need to shop a lot more carefully!

It’s no good saying that you won’t buy anything that says it is an endangered species – because lets be honest, 1) would anyone really boast about it being illegal, or 2) could you tell if that bone was from a threatened rhino or a pet goat anyway?

Why Not Just One……
And as with all products of any type – it will only be made again if people are buying it.

If a bar of chocolate was made that tasted awful and didn’t sell – you can almost guarantee that no-one will be making anymore of it – ever. And it is the same with any product: if it doesn’t sell – they won’t make any more.

So, there is no good argument anymore for saying ‘well the elephant is already dead, so I may as well buy it rather than let it go to waste’ – because if a business owner just managed to sell a whole shop load of elephant ivory – he will think he can sell another one – so bang: there goes another dead elephant!

Shop owners can also lie about the origin of their items making you believe that the endangered monkey species is just the flesh of a common species or a local pest, or that the exquisite jewelry is from a sustainable source not a threatened species of turtle who’s numbers are dwindling!

The Main Culprits:
There are 12 headings below and in further articles – containing the generally agreed items that you should avoid buying abroad, and they include:

Ebony & Other Hardwoods:
No matter how beautiful that wood-carving is – it could be from a protected species. Not only will the seller have to go out and chop down another tree to replace your purchase, it is also possible that your ‘gift’ wil be confiscated on return to your home country as well. A wasted effort all round!

And it’s not just the trees that suffer. By felling woodlands in any area, you could be affecting all the wildlife and local communties that rely on it. Degradation of the area can also lead to gradual habitat loss as the soil is eroded or exposed – permanently affecting the whole area.

Ivory:
Anything made of ivory has virtually always come from a protected animal – usually just killed for that one reason. Although there are large amounts of ‘legal’ ivory available, you will almost certainly be offered the illegal kind as a tourist. And why even buy it when you know that 1) it is from a endangered species, and 2) that you could be causing a continuation of the illegal trade as a result of your consumer demand.

Reptile Skins:
These are very hard to distinguish from each other and so you need to not buy any to be sure. Why would the seller travel miles to kill a common lizard to make into a belt, when the endangered species he lives next door to looks exactly the same once it has been treated?

He wouldn’t, so don’t trust his sources or labelling. Between 2000 and 2004 in the UK over 800 illegal wildlife items were caught entering the country – most were from crocodiles and alligators. There are currently 37 species of threatened or endangered reptiles just in the US alone – so even in developed countries there are risks!

Big Cat Skins:
Need I explain this one?

Yes they look fantastic – and that’s why we love wildlife – but please leave the skin on the animal rather than on your floor or worse still – in a storage box as you changed your mind about the decor!

Come back for Part 2 – For objects that should be in the oceans not in your jewelry box!

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posted by Catherine on Mar 21

How To Reduce The Impact Of Your Eco Holiday:  Toiletries.

I’m not talking about refusing to wash for months and growing dreadlocks – I want to discuss some effort free ways to make more of an eco-impact on your chosen destination.

People travelling today don’t want to have to lower their standard of living to be environmentally friendly – there are of course many people who are happy to live out of a rucksack and wear the same clothes for days on end! 

However, if you don’t want to lower your standards to help save water and become more eco-friendly – then take a look at some of the following tips  – and they don’t include the well-repeated ones like ‘turn off the tap while brushing your teeth’!!!

1) Try to source biodegradable toiletries.  This way you can still have your luxury thickening, gloss-inducing shampoos and your extra invigorating shower gels – but you know that they won’t wash off you and into a sensitive water course affecting wildlife and landscapes.

2)  Make sure you locate yourself some biodegradable suncream too- as this is likely to wash off of you and straight into the sea and rivers – now there’s a nasty thought.  There are many adventure parks and natural waterways (like the cenotes in Mexico) that will check your sun cream before entering – making sure they are biodegradable!

3)  Find yourself a brand of leave-in hair conditioner that you like.  This will save plenty of water as you won’t need to use water for the rinse part.  Many people leave the shower head running while rubbing their normal conditioners in before rinsing – wasting even more water!  Why not leave the product protecting your hair for longer as well as making a difference.

4)  And why not leave all other toiletries at home that aren’t essential.  Do you really need to be moisturising your fingernail cuticles while trekking through jungles?  Or changing the color of your toenails midway across a desert (after using nail polish remover!!!)?  No you don’t.  Take essentials only or buy multipurpose products to do the same jobs.

5)  It’s a great idea to save small bottles during your everyday life especially to travel with.  These smaller bottles are perfect for travel toiletries without taking up too much room in your luggage – and you will use them again and again rather than dispose of them abroad. 

Many people take half empty larger bottles from home, planning to dump them on vacation and make room for souvenirs on the way home!  This may well put too much pressure on your destination and could rule out a return visit in the future….

6)  As a man, why take all your shaving paraphernalia if you are travelling about?  Why not grow yourself a beard while you are away and keep a photographic record of it’s journey with you!  Maybe get on a social networking site and have your friends see you like never before – I mean could you keep your job at the bank with a great big bushy beard? 

