In the beautiful region of Wayanad in Kerala, India, where dense jungle carpets the rolling mountains in the Western Ghats, lies a magical hidden gem. The quiet village of Thrikkaipetta in the heart of this breathtaking region is a beacon for community spirit and an inspiration for ethical tourism.

The ‘Bamboo Village’ of Thrikkaipetta, in the beautiful Wayanad region of Kerala, India. Photo courtesy of Kabani.org

Rural Wayanad’s delightful climate and rich biodiversity make it a vastly agricultural population (almost 50 percent of the inhabitants rely on farming for income). Like many places across the globe, farming here has been hit by financial strain due to declining market prices for crops. This problem has resulted in devastating problems for the Wayanad farming community, and very sadly resulted in suicides.

The community here, proud of their land and culture, have created a cooperative that generates additional income for farmers, empowers local people through job creation and provides ethical tourism opportunities.

Thrikkaipetta’s Bamboo Village was initiated by local people who are passionate about improving life for the community. It is a community-led bamboo nursery, using the resultant materials to create traditional crafts, food products, for environmental protection and as a tourism attraction. Visiting their bamboo workshop is like stepping into Santa’s grotto! It is incredible to see so many local people employed, busy creating a huge selection of products.

Many travellers are interested in helping the local farmers to plant rice in the fields. Photo courtesy of Kabani.org

As the Bamboo Village has gone from strength to strength, it became clear that the tourism offer here could be expanded and provide an even greater opportunity for additional income. Local responsible tourism campaigning NGO, Kabani, has partnered with the Bamboo Village’s management, Uravu, and the groups pulled together their expertise on agricultural life and how best develop a tourist infrastructure that would offer enriching tourist experiences and improve the lives of local people.

Today tourists from across the globe can come and enjoy the Bamboo Village’s ethical homestays. Visitors can enjoy a tranquil location with a friendly local family, feast on traditional home cooked food and fruits from their homestay’s plantation. Guests can also join an eye-opening village tour, learning about the diverse crops growing locally and participating in cultural exchange events.

A group of tribal artists demonstrate the traditional tribal art form 'Vattakali,' an intricate form of dance. Photo courtesy of Kabani.org

In addition to the unique learning experiences, guests can rest assured that 50 percent of the money paid for their cozy homestay is being reinvested into the community they have enjoyed getting to know. This money is helping to develop a community fund that provides crucial training for villagers (such as organic farming and healthy living education), youth projects and sustainable tourism development.

Blair Coburn from the UK recently stayed with a family in the Bamboo Village. “The opportunity to stay with a local family was a privilege. It was fantastic to know that my stay not only helped my wonderful hosts, but was helping to support the wider community through their training and development fund. I particularly enjoyed getting to shop for unique bamboo products, they made wonderful gifts to take home, and at the same time buying them has directly helped the women who made them.”

We’re compelled to ask: What is tourism in its worst form, environmentally? Even in its best form, can the cost to the earth of tourism ever really be offset?

These are the questions that drive the staff at the WHL Group, the largest local-travel company in the world. With decades of combined experience in the sustainable travel and tourism industry, our insight into the issues is impressive.

And here are our answers to the question “What is tourism’s greatest threat to the environment?”

Tourism poses a threat to the environment when local communities scramble to meet the inflated expectations of uninformed vacationers. Photo courtesy of flickr/vallartavelas

“I think the biggest threat tourism poses to the environment – beyond carbon emissions and natural resource wasting – is when people travel to a new country, a new city or a new community without an understanding of that area’s social and economic life. it’s when people travel to parts of the world where the currency is weaker simply because it’s ‘cheaper,’ bringing with them expectations of luxuries, resorts and vacation, and without thinking critically about how their expectations impact the local community and its necessity to meet those expectations in order to generate business.”
~ Jenna Makowski, Content Editor, whl.travel

In places like Vietnam, environmental consideration takes a back seat to economic growth. The tourism sector is a perfect example of that. Photo courtesy of flickr/staminajim

“One of the most noticeable threats to the environment is the construction of new mega resorts along undisturbed coastal areas. It’s a hard thing to stop, especially in some developing countries like Vietnam, where consideration for the environment takes a distant second place to growth as a priority. A good example is the once-untouched China Beach near Hoi An in central Vietnam, which is a developers paradise and now a construction site of luxury resorts. Unfortunately, tourism will continue to drive this sort of development at even more secluded locations around the world.”
~ Luke Ford, CEO, Gunyah

