The Torres del Paine (Towers of Paine) are the most famous peaks of the Paine massif in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile, a park that covers 181,414 hectares (448,284 acres) of unique landscapes and is a UNESCO-recognised Biosphere Reserve. Photo © Hernán Torres

The park is one of the nature tourism meccas in Chile. Located in the Chilean Patagonia, it covers a total of 181,414 hectares (448,284 acres) and is among the preferred worldwide destinations for trekking, particularly for its famous five-day ‘W’ circuit (named for the shape of the route). In 1978, Torres del Paine National Park was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, because it is one of the world’s most representative regions of different ecosystem and also provides opportunities to measure human impacts on the environment.

The stark granite rock formations known as the Towers of Paine, the Grey and Dickson glaciers, the numerous waterfalls and lakes, and an abundance of wildlife that includes endangered species such as the condor, the puma and the Huemul deer, are some of the main attractions of this protected area.

Irresponsible Tourists

Unfortunately, the most recent recent conflagration is not the first time that a fire has started as a result of a tourist’s irresponsible conduct. In recent years, three forest fires have affected the park, all of them caused by visitors.

The first one occurred in February 2005, when an inferno that lasted 10 days destroyed more than 13,000 hectares (32,000 acres), or approximately 7 percent of the park. It was sparked by a gas stove used by a Czech tourist in a grassland area where camping was not authorised. The disaster was such that the Czech Republic quickly offered help to restore the damaged sectors and sent Czech experts. The forest cooperation project “Assistance to renew Torres del Paine National Park ecosystems damaged by the fire” ended in December 2010. It ran for five years and included reforestation with 180,000 Lenga (Nothofagus pumilio)plants.

In February 2011, a new fire was again cause for grief. An Israeli tourist who lit a bonfire in an unauthorised area initiated it, although it did not have the same catastrophic consequences because rain helped control the flames. The tourist was expelled from the national park and declared an unwelcome visitor because of his irresponsibility.

Most recently, on December 29, 2011, another Israeli citizen caused the second fire in one year when he tried to burn some toilet paper. The devastation, in this case, was far worse. So much so that volunteers from all over the world came to offer help, including Australian firefighters. Until last week, CONAF– the government agency in charge of managing protected areas in Chile – still had staff putting out blazes in different sectors of the park.

The endangered Huemul deer (Hippocamelus bisulcus) lives in the Chilean and Argentine Patagonia and can sometimes be seen in Torres del Paine National Park. Photo © Hernán Torres

Impacts of the Fire

The native forest that was destroyed comprised trees that grow very slowly and reach maturity only after approximately 200 years. They also need to be protected from the cold and wind during the winter and the dryness during the summer.

Revitalising the scorched areas is therefore not just a matter of replanting small trees, but also of providing them with the required growing conditions. In addition, it’s important to consider that a large part of the fire went underground and affected the area’s soil. Wildlife living in the park will probably return to the damaged sectors only to find them completely barren and will have to move elsewhere in search of food and shelter.

The forced closure of the park also affected the local economy, which depends on income generated by thousands of foreign tourists who visit the area during the high season, between November and February.

It is estimated that tourism business owners lost US$2 million dollars, although this is a preliminary figure that may need to be revised upward. Many local businesses have made great efforts to avoid layoffs because their employees rely on the salaries they obtain during these months.

More than 140,000 tourists travel to Torres del Paine National Park in Chile each year, many to admire the Large Paine Waterfall. Photo © Hernán Torres

Data provided by park authorities shows that, despite the park’s partial reopening, visits dropped 50 percent in January. Thankfully, the Chilean government has allocated resources to support micro and small tourism enterprises in the area and has launched an aggressive international promotion campaign to maintain the flow of visitors to the park in 2012 and 2013.

Who’s to Blame?

This third fire in Torres del Paine caused a flurry of angry comments in social networks and the media, with Chileans demanding that the government change the rules for visitors to national parks, such as forbidding camping, and also allocate more resources to protection. Many people also complained about what was considered to be a slow reaction by the Israeli government to offer help, certainly in comparison to that of the Czech Republic in 2005.

The biggest issue is that Torres del Paineis mainly a destination for foreign tourists. Chilean visitors usually just go for a day trip, since the cost of staying overnight is too expensive for them. Many foreign tourists who also can’t afford to travel to the park with a tour operator and stay at one of the several accommodations available there choose to rent a car to go on their own and to camp.

The Cuernos del Paine (Horns of Paine) are one of the most astounding features of the Paine massif in Chile's Torres del Paine National Park. Photo © Hernán Torres

Those are the riskier visitors, because many of them stay outside of authorised areas. In such cases – faced with inadequate infrastructure – they do whatever they can to be comfortable. Although they generally mean no harm, their limited knowledge of the park’s environmental conditions and their disregard for warnings by park rangers leads them to make wrong decisions.

The Israeli tourist who started this last fire has been forced to stay in the area until the legal investigation is over. He has claimed that there were no warning signs in the national park and that nobody gave him any guidelines. That may be true. National parks in Chile – as in many other countries – suffer from decades of insufficient funding to hire necessary personnel and implement adequate surveillance and prevention measures. Things will probably improve after this devastating fire, but until then it is up to us to act responsibly to ensure that beautiful places such as Torres del Paine National Park are preserved for the enjoyment of future generations.

For incredible vacation packages in Chile, including a five-day discovery tour of Southern Patagonia and Torres del Paine National Park, visit Gunyah.com, the WHL Group’s marketplace for authentic and responsible local travel experiences.

Global Basecamps, in collaboration with Maasai Wanderings, contributes to a variety of ecotourism and community outreach programs in Tanzania. In 2004, Maasai Wanderings visited a Maasai village called Ilkurot (which means “dusty place”) just north of Arusha, and saw that the schools were in desperate need of supplies and repairs, and there was no nursery school.

Global basecamps and and Maasai Wanderings are two travel operators that support communities in Tanzania. Photo courtesy of Maasai Wanderings/The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)

Following this visit, the Ilkurot community project was developed to raise funds for the school and to make education more accessible to the Maasai children. The Ilkurot community project began by setting up a nursery school so the village children would be able to enter the Tanzanian education system and would hopefully then move onto primary and secondary school and beyond.

People in Ilkurot live below the Tanzanian poverty line and earn an average of less than $200 per year. The cost of schooling is about $40-$50, making it difficult for children to receive an education. With the help of donors and volunteers, Global Basecamps and Maasai Wanderings strive to make education easily accessible and free to the Maasai children of Ilkurot, with the hope that educated Maasai will be better equipped to aid in retaining their ancient culture.

Welcome Wall, Ilkurot Nursery School, Tanzania

Maasai Village Experience Tours

In 2005, the Ilkurot Nursery School opened and had 45 students between the ages of 5 and 7. The class was held in a small room, but the number of students quickly outgrew the small facilities. As a way to raise additional funds for the school, Global Basecamps in Tanzania developed ‘Maasai Village Experience Tours’, giving travelers the unique opportunity to interact with and learn from the Maasai people. These cultural tours helped raise funds to build a new classroom for the Ilkurot School and continue to help build the Ilkurot community project.

