Eco Holidays

posted by Catherine on Oct 22

If you are going to travel across continents – then why not make the most of it?

Having travelled regularly myself – I know that there is a huge distinction between going it alone based on guide books and actually taking a reputable escorted tour or longer guided trip.

Now, I won’t say that all of my ‘go-it-alone’ holidays have been rubbish – far from it!  I loved every minute of my trips from home otherwise I wouldn’t do it so often – but there is more to see than just what’ in the guidebooks – and it’s great!

People In The Know:
A friend of mine recently travelled to the Canadian Rockies for a vacation, and it was going to be just the 2 of them in various log cabins looking at a few things here and there – but I encouraged them otherwise.

I feel that if you are going to clock up the energy costs of travel in the first place, you should really cram as much into them as you can so that it is still enjoyable; but that you come away with a big grin on your face which hangs around for several months afterwards.

So I suggested that they look at some escorted tours Canada to get a real insight into the place before they headed off on their own.

photo credit: savillent

It Changes Your View:
Having signed up for a guided tour myself in this area – I know how much the experience can offer.  Not only does it allow you to learn a lot more about the history and the workings of the area, it also highlights wildlife patterns, tips on getting the most out of it and safety regarding the larger mammals in the woods!

Discovering that some beautiful birds flock to certain trees early in the morning is indispensible; locating an idylic mountain stream and waterfall is another ‘perfect’ moment; and finding out from a local how to act if a pack of wolves cross your path really helps to settle your nerves!

And hopefully a great guide on your tour will be able to fill you with enthusiasm about the whole region as well as the smaller things.  They will make sure that they add a bit a magic to your vacation.

There is no point getting home and feeling like you didn’t see everything or that you need to go back to see more sights – you’ll want to go back because you loved it so much the first time!

posted by Catherine on Jun 22

What is the fun in making a whole load of rules about the countryside?

The Countryside code is something that people rarely ever read – and this is for 2 main reasons. Either the people being shown the information are too rude and selfish to consider what might be best for the countryside itself and everyone else sharing in it’s beauty, so they have no interest in being ‘told what to do’.

Or they already know the code inside-out as it is all common sense to the the eco thinker!

I mean how more obvious could it be to anyone that dropping litter isn’t a great way to keep the countryside healthy! If you drop litter here today – what do you expect it to look like tomorrow?

The basic principles of the Countryside code are really just the exact same things as we see everywhere else in our lives – but maybe with sheep instead of hamsters, and oaks instead of rose bushes.

Would you leave the door to your friends hamster cage open after you put something inside? Would you start pulling roses off your neighbours bushes because you wanted a closer look at the leaves? Would you hit your dog waste under a hedge with a stick and into the school playground? While looking around a shop, would you start opening all the doors just to see what’s on the other side?

Strange. Because that is just what people expect to be able to do in the countryside.

How Are They The Same?
Unfortunately, because the countryside (and beaches and woodlands and mountains, moors and marshes) are all free to visit – some people assume that they have no value. And so they treat them as such.

For example, Family A travel to a small village for a visit and decide to wander off up a footpath as it is sunny. As they have not ‘done this before’ they may well ‘lose’ their way, find the path turning the ‘wrong’ way or come across a huge muddy puddle.

photo credit: robertsharp

Rather than thinking that the footpath goes another way for a reason or that the place they want to go might be private anyway – they say to themselves: ‘Well, we can see where we want to go – so if we just jump this fence, we can walk across this dry field and get there anyway’.

Now if you went around your friends house for a visit, walked to the end of their garden and saw a beautiful lake across someone else’s garden – you wouldn’t just bunk over your friends fence and trample your family across somone else’s garden to get to the private lake, would you?

So what makes it OK when it is just a farmers field?

All Are Welcome:
The countryside is usually ‘free’ to enter as many charities and private owners alike want people to experience to wonder and amazing character of the open countryside.

They do this by opening up for private business, extending their existing footpath and bridleway network to allow great freedom of the visitors and by making their land as easy to access and walk through as possible.

However, at any time they can revert to the bare minimum of access for walkers and riders. And repreated trespassing and vandalism will only bring this about sooner.

