Milky Way Rising from Australia

“I love this stop-motion clip of the Milky Way rising, filmed in Coonabarabran, New South Wales, Australia. This clip illustrates how much light pollution affects our ability to see the stars by showing us what’s visible without expensive equipment once you get out into the unpolluted Australian bush. On a personal note, I have regularly spent time in Coona throughout my life, and as an Aussie living in London it’s lovely to see the Milky Way and the Aussie scrub in a familiar context.”
~Jen Campbell, Social Media Specialist at WHL Group

The Playground Earth

“When I first saw the clip, I was simply inspired by it — the beauty of the images, the longing it created to see the places pictured. Now that I have two young sons, one of whom has started asking difficult questions about our place in the cosmos, I find the video even more entrancing. After reviewing with my son an astrology book that zoomed out from the earth to the solar system to the galaxy to the universe, this video let me zoom back in on the earth, so that we could talk about who we are, the terrestrial environment in which we exist and the responsibility we have for it.”
~Ethan Gelber, Director of Media and Communications at WHL Group

This is What Global Warming looks like.

“In this video that highlights how violently the earth ‘fought back’ in 2010, what I find most chilling is that it makes me think about the devastation that natural disasters have caused around the globe in the short few months that have followed the video. To me, it’s a haunting reminder of what to expect if we don’t take action.”
~Jennifer Aston, Africa Regional Office Director, whl.travel

Earth amazing sights

“There are many, but I like the entire series shown here. You cannot help but be overwhelmed by how truly awesome and versatile our planet earth is.”
~Rob Shortland, CEO at whl.travel

Saving the sea: Maldives cabinet meets underwater!

“This video inspires me as it is people like Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed who are leading the charge on climate change awareness. Through videos and novel ideas such as this to raise awareness, I hope that finally world leaders will act, and climate change will cease being a political issue, but rather something we must do, and do now.”
~Shaun Gilchrist, Urban Adventures associate and local partner

The Solar House

“This video captures the spirit of a new way of living – one which connects us with the earth and the communities in which we can live in joyous and fulfilling ways. The fact is that most still see anything “eco” as being uncomfortable, tasteless, boring, and something to be wary of. The reality is quite the opposite and this video is a celebration of that.”
~Len Cordiner, founder and CEO of WHL Group

‘Ice Skating’ Polar Bears – Nature’s Great Events

“I love this clip because it’s full of bittersweet ‘firsts.’ For this polar bear cub, it’s the first time venturing out onto the ice. It may be the first time that the mother has taken her young onto such thin ice, and the first time she’s had to spread her weight more widely. We can see the first signs of adaptation to the new conditions brought about by a warming planet. We’re learning that for the first time, humans have had a hand in climate change. This poignant ‘ice skating’ moment doubles as a call to action.”
~Cynthia Ord, managing editor of The Travel Word newsletter

Maya Lin – Unchopping a Tree

“I saw this video after it was shown at the Copenhagen Climate Summit and I guess it made an impression on me because I never forgot it. I think it really adds some perspective onto the damage we are doing to our planet. It has that inspirational punch that makes me want to get out there and chain myself to a tree!”
~Maureen Valentine, chief content editor at whl.travel

Female Elephants Rescue a Drowning Baby

“I love elephants, so my choice for an Earth Day moment had to be an elephant clip. See how the elephants use different techniques to pull and push the baby out. These great creatures are teaching us a few lessons here. We all can work together no matter how difficult the job. And no matter how little we are we all count and are important to somebody.”
~Sylvia Cordiner, admin support for WHL Group

Lontra Comendo Peixe | Parque Nacional do Iguaçu

“I like this video because it was a wonderful ending to our day at Iguazu National Park. This past Saturday, Wallace, Fabio (Foz do Iguaçu MPO) and I went to the park for a full day of activities. It was an amazing experience! The falls are incredible of course, but the park is also full of life. We had the chance to see a wide range of species, including Tufted Capuchin, Caiman, Common Agouti, Nasua and Toucan. The most exciting was the view of an otter having a dinner. We got really close, and I had the chance to record this cool video. Our guide, who has been working in the park for the past 7 years, said that he never managed to get so close to one for that long. It was definitely an inspiring nature experience.”
~André Franchini, Manager at Hotel Link Solutions

International year of Forests * 2011

“Forests have always fascinated me. My major interest is the trees. I used to spend hours reading about the different species, their reproduction, the seeds, flowering period, the use that the natives make of them, etc. I had the pleasure to travel widely in the Brazilian Amazon and Atlantic Forest. It’s unexplainable the feeling you get near a tree that is 300 or even 500 years old.”
~Wallace Faria, Central and South America Project Manager, whl.travel