The new classroom was opened in January 2006 with a large increase of students. To accommodate all the new students, the school began holding two sessions a day. The five-year-old group consisted of approximately 110 students and was held in the morning, while the afternoon lessons consisted of about 100 six-year-old students. At each session the students are served uji (ground corn porridge with sugar and oil), the staple diet of the Maasai people.

Porridge time at Ilkurot Nursery School, Tanzania

Community Members Benefit from Ilkurot Nursery School

In 2007, over 1,000 textbooks were purchased, and for the first time students had guides to their studies. During this year, funds were also used to plaster the classroom and fit glass windows, which were previously wooden windows, allowing dust in and making the classrooms very dirty. In an effort to control the amount of dust in Ilkurot, a tree and grass planting project was put in place and a 2,000-liter water tank was installed. Almost 500 trees were planted in an effort to limit the dust that flies around and caused many eye infections and dry coughs.

The school was able to employ a Tinga Tinga artist to stay in the village for a few weeks to paint murals and educational drawings on the classroom walls. The school was also able to build a playground – the first playground in the school and in the district – with a basic football pitch, netball court, and volleyball court that allowed for sports education in their curriculum. In 2009, Ilkurot saw many more changes, including the completion a library/teacher’s resource center.

In addition to providing valuable educational opportunities to children, Ilkurot Nursery School also supports teachers and cooks by offering employment, and promotes additional cultural tourism throughout the village. Recently, a building was constructed to include a kitchen, store, staff room and changing room with a 3,000-liter water tank, and six new toilets. Further, the children now all have school uniforms, made as part of another community project that allows women with disabled children to stay at home and earn an income by creating a sewing business.

Students on the playground, Ilkurot, Tanzania

Maasai Village Life and the Importance of Education

In Maasai villages, young boys are typically sent away with their father’s cattle and accompanied by older morani (warriors) for 3-5 years tending to the cattle. Therefore, the Nursery School has a higher attendance of girls than boys. The girls that attend school also have chores they must complete before or after their lesson. By the time the students are 5 or 6, their mothers may have had 2 or 3 more children, for which the young girls are responsible for. They feed, bathe and carry the smaller children.

The lifestyle of young males and the responsibilities expected of young girls were a hurdle in the Ilkurot community projects. While trying not to disrupt the norms of Maasai life, the school tries to encourage education in the community. The school continually changes lesson schedules and requirements to make it more acceptable to the Maasai community.

The main task of the nursery school is teaching the children Swahili (Tanzania’s national language). Since the primary school curriculum is taught in Swahili only, children who do not learn the language will not be able to advance to primary school. The nursery school also teaches some English phrases because secondary school is taught only in English.

Ilkurot Nursery School classrooms, Tanzania

About Global Basecamps

Global Basecamps is a specialty travel company designed to simplify the process of researching and booking sustainable hotels, lodges and private tours worldwide. Travel at your own pace with a custom itinerary or simply find accommodations and excursions so that your trip priorities are met and you have maximum flexibility while on the road. Global Basecamps is the North American representative for Maasai Wanderings.

The Transcarpathia region of southwest Ukraine is a unique area, a tourism pearl sometimes called "Little Switzerland." Photo courtesy of Iloveukraine/Tetyana

Today, this grand state beckons travellers to explore its intricate church architecture and delicate frescos, bustling cities and authentic rural villages, and gorgeous natural resources. Along the way, you will discover that there are plenty of cultural myths and stories, the kinds about unique local archetypal characters that will capture your imagination and keep you coming back for more local travel experiences in Ukraine.

Here are just three stories with which to whet your appetites.

The Babushkas of Ukraine’s Cities

Babushka (in Russian) or babusia (in Ukrainian), as Ukrainians call their elderly ladies, are an inevitable sight in any city or town in Ukraine, no matter where you go. Stroll along the cobbled sidewalks in Lviv and you will see them, chatting and singing folk songs in front of the impressive Opera Theatre. Hop on a train headed east and you will be greeted by their curious eyes and voices selling homegrown apples and freshly baked buns with jam or poppy seeds. Head further east and you will find them sitting on every street bench, letting the world pass by in the greenery of Kharkiv’s parks, or selling everything from sunflower seeds to flower bouquets in Donetsk.

Kyiv (Kiev) is the capital city of Ukraine. Photo courtesy of IloveUkraine/Marynka

The cultural phenomenon of babusia in Ukraine is directly tied to the country’s troubled history. The 20th century saw an epic tug of war waged between five empires parceling up the country, two world wars fought on Ukrainian territory, tragic famine and a repressive communist regime. Together, these afflictions laid waste to most of Ukraine’s men, leaving behind the now-familiar crowds of babushkas. It is the stories of these women that make Ukraine so different from other cities in Central Europe.

But there is much more to Ukraine’s cities. Charming Lviv will leave you with the smell of freshly ground coffee, the memory of cosy cobblestone streets in a World Heritage-listed town centre and the air of jazz and classical music. Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine, has the ruthless bustle of a teenager, but also wide promenades and maple trees, the sparkling golden domes of St. Sophia Cathedral and painful insights at the National Chernobyl Museum. Further east and south, grandiose Tsars’ palaces pop up along the Black Sea shore, Tatar mosques call for prayer, and statues of Lenin and Karl Marx crowd the streets of like Donetsk and Odessa.

The Hutsul highlanders of Ukraine are an ethno-cultural that group that still uses ages-old traditional practices and wears traditional clothing for major celebrations. Photo courtesy of Igor Melika

The Traditional Hutsul Highlanders

Far from the urban scapes of Ukraine’s cities are traditional rural villages dotting the hills of the Carpathian Mountains. Lush pine forests and hard-to-access trails make it difficult for many travellers to explore the countryside of the Hutsuls, an ethno-cultural group of Ukrainian highlanders. Unlike more heavily explored areas in Central Europe, Ukraine’s Carpathian Mountains remain largely cut off from the main tourist routes. You will find few marked walking trails; organised campsites are virtually non-existent. Most highland roads can only be reached via four-wheel-drive vehicles, on foot or by the horse cart. Few if any people speak English, and most still live by the centuries-old customs of their ancestors.

Hutsul society was traditionally based on forestry and logging, as well as cattle and sheep breeding. Right up until the present day, the month of May marks the Hutsul’s most exciting and colourful celebrations, a time when Hutsul shepherds leave their homes to spend three months herding flocks of sheep and producing delicious cheese known locally as brynza.

Stepping into a Hutsul house in Ukraine is a trip back in time. One of the joys is a taste of delicious homemade cheese known locally as 'brynza.' Photo courtesy of Igor Melika

Stepping into a rural Hutsul house is a trip back in time: you can sample delicious homemade bread, enjoy fresh water from deeply-dug wells, taste vegetables from the local fields and even try on colourful Hutsul clothes, still worn on major village celebrations.

Hutsul people are also famous for their incredible craftsmanship. At the local bazaar, you may find beautifully and intricately decorated eggs, ornate clothing and delicate woodwork.

Travellers lucky enough to spend a day or two in the Hutsul villages during traditional holiday celebrations will come away mesmerised by the whirlwind of colours, timeless customs, plentiful dinners and authentic culture carefully preserved on the outskirts of Europe.

