Eco Holidays

posted by Catherine on Jan 11

Have you decided that this year is going to be the year that you make some changes to your eco life?

I mean, it can be hard to start something new when everyone else is talking about presents, eating and drinking all your favourite things and not working!

Well, now it’s all over, it’s a great time to think back over what we did last year and put together some great ideas for your new year ahead.

It doesn’t matter if you make a great list with loads of stuff on it - even some quite outrageous claims can be on it - as long as it inspires you to try something new and to get out there and challenge yourself to do things you may not ordinarily do.

Things that require a little extra effort from the norm - and aren’t across the other side of the world. 

Why can’t you spend an extra few hours a week training for a charity walk? Are you really to busy to put aside a few hours a week for teaching a skill to others at your local college, or a few hours a week volunteering for a local charity?

Just like saving money - if you plan far enough ahead, then you can find the time to do anything you want, and on my list this year there is a little bit of everything. 

Even I know that a year has only got 365 days in it - so there is a limit in that sense - but most people forget to use all the time off they have.  There is also a frightening number of people who don’t claim their full holiday entitlement from work!  Why would you want to be there any longer than you had to when there are so many other things you could put your hand to.

Any Ideas?

How about some of the following to get you started:

Little Effort:
1) Join a local charity that does work or has a centre near you, like a wildlife sanctuary or children’s hospital.  Maybe you could plan to visit every other month and learn about what they do.

2) Join a national charity that interests you, like the National Trust or the RSPB.  Take part in some of their surveys or activities, and maybe volunteer at a site close to home.

3) Subscribe to a new specialist magazine about something you have always liked but never excelled at, like digital photography or outdoor adventures - maybe find some courses that you could attend to get that ‘hands on’ experience too.

Medium Effort:
1) Put yourself out for others and get involved in more community activities.  Find out when the local wildlife groups are going to clear rubbish or scrub from a woodland or beach near you and join in.  Find clubs that help the elderly or disabled which need volunteers for coffee mornings or the like, or set one up if you are feeling brave!

2) Re-home a pet this year.  Why not see if you could help the numerous animals that are abandoned each year by taking one (or more) into your home.  And it doesn’t always need to be a dog - I once took in something as small as a hamster from a shelter and gave him a great home!

3) Teach your family (and yourself) something new this year by taking a short course.  Whether it’s a new language, a new skill like cooking or woodwork, taking on an allotment (or your own back yard) to grow veg, learning to identify wildlife, or many of the other courses that are always available at your local colleges and schools.

Huge Effort: (but worth it!)
1) Sign up to a charity trek somewhere challenging like crossing the Sahara or climbing in the Himalayas - and raise money to make a real difference to something you care about.  You can choose your charity - but you will need to work out how to raise the several thousand pound you will need to partake - and put some effort in to getting fit enough to complete it.  They are very rewarding though!

2) Start changing your home into a more energy efficient and green home by finally researching your eco friendly options for all things new.  Starting with your energy suppliers which you can switch to green without too much fuss, and working through your supermarket choices, cars and travel options, cleaning products, electronic products, home furniture and even clothing to replace the old with the new.  Now I’m not suggesting change things for the sake of change - I’m just suggesting that when something needs replacing - look for the greener alternative.

3) Change your job to one that is more satisfying!  Big old heave-ho here - but why spend day after day in a job just for the money when you are so miserable every day that you never feel like doing anything outside of work!  There are many jobs with eco friendly companies, charities, green energy and overseas that could really turn your life around.

Any of those take your fancy?

posted by Catherine on Dec 8

Responsible Travel in association with Virgin Holidays have announced the winners for 2009!

As always, r:travel magazine is being distributed to everyone to let us know which travel companies are exceeding the standards for eco holidays, eco tours and responsible tourism.  Helping you choose a better holiday - and making sure that those companies that make a difference are recognised!

Here is a sneak peak at some of the winners - or go to their own website for more details:

Best In A Marine Environment: Whale Watch Kaikoura - New Zealand:
Offering some of the best whale watching tours - totally staff and owned by the native Maori population.  Not only have they grown this company from nothing for themselves, but the tours are all low impact, and the money has allowed them to purchase some of their ancestral land!