Earth Day: Give Earth a Hand

“I like this one because it shows a great concept of giving a hand to make the Earth greener. At the beginning, it expresses Human’s ambitions, focusing just on things (cars and machines) that might cause harm to the Earth and the living environment. The clip’s message, then, is that it’s time the Earth’s inhabitants should switch their needs to something more essential, without side effects like destruction and pollution.”
~Tuan Truong, content approval on the content team of WHL Group

SchoolHouse Rocks Energy

“I grew up watching Schoolhouse Rock videos and although “The Energy Blues” first aired in 1978, the video’s message remains relevant today. Energy: quit wasting it all, will ya?”
~Laura Fornadel, Asia and the Pacific Project Manager, whl.travel

Home

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“With breathtaking footage of earth juxtaposed with astonishing images of defilement, Home takes us on a journey through human history and our ever-changing relationship with our planet. Sit back and get comfortable. This is a full-length documentary.”
~Ashley Hiemenz, product development at Gunyah

We would love to hear about other inspiring video clips about our earth. Share your links and thoughts below in the comment section.

Young Hanoians show their pride by wearing 'I Love Hanoi' t-shirts on the opening night of Hanoi's 1000th birthday celebrations. Photo courtesy of Laura Fornadel

It was in the year 1010 that the Vietnamese Emperor Lý Thái Tổ moved the capital from Hoa Lu (in Ninh Bình province) to Hanoi, known at the time as Thanh Long, meaning ‘Flying Dragon’. Now, 1000 years later, Hanoi is still the administrative heart of Vietnam and also one of the oldest capitals in all of Asia.

And yesterday, the city was literally abuzz as thousands of locals and travellers joined together to kick off the first night of revelry with an impressive fireworks display and laser light show over Hoan Kiem Lake. “There was so much spirit and excitement in the air! People were taking millions of pictures to capture the moment,” said Hanoi expatriate Julia Plevin.

Among the other opening-ceremony events was a fashion show on the famous Red Bridge featuring different regional variations of ao dai, a form of  traditional Vietnamese dress, as worn by models and Miss World Viet Nam 2007, Ngo Phuong Lan.

Symbolic of the five gates of the ancient citadel were five stages set up around the lake displaying different historical times from Hanoi’s history, including the French occupation, revolutionary wars and contemporary Hanoi. One street looked as if it had been transported from an ancient era, complete with calligraphy painters, old bicycles and cyclo drivers.

Street vendors selling cotton candy were set up around Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi, Vietnam on the occasion of the city's 1000th birthday. Photo courtesy of Laura Fornadel

For the next 10 days, there will be over over 200 shows by domestic and international artists throughout the city. Some program highlights include a food festival, photo exhibitions, marathon, kite festival and cultural workshops. The official anniversary is on October 10th, which will be marked by a grand parade in Ba Dinh square followed by a cultural night festival.

If you’re anywhere in Southeast Asia, now is the time to visit Hanoi and be part of a joyous commemoration of 1000 years of Hanoi’s unique culture and tradition.

While you’re in Hanoi, why not try something else a little different: book a local experiential day tour with Urban Adventures, including Hanoi highlights and Hanoi at sunrise, as well as trips to Halong Bay, nearby traditional villages and the area’s spectacular citadels and karst landscape.

For yet more local experience elsewhere in Vietnam, try reach out to your whl.travel local connections in Can Tho, Chau Doc, Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue, Phu Quoc and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

The question came as a bit of a jolt to the four vegetarians amongst the tour participants (myself included). However, this was a grand gesture. Killing a chicken is an honour in Vietnamese culture and, although not carnivorous, I couldn’t help but appreciate the sort of raw authenticity that I had never seen on any other tour in Vietnam.

On a special microfinance tour to a village outside of Hanoi, Vietnam, Ashley (the author) established a great friendship with a Vietnamese potbelly pig on one of the borrower's farms (photo courtesy of Laura Fornadel)

As a Hanoi resident, I have taken many a tour with visiting friends travelling on a shoestring. Accordingly, I have experienced my share of horrible tours. I’ve also seen the detrimental effects of tourism done wrong – a faulty sort of Reaganomics whereby the big guys get richer and little money trickles down to the local suppliers (leaving disgruntled staff members and consequently unhappy travellers). Over the years though, a few responsible tour operators have sprouted up in a sincere effort to offer better travel alternatives. However, every street corner in the Old Quarter continues to be dominated by the same open-tour agencies catering to penny-pinching backpackers, who, while well meaning, are too happy to pay bargain-basement prices for tours to Sapa and Halong Bay.

So when we noticed a humble poster hanging on the wall of our local watering hole that advertised a microfinance tour in Vietnam, we were definitely curious. What is a microfinance tour?