The Carpathian Mountains of Ukraine in winter. Photo courtesy of Igor Melika

The Vast Expanses of Nature

The Dnieper – Ukraine’s largest and Europe’s second-longest river – is bested only by the Danube. So great is its presence, ”Rare is the bird that flies to the middle of the Dnieper,” wrote Nicolai Gogol, a well-known Russian and Ukrainian writer. And while the Dnieper is definitely not the majestic waterway it was during Gogol’s lifetime, it remains an impressive and imposing sight, a symbol of Ukraine’s stunning natural landscapes.

Beyond the Dniepr, due to the sheer vastness of the territory, Ukraine can satisfy even the pickiest nature lover. Dense forests in the north hide countless rivers, marshes, lakes and swamps. In the west the gentle peaks of the Carpathian Mountains tower over the lush valleys, underground caves and World Heritage-listed beech forests boasting an abundance of wildlife. The south brings the warm sunshine, pebbled beaches and the grand Black Sea.

The Dniepr River is Ukraine's largest and Europe's second-longest river. Photo courtesy of Iloveukraine/Yevgen Pohulaylo

Whether you choose to go hiking in the Carpathian highlands, kayaking along the winding rivers or just enjoy sipping your morning coffee at the artsy cafes of Lviv, don’t forget to listen to the background stories of caring babusias, welcoming Hutsuls, cheerful women, ambitious youngsters, fearless Cossacks and countless others that form an eccentric and yet truthful-to-the-core mosaic of Ukraine, Europe’s largest unexplored frontier.

For an up-close glimpse of local Ukrainian culture – the unique combination of a proud and cosmopolitan European past, eclectic communist history and newly reasserted independence – try the wide range of Ukraine holiday packages available though Gunyah, a marketplace of authentic local experiences and tours for independent travellers.

Screenshot of the Bahamas page on Gunyah.com, the website shortlisted by the Caribbean Web Awards 2012

An Award for Quality Websites

Unlike most travel awards, the Caribbean Web Awards 2012 focused on the websites that represent the travel companies, not on the travel companies themselves. As stated on the Caribbean Web Awards 2012 website, special attention was given to best practices in online marketing with an eye toward recognizing websites with excellent graphic communication, superb online copy and salesmanship, and laudable examples of strategies and techniques for enhanced site conversion.

Through its recently launched online presence, designed with all of this in mind, Gunyah dishes up memorable short-break package holidays and vacations managed by a dedicated network of passionate people all around the world. With locals in every destination and a clear responsible travel vision, Gunyah is more in tune with what makes a truly authentic local travel experience.

“We wanted to convey the authenticity and inspiration of our short breaks from the moment users started researching their trips, something that combined the spontaneity of independent travel with the comfort of a package holiday,” commented Luke Ford, CEO of Gunyah, about the unique look and feel of Gunyah.com. “The experience begins from the moment they start corresponding with our local operators. We wanted the navigation functionality to be simple and so it’s search by destination, but we also wanted to include a search by experiences for those looking for, for example, diving or a cultural break. We were thrilled to have been shortlisted.”

A screenshot of one of the packages available in the Bahamas on the Gunyah.com website

A Work in Progress

At the present time, Gunyah lists 170 short-break package holidays in 46 countries with an additional 600 contracted or under construction. Gunyah is working with 83 local partners in a total of 78 countries, including developed markets in North America, Europe and Australia, and emerging-market economies across Africa, Asia, South America and elsewhere.

The short breaks – all of which consist of carefully selected accommodation, tours and activities – average four to six days in duration, but can also extend to 12 days. Regardless of length, Gunyah’s goal is to evoke an authentic experience through each package by connecting travelers to the people, communities, food and culture of each destination.

“We are only at the early stages with product development in the Caribbean, but this attention from the Caribbean Web Awards provides us with even more motivation to include more fascinating destinations in the region,” added Ford. “We have some amazing experiences in San Salvador, Bahamas, with diving, fishing, nature and eco walks, history and adventure, something for everyone! Our local partners in the Bahamas deserve credit for all of their hard work developing such unique experiences.”

The kind of idyllic setting found on of the many islands that make up the Bahamas

The Winning Announcement

The TravelMole Caribbean Web Award winners were announced on the eve of the Caribbean Marketplace held in Nassau, Paradise Island, Bahamas. In their second year, the awards were run by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association in association with TravelMole, one of the largest online travel trade communities in the world, and LeadGenerators, the UK’s specialist online marketing agency for the travel industry.

The awards were presented by TravelMole’s Graham McKenzie, who praised the shortlisted websites but called for a stronger focus on online marketing within the Caribbean: “With the obvious exception of the shortlisted sites, the general standard of nominations were very poor and for the benefit of all really needs to improve. The importance of a good online presence for all tourism businesses cannot be overstated and at this time many do not make the most of the opportunities presented.”

This beautiful section of the Italian Riviera is known for its eponymous Cinque Terre or ‘Five Lands’ – five picturesque villages and the surrounding carefully-terraced farmland that have been insulated from outside influences for generations. This spectacular territory was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, but tourism has proven to be something of a poisoned chalice. The sudden inflow of visitors has placed major strain on the area’s infrastructure and the desire to capitalise has seen tension between developers and local residents grow.

It was the problems that these growing pains posed for the region that the Vendemmia documentary team set out to document when filming began in 2008. Then, unexpectedly, after the team wrapped up their filming in late 2010, a sudden series of events struck the area.

A scandal broke, revealing evidence of widespread political corruption, compounding the problems already facing Cinque Terre. Land deals and development projects that posed a threat to the area’s outstanding natural beauty and traditional ways of life were under way.

Local residents, already facing the challenge of coping with a booming tourist industry that threatened to destroy their livelihoods, were outraged at the extent to which the land which they called home was being exploited.

Further disaster came in the form of severe rainfall in October 2011. The extreme weather caused widespread flooding and mudslides, resulting in several deaths and major damage to two of Cinque Terre’s villages, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare.

Knowing that they could not let these new problems go undocumented and compelled by their love of the region and its people, Weller and Boeckle realised that they would have to revisit major sections of their film if it was to achieve its objective of bringing awareness and support to Cinque Terre.

In order to finance the project, the team at Harvest Films Productions have opted to use kickstarter.com to raise the necessary funds. With nine days still to run, the project has already secured its ‘bare-bones’ funding package of $2,600, but additional support will contribute greatly to their ability to deliver an excellent and effective product.

We wish Weller, Boeckle and their team all the best for the project and join them in spreading the message about the importance of sustainability in tourism. The situation in Cinque Terre could apply to any number of other destinations.

Let’s not destroy what we’re trying to love.

If you want to see great apes in the wild, Sumatra’s rainforest is one of the most accessible places to do just that. Seeing orangutans in the wild, along with silver Thomas leaf monkeys, pig-tailed macaques, and a diverse range of birds like hornbills, will leave you with a renewed appreciation for the beauty and ingenuity of other species. However, you need to know how to visit them responsibly or you could introduce illnesses, since they share over 97 percent of our DNA. Less than 7,000 Sumatran orangutans live in the wild, and they’re an essential part of the rainforest ecosystem, helping seeds to germinate and even pruning the canopy.

Orangutan in Gunung Leuser, Sumatra. Photo courtesy of The International Ecotourism Society

The Gunung Leuser National Park is part of the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra UNESCO World Heritage Site, and an excellent spot for ape-watching and rainforest trekking. The Orangutan Information Centre (OIC), a local, grassroots nongovernmental organization, is working with a local guides association to certify guides in the popular destination of Bukit Lawang.