For example, shops that find large numbers of children encourage thefts restrict the number of children they allow in to their stores. Private Houses and Gardens open to the public often put barriers around precious items, flower beds and lawns and even close of certain rooms – usually due to past visitors damaging or breaking something with their carelessness.

The same could be true for your favourite areas of the countryside.

Imagine if all footpaths were fenced in; Open Access land was restricted back to the by-ways and gardens and houses were closed of?

Imagine also that due to the cost of repairs and alterations due to damage by visitors was placed on future visitors.

I remember a whole host of places that used to have ‘free parking’ or ‘free entry’ all year round – and churches that were left open all day.

That is not always the case anymore. More and more landowners, farmers, clergymen and charities are finding that unquestioning hospitality and generosity just are not traits that keep things ticking over.

Times are changing, but hopefully people can too!

Please pass on the Countryside Code to whoever you take out with you on your eco adventures. Pass on the reasons – not the rules – and hopefully you can change a few yourself.

posted by Catherine on May 31

Why take your safari in the same place as everybody else if you don’t have to?

Kenya, South Africa and Botswana get all the coverage with the big names for Safaris – but there is plenty to see in less visited countries – so don’t overlook places like Uganda and Rwanda too fast.

Not to name drop but you would be missing out on Bwindi Inpenetrable National Park and it’s mountain gorillas; both the Congo and the Nile rivers; the Great Rift Valley; and Lake Victoria.

When you are choosing an African adventure, make sure you give the less well known companies and countries their fair share of your attention and subsequently your funding. If we want to show countries that it is worth them keeping something – then we have to pay them in return.

And that is what your eco friendly travel plans should consider – what benefit does your vacation have on the people you spend it with – and those people you don’t spend it with?

So, here is a little bit of information on these 2 countries to show that there is plenty of Africa to see without sitting in a coach filled with 30 other tourists all looking at the same sleeping lion or baby elephant!

Uganda:
Home to an estimated 50% of the World’s mountain gorillas as well as chimpanzees, 120 species of mammals, 250+ species of butterflies and 360 species of birds in the Bwindi alone – making this site one of the richest and most diverse wildlife site in East Africa (beating Kenya hands down!).

photo credit: Kabacchi

It also has over 200 species of tree, 100+ ferns and 86 species of orchid! A plant lovers dream location too then!

In total there are 9 National Parks in Uganda – so you won’t be short of a wildlife adventure or two for your efforts.

There are a variety of habitats including wetlands, marshes, mountains and cloud forests to explore as well as 40 different languages to discover amongst the 4 main areas of the country.

And due to its high altitude and rings of mountains it is cooler than other countries on the equator – as well as being less prone to tropical diseases than many of it’s neighbours – always a bonus for the traveller!

Rwanda:
After being in the news for everything but it’s wildlife and culture – why not take a look at the eco adventures on offer in this less visited country. After all, gorilla safaris are this countries leading tourist attraction!

There are habitats here ranging from active volcanos in the Virunga mountains, through rolling hills, savannah, plains and swamps as well as all the lakes that fill this part of the Great Rift Valley.

There are only 3 National Parks here – but you won’t be disappointed with the wildlife: gorillas, giraffes, forest elephants, 14 species of primate and over 700 species of bird.

The people of Rwanda all belong to one ethnic group and so share a common history and culture, including dance, music and story-telling – as well as shared and local arts and crafts.

Eco Adventures:
These 2 countries border each other (as well as Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo) so you could easily travel between them all on an overland tour – either with an organised group or independently depending on your needs (overland tour buses don’t usually have toilets!).

So when you are planning your Safari Holidays - don’t look to the same old same old – think of something new and you might just have the best safari ever!

Following your heart – not the tour bus rules……

posted by Catherine on Apr 27

Would you know what to do if you found an unconscious person while out on a walk?

How about if a friend of yours just suddenly fainted, cut themselves, feels unwell, or had a burn? If you said no – or aren’t sure, then you should think about going on an Emergency First Aid course.

Many people only do a First Aid course because they ‘have to’ for work or volunteering – but why should we be forced to do it? Why haven’t you thought about saving your family and friends in an emergency rather than having to help a random person who happened to visit your shop or office?

Why do we wait to be asked to learn such and important skill – we should be climbing over each other to get on a course!

