Green Travel

Many people hear the terms “green travel” or “ecotourism” and picture someone sleeping in a treehouse in the jungles of Borneo or canoeing in the Amazon. But this type of eco-adventure is just one end of the green travel spectrum. You don’t need to sacrifice creature comforts or go off into the middle of nowhere to be a green traveler; you can visit big cities or small villages, and stay in small ecolodges or luxury hotels. All that’s required is an effort to preserve and protect the environment of the place you’re visiting — and it’s easier than you might think.

Why go green?

With nearly 1 billion tourists crisscrossing the globe every year, it’s more important than ever for travelers to minimize their individual impact on the earth’s natural and cultural treasures. The potential negative effects of tourism are both local and global; oceanfront hotels contribute to beach erosion in Hawaii, rising numbers of visitors threaten the fragile ecosystems of the Galapagos Islands, and carbon dioxide emissions from planes are a growing contributor to global warming.Taking a green approach to travel is an easy and essential way to protect the places you love to visit, not just for yourself but for the travelers who come after you and for the people who will continue to live there long after you’ve flown home. As an added bonus, it often makes for a more rewarding, authentic travel experience, encouraging deeper connections with the people and places you visit. Want to learn how? Read on….

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Yoga in Paradise

Ten Days of Yoga, Meditation, Bird Watching, Language Instruction and Service Learning

June 22 – July 1, 2012 in Mindo, Ecuador

Within walking distance of the equator, Mindo is the epitome of paradise with waterfalls, orchids, and the distinction of being “number one in the world for total bird species and most endemic bird species” -Bird Life International

This not for profit journey will take you into your body for healing through yoga and into the community to bring health through service. Yoga flier (pdf)

A service learning course presented by Cloud Forest Institute


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Posted in Community Ecuador Travel by EcoTourist369. 1 Comment

Social Tourism

Helping local communities when you travel

On a recent trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia, one of my motivations was to help the local community. One way I did this was to bring a big suitcase full of cotton clothes for kids that I bought at a second-hand store (yay – recycling). They were all clean and in excellent condition. Kids grow so fast it is easy to find practically new second-hand clothes. I donated these clothes to reputable organizations and then filled my suitcase with locally made treasures! more…