Getting around Oman can be challenging, but booking your ground transportation ahead through Green Path Transfers is the perfect way to explore the country. Photo courtesy of Elite Travel & Tourism

A Green Path Transfers Partner

For anyone planning a trip to this beautiful country, finding reliable transportation is of course key. Long driving distances combined with regularly washed-out roads and occasionally dangerous wadi crossings all pose serious challenges for travellers. It therefore pays to consider booking at least ground transportation with a knowledgeable local taxi and transfer service.

Fortunately, the experienced professionals at Elite Travel & Tourism can provide comfortable transportation to any destination. In addition to being the whl.travel local connection in Oman, Elite is now the local partner of Green Path Transfers, the fast-growing global and eco-friendly transport service.

Through Green Path Transfers, Elite Travel & Tourism looks forward to expanding the reach of its taxi and transport business to responsible travellers from all over the globe.

“In a developing country like Oman, we have worked hard to bring professionalism and safety to this market,” explains Will Plummer, Business Director at Elite Travel & Tourism. “We believe that with our friendly staff we are ideally place to be the first introduction to those visiting Oman and reassure people of what a fantastic country it is to visit.”

Since 2004, the experienced and knowledgeable team at Elite Travel & Tourism has been helping travellers explore legendary Oman. Photo courtesy of Elite Travel & Tourism

A Local Leader

Founded in 2004 by a Omani local Amor Hardan, Elite Travel & Tourism has grown into a successful and responsible travel business that today offers transport services, as well as tailor-made tours and vacation packages throughout the country. When he decided to launch the company, Hardan, who had already enjoyed a 15-year career at the Intercontinental Hotel Muscat, was eager to show people the many stunning off-the-beaten track destinations worth visiting in his home country.

In 2009, Elite Travel & Tourism acquired another business, called Alanaka Tours, as a way to lead small-group tours and desert-camping adventures. In the same year, Amor’s wife, Karen Hardan, joined the company as general manager and, with her wealth of experience in the hospitality industry, raised the company’s overall level of professionalism.

Today, as a local tourism operator with a strong commitment to the environment and to local communities, Elite Travel & Tourism is pleased to join the Green Path Transfers’ growing global network of responsible transport partners and ground transfer operators. “Being part of the WHL Group family” – both whl.travel and Green Path Transfers are part of the WHL Group – “has already been very successful for us and it is great to be part of Green Path Transfers too,” Plummer adds.

A Greener Perspective

Elite Travel & Tourism is encouraged by the positive value of lasting partnerships with other like-minded tourism and transport businesses also part of Green Path Transfers. Like other partners committed to responsible and sustainable local travel and transportation, Elite Travel & Tourism shares the emphasis Green Path Transfers places on going green, in particular the ability to offset a full 100 percent of the carbon emissions generated by its transfers business.

In keeping with its responsible tourism philosophy, Elite Travel & Tourism is intent on helping to preserve the beautiful local environment of Oman. Photo courtesy of Elite Travel & Tourism

“We believe we can offer the services and standards that clients of Green Path Transfers expect and with our own responsible tourism policy we are very conscious of the need to offset the carbon emissions we make,” explains Plummer. “We are continually working to find new ways to make our own service more green and are exploring what we can do within the Middle East to accomplish this.”

In keeping with its own philosophy and goals, Elite Travel & Tourism hopes the new partnership will help raise consciousness in Oman around the need for more eco-friendly vehicles and transportation solutions.

Far-Reaching Service

With a 32-vehicle fleet of luxury sedans, 11-passenger minibuses and 4×4 off-road vehicles, Elite Travel & Tourism is more than capable of meeting any request for ground transportation in Oman. The majority of the company’s clients head to the beach resorts of Muscat or to the old capital of Nizwa in Oman’s northern region. A journey to Nizwa is Plummer’s top recommendation, since it can be a jumping-off point to the stunning canyon-like scenery of the Hajar Mountains. Also in the north is the Musandam Peninsula, separated from the main part of Oman by the United Arab Emirates.

Beyond this, says Plummer, “a trip to the desert is a must.” With the Wahiba Sands only two hours from Muscat, they are very accessible. For those with more time, he recommends visiting Salalah in the tropical south, a city famous for its sweet-smelling frankincense trail.