The OIC is an excellent source of information, and many of the guides are extremely knowledgeable and conscientious. However, because of the competition for visitors and tips, some guides do engage in unscrupulous practices like luring orangutans over with fruit, leaving fruit peels on the ground, or even letting visitors hug orangutans. Before you go into the forest, you’ll watch a short film on rainforest etiquette at the visitors’ center. Pay attention, and take responsibility for your own behavior. Better yet, download a copy of the park guidebook from the OIC website to prepare for your trip.

OIC Director Panut Hadisiswoyo, in Bukit Lawang, Indonesia. Photo courtesy of The International Ecotourism Society

In Bukit Lawang, you’ll have the chance to see orangutans close up, either at the feeding platform or slightly further into the rainforest. These orangutans have returned to the wild after a life in captivity. Taken from the wild by poachers at a young age, they are learning to live in the forest again after a rigorous rehabilitation process. They grow adept at building nests to sleep and lounge in, climbing nimbly through the canopy, and raising the next generation of wild orangutans. Like humans, they don’t know how to live in the wild by instinct alone. In the wild, they might spend eight years with their mother, learning how to live in the jungle. Learning these skills as adults takes an incredible amount of intelligence, patience, and perseverance, just as it would for a human.

Deeper in the jungle, you’ll likely see wild orangutans from afar. You’ll have the option to take a one-day, overnight, or multiday trek. Local guides are quite flexible in making arrangements. If planning a longer trek, talk with the staff at the visitors’ center to request a knowledgeable, conscientious guide.

For a quieter experience, visit the farther-flung village of Ketambe, about 8 hours by van from the main city of Medan. Staying in this little village bedecked with flowers and fruit trees will let you experience a less-trafficked part of the Gunung Leuser National Park, or “Leuser.” You’ll easily arrange van transportation on arrival; just ask your hotel staff for details. Call ahead to book a room in Ketambe. The Friendship Guesthouse offers rustic one-room bungalows with bathrooms for around U.S. $6 per night, and tasty curries for around $2. The welcoming staff will connect you with a local guide as well.

As in Bukit Lawang, take responsibility for your own behavior. The orangutans around Ketambe are wild, meaning they’ll keep their distance. One was said to have thrown a beehive at visitors, I was told, in what I felt sure was a cautionary tale. Talk about tool use, I thought.

Unfortunately, Leuser is threatened by the oil palm industry and other forms of encroachment, like much of Indonesia’s rainforests. In June 2011, it was placed on the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger for this reason. While there, I volunteered at a restoration site in the district of Langkat, North Sumatra. The OIC had reclaimed this illegally logged and farmed section of national forest in 2007. Since then, the all-local staff had been working to bring the rainforest back to life.

The old “hantu” – what we jokingly called the dead oil palms – still stood menacingly in some parts of the forest, gray-white fronds draping around their rotting trunks like a veil. But the vibrant growth of young rainforest trees was enveloping them, weaving them into the ecosystem as life carried on.

Restorasi house and plantation, Sumatra, Indonesia. Photo courtesy of The International Ecotourism Society.

One of the field assistants, Darjo, had carefully counted the bird species in the area – he’d spotted 83 so far. While collecting saplings in the deeper forest, the staff showed me huge elephant tracks. Very near the small house where we stayed, we saw the print of the rare golden cat.

Recently, after I’d arrived back in the States, the staff sent me an excited message: Orangutans were living at the site! They’d observed a male and pregnant female in the trees. The forest would take centuries, perhaps longer, to gain back the richness of the diversity it once had, but in the meantime, life will continue to thrive – as long as we let it.

More Information

Unesco World Heritage Centre: Danger listing for Indonesia’s Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra
Orangutan Information Centre: Project Reports
Ketambe: The Friendship Guesthouse & Restaurant
Orangutan Information Centre: OIC Restoration Site Performance Report, 2010-2011

Melanie Jae Martin writes about social/environmental issues and travel in the U.S. and abroad. To read more of her work, please visit The Story Grove.

The famous Arch and Bay of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, are a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site. Locals call the arch the Window to the Pacific Ocean

No longer a secret, if indeed it ever was, Los Cabos has grown in stature and renown as a holiday destination. Beach bums love the white sand and secluded coves, big-game fishermen idle all day on the water, and divers and snorkelers ogle the teeming marine life. There is, of course, plenty more to see and do in Los Cabos, some of it manmade, a lot of it cultural and delicious, but most of it involving nature in splendid abundance.

Finding Your Way the Right Way

With sights and population centres spread across the peninsula from Cabo San Lucas in the south to La Paz, the state capital, 160 kilometres (100 miles) to the north, and even Los Cabos International Airport 45 kilometres (28 miles) from central Cabo San Lucas, ground transportation is a vital consideration when in the area.

But while there is a solid assortment of transfer services, the eco-friendly qualities of only one of them really sets it apart. In the midst of the natural exuberance of Los Cabos, only the Green Path Transfers local partner provides a ground transportation service that is committed to going green.

Launched in March of 2011, Green Path Transfers is the global, environmentally and socially responsible transport service with a 100-percent carbon-offset policy. And its local partner in Los Cabos is Gray Line Los Cabos.

On the Green Path

Gray Line Los Cabos was launched in 2002 and immediately started offering airport and intercity transfers around Los Cabos in addition to destination management services such as the sightseeing tours and all types of adventure and group experiences.

Gray Line Los Cabos has two Eurovans like the one above. They carry eight passengers and are frequently used on the airport run in Los Cabos, Mexico

For its transportation purposes, the company currently manages two types of vehicles: Eurovans with an eight-passenger capacity and VW Crafters that can comfortably sit 16 passengers. They are the backbone of the famously punctual Gray Line Los Cabos airport meet-and-greet service available 365 days a year and managed by bilingual staff (English and Spanish).

These vehicles run on diesel, reports Karem Matamoros, a sales executive with Gray Line Los Cabos. In keeping with Green Path Transfers sustainable travel values, this means “they emit less carbon dioxide as it’s more fuel efficient,” she adds, but then admits that it’s only a first step until better solutions come along. “In Mexico, hybrids and other alternative vehicles are not popular yet and not many companies manufacture them. The ones that do exist are only compact cars.”

Fortunately, through Green Path Transfers, Gray Line Los Cabos can count on the policy of offsetting 100 percent of carbon emissions. “For now, I am afraid the only way we can contribute is through the carbon offset,” says Matamoros. “We hopes that the car companies start producing options more suitable for us to change our entire fleet.”

Trust a Local Native

In addition to competitively priced earth-conscious transfers, Gray Line Los Cabos promises comfortable recent-model vehicles, insurance and certified bilingual drivers who have completed training through a National-Tourism-Board-sponsored program called moderniza certification. The drivers also take a Red Cross class in first aid.

The main square of San Jose del Cabo, Mexico

These drivers are mines of information and can really bring to life the Los Cabos area in a way only possible through locals. In Cabos San Lucas, they can take you to Medano Beach, a must-see location where people can satisfy all their water-activities desires. In the nearby town of San José del Cabo, the drivers can point out the Art District, where historic and picturesque buildings display the work of creative talents, and the main square is home to an 18th-century Mission.