Microfinance and Beyond

Muhammad Yunus won a Nobel Peace Prize for breaking new ground with microfinance in Bangladesh. Now the idea has become a global cynosure – alleviating poverty throughout the world. The concept is actually quite straightforward: provide poverty-stricken people with the kind of very small loan that would normally be unattainable from traditional banks, who either don’t deal in such small amounts or would need some sort of collateral as security against larger amounts.

A microloan borrower in Vietnam looks out at her rice fields and explains the long back-breaking process of planting every seed by hand (photo courtesy of Laura Fornadel)

Unfortunately, due to scarce funds and wide-reaching poverty in the world, microfinance institutions are unable to provide for everyone in need. Which is where microfinance tours come in: they can reach deep into communities and help people that are generally too far on the periphery to have access even to microloans.

The tour that we attended visited the borrowers of the Microfinance and Community Development Institute (MACDI). The microloans are usually very small – just enough for someone to buy a few chickens or a pig – but providing people with vital boosts taking them from having nothing at all to being able to make substantial improvement in their lives. Each tour focuses on a group of five or six borrowers at a time; when sufficient funds for loans have been raised for that group, the tour moves on to fund loans for a new group. In this way, because the tour only goes enough times to meet loan requirements – for every tour participant, a large portion of the proceeds goes directly to MACDI, so it takes only two tours of 12 people each to meet a loan – it maintains the integrity of a destination (which doesn’t become touristic) and inherently provides a completely authentic experience for travellers.

Giong's House Pagoda, outside Hanoi, Vietnam, honours Saint Giong. Legend holds that his mother here immaculately conceived him by placing her foot in the footprint of a giant found in a field. Photo courtesy of Laura Fornadel

Of course, in keeping with the practice of microfinance, when a loan is repaid by one group of borrowers, it is used again for a new group. Importantly, it is a model that is completely scalable.

The Tour

Our first stop was Giong’s House, a beautiful complex with ancient pagodas. Even though it was pouring rain, the hazy fog made the place even more magical, and unlike at the Perfume Pagoda, there were no tourists. Inside, we were given a tour by a local monk, who told us the legend of Thanh Giong (Saint Giong), translated into English by one of the tour guides. The story was a perfect preface to time we would later spend at Soc Son, where Saint Giong flew back to heaven after defeating the An people.

After roaming about freely for a short while, we headed to Soc Son, where we helped prepare lunch with Ms. Tuyen, a microfinance success story. While sitting on her floor in traditional Vietnamese style and eating our fill of fresh vegetables, chicken, tofu and rice, she told us her story.

At the end of the day, everyone on the microfinance tour had a chance to try smoking tobacco with a traditional Vietnamese water pipe (photo courtesy of Laura Fornadel)

The initial loan she received was for only 500,000 Vietnamese Dong (roughly US$30), enough for her to purchase a few chickens. With this small leg up, she was able to sell eggs and chicks and eventually make enough money to buy other animals, including ducks and pigs, and then even some farmland. When we met her, she was self-sustaining and had even put her two children through school and university. Looking at everything that she had now, I was amazed at what such a small loan could do for her and her family.

After lunch, we met the other borrowers – all women. After greeting us with fresh guavas from her tree, one woman brought us out o her rice fields, where she explained to us the back-aching process of harvesting the rice by hand. We also met another woman who lived with her four children, while her husband worked far away from home. She only needed a loan to buy 50 chickens, for a total of about US$60.

As we headed back to Hanoi, we stopped at a small lacquer-ware and jewellery craft shop that employed disabled people who couldn’t normally get a job. Many of the products they created are now sold in a Fair-Trade shop in the heart of Hanoi’s Old Quarter. To crown an already superb day, the owner invited us to drink rice wine and smoke tobacco out of a traditional water pipe.

We all agreed, Bloom Microventures was certainly the best Hanoi-area tour we have ever been on.

Ashley (right) and her friend Laura tinted orange at the bisket jatra celebration for the Nepalese New Year in Thimi, outside Kathmandu

A month later, after two flights and a turbulent landing, my longtime friend Laura and I arrived in Kathmandu. Unintentionally, we had arrived on the Nepalese New Year’s Day – the first day of 2067 according to their calendar – but we were still welcomed by our whl.travel local connections, Rajendra and Navin, who greeted us with a lei-like flower necklace and anointed our foreheads with the Nepalese tikka (a mixture of red dye and rice).

As they drove us to the center of the city past typical red-brick homes, I couldn’t help but notice the similarities between Kathmandu and other emerging South Asian cities. Once again, I saw the blatant dichotomy between the rich and poor, as well as the same traffic insanity. However, the distant mountains were refreshingly different and imparted a sense of preserved isolation that I hadn’t felt before.