“Of course,” adds Plummer, “we offer services everywhere in between all these sites and have many guests who enjoy exploring between north and south, especially along the stunning coastline.”

To learn more about Green Path Transfers and how to be part of carbon-neutral travel arrangements that emphasise green technology in a growing number of destinations around the globe, visit www.GreenPathTransfers.com.

Turtles are curious creatures that have walked (and swum) this earth since the time of the dinosaurs. Little is known about this migratory animal that often will swim thousands of miles across oceans to return to the very beaches where they were born to lay their eggs. This green turtle was photographed in Seychelles, an image courtesy of Flickr/whl.travel

Saving the marine turtle just may be one of the few things the international community can agree on these days. This seafaring migratory creature doesn’t know anything of borders, fishing routes or beach resorts properties. Unfortunately, though, these are the very factors threatening the sea turtle with extinction; finding ways to help them hasn’t been easy.

Despite being the subject of much inquiry, marine turtles have proven to be elusive subjects, creatures that date back to the age of dinosaurs, spend most of their time at sea and swim thousands of miles each year. In fact, female turtles only come to shore in the summer months to lay two to four batches of eggs. Each one digs a nest about 40-centimetres deep and lays 80-100 soft-shelled eggs. The mother turtle then leaves the nest and, after two months of incubation, the hatchlings emerge and make their way by the light of the moon to the sea. A lot can go wrong in this delicate process, which explains why, on average, 1 in 1,000 hatchlings survives.

Threats to Turtle Survival

There are seven species of sea turtles, only two of which are prominent in the Mediterranean – loggerhead and green turtles, although there have been occasional leatherback sightings as well. No one knows for sure how large the turtle populations once were in the Mediterranean, but in the 1950s and 1960s, turtle soup was considered a delicacy and the green turtle female population was notably weakened to fewer than 500 individuals. In the last 100 years, human factors in the region have continued to threaten these species to the point of endangerment.

Most turtles are caught as they push up the beach to lay their eggs. Many are killed and large numbers of their eggs harvested for food. Laws now outlaw such practices, but turtle populations have yet really to reinforce their numbers. Part of the reason for this is turtles are just as vulnerable at sea as they have been on land, as many sea turtles are routinely caught in long fishing nets and lines and are either drowned or, when released, prone to die of the injuries sustained in the nets.

Perhaps most devastating of all is the boom in beach developments along the Mediterranean coast and islands. Each turtle will only lay her eggs on the same beach where she was born. This means that if a beach is lost to a resort or seaside restaurant, an entire colony of turtles can be wiped out.

Turtles are at their most vulnerable when laying their eggs. The number of human-caused obstacles that occur at this delicate time are innumerable, from bright hotel lights and over-trodden beaches to trash, large fishing nets and beach development. This green turtle was seen in Sandakan, Malaysia, photo courtesy of Flickr/whl.travel

The Benefits of Turtle Tourism

In the face of all these challenges, marine turtles persevere. The most populous loggerhead and green nesting grounds in the region are in Kefalonia, Greece, with other prominent sites in North Cyprus and Dalyan, Turkey. On the nearby Arabian Peninsula, one beach in Oman hosts 15,000 green turtle nests each year, the largest nesting site in the region.

Thankfully, in recent years, several of these key nesting sites have taken a different approach to tourism. Local tourism providers have realised – some faster than others – that keeping turtles around isn’t just good for the environment, it’s good for business too. By offering turtle-safe viewing areas and organised volunteer activities, such as beach cleanups – or ‘turtle rescues’ from traditional shallow nets – animal-curious tourists learn about local turtles and how to protect them. It’s a self-fulfilling circle that provides education for tourists and locals alike while giving the turtles what they need to survive.

Turtle Security in Action

When in the Mediterranean, if you want to see turtles or volunteer for a local organisation, there are several places from which to choose. In the Middle East, the most prominent one is Ras Al Jinz in Oman, home to 15,000 green turtle nests, the largest concentration In the region.The community of Ras Al Jinz has embraced the turtle phenomenon and, thanks to the centrally located Scientific Research Center and the cooperation of many hotels in Ras Al Jinz, the beach as maintained as a nesting site and the turtles are well cared for.