Best Low Carbon Transport And Technology - Alcatraz Cruises - USA:
This small company are really striving to make their tour boats as eco friendly as they can, investing in new technology to reduce nitrogen and carbon emissions - and they have created the worlds first hybrid ferry boat which uses solar energy for power!

Best Volunteering Organisation - People And Places - UK:
Rather than a large scale operation for everyone to choose where they want to go for their volunteering, this smaller company match up your skills to where they are most needed and will be most useful. 

This ensures that your time is well spent doing things that you enjoy and are good at - and you get the results for the community that they desperately need as you are a perfect match!

Best Destination - Cape Town - South Africa:
This destination has been chosen as the best overall location for eco friendly travel and tourism.  Building up for the 2010 World Cup has seen many companies and organisations here investing in huge eco improvements and schemes with support from the Cape Town Responsible Tourism Policy & Action Plan.  Making sure that important eco policies are adopted from the start of projects through to the end.

Hope it helps you choose your next eco holiday!

posted by Catherine on Nov 5

It doesn’t have to be an Eco Holidays Show - but there are people there to answer your questions!

These large-scale travel shows are a fantastic place to get some real info on eco holidays and adventures! But also to get some opinions out there.

Not only will you have all day to wander around asking all the eco questions you ever wanted to ask, and to buy some fantastic gifts or equipment at discount prices, and to speak to people who have already been there - done that, but you will be able to make one huge contribution to the eco holidays movement!

What’s that you ask?
Well, if all the big names in holidays are here in one place, listening to consumers and offering their services - then what better place for you to voice your opinions and concerns about the way holidays impact the environment, tours affect communities and the way profit is spent!

If the companies at the show hear person after person asking about their eco credentials and how their packages and tours support the people and wildlife they visit - they will start to improve on those areas to keep the customers?

Imagine if a person approaches ‘Company A’ and asks them whether or not they employ local guides on their tours. If they don’t, then they will find themselves in a sticky situation, but could still answer you politely enough for you to carry on at their stall and that might be the end of that. No one else gets to hear of it.

But what if 50 people ask that same question?

How will that company feel after a day of saying ‘no’? I’m sure that there will be some serious re-thinking of their tactics for the next day - and I can almost guarantee that this feedback will get back to the people who make decisions. Hopefully spurring some change.

Now imagine the positive buzz around those companies that can answer ‘yes’ to that question.

We all know that the companies which survive are those that offer what their customers want or need. So, if they offer holidays that encourage eco tourism, habitat conservation and community development - they will get your eco dollars!

If they can’t answer your questions positively or they blatantly offer tours or cruises that offer no benefits at all to the destination - then they won’t see your money - and hopefully they will have empty seats on their trips!

If people don’t ask for things - they won’t get them.

So, get your questions ready and make a difference!

posted by Catherine on Sep 10

Here I continue with some other areas where I found it difficult to remain green while on vacation…..

On The Buses:
The buses ran very frequently and we didn’t want to hire a car so we stuck with public transport - however - there was a slight problem.

All the buses were churning out black fumes as they trundled along the badly laid streets over-filled with us tourists. Some said ‘12 standing’ but we were hanging out the door alongside another 20 or more people holding on for dear life.

There was no chance at all of us walking anywhere due to the excessive heat, but we were not going to be the only ones waiting for a newer bus to come along to satisfy our eco-needs!

The Hotel Itself.
Now this should have been a safe bet as we had searched it’s details before booking - but they don’t write everything down!

The towels were needlessly replaced everyday even though we followed the instructions to ’save water’ and hung them on the rails, and there were other little things that were not in the description.

For example the giant plasma TV screen in the reception lounge and dozens of little ones dotted around with hotel advertising on them. Then the total reception ‘re-furb’ where they replaced all the furniture overnight!

The main hotel had 3 separate lifts even though it wasn’t that big, and also had 2 separate buildings - each with their own lift too! But when you had got back from a day out and were sweaty and exhausted and with bags of shopping - did walking up to the 5th floor seem a sensible option! I can see why they put them in - or why people don’t like it when they aren’t there.

They also didn’t supply some of the basics needed for a kitchenette, so we had to go and buy all the missing things. So rather than the hotel buying bulk washing-up liquid for example and decanting it into the rooms when you arrived - they didn’t offer this - therefore forcing everyone who came here to go and buy their own.