And it isn’t about what to do with the casualty either – it is about assessing your needs as well as those of the patient. And your actions also affect the emergency services and complete strangers who could be 30 miles away from you.

How? Well think of the larger picture as well as just your little part in it.

Just You:
Before helping anyone in an emergency situation – you should check that you are safe to help in the first place – there is no point you getting injured, electrocuted, trapped, burned or drowned as well as the casualty! And if you do get hurt – who will be there to help you?

Don’t forget that 999/911/122 calls will get routed through to the emergency services even if you are in an area with no mobile coverage – so if in doubt about your safety – call them first for advice.

The Casualty:
If you can get to them safely – then you need to assess them before you call the emergency services – as you will need to know a bit more about them. For example, if they are not breathing at all – then those first few minutes could be vital to their survival, so don’t waste them trying to make a phone call!

And you might find that they are not that seriously hurt or were just sleeping! Needless to say that if you do call out a helicopter or ambulance for someone who ends up telling you that they were just sleeping or drunk – you have wasted a lot of peoples time and resources.

photo credit: Artotem

The Complete Stranger:
He was just in his garden at home when he started getting chest pains – they didn’t go away when he laid down so he struggled to the phone to call an ambulance as he thought he was having a heart attack.

He speaks to the emergency staff and they tell him that they will be there as soon as they can – but they know that their last ambulance is on its way to that collapsed casualty in the woods 15 miles away.

Your casualty turns out to be hung-over while that complete stranger is getting worse! There are a limited number of emergency vehicles in any one area – so make sure that you don’t waste their resources by calling them for a non-emergency.

The Emergency Services:
Obviously if you find an unconscious person anywhere who is not responding to your loud voice or a firm shoulder pat (as they could be deaf) – then you should clear their airways and make sure that they are breathing and then call the emergency services for advice.

However, you must assess their situation first to be of most help to them. They have been trained to save lives and have the equipment to do so – but if they are 20 miles away from the casualty then they can’t do their job.

There are also alternative emergency advice solutions – particularly if the casualty is conscious and not in a life-threatening situation. Taking them to one of the many minor injuries or illness clinics is a great first option, calling NHS Direct (UK only) can answer many of your questions and advise you of the best course of action.

But nothing beats getting your own skills in Emergency First Aid – that way you can help your friends and family immediately – and offer the correct help to others in need.

You’ll never regret taking the course – only not taking it.

posted by Catherine on Apr 10

Throw out that traditional ‘city’ guidebook – write your own eco adventure guide!

We all try to make sure that we see the oldest church, tallest tower, biggest fountain or a giant shoe – but what about the landscapes surrounding us? Do you find out where the local wildlife lives? Where the local people go and relax or where the more remote landscapes off the tourist trail are?

If not – then you aren’t having an eco adventure – you are having the same ‘adventure’ as a thousand other tourists who passed by.

By finding out a bit more about your destination first, you can discover so much more when you are travelling – and will have a better eco holiday that you ever imagined.

The Landscapes:
It might sound boring to research the rock types and weather patterns of your holiday destination – but by finding out things like whether the rock is ‘hard’ (granite) or ‘soft’ (limestone) you would know whether there would be a lot a water on the surface, the likelihood of caves and what plants and animals you could see.

photo credit: DaveBleasdale

For example softer more porous rock types like chalk and limestones don’t hold water so will be reasonably dry landscapes and any water features will usually be seasonal or man-made. And this affects the wildlife and plants you will find.

Other rock types might produce totally different effects and environmental diversity – which could make for some very interesting places to visit on your vacation.

The Locations:
By looking at the niche habitats and weather patterns – you could find out where the most pleasant places to visit are.

You may well avoid India in the monsoon, and the Caribbean during the hurricane season – so why visit a desert at the hottest time of day, or a tropical coastal location before the afternoon sea breezes come in?

Locals know all the secrets to making the most of the day – so if the locals don’t go out until the afternoon – you know to copy them! What do they do instead and where do they do it?

I remember when I first went to Malta I was back in my flat by 6pm and stayed in all night as I was totally knackered from all that sun. But 1 night I needed something important, so popped back out to the shop and found the entire local population out on the boulevard socialising!