For example, the Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve hotel has minimal lighting in order to not disturb the nesting turtles at night. The nearby Turtle Beach Resort is great base from which to explore the surrounding wildlife; it offers turtle, bird and dolphin watching, along with snorkelling and diving trips. You can even stay adjacent to the Ras Al Jinz Scientific Research Center at the Carapace Lodge, which is ideally situated for early-morning and late-night turtle sightings far from the other accommodation. There are also many tours in Oman that combines visits to the Wahiba sands with experiences at the Ras Al Jinz turtle reserve.

Right in the Mediterranean basin, the three main loggerhead- and green-turtle viewing sites are in Kefalonia, Greece; North Cyprus; and Dalyan, Turkey. On the island of Kefalonia, Mounda Beach is the most famous nesting site for loggerhead turtles. Fears of overdevelopment and burgeoning tourism have seen the establishment of associations like the Katelios Group, an assembly of locals who began working together in 1994 to help conserve the turtle population and natural wildlife.

Turtles are natural seafaring creatures that can measure up to 51 inches (130 centimetres) in length and weigh 660 pounds (300 kilograms). They are the earth's oldest living reptiles. Known for their shy defensive mechanisms, turtles actually have some of the best night vision in the animal kingdom. This loggerhead turtle was is off the coast of Turkey near Kas. Photo courtesy of Flickr/whltravel

In North Cyprus, tour operator Kaleidoskop Turizm often sends turtle-seeking guests to the Marine Turtle Conservation Project, which cooperates with post-graduate students to research the effect of fisheries on turtle populations. Turtle watching in North Cyprus can be arranged through a variety of tours, though viewing through a conservation project is usually most beneficial to the turtles as they have closely monitored nesting times, migration patterns and feeding habits.

Dalyan, Turkey, is one of the most famous examples of successful turtle conservation in the Mediterranean. In 1986, Izutuzu Beach (now known as ‘Turtle Beach’) was slated for a large luxury-hotel development. However, because the beach is one of the key nesting grounds of the loggerhead turtle, international condemnation, helmed by David Bellamy himself, successfully reversed the decision and now the beach is a protected site. Wooden stakes mark nesting sites and visitors are encouraged to be careful where they walk, as the sand could get packed down and make digging a nest more difficult. Izutuzu Beach was named the world’s best beach in 1995 and is regarded as a hallmark of successful conservation. Many beach hotels in Dalyan are located near the site, but the part of the beach housing nests is closed during incubation and hatching periods.

Beach Rules to Follow

Many beaches are still unprotected in the Mediterranean and Middle East, where turtles are facing an uphill battle. But all is not lost. For tourists, following a few simple guidelines is essential and could mean the difference between extinction and survival.

So the next time you’re on a turtle’s beach, be sure to:

1. Pick up your trash. Like sea birds, turtles can become strangled in plastic rings and bags.
2. Only place umbrellas or other fixtures in wet sand. Turtles nest in dry sand and driving stakes into it could damage the nests.
3. Not walk on the beach at night. Hatchlings use the light from the stars and moon to guide their path to the sea. Loud noises or lights will frighten nesting turtles and confuse hatchlings.
4. Not touch or move turtle hatchlings going toward the ocean. This imprints on the turtle during a key period in the first few hours of their life. Also, they develop and use key muscle groups in their walk to the ocean. If you want to help, stay out of the way and clear any obstructions, like sandcastles or trash.
5. Not camp or drive on the beach. This packs down the sand and makes digging a nest difficult.
6. Make sure your hotel has a ‘low light’ policy as bright lights from large developments or beach-front hostels are one of the primary deterrents for nesting turtles.

You can learn more about turtle conservation in Europe and other parts of the world through the Sea Turtle Conservancy.

An expedition by Land Rover can take you into the farthest reaches of the Omani desert (like the Dhofar region above), retracing the footsteps of the famous Royal Geographical Society survey in 1986. Photo courtesy of Flickr/Land Rover Our Planet

Other changes have also taken place: the Bedouin have moved from tents to houses, traded hunting for supermarkets and accepted uniform government over their traditional, complex justice and power-sharing system. The tipping point came in the 1970s, when the Sultan of Oman passed a number of laws regarding nomadic people, aiming to provide them with schooling, modern facilities and economic benefits. In favour of advancement, though, an ancient way of life looked like it was under threat and the romantic vision of the camel trader under the Arabian nights seemed all but lost.