Now, there were 41 self-catering rooms in our building and some people stayed for a few days, a week or 2 weeks. So it is possible that in the 2 weeks we were there over 100 visitors have had to go and buy washing-up liquid and scourers, etc…… And of course - the containers are too big for such a short time, so did people throw them away when they left!

So, Finally:
It’s alright to say that we should mention these things to our hotel or the stores involved, but many of it falls on deaf ears as I found out! Many hotels cannot afford to make the changes and many see no need as we readily accept what is there.

Over the years people have learnt to expect certain things and accept certain things, and so for a few decades yet, things won’t change. Unless you specifically book into a newly built eco lodge, energy-saving and environmentally advantageous things won’t be as standard. (And why visit a new-build when there were plenty of existing hotels about in the first place?)

Some things won’t change due to accessibility laws: for example, the lifts will have to remain for those with prams or wheelchairs; and the air conditioning for those who are old or young or otherwise unable to tolerate high temperatures.

We need to make some things ‘dirty’ like dropping litter and smoking in restaurants have been to make more people a bit more thoughtful when it comes to using the resources in hotels.

The National History Museum in London has put signs on their lifts suggesting, in a very polite way, that healthy people should really be using the stairs instead. A great start.

posted by Catherine on Sep 2

Heading To South America for a bit of eco adventure!

There are some fantastic wildlife areas in Argentina and the country has so much to offer the visitor that I thought I would try to interest you in some of the eco lodges here that offer that little bit of uniqueness that you would expect from your vacation.

The following 3 locations are spread over the country and include stays in locally run estancia - a large ranch or farm estate.

La Alegría Eco Lodge - Misiones, Iguazu Area:

A small and personal destination submersed in the jungles and waterways of this ancient and wildlife-filled part of the country.

There are only ever a maximum of 6 guests so there is no overcrowding or overuse of resources. There is also little need to stock up with excessive amount of other supplies as the types of guest this attracts are not there for just a ’sunny vacation with all the extras’ - people come here to be at one with nature and to explore the many habitats in peace!

Accommodation is in log cabins, designed and heated in the traditional ways. The freshwater swimming pool is fed by a 100% hydraulic pump from the nearby stream and isn’t treated with chemicals.

Most of the meals are grown and prepared on site, and the hosts join their guests for all meals allowing for some great story telling and traditional celebrations! Your hosts Patricia and Marcelo are also experts on the local area and offer guided tours, horseback trails and other adventures.

Or they just leave you alone to find your own way or just relax in the pool!

Yacutinga Lodge - Misiones, Iguazu Area:

Not far from that lodge is this unique biological lodge that has links to a wildlife reserve and the work of the WWF - as a result it is a bit pricier!

The buildings are made of local materials and set in harmony with natures shapes, totally integrated and the wildlife habitats are literally on your doorstep. Each of the fantastic and spacious rooms has it’s own private and uninterrupted view of the forest outside.

The outside comes inside here, and fallen trees and plants fill the reception and rooms - making it a bit quirky. Almost everything used is from the forests - yet only 4 out of the 570 acres of this pristine wilderness are inhabited by the buildings.

Activities here range from helping out with surveying, planting of indigenous trees, to awareness courses on the natural resources and guided walks. There are thousands of trees, plants, birds, insects and mammals to find in these forests and the funds from your visit will help to make sure that they remain there!

Rincón del Socorro - Esteros del Ibera.

This delightful 12,000 hectare former cattle ranch has been amazingly transformed into a nature reserve by it’s current owners. Using identical resources and techniques they have restored the farm house over 2 years - but adding the modern touch.

Covering both wetland and savannah habitats there will be plenty of places you can just get away from it all by yourself - or get immersed in the whole wildlife packages that the hosts offer.

There are plenty of activities on offer, including horseback riding, canoeing and wildlife watching - and nearly all activities are included in the price so you can make the most of it all. Sit yourself down in the tack room for a traditional drink of afternoon ‘mate’, of wander around the wonderfully restored buildings.