Kids on bikes, couples, babies in strollers and games of chess all going on – there wasn’t a single seat free for about 2 miles of promenade! I had wondered why the prom was so wide with so many benches when I hardly ever saw anyone there – but of course it was too hot during the day to sit in the sun!

Learning a bit more about somewhere isn’t so hard – and then you could find you get a lot more from the experience.

posted by Catherine on Mar 17

If you are taking a long eco holiday – why travel alone?

When heading off on an eco adventure anywhere around the globe – there is no need for you to spend the whole time travelling on your own – why not meet up with other singles along the way?

If you are planning an epic journey or a working holiday covering large distances overland – then where is the harm in finding like-minded people to travel with – or to meet at destinations for a week or 2 along the way.

Infact, I find that this is the best way to meet people with similar ideas and outlooks to yourself. I mean if you are signed up to 6 weeks humanitarian work in Africa and you meet someone there – you know the type of person they are.

Same goes for people helping wildlife, raising money for certain charities, or just teaching overseas. These types of people are the same as you – so why not search them out and make friends?

Where Can I Find Them?
There are many websites, blogs and social network sites which allow you to talk to other people with similar interests, experiences or plans – and you can hop on board with them and their ideas.

You can also find many more companies simply offering great holidays for singles along the same lines – to introduce people and to share travel experiences.

Such companies offer to help match up people on the road, in resorts or during charity work or wildlife expeditions. Maybe after 8 weeks trekking, you want to put your feet up in a beachside bothy or rainforest retreat – and you want to take that time to meet others.

There are plenty of opportunities to find out about these types of organisations and chat to people who have been there already.

photo credit: [casey]

Why A Singles Holiday?
Well, for a start – there won’t be a single supplement for these places – they won’t expect you to pay extra money for an empty bed!

There are also many people who want to travel but are a bit worried about getting on alone – and these holidays can be just the thing needed to kick start your confidence – a great place to start off from.

All the other travellers at these locations are single travellers too, and so are more likely to chat to you too – so instant conversations can spark up – and maybe even long-term friendships.

Alternatively, you might be a seasoned traveller who just wants to be in great company for a few days at a time inbetween long solitary stints. A nice place to relax where you know you will be welcomed – and won’t be feeling the odd one out with other couples or family groups.

Whatever age, whichever country you are in or from and for however long you want to visit – there will always be something for everyone.

posted by Catherine on Dec 31

When booking your vaccinations – make sure you turn up on time!

Everyone needs to have their vaccinations for foreign travel – as it prevents expensive treatments and days or months or illness.  And of course, if you don’t catch these viruses or diseases – then you can’t pass them on to others at greater risk than yourself.

However, you will be amazed how many people don’t bother to turn up for their appointments – creating a delay in others receiving their boosters and protection.

Vaccinations:

Many vaccinations for travel need a certain amount of time to work in the body before you are 100% protected – so ideally you need to get these in advance of your travel – however, sometimes you just don’t get that much notice.

But what if when you went to book your appointment – they didn’t have any spaces?

Many appointments are left to run empty by people who fail to call ahead to cancel.  It only takes a second to do it – but multiplies up into a huge delay for all those people waiting afterwards.

I know my surgery only offer travel vaccinations 1 afternoon a week with only a handful of appointments each time – so around 15 in total for the month.

Your Jabs:

Now say you were travelling in a few weeks and were told that you had to wait 3 weeks for a space – even though unbeknown to you the first appointment tomorrow is going to be missed on purpose because the person had changed their mind and didn’t think it was important to call as they weren’t going to be charged for it anyway.

photo credit: Daniel Paquet

Of course the surgery can’t be expected to call you at a moments notice and offer the appointment to you instead – so you will have to wait until your appointment even though the nurse won’t be doing anything for that 15 minutes.

There is, unfortunately, no way that the receptionist on the day you called, leave all your details out for the different receptionist working tomorrow morning with a note to say that if anyone doesn’t turn up to call you immediately as you are only working around the corner.

Needless to say, even if you were available at short notice there is no way that ‘notes’ can be left around the surgery ‘just incase’ something happens. 