It wasn’t long before we were relaxing in the private office of Rajendra, seated at his large desk, that of the managing director and founder of Outdoor Himalayan Treks, our whl.travel local partner in Nepal. Looking at his crisp white shirt, one could easily be forgiven for not realizing that he’s actually an expert in Himalayan trekking routes. Orphaned when he was just eight years old, Raj independently took odd jobs to make ends meet and put himself through school. Afterward, he landed a position as a porter and then became a certified guide, the means by which he learned the various treks and finally opened his own company. It was in him that we put our trust as he knowledgeably designed one of the most incredible adventures of my lifetime.

Nepali men covered in orange powder and playing traditional drums at the bisket jatra in Thimi, near Kathmandu, Nepal

Kathmandu Valley

At 6:30am the very next day, we left Hotel Utse in a rush to catch celebrations in the adjacent municipality of Thimi. As I whirred through the city on the back of Navin’s motorbike, I realized that Navin is a walking encyclopedia of information about Nepal. In Nepali, navin means ‘new,’ and, standing slightly shorter than me with kind eyes and a handsome face, Navin certainly brought a fresh, boyish and contagious desire to discover and learn new things. The early morning roads were clear as we neared Thimi. Along the way, Navin pointed out the industrial plants where the city’s ubiquitous red brick was processed, explaining that due to little regulation, the factories were now emitting vast amounts of pollution.

We arrived to Thimi just in time for the first New Year jatra, or celebration. Thimi, famous for its pottery, is a medieval city only eight kilometers from the capital. Around every corner, it has majestic architecture and temples dating from Kathmandu’s Newari Golden Age (16th to 18th centuries). However, this was no ordinary day in Thimi. At nearly 7am, the narrow streets were already full of hundreds of people ready to celebrate the famous bisket jatra – a procession of revelers throwing orange powder, carrying palanquins covered in Hindu deities and playing traditional cymbals and drums. Within minutes, Laura and I were tinted orange and indulging small children’s hunger to have their photos taken.

A short time later, after enjoying masala tea in a local spot, we mounted the motorbikes again and headed toward the famous adjacent city of Bhaktapur. A World Heritage Site and an old capital of Nepal, Bhaktapur has two faces. The majestic square with domineering architecture is breathtaking, yet undeniably touristic. But the back alleys, teeming with local life, are the real heart of the city. We listened to its rhythm as we watched women in traditional Newari dress line up at the wells to fill their canteens.

In Patan, men and women line up to fill up their canteens at a well with government-provided water

From Bhaktapur, we turned to Patan, another grand city dating from the Golden Age. At the Patan Museum, we encountered one of the best collections I’ve seen in South Asia, abounding with statues and paintings of gods and goddesses from ancient cultures. As we listened to Navin’s friend Rajkiran describe the various faces of Shiva, I realized that my college mythology course hadn’t even scratched the surface of the complexity of Hinduism.

“It is said that there are more gods in Kathmandu than people,” Navin said as we sat at a rooftop café drinking more masala tea and watching the sun set behind the Himalayas. As we looked out over the mass of overcrowded houses that was slowly swallowing the ancient temples, I couldn’t help but imagine the devastation that might occur here during a natural disaster.

A Leap of Faith

Back in Katmandu, Swoyamber, another friend and colleague of Navin’s, said “There is one more place I want you to see.” He took us down a side street away from the roar of motorized traffic and stopped in front of a large colorful relief of Shiva. Illuminated by candles, the statue represented Bhairava, the terrible manifestation of Shiva the destroyer. As people lit candles and laid their offerings before him, I realized from all the rituals and tradition in this country that the Nepalese people – the last census of whom reported 83% as Hindu – were truly god-fearing.

This thought resonated the next day as we travelled by early-morning bus to the border of Tibet to go bungee jumping. As we wound along the mountain roads, Navin pointed out a newly constructed statue of Shiva that, at over 43 meters in height, towers above the terraced rice paddies below.

A view of the Bhote Khosi River Gorge. The bungee-jumping bridge is the third highest in the world and also has the largest canyon swing in the world.

The scenery began to change as we neared our destination and paralleled the Bhote Kosi River, which turned from a muddy brown to a light blue as we ascended further into the mountains. Navin told me about the massive hydroelectric power potential of Nepal as we passed a modern power plant. But in a country that falls behind Honduras and Senegal in terms of GDP, parts of Nepal suffer at least two hours of power outages a day.

After stopping for a lunch of the dal bat – the national dish of lentils and rice – we continued our climb southeast towards Dhulikhel. Clear blue skies were the backdrop of the verdant mountains ornamented with pristine waterfalls as the road coiled around and above a gorge.