Meals are mainly local and organic and the meat is free-range - well, there is no shortage of land here! Using local traditional foods and gourmet dishes for meals, there is something for everyone, and the local wines will no doubt go down a treat!

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!

posted by Catherine on Feb 17

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Instead of visiting a jungle to help plant trees - why not learn how to live there and survive using it’s natural resources?

There is an ethical company that can offer the opportunity to venture deep into jungles, learn a second language, teach children and adults, and even learn to dive. Their motto is ‘tread lightly…. go far’ and they have a great reputation - even training up Bruce Parry and employing him for years!

Who Are They?
Since starting in 1990, TrekForce have offered expeditions and adventures into some of the most remote locations in the world, helping local communities along the way.

They have also been responsible for setting up over 100 new national parks, carried out biodiversity studies, completed hundreds of separate local projects, planted a quarter of a million trees (they are running as a carbon neutral company now) and placed over 600 teaching assistants in over 300 community schools overseas.

They also run packages for charities and CSR - Corporate Social Responsibility - which can boost big company profiles and help to attract future employees.

What Do They Offer?
As part of their packages - and depending on how long you can travel with them - they offer a whole host of skills and experiences. These include the following:

Jungle Training - Instructors will help train you to set up camp, how to navigate, find food and water and basically make it through the night in the jungle.

Explore New Locations- They will set you on a challenge in some remote location at the request of the country you are visiting. This could include cataloging and mapping new areas or archaeological sites - never before visited. It could include building or repairing important structures for research and community support - and supporting local wildlife and conservation.

Living With Host Families- While traveling into these areas you will live with families across the region, learning the language and the culture. You can travel independently during this time, or spend more time with the local community.

Teaching - You have the opportunity to be placed as a teaching assistant within local schools within small or large communities. You may well be involved with field trips, helping to practice your leadership and language skills along the way.

Diving Lessons - Some courses end in a dive party having learnt PADI basics in location, then you can enjoy the clear waters to refresh your mind after all the hard work of the previous months!

Where And When?
Eco holiday destinations include Guatemala and Belize, Ecuador and Peru, Borneo, Papau New Guinea, Nepal, Morocco and Australia.

The adventures range from as little as 2 weeks (basic jungle skills) for around £1200, all the way up to 5 months (the full package) for up to £4100 - that’s less than £30 a day!!!!  Cheaper than a night in a Bed and Breakfast!

And don’t forget that that price includes a pre departure meeting, all meals and accommodation, transfers, training and emergency back-up - and a meet-up reunion afterwards. Not bad in my book.

The trips to Ecuador and Australia include the long term possibility of working there for up to a year from as little as £900 fully supported, and there is also an extended course where you can train to be a qualified expedition leader for over £6000 - this is real serious stuff and could lead you on a whole new career! Just ask Mr Parry about that!!!!!

Are you up for the challenge?

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posted by Catherine on Feb 10

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For a great eco adventure - why not consider joining a charity trek or cycle.

Many companies and charity offer great tour holidays to destinations across the globe where you raise some money for your chosen charity and then start training for some tough challenges!

Finding the Right Trip:
Firstly, you need to decide whether you want to do one closer to home, or whether you are prepared to travel by plane to a distant location. Depending on the charity you choose, the type of trip and the impact on the destination, only you can decide whether you think you should travel that far.

Find out about the company that are organising the trip (not the charity that are advertising it). This way you will be able to read up on their eco policies and company ethics regarding tourism. Many companies have been running for years - but their success is no guarantee of their eco savvy! Make sure you are happy with the way they plan to do things.

Choose Your Charity:
Make sure you pick a charity that you believe in. Not only will this make your funds go even further for you, but it will also help you to raise the money in the first place, and make you feel better about the whole trip and your reasons for wanting to do it.

If you find an advertised trip you like, but the charity isn’t one you would support, then find an independent company like Discover Adventure. This company organise trips all the time for large or small groups - and you can choose any charity you want to donate your money to - even a small charity local in your community that isn’t internationally famous. It doesn’t matter to them - it just needs to matter to you.

Raising The Money:
Before committing to anything, make sure that you are prepared to raise the funds and/or chip in yourself. Some tour holidays require you to raise up to £3500 - others will obviously cost less. Can your employer help? Are you friends with a local restaurant/bar manager or can a local school help you?