Today, however, thanks to new innovations in tourism, the nomadic life is here to stay.

The Sultanate of Sands

What is Oman? This stable Middle Eastern country balances on the eastern nose of the Arabian Peninsula, where it has welcomed outdoor enthusiasts for decades.

One attraction, especially for explorers, has always been the desert. The Wahiba Sands, now also called the Sharqiyah Sands, of the Sultanate of Oman are a geological and ecological wonder that burst onto the international scene in 1986 after the Royal Geographical Society led an expedition to the region. There they found a 12,500-square-kilometre carpet of rolling and shifting dunes, home to an astonishing 16,000 species of invertebrates, flora and fauna, and a rich mix of nomadic people, all of which had adapted to living in this seemingly inhospitable place.

The sands take their name from the Wahiba tribe, whose paternalistic society dates back millennia. Some larger clans, like the Bani Khalid, even claim to be descendants of the prophet Mohammad’s companion, Khaled ibn Al-Waleed.

In Oman, the dunes (these are of the Sharqiyah Sands, reaching nearly 200metresin height) make a wide variety of sports possible, from sand skiing and sand boarding to the more tranquil camel ride or foot trek. Photo courtesy of Flickr/larawan ni tianaman

Desert Considerations

The word “Bedouin” translates loosely as “those who live in bādiyah” or “those who live in the desert.” While the Bedouin lifestyle is no longer strictly necessary due to modern conveniences, the practice is still alive and available as something in which travellers can dabble, if they know where to go and stay.

One thing is certain, though: The desert is a dangerous place. It is possible to cross it, for example, but this is highly inadvisable. Because of a lack of any resources at all, such as gas stations, provisions or water, venturing into the desert, especially alone and even more so during the summer months (April to October) when weather in Oman is at its fiercest, is so far beyond fearless that it’s reckless. Many people therefore choose to enjoy the comforts of a ‘base camp’ for exploring the surrounding desert.  Even then, Bedouin women, reputed for their surprisingly good driving skills, have been known to rescue tourists trapped or stuck in the sand.

Desert Camps

Most desert travellers therefore choose to base themselves in what are known loosely as ‘desert camps’. Little more than oases in the middle of vast tracts of nothingness, desert camps offer a daytime of adventure and a nighttime of comfort. To stay in a desert camp is therefore generally safer and more relaxing than nomadic camping, although, for the more adventurous, there are tours that will guide you across through the open desert, generally from north to south.

Much attention has been paid to making desert camps as authentic as possible, featuring natural textiles, traditional Bedouin camp layout, and locally sourced food (and famous Arabian coffee), as well as local staff that has been raised in the area and can read the sands as well as they can the stars.

Many desert camps in Oman are adorned in the traditional Bedouin manner, like the Safari Desert Camp (shown here), which favours lush Omani textiles. Photo courtesy of Elite Tours

There are several desert camps from which to choose, their service offerings covering everything from the bare necessities to real Arabian-Nights style luxury. Tourism in Oman has developed significantly over the past two decades, allowing for all the modern comforts even in the remote desert, so most camps come equipped with toilet tents, Omani-style restaurants, campfires and comfortable tents well appointed with local textiles, artefacts and rugs.

Probably best known of all the Wahiba camps is the luxurious Desert Nights Camp, where you can enjoy en suite bathrooms, air conditioning and a DVD library, as well as a host of personal-guide and transport services. If you’re not looking to break their budget, however, there’s always the well-regarded Desert Safari Camp, known for its authentic design and welcoming staff.  Or try the isolated Thousand Nights Camp set among the famous cineraria trees and complete with its own private pool.

Desert Day Activities

In the morning of a typical day, as the sun heaves toward its zenith, you have a lot of Wahiba Sands activities to consider. There’s actually much more to do in the desert than ride a camel (although the Bedouin are exceptional camel guides).

You can try your hand at Dune Bashing, the practice of exploring the desert sands in a 4WD. Similar activity is illegal along the fragile coastlines of the USA and Australia, but it’s a thriving tourist draw in Middle Eastern countries where the desert is more expansive and less threatened.