In his song ‘Ma Marepani Malai Mero Deshko Maya Chha’ (Even If I Die, I’ll Still Be Loving My Motherland), Narayan Gopal, the most prolific and beloved Nepalese musician, wrote:

In and around this country of mine, the love for my homeland endures
Sons of the brave, my Nepali folks, the love for our ancestors endures
The love for our ancestors endures
Even if I die, I’ll still be loving my motherland
This heart is filled with a lot of love for Nepal

Seeing the pride in Navin’s eyes as we drove along gawking at the dramatic beauty, I was overcome by this beautiful country.

We pulled into the Last Resort – an ominous name for a bungee-jumping outfit. In almost no time, I was standing at the edge of a bridge over 160 meters above a vigorous river and staring out into the distance of the high-cliff gorge. After a nerve-wracking count to three, I leapt, and, after briefly flailing my arms in useless resistance, conceded and relaxed. Jumping off a bridge is a lot like walking out of your door each morning. You can’t control what’s going to happen and it’s a lot more fun to give in and have faith that a bungee will catch you before you hit the rocks below.

For more information about Nepal, including accommodations, tours and activities, and lots of insider tips, contact Outdoor Himalayan Treks, your whl.travel local connection, at www.kathmanduhotel-link.com. Also read about their strong and generous connection to underprivileged children in their community.

on February 22nd, many questions have again been raised about the exploitation of whales and dolphins as entertainment. SeaWorld, owned by Blackstone, is a profitable business that fills its stadiums day after day with thousands of viewers eager to watch animals do circus tricks. The animals live and perform in pools the conditions of which have been likened to a human spending the rest of his or her life in a bathtub.

The spinner dolphin is common to the waters of Fernando de Noronha, Brazil, and most famous for its acrobatic displays. Some have been seen completing 14 spinning jumps one after another.

And where do these animals come from? Tilikum, the orca responsible for the death of Brancheau, was taken from the wild off the coast of Iceland to live out the rest of his life in captivity. And as revealed in Louie Psihoyos’ heart-wrenching Oscar-nominated documentary, The Cove, many dolphins are also removed from their families in the wild – separating mother and calf – and then distributed to marine parks throughout the world. What happens to those who don’t get picked for marine-park training is yet another story altogether.

A Better Alternative

Many people argue that the current awareness and love for orcas and dolphins wouldn’t exist without parks like SeaWorld. Do I agree? Yes. But do I think there are better alternatives? Most decisively.

The most obvious problem with SeaWorld and other voyeuristic venues is that cash seems to come before conservation. Tilikum fathered 17 calves; those that survived were not set free, but kept in confinement. It is certainly true that the wild is not what it used to be; there are many more threats to wildlife survival. But is it in Ringling Bros. cages that we propose to preserve the future of the animals of this planet?

No. There are better options and better places to put your dollar. Brazil has led the way in promoting marine conservation by creating coastal sanctuaries that allow these animals to return to the wild, where they can swim up to 100 miles a day, as intended. Supporting local efforts like this result in conservation and awareness that create win-win situations for whales, dolphins and other sea animals, and those who admire them.

The grey wolf can now live protected from hunters in Estonia's Soomaa National Park (photo by Jarek Joepara)

Of course careful conservation efforts aren’t limited to targeting marine life. For land animals, numerous sanctuaries have been developed that offer a better alternative to stressful and limited life in a zoo. Addo National Park of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, is refuge to massive herds of elephants that can live peacefully in a protected environment. In Sandakan of Malaysian Borneo, the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre saves orphaned orangutans and eventually releases them back into the open forest reserve, where they can roam safely free. Soomaa National Park of Estonia is a protected area where wolves, bears, lynx and beavers can live without fearing the crosshairs of hunters.

These are just a few examples of the efforts taken around the world to protect local wildlife. With so many better alternatives, why not support endeavours that primarily promote conservation and education, rather than shameless profit at the expense of animals?

Animals can’t speak for themselves. We must speak for them. Use your dollar positively. Think before you spend.

As seen from the Botanical Park that helps make it one of the Europe's greenest cities, these 'main gates' of Chisinau are often the first vision visitors see as they arrive from the airport

Bunches of Grapes

With a geographical outline that some say bears a resemblance to a bunch of grapes, Moldova is a famous wine country – in 2005 it ranked seventh in the world for wine exportation – with hundreds of wine-producing companies. In fact, just 30 minutes from Chisinau (Moldova’s capital city) is the world’s largest underground wine complex of Mileşti Mici, even titleholder in the Guinness World Records as the largest wine collection in the world! Composed of 250 kilometres of subterranean galleries (only 120 kilometres of which are used) that reach as far as the edge of Chisinau, Mileşti Mici contains over 1.5 million bottles of wine.

