Eco Holidays

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.

posted by Catherine on Dec 7

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I thought I would start off with an article about the basic things to look out for when booking your eco holidays and adventures.

Obviously there are extremes for the most eco friendly holidays out there, but I am just offering a few of the essentials that can make all the difference to the environment you are travelling to and the wildlife and people who you will be sharing it with.

1) Choose a destination you care about.
If you make sure that you are travelling to a destination that you know a lot about or want to explore for the first time, then you will be spending your well earned money supporting eco holidays in that area - ultimately making that people working in that destination treat tourism (and their environment) with care. 

It’s the whole demand circle - if loads of people want cheap sun and sand, then you get a Cancun (loads of high rise hotel blocks crammed onto a sandy peninsula).  If people demand (and pay a bit extra for) ecologically and environmentally friendly small destinations - then that is what they will supply.

2) Consider a recommended location.
Ideally, you would travel to a location that had been recommended by a friend or other trusted source.  Not only does this save the destination from having to advertise their location to thousands of potential holiday-makers, but it keeps the feeling friendly - and lets the staff and managers there that they are treating their customers with great customer service - so they will repeat that for your holiday, hoping that you too will pass on the good word.

3) Select your agent well.
If you are booking your eco holidays through an agent, make sure that they offer flexible packages and are not sending huge numbers of people to the same locations.

Most reputable tour operators will fly you scheduled to your destination, keeping travel groups to a limited few (no more than 12 really).  They will normally also offer an English-speaking guide or escort to be with your group at all times, and have everyone travel together on internal transfers.

Many specialists such as Audley Travel and the Kuoni Group can even offer individual travel, basically your group only throughout the trip.  They also offer a personal service for any extras that you may require, such as tailor-made specialist trips.

If you book an ‘eco-holiday’ with companies that normally offer package deals or cheap vacations, then the destination may well be only eco-friendly on paper.  Even if the hotel is in ‘the jungle’ and uses recycled rainwater and grows a lot of it’s own fruit - with 500 paying guests at a time running around the chlorinated pool with a fountain splashing down a rocky slope - it’s not actually an eco-friendly destination.

4) Contact your choices in advance.
If you have selected one or two locations that you like, make sure you contact the owners/managers in advance.  They should respond to your email, phone call or letter promptly and answer any questions you have.

Ideally, they would also offer you advice that they feel will make your vacation even better or your travel plans run more smoothly - even if you didn’t ask for it.  This shows that they have great experience with tourists and have found that certain things work and other things don’t, and they want your trip to visit them to run as smoothly as possible.

5) Go independent.
Make sure that the hotel you select is run independently and preferably by a company that is resident to the country your are visiting.  This way, your host will not only know more about the location and places of interest, but they will have made a network of other suppliers and local tour operators that they will recommend to you as necessary.

The money you spend in the resort will therefore go to benefit the local area and families as and when they are employed by guests or the hotel itself, but your money will not leave the country and fly back home before you as with many package destinations and all-inclusive resorts.

Although such destinations do employ local staff, they are not benefiting local people or the communities they are located in.

6) Research the location and resources of the Hotel.
Many companies like the attention that being ‘eco-friendly’ attracts, so make sure you check their credentials before you book with them.

Where are they located exactly, and does their building or complex fit into the environment well (are they all below the canopy level?, are they made of local materials? where does their sewage and litter all go?) 

Are they located close to the kind of environment you want, for example are they in a cloud forest, on a beach, in the mountains?  Don’t let the name of the lodge or hotel confuse you in this as destinations will often use key words to attract guests (such as monkey lodge, rolling waves hotel, canopy cottages), but could not actually offer that item - or are about an hour away from it….

Do they use all their own energy supplies, like solar panels, recycled river or rain water, composting toilets, limited lighting and wood burning stoves or bio-fuel?

Do they grow their own food supplies and farm animals?  If not, is all food from local suppliers?  If they offer specialist diets such as gluten-free alternatives etc, are these imported - if so do you personally pay for that privilege or does the hotel (and environment)? 

Do they ask you to take all your own litter away with you, or offer sensible alternatives to waste?

7) And finally - Is there anything you can offer them?
Not a necessary part of anyones holiday, but fun none the less. 

Has you hotel or lodge got a local school or project that you could help out with while you are there?  Could they link you up with an environmental group who are doing some work in the local area?  Are they associated with an educational establishment that you could offer your skills to or you could learn from?

If you are there becasue you love that location and that environment, then why not offer to help out and improve what’s already there - at no extra cost to you but of huge benefit to them.

Hope you have a great time!

posted by Catherine on Dec 4

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Hello and welcome to this new, fantastic blog about eco holidays and adventures. It will fill your hearts with joy at the wonders of eco living and traveling.

Not only can you now take your eco holidays in style, but you can also take them on whichever continent you wish and at a reasonable price. And we are here to help.

This blog hopes to cover all the greatest eco destinations, the most exciting eco adventures, tips on finding the best eco holidays for you, and advice on planning and extending your adventures wherever you are and whatever you are doing!

Choices include underwater adventures, cultural community-living, wildlife-friendly safaris, reclusive rain-forest lodges, snow-covered mountain retreats or even just a great weekend away in your nearest National Park.

So, from here on in, there is nothing but great holiday ideas, tips for responsible tourism, helpful contacts and facts, facts, and more facts!

Enjoy.

TravelCat