While on a tour of the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca, I was struck by not only the exploitation of the local people, but also by the disrespect shown to the lake. This vital water resource is already in great jeopardy. This was the saddest tour I have ever been on. Photo courtesy of Maureen Valentine

“The pressure that tourism puts on already unstable local resources in many developing nations is the largest threat for the future of those destinations, combined with the pressure on lacking infrastructure systems like sewage and transport. Many destinations are in short supply of energy, water and food (which tourists generally take the best of). It is a real challenge as a tourist to truly tread lightly in vulnerable destinations.”
~ Maureen Valentine, Director, Hotel Link Solutions

“Tourism can be a powerful destructive force, particularly in the hands of those looking for short term gain. When ecologically sensitive areas are not well managed, the results can be dire. Although tourists are becoming more aware of their negative impact, few will actively try to reduce it unless prompted to do so. The rules of travel should be set by the destinations themselves. They need to lead the way by declaring what is and isn’t acceptable and then sticking to it. Tourists will respect natural attractions more if it’s clear that the local communities hold them in high regard.”
~ Jen Aston, Director, whl.travel Africa regional office

Carbon-neutral local transport like horseback riding is one way to address emissions from travel. For inevitable flights, surprisingly affordable carbon-offset programs are in place. Photo courtesy of Lindsay Young

“I think there are numerous tourism-initiated environmental threats, but perhaps the most pervasive is air travel and its associated emissions. Air travel has facilitated the growing accessibility of previously remote destinations, much to the delight of travellers and the chagrin of environmentalists and locals. The problem is that air travel isn’t going away. No matter how many travellers engage in slow travel and make the effort to travel by anything but planes, air travel remains the most time-efficient and generally most feasible mode of transportation. Also, non-air travel isn’t always environmentally friendly either.

Walking the fine line between use and exploitation in Boracay, Philippines, an eagle is kept strapped to a branch so tourists can take their holiday photo. They can have it on their shoulders for as long as they want, and of course, should give a small donation to keep the business alive. Photo courtesy of Andre Franchini

So what to do when there’s no easy answer? Do the best you can. We can’t always travel emission-free, like by horse or kayak, but we can at least travel carbon-neutral. Personally, I strive to travel as close to carbon-neutral as possible. I do this by purchasing Gold Standard carbon-offset credits, which go to support low-carbon projects all over the world. I’ve written more about it in my blog. The good news is that purchasing carbon offsets isn’t as costly as most people think. My five-ish hour flight to Panama and back was offset for about Canadian $40. It’s a small price to pay for having access to the magnificent places we can fly to.”
~ Lindsay Young , Digital Marketing Specialist, Urban Adventures

“The biggest threat is not only that tourism can damage the local environment and its species, but also that it inadvertently exploits natural resources as a tourist attraction. It comes down to mindset and striking a delicate balance. Since some practices are culturally accepted and have been part of local community traditions for centuries, the work to change the way people see their natural resources and empower them to capitalise on their home’s natural endowments through tourism (without exploiting them) is not an easy task.”
~ André Franchini, CEO, Hotel Link Solutions

This question reminded me of a visit to Uluru (Ayer’s Rock) in central Australia. Our Aboriginal guide appealed to us not to climb the rock, reminding us that doing so is as disgraceful and disrespectful to Aboriginal culture as climbing the altar at Saint Peter’s in Rome would be in Catholicism. Travellers’ defiance of the host culture’s preferences is now affecting the rock and the environment around it.

This is just one example of many in which visitors come with neither foreknowledge nor sensitivity enough to appreciate (and respect) the unique qualities of a place, both natural and manmade. It’s a process that includes, in the search for adventure, travellers’ pursuit of off-the-beaten-path destinations that are perhaps not entirely suitable as tourism attractions.