Moldova’s second largest wine cellar is the Cricova Winery, located in a village of the same name 15km north of Chisinau. Set in limestone tunnels from which rock was extracted for the development of Chisinau, the mines were converted in the 1950s to the storage of wines. Famous for fine vintages (including a true méthode champenoise sparkling wine), Cricova is just as legendary for its underground labyrinth, albeit at 120 kilometres a bit less extensive than at Mileşti Mici. Both are like underground cities where you amble along avenues named after wines or even drive your car down the oak barrel boulevards.

Barrels border the boulevards in a subterranean passage of Mileşti Mici, storage for the largest wine collection in the world - over 1.5 million bottles

For wine lovers, a particularly excellent time to visit Moldova is the autumn (October) Wine Festival. This celebration brings all the wine families together to mark the end of the year’s grape harvest. Throughout the country, the villages’ small houses transform their courtyards into tiny wineries, where everyone is invited to join in wine tasting and a traditional ‘hora’ dance.

In Chisinau, although there are wine shops on every corner, the only one that features all of the Moldavian wines is the Casa Vinului, where you can taste before purchasing. More about Moldavian wines can also be found on the websites for Mileşti Mici and the Cricova Winery.

Agritourism near Prime Attractions

A seeker of true Moldova rustic authenticity must visit the village of Lalova on the Nistru River, 100 kilometres north-northeast of Chisinau. Travellers can stay at the Hanul lui Hanganu Guesthouse, which offers unique accommodation options ranging from an actual hayloft to a cellar with a fireplace. Here, travellers can relax and engage in traditional activities, such as fishing, tasting honey in the beekeeper’s house, boat rides or visiting a handicraft workshop. Conveniently, the Tipova complex, one of the country’s top attractions, with an 11th-century cave monastery and many beautiful waterfalls and springs, is only two kilometres away.

The 11th-century cave monasteries of Tipova are one of Moldova's top attractions

Ten kilometres away is another appealing site: Saharna village. Set in incredible natural surroundings, it boasts the 18th-century Holy Trinity Monastery, as well as a small chapel built on Grimidon, the high rock on top of which a monk had a vision of St Maria and then subsequently found her footprint. Saharna is a great place for trekking to waterfalls, archaeological sites and exceptional panoramic views of the immaculate landscape.

For a different taste of Moldavian country life, another option is a trip to the rural boarding house of Casa din Lunca, located in Trebujeni village, 47 kilometres north-northeast of Chisinau. Owned by the Benzin family, this house is set within a natural park, where visitors can participate in horseback riding, milking sheep and cows and cooking traditional Moldavians dishes, as well as enjoy the traditional songs and dances of Moldova.

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For more information about Moldova, including Chisinau hotels, Chisinau tours and lots of insider tips, contact your local whl.travel connection: Olga and the Uniglobe Slavion Travel team at www.travel-chisinau.com.

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The magnificent breach of a humpback whale off the Morro de São Paulo coast of Brazil

Marine experts estimate that a humpback whale travels an average of 25,000 kilometres each year on a regular migration route that begins with feeding in cold polar waters and ends with summer breeding in subtropical climates. In the southern hemisphere, humpback whales travel from Antarctica to the northern Brazilian coast of Bahia, where visitors regularly gather to witness whale mothers and calves up close.

Hunters’ Deadly Harpoons

There was, however, a time in our history when humpback whales teetered perilously close to extinction, with only 10% of the original population left in the world. Although several factors led to the depreciation in their numbers, the most severe was beyond doubt that of hunting. The humpback whale’s close-to-shore activities and unhurried pace have made it an easy mark for commerical hunters for centuries.

Slow-moving adult humpback whales, which can grow over 50 feet in length, have long been easy marks for hunters

Commerical whale hunting in Brazil was introduced at the beginning of the 17th century. In the 20th century, Japanese factories were often busy in Brazilian waters until whaling was finally prohibited in 1987. In the 87 years prior to that, according to the Instituto Baleia Jubarte it is estimated that over 200,000 humpback whales were killed in the southern hemisphere alone.

Whales continue to be endangered even though significant changes have been made to sea-harvesting practices. The primary threats include over-fishing, pollution, commercial fishing nets and climate change. The result is a whale population about one-third of what it was once thought to be.

Instituto Baleia Jubarte

“The idea that whales are saved from human aggression is not true, and in this new century we should strive to make sure our actions do not once again lead them down the path of distinction.” – Instituto Baleia Jubarte

Before embarking on a whalewatching trip, participants are given some information about humpback whales

With the end of whale hunting in Brazil, interest in whalewatching has grown rapidly in coastal areas, where visitors flock to catch a glimpse of these incredible animals. Besides the obvious advantages of not killing whales and promoting cetacean awareness and conservation, the incidental effects of whale tourism have been positive in other ways; this type of tourism produces over US$1 billion dollars annually across the globe, greatly impacting the local coastal communities who now depend on it. Compared to whale hunting, a practice where the economic advantages are centralized in the hands of a few at the expense of an entire species, whale tourism benefits a large number of people, local ventures like restaurants, tour operators and hotels, and, of course, the whales themselves.

