Love desert landscapes and touring? Then you might fancy the new Camp Mars which gives adventure seekers a chance to live like the Bedouin in the Tunisian Sahara.
A true desert experience, Camp Mars, owned by adventure tour specialists SudXtrem, is located 45km from the nearest water-source. Guests will spend the night under the canvas of the traditional Bedouin tented community.
Fancy a green budget holiday? traveling greener loves UK ethical travel company responsibletravel.com and its diverse holidays worldwide.
Here are 5 Budget Holidays You’ll Love:
1. Thailand budget holiday. “Express tour of northern Thailand.”
2. South America overland tour. “A cross-continental South America adventure.”
3. Budget vacation in Egypt. “Discover over fifty centuries of Egyptian history.”
4. Budget camel safari in Morocco. “Experience a true nomadic lifestyle in Morocco.”
5. Learn to surf holiday in Spain. “A week of surf and adventure in beautiful Northern Spain.”
Image courtesy of responsibletravel.com
Tibetan pilgrim with prayer wheel at Potala Palace, Lhasa.
Global travel photography can connect and inspire us. Recently, traveling greener has been inspired by explore.org, a non-profit, multimedia organization.
explore.org shoots “films and photos that showcase the natural world – animals, cultures, places, environment.” On LiveTravelMountains, we’ve showcased the site’s photography in 5 Awesome Mountain Photos.
Here are more travel photos from explore.org:
Are you planning a mountain adventure like climbing Kilimanjaro? UK-based, ethical travel company responsibletravel.com offers over 20 Kilimanjaro climbing holidays.
Says Justin Francis, managing director of responsibletravel.com:
“Kilimanjaro is the challenge of a lifetime but rather than rushing in, scaling a mountain and rushing home again consider some well-earned relaxation on the lush lower slopes of Kilimanjaro. Drink banana beer, get to know the Fairtrade coffee growers, enjoy gentle walks to waterfalls and give something back to the community that helped you scale a mountain.”
On any high altitude trek, the company recommends respecting your porters and guides and recognizing their mountain knowledge and culture.
responsibletravel.com suggests these 10 Kilimanjaro Tips:
In the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El Sheik, there is a growing trend towards sustainable tourism, says EarthCheck, a certifier of sustainable travel and tourism operators.
Says Stewart Moore, CEO of EarthCheck:
“We’ve worked with the Four Seasons Resort for a number of years now. During that time, there’s been an increase in the quantity of Egyptian operators undergoing accreditation, and they now range from water parks to small hotels and even Nile cruises. There’s also been an increase in certification schemes though and with that has come the risk of green washing. That’s why at EarthCheck we use a network of highly skilled, independent third party Auditors to ensure that sustainability claims are verified as accurate.”
Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheik , with its 2,000 palm trees and Red Sea views, has committed to minimizing the environmental impact of resort operations. Working with the EarthCheck program, employees and guests, the resort says it has adopted sustainable practices including water and energy conservation.
The EarthCheck Program is offered by EC3 Global which has 1000+ clients in 60+ countries. The program addresses environmental problems including climate change, waste reduction and non-renewable resource management. Benchmarking, certification and performance improvement systems comprise the program which can result in average savings of 30 per cent for energy and waste stream and 20 per cent savings for water consumption.
Image courtesy of Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheik
Planning an African safari trip? Then you might be interested in the Conservancy Safaris Desert Lion Safari in Namibia with Dr. Philip Stander.
This 5 day/4 night safari follows Stander and his day-to-day work with the Desert Lion Conservation project. The safari itinerary is “dictated by the lions and could take the form of searching remote and rugged areas or investigating a human/predator conflict situation.”
Stander trains local men to operate tracking equipment, which alerts them if the lions approach the village or livestock and protects the villagers and predators. The Desert Lion Safari is one of the limited edition Specialised Safaris available with Conservancy Safaris Namibia.
Says Conservancy Safaris Namibia:
“Unlike many safari experiences where the focus is on game viewing in parks and reserves, Conservancy Safaris gets under the skin of the North West Kunene region of Namibia, giving an insight into the day to day lives of the people who live here as well as exceptional wildlife encounters. Your hosts are the Himba and Herero people who face the daily threats cohabiting with wildlife entails.”
Experts say Namibia’s community-based natural resource management program is resulting in increasing game count numbers. Reports show the lion populations in the area have increased from approximately 30 in 1995 to 120 in 2009.
For more info, check out Conservancy Safaris Namibia.
Image courtesy of Conservancy Safaris Namibia
Looking for the coolest holiday in the coolest place in 2010?
You might find it at UK ethical travel company responsibletravel.com which works with 300+ tour operators and 600 villas, lodges, B&Bs and small hotels.
Here are 10 cool holidays:
1. Snorkeling & swimming holidays in Sardinia, Italy
2. Peru eco-lodge holiday in the Amazon rainforest
3. Portugal yurt holidays
4. Atlas, Sahara & Marrakech holiday
5. Vietnam Hill Tribe holiday
6. Yukon dog sledding holiday, Canada
7. Hiking the Inca Trail
8. Full Moon Festival & Shamanism, Nepal
9. Windsurfing holidays in Greece
10. Self-drive Cuba family holiday
For more holiday ideas, check out responsibletravel.com.
Image courtesy of Italian State Tourist Board
Will you be going to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Cape Town? If you want to live like a local (and possibly greener), take a look at the wide range of Cape Town holiday homes available from HomeAway Holiday-Rentals.
HomeAway Holiday-Rentals has 300+ properties in South Africa and 170+ holiday homes in Cape Town. The holiday homes include:
For more info, check out the HomeAway site.
Image courtesy of HomeAway Holiday-Rentals
Voluntours worldwide are growing holiday options for green travelers.
Recently, global voluntourism specialist Planeterra announced 11 new 2010 projects and volunteer holidays in The Americas, Asia and Africa.
Founded in 2003 by Gap Adventures, Planeterra is a global non-profit organization dedicated to sustainable community development through travel.
Says Richard G. Edwards, Planeterra’s Director:
“More than ever, community development, environmental and wildlife conservation projects around the world need the support of active travelers who are willing to take the time to understand what is needed and how they can help. Our programs are designed with great care so that everyone genuinely benefits while having fun learning about each other’s cultures.”
Fancy cycling across Africa? Then you might want to check out small, socially responsible bike tour company Tour d’Afrique.
The Toronto-based, bike tour company is named for its annual flagship tour that crosses the African continent from Cairo to Cape Town (7,500 miles in 120 days).