I mean if they took a note for you – they would have to do it for everyone – and as you can imagine, if everyone thinks that they are a priority the reception would be covered in notes and they would need a whole other receptionist just to be in charge of sorting out all these notes and then calling them all up as and when!

Best Prevention:

Obviously, keeping you jabs up to date in the first place is a great way to prevent these last minute worries – but please be considerate when you are the one unable to get to your appointment.

Just because you are in no hurry to get things done yourself – it doesn’t mean that there isn’t someone else working to a tight schedule at the same time and who could really appreciate you making a decision either way.

Think about when someone who isn’t in a rush to get home stops right in the middle of the shop doorway to check their receipt – even though you are rushing about on your lunch break and haven’t got a moment to spare!

You might not think that all your everyday decisions can be so important to other people you don’t even know – but they are.

So think ahead, and you are helping out a lot of other people without even trying!

posted by Catherine on Oct 22

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Spring is in the air – and you might not ever have to be again!

One of the largest and most comprehensive adventure travel shows is back on the schedule – and gives you plenty of time to start your own research into your next eco adventure!

If you are thinking about a volunteer Gap Year, a few months independent green travel, starting a career in travel writing or just trying something totally different – then the Outdoor Adventure Travel Show 2011 in London is the place you should really be planning for.

Not only are there travel companies galore to visit, but there are also writing and photography seminars, travel clinics and discount clothing and equipment all waiting in 1 place for you.

Who Can You Ask?
If you are thinking about trying something a little bit ‘new’ or stepping out into the wide world for the first time, then you should really get several opinions on locations, projects and transport from experts.

Not just a travel agent – as they tend to sell package deals and flights only – if you want a real eco adventure or to try out some green travel packages, then you need to speak to the people who specialise in that.

In the same way that a car salesman can’t give you the best advice to drive around the world and an estate agent can only give you a few general tips on how to spot an eco home - a high street travel agent can’t really offer green advice based on experience.

You need to weed out the ‘generalists’ and look for the specialists.

The Plan:
Needless to say – if you just turn up to this event on a whim you will still have a great time and gets lots of great information – but you won’t really be gleaming the best of the best.

As the show isn’t until January 2011 – you have 3 months to get researching yourself.  Find out what possible dates are for travel; which countries or regions you are hoping to travel to – and how you plan to get there.

That way you have a rough plan in mind before you come face to face with the experts!  What if there is a great deal on a trip to Asia – but you hadn’t looked into opportunities in that area before – you might go away feeling like you have to start all over again.

What if you had been thinking about travelling from A to B to C – but then find out that you had the seasons all wrong and it will be the rainy season in the tropics - or the dry season when you arrive at fjords or great waterfalls!

If you have your plan already set out in your head, then you can bend and twist that plan once you have discussed a few things.  If you have no plan at all when you arrive then you could be quite overwhelmed – maybe even coming away from the show with 15 years worth of travel ideas rather than the 6-month trip you were hoping for!

The Dates:
Well, the show isn’t until the end of January, so you have plenty of time to get some of your basics together.

Whether it’s toying with a new language, thinking about a route across the globe or worrying about your carbon footprint – start putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys) and get some sort of structure to your plan.

Check on the Adventure Show website and see what’s on offer and which lectures or workshops might be of use to you in advance and start to give your eco holiday a backbone.  Maybe even set out a budget in advance and plan to buy the things you need at bargain show prices!

posted by Catherine on Oct 1

Your dad may well have got something right on those old family road trips!

You know the story – waiting for hours while your dad planned out everything, checked the car over and generally (from your side anyway) delayed the whole ‘leaving’ thing.

However, he could actually have been saving you a whole bunch of time and been protecting the environment along the way?

Planning ahead can really make all the difference to a smooth and eco friendly road trip – and avoid unnecessary waste!

So, maybe it’s time to take a leaf out of his book!

The Journey:
Getting yourself a good map of the main roads from your home to the places you hope to visit is the best starting point.

Not only can you see the quickest route between any 2 points on the main roads, but you can also see any beauty spots or trouble spots before you even think about the journey.

Driving during rush hour also needs to be avoided – but not at the cost of country lanes and the associated extra mileage, gear changes and potential hazards.  Maybe plan the time you travel rather than just the route!

photo credit: YayAdrian

Even knowing where the main services are can save resources.  If you know how much fuel you use over a certain distance than plan to find a services in advance.  If you leave it to low and get caught in traffic or have to follow a diversion – you could then have to divert again and stress yourself out looking for a fill-up!