In neighbouring Todos Santos, the drivers can explain why the National Tourism Board has declared it a ‘Magic Town,’ a title conferred on places that preserve their culture and architecture. Todos Santos is full of art galleries, beautiful old buildings and cosy traditional restaurants. Further away, La Paz, the capital of the state, is a tranquil city with a beautiful Malecón that still holds the Old Baja atmosphere.

Whatever the path taken, “Gray Line Los Cabos brings to Green Path Transfers its transportation services operated by locals who really know Los Cabos and give their customers the best local approach, always ruled by the service standards of the Gray Line family,” adds Matamoros. She concludes: “In return, from Green Path Transfers, we hope to reach visitors who are coming to Los Cabos looking for a safe and affordable way to travel using a responsible company that provides quality transportation service in Los Cabos.”

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

My name is Markus Neuer and I lead the Tiger Trail team in Luang Prabang, Laos. Born in Germany, I always had a passion for adventure and travelling but, even more important, for other people. Through our Fair Trek in Laos projects, I have found a way to perfectly combine community work with tourism and bring people together from all over the world to work with Lao communities.

The views are spectacular on a half-day Tiger Trail mountain trek in Nong Khiaw, in the Luang Prabang province of northern Laos. Photo courtesy of Tiger Trail

Our team is international, yet all working and living in Luang Prabang. A big part of our company is regular interns, volunteers and students giving support. Our team members are currently from the US, Thailand, France, Germany and of course Laos. Tiger Trail was founded in 2000. I took over the company in 2008, and with the help of our incredible team it has become what it is today. We currently employ about 50 full-time staff members.

My Inspiration, Our Inspiration

I believe that the world is not fairly developed and even its most beautiful landscapes can be the stage for poverty and degradation. I aim to approach these problems by seeking a better way. We make an impact through an ongoing effort to care for the community and our environment, while enjoying the beauty and diversity of the world itself. If everybody would do this, we could have a better world, not just better adventures.

Tourists work alongside villagers harvesting rice near Huay Fai village (about 20 kilometres from Luang Prabang), Laos, during one of the Fair Trek tours offered by Tiger Trail. Photo courtesy of Tiger Trail

Fair Trek Is a Key Part of Our Adventure Travel Company

Fair Trek in Laos is an innovative community-based-tourism project aiming to assist in the development of communities in need. In return, it allows visitors to have access to remote villages by trekking, biking and kayaking, to learn and absorb different cultural experiences in Laos. Fair Trek is the first responsible-tourism project in Luang Prabang, and has been recognised widely as an example of community-based responsible tourism in the Mekong sub-region.

Fair Trek Was First Founded in 2007

I initiated Fair Trek in cooperation with local nongovernmental organisations and the government. It resulted from striking and obvious needs that I have experienced myself during normal treks through surrounding communities and in other countries. After the initiative had been started up, reviewed and adjusted, the operation of the Fair Trek project in Luang Prabang was transferred and is now partly run locally by the Provincial Tourism Department and a pool of operators, raising awareness toward development of tourism and community alike.

After years of development, Tiger Trail has continued to spread the Fair Trek initiative out to other areas of northern Laos, Nong Khiaw and Muang. Tiger Trail is also adopting the philosophy of “voluntourism” for an ecological school project, The Clay School Project, benefiting both the Fair Trek communities and volunteers.

Each tour that is within the Fair Trek project pays into a community fund! Depending on the setup, the funds are handled by local government institutions or the communities directly. The village funds are raised from each Fair Trek tour allowing each visitor to have an impact. Villagers are able to submit a request for needed financing, or propose their ideas on how to invest in improvements and development that benefits the whole community. A great side effect has been created through visitors who wish to assist more through donations. Through this the communities can achieve additional support through the awareness that Fair Trek provides to them.

The Villagers Also Benefit Directly

The villagers make an income selling food and accommodation, as well as traditional self-made handicrafts to the visitors. Individual villagers can earn from guiding around the communities and from helping out in tourism activities. Rental fees for land, blankets, cooking material and other assisting services also contribute to the local income. Our tours are not only “fair” in terms of money; they also preserve local culture and traditions. Having visitors gives the villagers an opportunity to spread and preserve their traditional performances and practices such as singing, dancing and playing local music.

Insider Tip

If you are coming our direction, give us a visit. Luang Prabang is a provincial capital city of Laos, where time still seems to stand still. Take a waterfall trek at Kuang Si and hang out on the Mekong to enjoy the stunning view. Also I recommend you visit Big Tree Café for a great photography exhibition and enjoy some locally grown coffee at either JoMa or Saffron Café, both engaged in social projects in the region. (Get more of the inside word on Luang Prabang.)

Volunteers work with locals to construct the foundation, columns and roof of the Clay School in Ban Naluang, near Nong Khiaw, in northern Laos. Photo courtesy of Tiger Trail

Attractions in and around Luang Prabang are diverse, including various waterfalls, caves, ethnic minorities, textiles and handicrafts, elephant rides and mahout elephant-care experiences. As part of the UNESCO World Heritage reconstruction plan, new buildings have been limited and old houses and streets received refurbishment to keep Luang Prabang a magical place. The most practical way to explore the city is by bike or on a walk. It’s really that small! On our various tours, selected sights and highlights can be combined on day trips and offer individual experiences with experienced and friendly guides.

For a short note on local weather: dry season lasts generally from October through April and wet season comes from the beginning of May to September. BUT I personally love and recommend the rainy season with its lush tropical green and powerful rain showers – it’s spectacular. Yearly average temperature is around 28°C, but it can fall to 15°C or 10°C during the cold season and even lower in the mountains.

The village ("ban") of Naluang, northern Laos, set amidst a stunning backdrop of karst mountains and lush jungle. Photo courtesy of Tiger Trail

View from Office Window

Well, there’s not much to see but at least we see most of the visitors as they fly into Luang Prabang airport, just about 300 metres from our office. We also have a decent view of a metal shop and a cement work space on the opposite side of the road.

Thanks to Markus for sending this through to us! If you’re interested in experiencing one of their fantastic trips, why not try Trekking in the Jungle or Living as a “Mahout” on an elephant sanctuary. Opportunities also exist for those interested in Volunteering in a Traditional Akha Village or Helping to Build a Clay School for a Small Village in Laos.

Co-management of protected areas by both the state and local communities is one of the best ways to guarantee that tourism will provide economic and social benefits to many people who would otherwise be marginalized, at the same time that it ensures protection for the environment on which these communities rely for their income. An excellent example is the Soncor Sector of Los Flamencos National Reserve, in the Atacama Desert of the Antofagasta Region, in northern Chile.

A local Lickan Antay guide explains the importance of conservation to a group of school children. Photo by Marcela Torres

Los Flamencos National Reserve is located within the Atacama La Grande Indigenous Development Area, which was established in 1997 to promote sustainable development of the ancient territories of the Lickan Antay peoples. Since then, the Lickan Antay communities have strengthened their ancient rights to use of the resources, in many cases following traditional methods, and in others applying modern natural resource management techniques.