How much of the raised funds actually go to the charity? What happens if you can’t raise it all in the time given - where does the money go? Can you extend your stay at the destination therefore making the flight less of an impact? Can they suggest any volunteer work out there for you to move on to after the trek?

Preparation:
Does the trek offer you advice about health and training for the trip or do they just assume you will manage to train yourself. Remember that if you aren’t fit enough for the adventure - you may not enjoy the trip at all, and possibly injure yourself.

Do they offer you information about the culture you will be experiencing and tips on learning a few words of the language and some customs of the local people? Make sure they advise on the dos and don’ts for the trip and you have the right equipment for the terrain and weather you will encounter.

The Trip Itself:
Make sure you enquire about the impact that your trip is going to have on the people and the wildlife you are going to encounter. Will the trek be employing local people as guides or porters - if so are they getting a fair deal out of it? Will the hotels or other accommodation be locally run, and the food locally sourced?

Will you have a chance to speak with local people and get to experience their communities and culture? Many offer several days in the location before or after the trek/cycle to taste the country or region. Make sure that you try local dishes and drinks while there as well - using local transport and spending local money.

Enjoy Yourself:
By all means sign yourself up to one of these trips - either a short cycle in your local area, or a full 2 week trek in some far-away destination - but make sure you do your homework first.

Don’t just go for the one that is heavily advertised and accept whatever comes with it - make sure you are happy with their ethics and they practice responsible tourism. Don’t be embarrassed to ask questions that concern you - remember their are dozens of companies competing for your attention, so make sure you let them know how you feel by voting with your feet.

By choosing the most ethical trips with the most eco friendly companies, you will be helping to weed out the worst and improve the competition - and of course have the best time on your eco holiday and adventure!

posted by Catherine on Jan 25

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Is it ethical to travel to countries that allow paying tourists the right to shoot large game?  Or should you avoid them?

With the report in the Sunday Times that people are again being invited in large numbers to shoot wild animals in Africa - including whole families of elephants - should you support their country with tourism or avoid them all together?

Apparently Zimbabwe is trying to cull huge numbers of it’s elephant population, and South Africa is offering lion kills to foreign tourists.

Obviously, it is unfathomable to me why anyone would want to kill any healthy animals anyway - let alone pay large sums of money to do so. And if I had good reason to end the life of an animal, I certainly wouldn’t want to pose on top of it for a photo!

Why Hunting?
They can reason that some animal populations can be a danger to local communities and need to be ‘controlled’ but there are far more humane and tourism-friendly approaches. Shooting them has to be a final option - but allowing inexperienced gun-toters to take on the job is surely a way of saying that ‘it doesn’t matter if they suffer - we just want them dead’.

I know that if my cat needed to be put to sleep - I could probably get some local man to whack it a few times over the head with a large stick for virtually no cost. However, I would rather leave it in the hands of a professional veterinarian - even if it costs me a considerable amount of money.

But, I suppose using Zimbabwe as an example isn’t the best, as at the moment they apparently don’t even care about their human population - let alone their animals!

However, South African Hunting Groups should know better. They know that this is a very controversial area, but they still continue to arrange hunting parties - arguing that the money raised is ploughed back into the community and into wildlife conservation.

Regardless of whether it is or not, should we as tourists make a stand and decide to go to other countries for our safari’s and feed our money into their economy instead? Or, should we let them see that what they are killing is worth more to them alive in their own country?

Is it that easy?
Hunters normally pay between £5000-£15,000 to kill an animal so it is a very lucrative business to compete with. This means that at least 6 people need to visit the same reserve paying around £2500 each for a short safari to match the incoming amount. But the actual profits don’t match up.

To drive a jeep of 6 hunters into the park, feed them lunch, then whisk them off home takes less than a day. This totals between £35,000 and £90,000 for a day depending on what they are killing - and the only overheads are 2 peoples wages, fuel, bullets and lunch.

To gain the same amount of total funds per day from sight-seeing tourists would mean dividing up their 3 day safari - so around £833 a day each for the same trip - minus the bullets obviously. In addition, the safari would include accommodation as well, so take off the odd £33 as a token cost.