The Vehicle:
Find out your best driving speed in your chosen vehicle to make sure that you reduce the cost of fuel and add stress to your journey by worrying about be overtaken all the time.  By setting yourself a target speed – you can focus on the journey itself rather than the hi-speed politics of the road.

Also, by distributing the weight in and on your vehicle to best suit the car you can reduce friction and drag on the vehicle making your car move more efficiently and safely in adverse weather or high speeds. 

Find out whether a roof rack is better or worse for bikes than a rear-mounted fixture, or whether luggage is better situated inside the car – like an extra person – crammed in the boot, or spread out over the top of the car in an ergonomic rook box.

If you only have a small vehicle and a long journey ahead of you – then hiring larger equipment when you arrive may actually be more eco friendly than carrying the extra weight of your own things for miles only to use them once!

The People:
By making sure that everyone has a part to play in the journey can make the whole thing easier on everyone.

If you plan to avoid sitting in traffic (or know alternative routes incase) and plan and tell everyone about regular toilet breaks and food stops – then there is no need for that ‘emergency’ diversion looking for services.

Make sure that younger travellers have plenty of things to keep them occupied – or travel at night to avoid added problems.  Ideally keep and adult in the back too; not only can they help with any kiddie-related problems without the driver having to take their eyes off the road or pull over – but you can keep the kids apart for the ride – reducing squabbles!

Also, make sure that whatever helps the driver to stay awake (regular stops, loud music, sugary food) is planned in to the journey and everyone is accepting of that need.  That way the driver won’t feel guilty about stopping and risk going that bit too far between breaks or driving faster to make up time!

The End!

posted by Catherine on Sep 23

Could eating insects be the best eco friendly move you make this year?

When you see those cooked crickets or giant squidgy bugs for sale at the market next time you are on your holiday – maybe you should try them for the sake of the planet!

We all know that there is a food crisis at the moment – what with climate change, food and energy demands and a growing population, but shouldn’t we all try something new if it could do some good without really putting us out too much.

I mean only the most extreme eco advocates would want to give up all their worldly possessions, electricity, fridge, meat, instant communications and go live in a tent with no running water!

The rest of us want to make a difference – but without to extreme an attitude.  And this new concept regarding food could be one of the things you try.

Eating insects may not appeal instantly as an alternative to a fresh salad or some fries for example, but it could be the answer to some of the planets current woes.

Land Requirements:
Farming cows is a topic that isn’t very popular with many people across the globe today.  Not only do they require a seemingly endless supply of land to graze and roam about on – which was possibly a dense rain forest 6 months ago – but they also require supplementary feeding by crops grown on yet more land.

Insects can live in tubs – all stacked on top of each other in the same barn.

Food Requirements:
And this is where it gets sticky – that land was growing crops that could have been fed to humans instead.  Rather than feeding nutritious food to cows (which are basically more food) it could be used to lower food prices and feed millions of humans rather than shipped across to American or European restaurants as prime T-Bone steak for the very wealthy.

Insects require only small amounts of food – none at all for eggs and grubs!

Living Standards:
Cows also need specific land in which to thrive – and lots of it.  If they don’t have lots of it, and are farmed intensively – then they need tonnes of supplementary food (grown on the land the cows don’t have); supplementary medicines and vitamins to maintain optimum health; and more farmers to watch over them incase of injury, trampling or other problems associated with bored, stressed, confined large animals!

Eggs and larvae won’t even know they are in a small space – and need no food either!

In Summary:
Obviously there will be some ‘grey’ areas to insect farming that I haven’t covered in this article – but in general: farming grasshoppers does seem to have the eco edge over farming cows.

Whether or not insect farming on a scale to feed all 6.87 million of us will be achieveable on a local or at least national scale is something we can only aim for – but in terms or land use – this could be a huge step forward!

So, next time you see a local farmer when on your eco travels selling his locally sourced and locally grown beetle larvae – then maybe you should support him in his work (and for not farming something illegal or destructive – or from America!).

Enjoy your lunch!