No such fun possible for the ladies – but why not let your hair go natural if you normally tame it down at home.  Ne need for straighteners and anti-frizz potions – just get yourself some great head scarves or bandanna’s and change your look for the vacation.

7)  Another one for the ladies would be personal hygiene.  Make sure if using towels or tampons (non-applicator of course) that you use the lowest possible protection to reduce the amount of waste created.  By using products designed for ‘extreme conditions’ when there is really only a need for ‘standard protection’ requires a larger product and more resources – it also means more ‘rubbish’ to be disposed of by your hosts.

Never flush anything like this down the toilets (even back home) as most developing countries ‘sewers’ barely work with just toilet tissue in the first place.  Make sure you dispose of them carefully and hygienically and warn you hosts if close contact may be encountered!  Don’t dispose of them outside either as they will attract vermin and dogs.

8)  Another thing never to throw away or flush down the toilet are medications or any sort.  They could poison not only wildlife – but people as well.  Always take unwanted medicines, treatments and contraceptives to a chemist who will dispose of them safely.  Try not to take too many with you in the first place – generic named products are available almost everywhere you go – and are probably cheaper anyway!

9)  And finally – try to find an alternative to every-day disposable contact lenses!  The waste involved in this is not good for any environment – but especially not in developing countries – unless you bring them all home with you.  Decide on an alternative that suits you, either monthly lenses or your old-fashioned eye-glasses!!

Now get packing……

posted by Catherine on Mar 16

How do you know that the cultural tour that you have booked to Africa isn’t interfering with the local peoples habits? 

Can you be sure that the ‘authentic’ village trip in South-East Asia is actually with the permission of the locals or are they being invaded by tour operators?

Can you even be sure that the money you spend on the trip is going towards the people you will be visiting or photographing?

What To Look Out For.
Basically, you need to find out that the trip your are booking is authentic.  Are the people and the culture you are going to see actually a true representation of the actual communities – or is it all just a big show for the money?

Obviously, you can read up on your chosen destination first to see if there are details on their lives and the country you are planning to visit before hand – or you can travel with an expert who would have the communities interests at heart – and have an ethical policy to prove it. 

Even if a company was recommended by your friends as being ‘really good’ – you may still want to find out their policies regarding your own set of ethics.  The last thing you want is to spend a few thousand pounds on your trip – then to find out that the money you spent is leaving the country with you when you go home rather than making sure this location will still be here in the future for other visitors!

Don’t forget – 2 companies running the same trip can charge the same price – but one company might keep all the money to themselves – whereas the other may well feed 10% of that money back in to the community for their future and the longevity of that ‘perfect’ location.  Make sure you know which is which!

Who Is ‘Good’?
If you contact a great responsible travel company -  they will be happy to answer all your questions with enthusiasm, will have written policies on their ethics and possibly progress reports on their current activities – and will no doubt have customer and local testimonials too. 

If you contact a standard travel company that does cultural tours – but has less ‘culture’ and more ‘money’ in mind – they may well delay showing their responsible travel guidelines to you, offering to show you something else or have them posted to you ‘as soon as they can’.  They may even just not have one!

They may be a member of a basic ‘umbrella’ group that has certain standards – but are they happy to talk about it?  Can they stand up to exact questions about where the money from your trip gets spent and which members of the communities they work closely with to improve their tours and relationships with local peoples?

This latter agent may offer you a better price – but will it be the better tour, for you or the community you plan to visit?

8 Great Things To Insist On:
Here is an easy to read basic list of things that a responsible tour company should offer as part of their service to you and to the locations you wish to visit:

1)  They should clearly display their responsible tourism details and codes of conduct in brochures, their offices and on their website.  They should know what it says themselves and be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding it.

2)  They should also be able to offer you good, current and clear advice about the community, it’s culture and the local environment.

3)  They should offer some basic details about local customs and the do’s and don’ts for each culture they visit.  This should be highlighted to you without waiting for you to ask – as it is essential to conducting responsible travel.  This should be given before the trip is booked to avoid any issues upon arrival in the country.   

4)  You should be able to find out from their representatives about how the community is involved in the tour and the roles they play in supporting your travel while you are in the villages – and how they do so even after you have left.

5)  They should be happy to offer details of your local contacts in location and how they function as a company or association.  This group should be the main port of call in the destination – ie – the company you book with back home shouldn’t need a constant presence in their villages or towns.

6)  You should also be able to find out who your guides are in location and what training or qualifications they have received with money raised by previous tours.  Details of home-stays and community projects that your tours will be supporting is an essential part of your trip.  Why go there if you aren’t interested in preserving their culture?

7)  As a result, your package should not be ‘too cheap’.  Ask to see the percentage of your costs going to your agent, their community, transport costs, etc.  Paying less usually means the local people get less – but make sure you find out if paying more means they get more too!!!!

8)  Check on current groups sizes, as a responsible agent would not ‘over-run’ a village or environment with large numbers of buses, boats or tourists as this could damage the ecology  – and maybe even the local community’s opinions of travellers!  Many agents will want to support several villages, so will rotate destinations to limit numbers and to support a larger community.

There are of course many other things that a tour operator can do for the community and for yourselves, but these main points should help you pick out the more responsible companies and make a more informed decision for yourself and for your money!