When the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) began charging entrance fees to visit the Reserve, at the begining of the 2000 decade, the Lickan Antay Community of Toconao cut off the access road to Laguna Chaxa, in the Soncor Sector, to demand that tourism, carried out in their ancient territories, also benefit the descendants of this ethnic group that live in the nearby town. Their action brought about a revision of the plan and CONAF and the Lickan Antay communities signed co-management agreements for four of the seven sectors of the Reserve: Soncor, Miscanti and Miñiques Lagoons, Moon Valley and Tambillo.

Los Flamencos National Reserve harbors the three flamingo species found in Chile: the Andean Flamingo, the Chilean Flamingo, and James’ Flamingo. Photo by Hernán Torres

Income generated from the entrance fees to these sites, which attract national and foreign visitors, has allowed the communities to strengthen programs to aid elderly and disabled people in their communities. At the same time, a significant amount of this income is invested in the management of each sector and staff salaries. The inclusion of local community personnel in the management of these sectors has allowed CONAF to redirect its staff to sectors and activities that were previously left largely unattended due to the lack of personnel and resources that affect the institution.

First Sustainable Visitor Center

Because of the increasing interest shown by tourists arriving from the nearby town of San Pedro de Atacama, the community decided to improve the site’s infrastructure and visitor information. To that end, in 2006, it partnered with CONAF and the SQM mining company, which exploits lithium in the Atacama Salt Flat, to develop the first sustainable visitor center in a protected area in Chile.

The project included the architectural design and construction of the visitor center, incorporating techniques such as reuse of grey water and electricity generation through solar panels and windmills. The roads were also repaired and the parking lot expanded.

This was the first sustainable visitor center built in a protected area in Chile, using renewable wind and solar energy. Photo by Hernán Torres

At the same time, a group of local guides from the Lickan Antay Community of Toconao was trained in interpretation techniques to convey effectively to visitors the natural and cultural values of the area. To support this, five bilingual signs were developed for the interpretive trail and 18 for the inner hall of the center. A documentary video was also produced, in Spanish with English subtitles, to complement information provided to visitors.

The results could not have been better. Visitors to Laguna Chaxa comment that it is a pleasure to pay an entrance fee because you can see that the revenues are invested in the people and in improving the place, where you no longer find garbage lying around and there is good infrastructure. In addition, tourism has provided local people with a new source of income and each day more and more Lickan Antay Community members seek training to be part of the benefits of responsible tourism.

Part of Traventuria's clean 10-vehicle fleet in Bulgaria is a Mercedes Sprinter that can fit up to nine people. Photo courtesy of Traventuria

Green Transfers and Tours in Bulgaria

For more than 10 years, Traventuria has been providing reliable ground transportation that focuses on all of Bulgaria, but also extends to and from major airports in neighbouring Skopje, Macedonia and Thessaloniki, Greece.

But what really sets Traventuria apart is its fleet of well-maintained vehicles that comply with either Euro 4 or Euro 5 emissions standards, a measure of the acceptable limits for exhaust emissions of vehicles sold in European Union. Traventuria’s cars have all been equipped with particle filters and use autogas, a mixture of propane and butane that produces fewer emissions than regular petrol.

More than just a transfer and transportation service, though, Traventuria is an independent tour operator that offers to travellers a suite of tour services. The company has an enticing menu of Bulgaria excursions – everything from active short breaks and wildlife and walking tours to spa and wellness trips. Traventuria can even arrange skiing and snowboarding tours, demonstrating that there really is no such thing as low season in Bulgaria.

Bansko is one of Bulgaria's premier ski resorts that Traventuria services, and one of the pristine alpine landscapes that it cares to conserve

Grounded in Responsible Tourism

Through both transport services and tours, and drawing on years of experience as tour leaders and travelers, the staff of Traventuria demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainable and responsible tourism, going green being something in which Green Path Transfers sees great merit.

“Lots of companies juggle with words like ‘responsible’ and ‘sustainable’ travel, converting them into clichés while giving them vague and broad meanings,” observes Atenas Zahariev of the Traventuria team. “As travellers ourselves, we believe that first-class experiences and unforgettable memories are granted in isolated communities, authentic cultures, preserved habitats and lively traditions. Naturally, we want to protect them for future generations.”

As this awareness of and concern for a sustainable future guides much of Traventuria’s growth, the company is always thinking of new and better ways to act on its guiding principles and to set examples for other tour operators. For example, Traventuria has supported a number of local and international nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) in Bulgaria: as active partners with the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) in Bulgaria, they help conserve the precious ecosystems of the lower Danube River area; they also work with the Cooperation for Voluntary Service in Bulgaria to encourage international exchange and volunteering in Bulgaria; three other partnerships are with the Regional Environmental Center, the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation and the Balkani Wildlife Society.

“We’re involved with basically every NGO that works with nature conservation and protection in Bulgaria,” says Zahariev.

A Traventuria vehicle drops off passengers at the Sofia airport in Bulgaria. All the petrol vehicles in the fleet have been converted to use Autogas LPG. Photo courtesy of Facebook.com/Traventuria

A Bright Partnership

Traventuria has high hopes for Green Path Transfers and the mission to turn more people on to greener forms of transit and transport.

On having joined the innovative Green Path Transfers network, Zahariev says, “We are looking forward to collaborating with Green Path Transfers in Bulgaria to help them extend their presence worldwide, and to help us broaden the number of travellers serviced.”

“We couldn’t have found a better fit for our partner criteria in Bulgaria than Traventuria,” Adrian Cordiner, founder of Green Path Transfers, comments. “They really embody the kind of tourism and transit that Green Path Transfers is about.”

To learn more about Green Path Transfers and the carbon-neutral transfer services it offers growing number of destinations around the globe, visit www.GreenPathTransfers.com.

Such too were the reasons why whl.travel, the global online travel-booking network of mindful local travel experts, stepped up to sponsor it, working from within its extensive network of local partners to find fitting ecotourism prize material for the winners.

Participants were given a limit of 1,000 words and five evocative photographs through which to tell their stories. They were also required to provide tips about ecotourism in their selected destinations or reflections about how they might help better preserve that particular destination through ecotourism practices.

See the promotional video here:

.

.

And now the winners have been identified. From dozens of submissions, a shortlist of 10 finalists (determined by public vote) was reviewed by a panel of judges that included representatives from The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), Tourism Concern, MyNatour and the WHL Group, the parent company of whl.travel.

Ethan Gelber, the Chief Communication Officer of the WHL Group, said (see the video directly below) that he was looking for three qualities when determining the best of the ecotourism travel blog contest finalists: the first was “how much time and effort was taken by the person to think about what an ecotourism experience is”; the second was “how carefully they made a choice of the experience they wanted to live through”; and the third was “whether or not the experience was as rich as they thought it would be.”

And now the winners have been announced and decided on their prizes:

.

.

FIRST PLACE: A Garden Lady in India’s Cold Mountain Desert by Shivya

As her prize, Shivya will escape to the highland region of the Albanian Alps. Hosted by Outdoor Albania, the whl.travel local connection in Albania, Shivya will set off on a five-day guided trek through some of the country’s most vivid scenery. With overnights spent in the traditional houses of the Albanian highlanders, daytime activities include a ferry trip along Lake Koman, a visit to the Valbona Valley and a trek to the Theth Valley surrounded by high mountain passes and peaks.