When that’s done, if you’ve not had your fill of trying to navigate the up-and-down terrain, there’s always the reckless freedom of quad biking or the elegance of sand skiing. Experienced guides offer treks across the miles of lunar-like isolation and if you’re lucky and arrive between October and April, you may even catch one of the legendary camel races.

When meals are served at desert camps in Oman, guests are usually seated on low cushions in typical Omani style. Typical servings include saffron Maqbous and delicious yogurt drinks flavored with pistachios or cardamom. Photo courtesy of Elite Tours

Desert Night Rhythms

As everyone settles in for the evening at a desert camp, a live Arab Omani band plays, while, in the guest lounge, you recline on massive throws and pillows set up around the campfire. Everyone’s sampling locally grown dates and strong Omani coffee. The music is both classical and lively, ushering in the night in traditional nomadic style.

While women visitors can choose to adorn themselves with ornate Omani henna or barter for brightly coloured woven textiles and camel bags, everyone usually gathers outside to watch the sunset, a notably breathtaking moment as the sun disappears behind the towering dunes.

Then, a far more spectacular sight is about to begin. Far away from city lights and with little or no pollution or cloud disturbance, the desert night sky is said by some to be the best in the world. Many earth communication stations are housed in the Omani desert because of the clarity of reception and vision. In addition, many astronomers use the desert night sky to conduct research and track star movements. Of course, long ago, the stars were guides to the nomadic people, indicating changes in season, coming fortune or doom, or just simple direction. Telescopes are available at most desert camps.

Staring out at the sands of Oman, it can be startling that something as barren as a desert could hold so much life and culture. The complex social and justice systems of the Bedouin are testament to the time spent living in this inhospitable place. The Bedouin ability to tame and use their environment shows the skill of traditional people happily distant from the comforts of places like Muscat (Oman’s capital city), Abu Dhabi or Dubai.

Like the oceans, deserts are a challenging frontier for man; to be sure, there is much there yet to be discovered.

Long long ago, most tribal groups were nomadic due to a lack of stable food supplies. These ancient itinerant practices exist to this today, especially in places like Kyrgyzstan, in Central Asia, where 'yurts' or transportable houses are still in use, like those seen below near Tash-Rabat. Photo courtesy of Dostuck-Trekking

To the well-intentioned traveler, though, ‘green’ labels can be a bit vague, a tinted title that has been taken to mean a host of things, not all of them positive. Faced with growing concerns about ‘greenwashing’ and tongue-twisting turns of phrase like ‘sustainable eco nature adventures,’ the average person is left wondering what a green leaf means on hotel pamphlets.

Similarly, tips for ‘green living’ can be found in most magazines nowadays, but not always with clear objectives. Does not washing your towels really make that much of a difference? Is switching off your lights really going to save the planet? What makes green hotels truly ‘green’?

To answer that, we first need to look at what it means to be sustainable.

How Do Things Look Today?

These days, green initiatives are usually taken to mean those where the practice either has a positive or neutral (anything except negative) effect on the natural environment. But while the protection of natural resources is a vital preoccupation, sustainability means a lot more than saving our planet’s trees.

Local and indigenous communities across the planet often suffer in the shadow of hard-impact mass-market tourism. While the proceeds from tourism may, generally speaking, bring in capital and sometimes even increase peace and stability, local people are sometimes hard pressed to see the benefits. The lion’s share of profits are shipped abroad to foreign stakeholders while local people are even frequently overlooked as staff, tour guides or regional experts. Those that do succeed in pushing through any obstacles are usually then not given the opportunity to rise to positions of higher-level (managerial or supervisory) responsibility, roles reserved for foreign nationals.

A favourite activity of many Solomon Islands visitors is a fishing trip guided by local people. With them, one can experience a way of life long forgotten in the modern word. Photo by Kerry Kennedy, courtesy of Flickr/whl.travel

With some bitterness, local people see their cultures bought and sold in front of them, often returned in with no resemblance to the centuries-old traditions that drew in tourists in the first place.

What Is Sustainability?