One organisation very aware of this and now actively contributing to the peaceful coexistence of humans and whales – and ensuring the latter a better future today – is the Instituto Baleia Jubarte (IBJ), located in Praia do Forte, 90 kilometres northeast of Salvador. IBJ now works in partnership with Rota Tropical Turismo, who run whalewatching trips daily from July to October in the waters near Morro de São Paulo, where humpbacks gather to reproduce. On this day trip, participants can behold the acrobatic whales breaching and playing in the water, and sometimes even see mother whales with newborn calves. Taking a tour like this not only promotes awareness by connecting travellers with these remarkable animals, it also supports IBJ’s work in environmental education, scientific research and preservation of humpback whales.

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For more information on whalewatching tours and any other local recommendations or advice about Morro de São Paulo hotels and Morro de São Paulo tours, contact the team of Rota Tropical, your whl.travel local connection.

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A typical Turkish-village bread oven is the unlikely but excellent focus of a responsible-tourism project on the Datça Peninsula. Traditional bread is baked in these special stone ovens. Both oven-building and bread-baking are vanishing master crafts.

Going Local

There are nine traditional villages found on the peninsula, all inhabited by people whose livelihoods depend on local resources like almonds, olives, honey, fruit and vegetables, as well as, more recently, tourism. There are no large holiday resorts, however; here travellers turn to small, family-owned guesthouses and pensions, which, in an effort to preserve their natural environment, are pleasantly integrated into the surroundings. Many of these accommodations, like the Eski Datça Everli, even have their own gardens that provide for the meals served in the hotel.

A broad view of the Knidia Country Estate

Alternative travellers in the area seeking something truly different should consider staying at the Knidia Country Estate, a prime example of a responsible accommodation at the vanguard of efforts to respect the area’s environment and traditions. This 400-acre eco-farm welcomes guests to simple but comfortable huts and encourages them to learn directly about ecological agriculture. Far from the ‘civilized world’ in lodging without electricity, travellers discover starry nights, swim in pristine waters, relax to the sound of a watermill and partake of delicious organic food and wine.

Using What’s There

Grassroots projects are now also bringing travellers together with the local community, connections that are helping to preserve local traditions. One such initiative, the Village Bread-Baking Project, launched to help breathe life back into the local bread-baking customs slowly losing ground to so-called ‘city-bread’. Travellers are taken to a small village and engage with the local women in the social activity of baking bread, including gathering firewood, heating stones and preparing the dough. Although these women only speak Turkish, travellers communicate using ‘tarzanca’ – talking with a few words and lot of hand and feet gestures, much the way Tarzan and Jane did!

Experience is an important part of the bread-baking process. The colour of the bread changes gradually and only a practiced bread baker knows which loaves are ready or which ones need to be placed closer to the fire (out of sight on the left side of the pictured oven). The bread is flat with a hole in the middle to shorten the baking time and assure that it is well cooked on the inside. Each bread requires about 15 minutes of baking.

Unlike elsewhere in most of Turkey, agricultural methods in Datça are highly organic, making no use of pesticides or chemical fertilizer. With this in mind, the OWAHO Project came together as a means of attracting travellers to the area 12 months a year. Through this endeavour, travellers participate in the production of organic wine, almonds, honey and olive oil, working for either half or full days side by side with locals. On top of sharing ideas about green farming methods, travellers and locals live an incomparable experience of the cross-pollination of thoughts and culture.

Two Insider Tips

Local Ruins
Just 15 miles from Datça are the remains of a 200-year-old neo-classical church unknown even to locals of the peninsula. Visitors can stroll about freely and take pictures, but remember it’s a graveyard: no alcoholic beverages or picnicking on the graves. One special feature of the region is that people put long texts – often poems – on the gravestones.

The little-known Greek Orthodox church dating from about 1880. In the middle of the main doorway is a Muslim grave- stone with a typical long text of the region. On some columns crucifixes have been scratched away. One may also wonder where the original graveyard was or how it completely disappeared.

Coming from Datça, take the road to Knidos. After passing Yakaköy, continue toward Knidos for 1km, until you see a sign for Çeşmeköy. This takes you to the village if Çesme, where you can stop for a tea in one of the teahouses and chat with the friendly locals who enjoy joking with visitors. Return to the main road to Knidos, where, after 50 metres, there is a small road going left. The church is on the left 100 metres ahead.

The Village of the Hundred Weeping Wells
Seekers of the archaic and untouched should head to the village of Taslica. Although the village is very dry, its inhabitants found it nearby in abundance and built hundreds of wells – at least one for each family. This is the ‘secret’ that accounts for the village’s survival. During sunrise or sunset, travellers can see the local women dressed in traditional clothing gather the water in this peaceful, yet rather social place. No different from a biblical scene, the women drop buckets on long lines into the wells and then pull them up again to fill plastic barrels strapped to their donkeys or mules.