SECOND PLACE: Reef to Rainforest by Hobbers

Hobbers will head deep into Estonia’s Soomaa National Park (soomaa translates more or less as ‘land of the bogs’). Surrounded by vast floodplains and crisscrossed by rivers, she and a companion will enjoy a wilderness experience in an area known for its canoeing, ‘bog-shoeing,’ beavers and berry-picking – all courtesy of Soomaa.com, an operator based out of Estonia.

THIRD PLACE: My Trip to Mali – Halt in Terya Bugu by Mario Difra

Mario will travel from his home in Italy to southwest Laos, a region replete with jungles, raging rivers and outstanding cultural heritage. Once there, he will embark on a high-flying treetop adventure by zipline, followed by a Mekong cruise to the World Heritage Site of Wat Phou – all made possible by Teamworkz, the whl.travel local connection in Laos.

.

The three ecotourism packages that were not selected were a rainforest adventure in Ecuador made possible by the Yachana Lodge, the whl.travel local connection in Quito; a Galapagos Island tour through Yacu Amu Experiences, the whl.travel local connection in the Galapagos; and a visit to Sana’a and Soqotra in Yemen with Eternal Yemen, the whl.travel local in Yemen.

A gorgeous sunset at Kagaba Beach, in Lughu Bay, which is the gateway to Solomon Islands' East Rennell World Heritage Site (Lake Te'Nggano). Photo by Rennell World Heritage Site Tours

Can this precarious balance be achieved? Can an island like Rennell, which is the highest raised coral atoll in the world, expand its tourism offering while still maintaining its precious ecological integrity? After all, there is more to Rennell’s natural heritage than its inherent value to the environment; it is also Rennell’s main tourism asset.

The Vision of Rennell World Heritage Site Tours

Attempting to strike this balance are the local leaders at Rennell World Heritage Site Tours. They established their tour company with the clear goal of enlightening local stakeholder (including business owners, the provincial government and the national government) about Rennell Island’s potential as a national tourism asset and of turning it into a significant contributor to the country’s economy. They aim to raise Rennell’s profile as a popular destination in the Solomon Islands and in the South Pacific. At the same time, the new tour operator is careful to capitalise on existing infrastructure and attractions so as to leave the island’s special natural conditions as unaltered as possible.

A boat transfers tour passengers to Tuhugago Beach after a morning of bush trekking from Niupani Village on Rennell Island, part of the Solomon Islands. Photo by Rennell World Heritage Site Tours

As its name makes clear, Rennell World Heritage Site Tours is a local specialist in adventure circuit tours on Rennell Island, including trips to Lake Te’Nggano World Heritage Site (also known as Tegano and Tungano, the largest freshwater lake in the South Pacific). Their guides are very experienced in the terrain and know how to make each visit comfortable and memorable. They take great pride in exploring the unexplored with their guests, so much so that some of the sites they visit have never even been photographed, meaning their guests may be the first to frame them.

Low-Impact Activities and Lodging

The itineraries of trips organised by Rennell World Heritage Site Tours focus on immersive and low-impact activities. On the Lake Te’Nggano tour, for example, guests enjoy swimming in the lake, interacting with the friendly local people and just enjoying the singing of the birds in the early morning. In fact, given its huge number of endemic bird species, all of Rennell is a prime birdwatching destination.

On the Solomon Islands' Rennell Island, a trail from Tuhugago Beach leads into the lush foliage of the interior. Photo by Rennell World Heritage Tours

On the Niupani Village to Tuhugago Beach tour, bush treks lead guests to scenic vista points such as the unforgettable Tuhugago Lookout. Closer to (and below) sea level, adventurous travellers can glimpse the underwater world while swimming and snorkelling in the clean crystal sea at the Tuhugago and Kagaba beaches. Anyone interested in diving can even opt to explore the underwater shipwreck of the US WWII PBY Catalina at Hutuna Village.

On their tours, Rennell World Heritage Site Tours is careful to partner with ecolodges that are owned and operated by local people. Meals consist mainly of fruit and Rennellese local-style cuisine, including the plentiful and fresh seafood. Toilets and bath facilities rely on basic but effective rainwater catchment systems, also used for drinking and cooking.

A fuzzy lake bird looks back at travellers trekking to Niupani Village on Rennell Island of the Solomon Islands. Photo by Rennell World Heritage Tours

“A True Natural Laboratory”

East Rennell (Lake Te’Nggano) was listed by UNESCO as a natural World Heritage Site in 1998. It is the only one belonging to Solomon Islands in this subregion of the Pacific, which also includes sites in Australia and New Zealand, as well as two other official sites – Easter Island and Henderson Island – under the auspices of Chile and the U.K., respectively.

East Rennell is described by UNESCO as “a stepping stone in the migration and evolution of species in the western Pacific, and an important site for the science of island biogeography.” Due to the great biodiversity, not to mention its status as the largest insular lake in the Pacific and as the largest raised coral atoll in the world, “East Rennell is a true natural laboratory for scientific study.”

To explore the natural heritage of Rennell Island, contact Rennell World Heritage Site Tours.

Historically Fraught Forts and Castles

The World Heritage forts and castles of Ghana were built along the entire coastline of the country between the 15th and 18th centuries by various European nations competing bitterly with one another for a slice of the lucrative but abominable trade in chattel slavery. This dark commerce forcefully trafficked millions of Africans to the New World and beyond in what became known as triangular slave trade.

The Elmina Castle is one of the best-known and most touristed of around 70 castles and forts in Ghana that have collectively earned UNESCO World Heritage status. Its relevance to the 15th-century slave trade is what gives it high historical value. Photo courtesy of flickr/erikkristensen

With time, this coming together of people of different racial and cultural backgrounds brought about an unprecedented cultural shift of a global dimension. Hence the importance of the forts and castles as points of pilgrimage for thousands of Africans in the diaspora who return each year to Africa to discover where the journeys of their ancestors began. The 1979 decision by UNESCO to place the forts and castles under its wing was primarily to conserve them as World Heritage Sites of universal value.

In addition to that, UNESCO wants the forts and castles to be seen not only as symbols of a historical reality that has been ignored for far too long, but also as a cue for today’s world. By helping us reexamine history, the monuments represent issues of today such as Africa’s struggle with racial and human rights. They pave the way for reconciliation, development and peace.

Each year, people of African origin from all over the world sojourn to castles like Cape Coast in Ghana to commemorate the starting point of the slave trade diaspora. Photo courtesy of flickr/Adam Jones, Ph.D

Though only two of the best preserved structures – the Elmina Castle, built by the Portuguese in 1482, and the Cape Coast Castle, initiated by the Swedes in 1669 – are popular with tourists and well known since their elevation as World Heritage Sites, the 30 other surviving structures, including those in abject ruin like Koromantse and Keta, are no less important in the roles they played. They memorialise some of the most important events to shape human history in the past 500 years. For that reason, UNESCO has commemorated all the forts and castles as common heritage sites for Ghana and the European nations that built them.

Before the UNESCO initiative, most of the existing forts and castles were open to public viewing and even used as guesthouses. The UNESCO stamp of approval in 1979 has brought them even more prestige, enhancing their tourism appeal. It has also sharpened the commitment to save them from total obliteration and has aided the cause to release those now serving as prisons or offices. For example, in Accra, Fort Christiansborg, also known as Osu Castle, is the central office of the Ghana Museum and Monuments Board (GMMB).

