eco-travel

Image: ichie on flickr
From origami whale campaigns to Mr. Splashy Pants, it’s pretty obvious that those big, intelligent and lovable cetaceans are massively popular. And according to a recent report focusing on the phenomenal growth of whale-watching in Latin America, watching whales (as opposed to killing them) could have a much greater economic benefit to local communities and governments worldwide. However, t...

If you are a safe traveler, then a European holiday is a safe bet. If you do have a taste for the exotic, traveling around the Middle East is full of surprises and intrigue. And eco-tourism is spreading through the Middle East. A typical journey (by land) could start in Turkey. With a convenient bus system in place, it's easy to travel around Turkey in a non-impacting way to get primed for the Middle East. After Turkey, it's possible to travel to Lebanon and Syria for an unspoiled and authentic tourist experience, and then down to Jordan, Isra...

This years Coachella festival was the first of its kind with its own train and train station. To help reduce the carbon footprint of a 3-day music festival held in the desert, organizers found a way to make one giant carpool – that came in the form of the Coachella Express. After a year of planning between Coachella, Global Inheritance, Golden Voice and Amtrak, this train idea got, well, rolling....

Although we haven't traveled to Lebanon, we have had a Lebanese friend when touring through Syria. He told us that Lebanon was an advanced country and much different than the "time machine feeling" we were getting in Syria: It was 9 years ago, and the cars looked like they were from the 30s; people everywhere were dressed in traditional gear and it seemed that the environment was very low on the country's agenda (litter was everywhere and cars spewed fumes).

We never did get to visit Lebanon (mainly because getting a VISA would take too much time), but we have been able to...

Bicycling in Lhasa, Tibet

After the news broke that all foreigners must leave Tibet, Mandy and Benny considered whether they would need to put their Hase Pino Tandem bicycle on a train. But things calmed, so they pushed on. Until their fears were realized: while mounting up after a night's rest hidden from view along the roadside, the police descended upon them. "Where had they slept? What were they doing?" Would the police understand that Mandy and Benny posed no threat on their peaceful tandem journey, circumnavigating the world and hoping to break the world record for the l...

photo by Chris Ford

Whatever secret superpowered personal energy source Richard Branson has in that body of his, I want some of it. Not content with his myriad other business ventures, the Virgin Group chairman is set to stake his claim in another market segment: Eco-Resorts. Note to those of you who may want to start down this career path, it helps to have two private Caribbean Islands to set you on your way.

Eco-Villas Planned for Branson's Two Little Spots of Heaven
Although it is not a done deal yet as the resort plans have yet to be approved, but the British tycoon has big ...

There are not a lot of choices when one decides to bicycle across Canada; there is really just the two-lane Trans-Canada Highway that is shared by every transport truck, sober or drunk driver or cyclist trying to cross the country, like Daniel Hurtubise and his two kids were, along with Robert Carrier, who left his six kids at home. Hurtubise had juvenile Diabetes, but was riding "to show that the disease does not stop people from living an active lifestyle." But cars do, very effectively; They were all struck from behind by a Honda Civic, and Hurtubise and Carrier were killed, while the kids were sent to hospital. The

“The caravan and camping Industry in New South Wales realises that Australia has some big challenges ahead in order to reduce our eco-footprint. For this reason, environmental programs such as the Gumnut Awards have been developed to get the touring industry to proactively drive environmental sustainability.”

The program, self described above, was developed back in 2002, modelled closely on the success of the David Bellamy Conservation Awards in the UK. Since that time the Caravan and Camping Industry Association of NSW ...

Tourism is growing again in Israel and along with it the awareness of eco-tourism. Long-time residents or tourists to the Holy Land looking to travel a bit off the beaten path, should consider the one-week cycling and winery tour laid out by the Ministry of Tourism.

Although the onus is on you to map out your route and find places to lodge at night, a fairly detailed outline on how to do that, while sampling the wine from some of the country's better establishments is mapped out here: Cycling Through Israeli Wine and Biblical History.

...

Here are some fun facts for you to consider: According to the National Park Service, there are currently 4.3 million acres of privately owned land within park boundaries; and another 1.8 million listed for acquisition. The federal agency estimates it would cost $1.9 billion for it to purchase these lands. Now here's the really funny part: It only requested $100 million from Congress for fiscal year 2009....