Eco Holidays

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 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 Apr 30

There is so much ‘greenwash’ about these days – how can you be sure you are choosing the right one?

Just searching for ‘eco friendly beach resorts’ or eco friendly family vacations’ on the internet can bring you up websites and resorts that are clearly not eco holidays at all!  They have just made sure that they use the ‘right’ words to get to the top of the search engines.

And even some websites that talk about eco lodges and responsible tourism might not actually have any proof of the ‘green ethics’ of the location.  It may be as simple as that they have recycling bins, wash your sheets less and heat their water using solar power – which is no real struggle if they are based in the tropics anyway!

So, How Can You Tell?
Well, just as with other products available today including electrical appliances, safety gear and organic food – there are certification programs to prove a company’s eco credentials – and to check the properly based on non-flexible criteria.

Rather than somebody reading Eco Friendly Hotel A’s website and then saying – ‘Oh, it’s lovely.  They take all your recycling away, cook only local food and have planted only native plants’, these certification bodies will actually go there and analyse those actions.

For example, they may say they separate all the recycling – but where do they send it and how?  What if they send it all down to their local tip (which may be a ruined piece of forest) or they just burn it on a distant patch of wasteland?

Then the local food could be a problem.  Are they growing crops that are ‘water demanding’ in a dry climate just to please the guests?  Are they catching rare wildlife for the plate, or fishing unsustainably in a polluted or degraded river or lake?  What species are they hunting and are they safe to eat?

By checking for these certifications you will make sure you get the real story.

Why Check For Certification?
Just as with membership to any exclusive club or society, association or certification with a well known responsible tourism or ecotourism body will allow your business to stand out from the crowd.

So, if a company, business, hotel or manufacturer can prove beyond a doubt that their products are certifiably eco friendly (having been tested by experts) then they know that they are among the best eco holidays out there – and have the backing of certification.

This obviously helps you as a consumer to choose the best holiday company or hotel based on your beliefs or desires.  Rather than having to research every hotels website looking for eco friendly attributes – you could just look for the logo that represents what you are hoping to find from your holiday.

For example, 1 logo might mean that the hotel is ‘minimizing their impact on the local environment and protecting wildlife’ (Natures Best), whereas others might be looking at whether a hotel is trying to ’reduce waste, energy consumption, water and facilitate use of public transport (Green Tourism).

Some countries have their own eco labels, whereas other certifications are internationally recognised.

How Does Certification Help?
Well, apart from reducing your holiday search from ‘all the hotels in Argentina that use the word ‘eco holidays’ in their search engine ranking’ to ‘Eco Logo A registered eco hotels in Argentina’, it also means that you will not feel disappointed with your choice of trip upon arrival in terms of responsible or eco traits - but also that you know that you are spending your money on something that really is making a difference to the location and the people that you wish to visit on your trip.

And, if more and more people start to ask for, or search for, those resorts and eco lodges that have these certifications – then more companies will want to become certified to improve their own business.

And, if a company are claiming that they are eco friendly or are ‘one of the best eco lodges in so-and-so’, then why wouldn’t they want to prove that by getting certified?  If they are doing all these things anyway – why not prove it?

Don’t be embarrassed to ask what their eco credentials are before booking.  I mean if you were a vegan and saw a tasty cake for sale - wouldn’t you want to check that it was free from animal products before you ate it?

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 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