Original Ashanti architecture, with its intricate and complicated 'adinkra' symbols, is so rare that the best examples are found in drawings from the 19th century. Photo courtesy of wikimedia/Thomas Edward Bowdich

Ashanti Traditional Houses: Dying Architecture

The Ashanti Traditional Houses of Ghana won the approval of UNESCO in 1980 as testimony to the complex architectural and artistic expression of native Africans. Sadly, only a few of the structures remain today.

Found in the Eastern and Ashanti regions of Ghana, these mud-walled Shrine Houses with woven palm-branch roofs are most remarkable for the fine geometrical designs and stylised animal emblems found on them. Each of the symbols, known as adinkra, are also used in the design of a popular local cloth of the same name and as carvings in traditional regalia like linguistic staffs. Each adinkra has a special meaning, representing specific cultural concepts or aphorisms.

Despite the lofty reputation of Ashanti Traditional Houses as UNESCO monuments, the GMMB and Ghana’s tourism authorities have more work to do with regard to education concerning the spectacular traditional architecture of Ghana.

This house in Ghana is a replica of a traditional Ashanti house. Very few genuine examples still remain. Photo courtesy of flickr/Berry FIne

UNESCO Status Needed: Lake Bosomtwe

There remains one Ghanaian asset of immense cultural and scientific value that needs inclusion on the UNESCO list to save it from destruction. This is Lake Bosomtwe, the sacred lake of Ashanti famed for its scenic splendour and as a puzzling geological landmark for scientists around the world.

The problem with this intriguing lake is that many of its unique qualities, such as fossil records of scientific importance, remain largely unknown. Created by a falling meteorite, 1.07 million years ago, Lake Bosomtwe can be compared with another body of water of similar origin in Africa called Lake Tswaing, near Pretoria, South Africa, which, even though it possesses fewer attributes, has been adopted by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Ghana's fragile and scenic Lake Bosomtwe has much to lose if drastic measures such as UNESCO protection aren't undertaken soon. Photo courtesy of flickr/jntolva

The dangers facing Lake Bosomtwe include the abandonment of time-tested traditional methods of navigation and fishing; and the setting aside of customary ceremonies that once protected the lake from excessive exploitation and threats to an endemic species of fish, Chromis bosomanus, which is named after the lake. The lake’s environs have been stripped of original forest vegetation and there is risk of stoppage of a peculiar phenomenon that released accumulated gases and avoided stagnating. It would take nothing less than the intervention of UNESCO to save the lake from drying up and to protect the ancient cultures of those living near this geological wonder.

Following media promptings, the GMMB appealed to the World Heritage Council in September 1998 at its meeting in Porto Novo, Benin Republic, to recognise Lake Bosomtwe as a World Heritage Site. The request was acknowledged, but Ghana must now pursue the matter more vigorously to win the UNESCO endorsement.

An angler on Lake Bosomtwe still uses the traditional single-plank fishing method. The degradation of the lake has put at risk the guarantee of his catch. Photo courtesy of flickr/jntolva

Such a move will enhance the prestige of this miniature inland sea, helping to save it from destruction and opening the door to more research and greater ecotourism opportunities.

To encounter the history and culture of Ghana’s treasured world heritage, visit Lake Bosomtwe or take an Ashanti culture and history tour with M & J Travel and Tours, the whl.travel local connection in Ghana.

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.

Will the world end? Probably not. This date is simply the end of a 5,125-year-long cycle on the Mayan calendar. While many people believe that its finish portends major astronomical phenomena, which have been largely misinterpreted and misunderstood as ‘end times’ prophesies, other new-age interpretations of the date herald it as the end of one spiritual era and the beginning of another – we will undergo a transformation, they say.

The highest points of Tikal's pyramids rise above the surrounding rainforest canopy. Tikal is a Mayan must-see ruin in Guatemala. Photo courtesy of Journey Adventure

Rather than preparing for the apocalypse, though, why not plan a 2012 tour of the Mayan pyramids and prophesies in Guatemala? Explore the grand ruins of ancient Mayan civilisations. Meet a traditional living Mayan community of today and find out firsthand what they are thinking and doing as you take part in sacred rituals and ceremonies.

Visit Ancient Mayan Ruins of Tikal and Cancuen

On one such itinerary – an eight-day short break offered by Gunyah – the final visit is to Tikal, one of the most famous and visited ruins sites in the western hemisphere. Nothing short of resplendent, it is the archaeological site with the most restored pyramids in Guatemala. Its towering monuments and sprawling acropolis are some of the highest structures in the Americas from the Classic Period of 200 to 900 AD, when the Mayan civilisation was at its prime. Tikal was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.

Before reaching Tikal, there’s a chance to take in one of the lesser-known Mayan heritage sites like Cancuén. Cancuén has no pyramids to compete with Tikal; rather, its ancient inhabitants are believed to have lived in the woods and caves nearby, while the royalty lived in the palaces whose ruins are a highlight for visitors today. Cancuén is unique as an archaeological site because its local indigenous community remains intact. Through sustainable tourism initiatives like the Gunyah experience, local guides are working together with archaeologists to stay connected with their heritage and share it with visitors.

At the heart of the Gunyah pyramids and prophesies tour is interaction with local Mayan people - a Q'eqchi community - to share their culture, traditions and even a ceremony or ritual. Photo courtesy of Journey Adventure

Experience Mayan Ceremonies and Legends Firsthand

Any pyramids-and-prophecies tour should take you directly into a local Mayan community, where you can interact with the people and participate in a traditional ritual. One day of the Gunyah experience is dedicated to sharing in a ceremony with the community. What ritual it will be depends on the time of the year; for example, it could be a ceremony in the dry season asking for rain.

The Maya people have ceremonies for almost all aspects of daily life. Carried down through the generations from ancient teachings, these ceremonies are sacred and it is rare that outsiders are allowed to participate. However, the community shares its unique ceremonies with travellers in order to explain their importance. This way, visitors can learn about Mayan beliefs. It’s a chance to ask questions!

Beyond the End Times Prophecies

If you plan a pyramids and prophecies tour to coincide exactly with December 21, 2012, in hopes of seeing the world implode from its Mayan epicentre, you may be disappointed. More than apocalyptic rumours and hype, the Gunyah short break is about experiences with real local Mayan people in Guatemala, the Q’eqchi. It’s a chance to coexist with them and take part in their living culture – their traditions, their ceremonies and their daily life. By sharing meals and stories, you can see directly how they apply their sacred calendar and cosmic vision of the world to their everyday lives.

Beyond the ancient Mayan ruins and local culture, the Gunyah pyramids and prophesies tour itinerary is full of magic moments in Guatemala's wild green outdoors. Photo courtesy of Journey Adventure

The Gunyah Pyramids and Prophecies experience is also a great way to make the most of eight days in Guatemala. In addition to the visits to two ancient ruins and interactions with a local community, the itinerary packs in highlights and surprises like special lodging in the colonial city of Antigua, a tubing trip through the Candelaria Caves and a boat tour down the Pasión River.

Looking for more local and authentic trips in Guatemala and all over the world? Gunyah short breaks combine the mind-blowing spontaneity of independent travel with the convenience of a package holiday vacation for people who want real experiences when they travel.