To me, sustainability is synonymous with responsible economic and social development, even as it is applied to tourism. Clearly there is no catch-all phrase able to determine whether the place in which you are staying deserves the title of being ‘green,’ but sustainability can certainly be measured in terms of an accommodation’s or tour’s effect on the health of the environment, energy consumption, the promotion of local culture and heritage, the distribution of profits, labour force vitality and even the quality and nature of building materials.

The list doesn’t stop there, especially since the notion of sustainability is one that evolves as quickly as new technologies and the circumstances through which they are brought to light.

Nevertheless I’ve tried to compile some basics to help add to a discussion about the definition of sustainable tourism. It is important to remember that each destination is unique and has different sustainability requirements. The following chart should therefore be looked at as a review of general trends in sustainable travel and ecotourism, not as a checklist.

Ecotourism Destinations

With these factors in mind, the question becomes: where to go? The following are some places that have made important strides toward sustainability and cultural immersion without compromising on comfort. Of course, travelling is all about forging your own path outside your daily routine, so always still keep make sure that your choice of accommodation fits your needs as well as those of the host country.

Green in the City
* Near Amsterdam, the Ilma Yoga House is located inside the Gaasperplas Nature Reserve just 20 minutes from the city centre by bicycle. On site you can enjoy host Ilma’s massage and yoga studios. She donates 10 percent of all her proceeds to charity.

* Located in the heart of Buenos Aires, the Eco Pampa Hostel was the city’s first ecologically friendly hostel, a model for others to follow. The managers have paid careful attention to keeping things green, from installing a rainwater tank, low-energy electrical appliances, solar panels and heating, and an organic rooftop garden to using recycled materials in the decoration of all the rooms.

Many city hostels and hotels are embracing the idea of emissions-free travel, whether it be by bicycle, foot, cart or even local animals. Amsterdam is one of the finest examples of this, where bicycles can be found for use at most accommodations. Photo courtesy of the European Centre for Eco Agro Tourism

Local Houses
* What better way to find out what it’s like to live as a nomad than actually to live like one? In Kyrgyzstan, a yurt stay is an increasingly popular way to see the vast undeveloped countryside. Because the camps move with the nomads and essentially leave no trace behind, it’s hard to imagine a way of making less impact.

* Transport yourself to 5th-century Turkey by staying deep inside the surreal cave-and-tunnel systems of the stony Cappadocian countryside. Cave hotels offer unique accommodations repurposed from ancient lodgings designed to support lifestyle without continuous access to water or outside trade. Today’s self-cooling hotel rooms, like those of the Yunak Evleri Cave Hotel, are surprisingly luxurious and full of light thanks to the innovative design of the early Turks.

* Village homestays are an increasingly popular way to directly finance traditional communities instead of parading them as tourist attractions. By living side by side with villagers in, tourists can actually take part in the perfect ecotourism model: natural materials and fibres are used for nearly every edifice and tool, water is sourced from nearby rivers and streams, and opportunities exist for fishing and hunting with locals. The Solomon Islands have some superb village stays, many of which were established in the late 1980s, when the practice boomed.

Luxury Ecolodges
* Run by a local naturalist (who discovered a new species of bird), the Hobatere Lodge in northern Namibia has leased the land around it from a local conservancy that encourages indigenous people and animals to live freely on and directly benefit from the land. Ongoing lodge projects range from the Kunene Lion Project and the Namibian Elephant and Giraffe Trust to the study of the black mongoose. Local Namibians make up 100 percent of the staff, and 80 percent of them have been working there for 10 years or more. A private generator powers the lodge and there’s a garden of indigenous plants used by the restaurant.

Many luxury ecolodges are built straight into wildlife conservancies as a way to help support efforts by local foundations and the people living off the land. Places like the Hobatere Lodge in Namibia work alongside the Kunene Lion Project, among others, to track and monitor local lion populations. Photo by Debbie Rowles, courtesy of Flickr/whl.travel

* Featured in the New York Times as the next hot ecolodge destination in Koh Kong, Cambodia, the 4 Rivers Floating Ecolodge is so remote that you need a private canoe to get there. Designed to immerse its guests in the surrounding wilderness at the convergence of four rivers, this destination proves that sustainability does not have to be at the expense of luxury.