Only two of the 100 Weeping Wells of Taslica

To get to Taslica from Marmaris turn to the left at Hisaronu from which you then follow the road to Bozburun, Selimiye and further to the south to Sogut and Taslica. From Taslica, head toward Sergeliman. After 500 metres, you’ll see the field filled with wells.

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For more information about Marmaris-Datça and its surrounding region, including accommodations, tours, activities and lots of insider tips, contact your local whl.travel connection: Gerard Oude Hergelink and the team from Titco Tours at www.marmaris-datca.travel.

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The ghost of recent violent times in the Balkans still haunts the region; few people give it priority consideration as a destination of choice for their next holidays, perhaps least of all places like post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina. The mere mention of Sarajevo and Mostar conjures up memories of the human and material devastation that occurred during the 1990s.

Hikers in the Bosnia and Herzegovina highlands above Trnovacko Lake

However, over the last decade or so, easing recriminations have allowed for significant developments and improvements to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s tourism infrastructure. Intrepid travellers tempted to try something new have been thrilled to discover an incredible country of stunning and pristine nature, a fascinating blend of cultures including some of the oldest traditional practices in Europe, friendly people, UNESCO World Heritage sites and world-famous Balkan cuisine. For city enthusiasts, Sarajevo, the capital, is a cosmopolitan centre with trendy bars and cafes, while nature mavens will find in the surrounding mountains and countryside countless escapes and excursions.

Where to Begin – Sarajevo and Surrounds

The Hotel Ada, located in the heart of Sarajevo’s Old Town, is a great little city base from which to stage urban explorations. Travellers come here to experience true Bosnian-style hospitality and try some of the locally grown organic food.

More delicious Bosnian cuisine is the highlight of Dveri, a restaurant in the Old Town with local specialties like goulash, stuffed eggplant, mukalica (pork chops covered in a spicy sauce) and warm homemade bread.

A Sarajevo city tour is an excellent way to get familiar with the town and its fascinating, yet poignant history. Highlights include 16th-century synagogues and churches and the Latin Bridge where Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated, triggering World War I.

To get out of the city and enjoy some beautiful Bosnian countryside, take a rafting trip on the Neretva River and brave some of the best rapids in Europe. The river’s high canyon walls and emerald-green water are not soon forgotten.

Green Visions and Lukomir Village

Green Visions is a Sarajevo-based tour operator that offers a variety of travel experiences emphasising the nature and unique culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina. “We founded our company on the principles of balance and harmony between man and nature,” says Thierry Joubert, a managing partner. “We’ve pioneered a movement in creating alternative means of sustainable development while maintaining an eco-friendly approach to all that we do.”

Given this unique orientation, Green Visions was selected by the International Finance Corporation (part of the World Bank Group) as the local partner in a programme to promote tours and small- and medium-sized guesthouses in and around Sarajevo.  In cooperation with whl.travel, the global grassroots network of travel websites, Green Visions now makes these services available online through a Sarajevo travel portal.

Visiting hikers near Lukomir Village with a view to Krvavac peak

One particularly meaningful tour is the Lukomir Village Highland Walk, a hike to a secluded Bosnian settlement. The residents of this highest village in Bosnia and Herzegovina maintain one of the oldest traditional lifestyles in Europe, wearing authentic dress and living without contemporary comforts like electricity or running-water. Sadly, the Balkan hostilities of the 1990s were devastating to remote highland communities like Lukomir and are in great need of sustainable support.

Working with the Ministry of Trade and Tourism, Green Vision has embarked on a programme to preserve traditional highland practices and the local environments on which the villagers depend. Through tours, awareness of the villagers’ plight is being increased and reason provided for several families in Lukomir to receive both support in equipping their homes with traditionally crafted guest beds and furniture, and basic hospitality training. Admiring old farming methods and a lifestyle long since forgotten in Europe, travellers can now rest in a unique environment while also providing economic support to the villagers. Lukomir tours are only run during summer months, outside of which snow can stymie road access.

Green Visions has been involved in other development projects throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, including starting Bosnia’s first ecotourism and environmental protection agency and leading ecotours (over 2,000 so far) to even the most remote areas of the country.

When considering where to go this summer, keep Bosnia and Herzegovina in mind and make a trip with a difference! For more information about Sarajevo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, including accommodations, tours, activities and lots of insider tips, contact your local whl.travel connection: Thierry Joubert and the team from Green Visions at www.sarajevo-travel.ba.

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Want to learn more SUMMER IN THE BALKANS? Read about Albania and Montenegro.