So, the safari only needs between 44 and 112 people in each jeep to match the hunters profits! It’s not going to happen, is it?

Without getting petty about the figures, you are going to need a huge number of animal-loving tourists to match a jeep load of hunters.

What Can We Do?
Lets assume that these ‘trophy’ animals are part of a large plan to save other species in the area as many hunters claim. Can we still justify this? And can they prove where their money helps?

Obviously, each ‘hunt’ should be taken on a case-by-case basis and large charities and organisations will be able to see the results of their ‘claims’. Therefore, if you are planning to travel to a country in Africa that offers hunting - check with animal charities and organisations in that region before booking to find out current activities and what you can best do to help out.

Don’t forget that many of the local communities in these countries may not agree with the hunting either - and many hunting parties are not run by locals or happen on completely the other side of the country. However, you could be affecting individual livelihoods and the future of their families by not visiting.

Of course, if you are going to ‘boycott’ a country, there is no point doing so unless you let someone know your reasons - and local charities can help you to direct your correspondence down the best path for maximum effect.

Make sure you don’t miss out on one of the worlds greatest wildlife adventures because of a selfish few. Pick yourself an eco holiday that will actually leave your destination better off for your visit, and feel great about your contribution.

posted by Catherine on Jan 17

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Many travel writers now agree on what should be your benchmarks for selecting an ‘eco’ holiday and I have selected some of the easier to achieve targets and briefly discuss them below.

Eco-Holidays are not just about the environment anymore, they involve the whole community: all ages, all communities and all encompassing.

Gone are the days when you were praised for not washing your towels every day or seen as eccentric for volunteering abroad, these trips are becoming more and more popular - and people want to make sure that they are doing their best to support the places that they visit.

After all - we only visit the places we think are worth visiting - so why destroy them?

Listed below are 4 key areas that your eco holidays should score well on, and below there is advice relating to each one that you can easily achieve without too much effort on your part.

A) It should be fair.
This means that you are not just going somewhere for your own gains regardless of anything else, and your choice of accommodation of transport aren’t damaging either. You and your hosts are aware of their impact on that environment and you have taken this into account.

B) It should be community-centred.
By thinking about your impact on the communities in your destination, you are considering how your actions could affect their lives and or their future. Make sure that your hosts are thinking along the same lines.

C) It should be sustainable.
Ideally, your hotel/host/tour company should not be depleting or degrading their environment to the extent that future generations cannot enjoy it as you did yourself, or by destroying it completely.

D) Decisions should be ecologically sensible.
Your resort/hotel/host/tourguides decisions should offer the most logical choice for the destinations ecology. For example, offering a shower instead of a bath or offering travel by horse instead of 4-wheel drive!

Here are some simple steps to help you achieve these goals when travelling.

A) Take your vacation in your own country.
If you stay at home you are reducing your impact on the entire planet by not adding carbon emmissions to the already toxic skies or seas. You are also not likely to affect any communities other than the 1st world destination you live in, and that is better able to deal with your ecological demands and the waste that you generate.

B) Try to find different, less popular destinations.
By offering other destinations your tourist dollar, you are helping smaller communities to prosper. Many local people cannot get a store or hostel in the busiest locations as the rents are too high or they are dominated by foreign companies (like Cancun). By staying in these towns you can make a real difference to local communities and people’s lives.

C) Avoid travelling in sensitive areas without a guide.
If you wander into a nature reserve alone, for a start you may not see hardly any wildlife at all, but more worryingly, you will not necessarily know the correct paths and walkways. You may think it’s ‘ok’ to take that short cut through the trees, or to wade across that shallow pool - but you could be damaging the very environment you came to see. What if you make a ‘noticable path’ where you shouldn’t have and more people mistakenly follow it? Within months damage may be noticable and habitats destroyed.

D) Check that the food you eat is locally produced.
If you feast on US brand named food the whole time you are travelling - what are you offering to local farmers? By buying locally grown produce and locally made products you are feeding that money straight back in to the destinations economy. And who needs Hersheys chocolate bars anyway when there is so much tropical food to chose from?

Obviously these are only a few of the tips that you can take to make sure that you find yourself the most suitable eco holidays. And, there are many other things to consider when choosing your vacation, but this just covers a few basics for you.