* There’s nothing quite like the romance of the Arabian Desert, conjuring up images of starry nights, languid camels, warm campfires, embroidered throw rugs and the call of the Bedouin in the morning. At the famed Desert Nights Camp in Oman’s Wahiba Sands, guests are given the full experience of the ancient practice of the famed desert traders, all with minimal impact on the environment.

Community Projects
In Thailand, it’s easy to visit monasteries but few places allow lay people to live alongside monks and learn their practices. The 10-day silent retreat at the Suan Mokkh International Dhamma Hermitage gives outsiders a chance to experience monastic life. Expect to forsake all material pleasure, eat vegetarian food only twice a day, attend meditation and yoga classes, and maintain complete silence. The retreat is free, but participants must be committed to all aspects of the program.

Further Study
For more information about ecotourism, environmental tourism and how to go green, check out some of the links below.
* The International Ecotourism Society
* Tree Hugger
* Earth Summit

Creole Capers

The island nation of Cape Verde is situated 450 kilometres off Africa’s west coast. A former Portuguese colony, the archipelago has a multitude of ethnic and cultural influences from Brazil, Senegal and Portugal. Think fabulous food, dancing and irrepressible salsa rhythms!

Tarrafal Beach is the largest and most impressive stretch of sand on the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. The fishing village of Tarrafal is the site of an colonial Portuguese political prison.

Comprising a string of volcanic islands ringed by white sand and turquoise sea, the country serious rivals the Caribbean as an autumn and winter sun destination, but for the time being remains pleasantly unspoiled and crowd-free. Its excellent year-round climate and almost constant sunshine mean sun worshippers have plenty to be thankful for and water-sports enthusiasts will not be disappointed either.

Choosing the best beach is a tall order, but the endless stretches of white sand around the main town, Santa Maria, on the island of Sal are hard to fault, as is the vast Curralinho beach on the island of Boa Vista. Boa Vista is also a fabulous spot for snorkelling and sailing, whilst São Vicente island offers the best windsurfing. The cooling breezes off the island of Sal make for great surfing and the whole archipelago offers top-notch diving, with abundant sea life including turtles and plenty of caves, rocks and wrecks awaiting exploration.

Oman’s 1001 Arabian Beaches

One of the more unspoilt and under-frequented destinations in the Middle East, the Sultanate of Oman, boasts a 1700-kilometre coastline with some of the finest (and emptiest) beaches and cleanest waters in the Gulf, if not the world. Unbearably hot during the summer months, Oman is the perfect place to visit in autumn; October is a very pleasant 25 degrees Celsius with plenty of sunshine.

Oman is a haven for five species of rare turtle, four of which nest here. Tours to see these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat are extremely popular with visitors. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia/M@t

The capital, Muscat, has some great sun spots, including Qurum Beach, a favourite with picnickers and day trippers thanks to its shady palms, as well as the more secluded Bandar Al-Jissah, a bay that provides the perfect city getaway sheltered by cliffs and hidden from onlookers.

If you’re looking really to get away from it, 4×4 car hire opens the way for a two-hour drive over the dunes from Muscat to Sifah Beach, voted one of the world’s best beaches by the Guardian newspaper’s readers. Getting there is half the fun apparently, but being there isn’t so bad either. For your own private tropical paradise, fishing boats from there are available to whisk you away to one of many little coves off the main strand.

As you would expect, water sports are available up and down the coast with excellent diving, snorkelling, fishing, sailing and kayaking on offer, as well as dolphin-watching trips.

Panama’s Caribbean Coast

Situated on Panama‘s Atlantic coast, the province of Bocas del Toro – actually an archipelago of seven large islands and hundreds of smaller ones – enjoys a brief dry season during the months of September and October, which means not only is there welcome respite from the frequent rain, but the water is at its clearest. Year-round tropical temperatures and calm azure seas mean boat trips, deep-sea fishing, kayaking and snorkelling in the area are pretty spectacular.

Although off the mainstream tourist radar, the islands of Bocas del Toro in Panama have been popular with backpackers, hippies, divers and surfers for some years now. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia/Carlos Adampol Galindo

The archipelago is surrounded by coral reefs (home to a dazzling display of sponges and fish), caves and wrecks that make it one of the top dive sites in Central America. Above the water, light ocean breezes help keep the temperature down and make Bocas del Toro a popular spot with surfers picking between easy beach breaks and challenging tubes over the reefs. Travellers on a budget will be pleased to note that water sports can be organised in Bocas at a fraction of the price in neighbouring Costa Rica and Honduras.

If lazing around in a hammock is more your scene, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better place to do absolutely nothing. With its palm-fringed, white-sand beaches set against a backdrop of lush rainforest, Bocas is the epitome of a paradise on earth. The best beaches include Red Frog Beach on Isla Bastimentos, named after the poison-dart frogs who make it their home, and Cayos Zapatillas, a long stretch of ivory sand in a protected marine park with some of the best snorkelling in town.

Philippine Dream

Regularly lauded as one of the best beach destinations in the world, the Philippine island of Borocay, located about 200 kilometres south of Manila is small but perfectly formed. Its two main beaches – White Beach and Bulabog Beach – sit opposite each other, with White Beach catering more to the party crowd with its bars, clubs and restaurants, and Bulabog offering the best wind- and kite-surfing in town.

Fire dancing is a big hit on Boracay's beaches. The beachfront Bamboo Lounge bar and restaurant is a great place to check out this mesmerising entertainment. Photo courtesy of Flickr/www.boracay.travel

There are other smaller beaches and coves too that offer more seclusion and privacy, such as Balinghai Beach, which is enclosed by high rocks and whose nearby coral garden makes it a perfect spot for snorkelling. Another quiet beach is Cagban, which means ‘cave’ or ‘chest.’ Legend has it that there are still treasure chests secreted in the sand and surrounding caves.

In addition to some world-renowned diving, Boracay is the place for sailing in a paraw, a double-winged boat ideal for groups of two to six people. They can be rented with or without crew, depending on your sailing skills.

September is considered off-season, which means there is plenty of cheap accommodation and lots of elbowroom on the beach – welcome relief after the hectic summer months. The weather is at its best during October and November, when the temperature drops a little and makes the prospect of lazing around on the beach all the more enticing.

The construction of dhows, the same traditional trading vessels used in the area centuries ago, is a major industry in the city of Sur, a northeastern regional capital of Oman

Muscat, the capital of Oman, is usually the first stop for visitors to the country. Despite its small size, it is replete with things to see and do. Literally meaning ‘anchor,’ Muscat is a port city that has carefully adopted modern-day conveniences without disturbing its charming Arabesque architecture or the forts and palaces of its past. Although considered a desert centre, Muscat could justifiably be called a ‘garden city’ with its numerous parks and green areas promising respite from the sweltering midday sun.

Oman hotels cover a wide variety of urban tastes, as well as desires for retreat beyond the bustle of town. For example, the Turtle Reservation Scientific Research Centre now includes a new lodge, and Qurum Beach and the quiet bay of Bandar Al-Jissah have become popular havens for travellers in search of water-based activities like sailing and dolphin-watching.

whl.travel’s launch of www.hotels-oman.com opens Oman to the local-travel community through its connection to Will Plummer and the team of Alanaka Tours.

Fully aware of the detrimental effects that mass tourism can have on a destination, Will and the team strive to promote responsible tourism in Oman, allowing travellers to explore their incredible destination without making much of a negative impact. A number of unique Oman tours are led by local guides, limited to 12 people per tour and only follow existing trails. As desert camping is much in demand, Alanaka Tours uses local Omani partners to provide accommodation and tents are equipped with eco-friendly toilets.

Work on the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque of Oman was completed in 2001. It contains the world's largest single hand-woven carpet, measuring 70m by 60m.

Says Will about joining the whl.travel network: “The ability to travel and explore new destinations is one that this generation has had the great privilege to enjoy, and long may this continue. We are all acutely aware though of the damage that is being done to the planet and as a traveller can see the effects that tourism has had on communities and landscapes. If we don’t collectively take action to ensure that environments and local economies are protected rather than being exploited, if we don’t take action to ensure new tourist-related building work is built in an environmentally considerate manner, then we will not only contribute to the destruction of the planet but will ruin the very heart of what makes visiting new countries so exciting – the people and the places themselves. Tourism will become a chore rather than the pleasure it should be.”