A universal travel ethic that includes education about cultural literacy is essential to sustainability. It means travellers police themselves, but also put a brake on irresponsible tourism destination development by host cultures trying to cash in on travellers’ ignrorance.
~ Ethan Gelber, Chief Communications Officer, WHL Group

Thousands of limestone karsts and islands draw tons of visitors to Ha Long Bay in Vietnam. But mangroves and seagrass beds have been cleared out to make room for tourist boats. What will be left for tourists of the future to see? Photo courtesy of Ashley Hiemenz

“Rapid growth in tourism has been staggering in many developing nations, where it is often the case that natural attractions serve as the main draw for travellers. When tourism in these ecologically sensitive areas is unregulated, the environment can be severely damaged, and development can ultimately destroy tourists’ main incentive to visit.”
~ Ashley Hiemenz Product Manager, Gunyah

Profit-driven overdevelopment for tourism can harm delicate ecosystems like beaches, wetlands, and rain forests.

“It’s hard not to notice the physical impacts of mass-market tourism and the destructive influence it can have on local environments. Poor development decisions such as extensive building on beaches or bulldozing over wetlands create irreversible damage here on planet earth and the big players who make these irresponsible decisions need to be held accountable. I’d say corporate greed is the most immediate threat to the environment, which is why it’s so important to get involved. It’s up to travellers like us to supply the checks and balances: write to your government or join a local non-profit to advocate for better and more sustainable land uses.”
~ Laurel Angrist , Editor, The Travel Word

“I think there are a lot of tourism’s threats that impact our planet negatively, but the good news is that each of us can help to reduce them and do our bits for the environment. Litter, for example. In Latvia there is a project driven by voluntary participation to keep our environment tidy, bring people together and see results. It’s called “The Big Clean-up.” Last April there were around 150,000 participants in 1,354 cleanup locations across the whole country. Hopefully this year (30th April) the turnout will be even better as this project has become very popular in Latvia. Foreigners, visitors and travellers welcome!
~ Anda Cirule, Director, whl.travel Europe and the Middle East regional office

"We need to change our demand so that the developers change what they supply. We need to demand sustainability as a standard." Photo courtesy of flickr/Jeff Croft

“In addition to the threats posed by the carbon emissions generated by international air travel, perhaps the most significant concern is the impact that opportunistic development has on destinations. We all love visiting beautiful places and we want those places to be as accessible to as many people as possible and for them to be cheap for us to visit. We’ve created the demand, so it’s hypocritical for us then to decry the developers who slap up blocks of apartments on stretches of pristine coastline. We wanted to see it and we didn’t want to pay much to go there.

What we need to realise is that sustainability has a cost attached to it, but also that sustainability is an inherently good thing – easily worth its price. It’s cheap to eat junk food all the time, but you don’t do it because it ruins your body! We need to change our demand so that the developers change what they supply. We need to demand sustainability as a standard.
~ Paul Tavner , Developer, The Travel Word

“In my experience the biggest problem is short-term thinking and greed. Although it’s not a problem confined to tourism, the best evidence of this in the tourism space is mass tourism, where the natural environment plays second fiddle to ‘development’ and ‘growth.’ The irony is that the very beauty of the place, which was the essence of why people came in the first place, is rapidly degraded, leaving a wasteland (culturally and environmentally) that is no longer of value to either the locals or the tourists.

As a model for tourism I like what is happening in Bhutan. Here the government has taken a measured view and wants to ensure tourism is run sustainably. Numbers of tourists are limited, tourism development is tightly controlled and an enormous effort is placed on win-win-win outcomes – for tourists, for local communities and for the environment. At the core of this is a belief that growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a poor measure for development’ and instead the country has focused on Gross Domestic Happiness (GDH). Prime Minister Jigmi Thinley of Bhutan is leading the way in defining a new economic paradigm.”
~ Len Cordiner, CEO, WHL Group

“In my opinion, the greatest threat provided by tourism to the environment is the lack of planning. When a tourism activity takes place without planning is when it becomes more dangerous to the environment and the local communities. There are several examples of this – resorts and tourist complexes of gigantic proportions that are completely changing the way of life in local communities. The lack of planning causes the misuse of resources, whether natural or human.”
~ Wallace Faria, Director, whl.travel Americas regional office

“For a country like the Philippines, where poverty is rampant and environmental policies aren’t implemented, tourism’s biggest threat to the environment is tourism itself. One immediate effect is trash. Oftentimes the local government gets so excited about the new influx of tourists (i.e. money) that the environment is ignored. The crowds arrive before systems are in place. In Boracay, for example, the island is developing faster than it can manage, which has lead to waste-management problems and depletion of the shoreline. Tourism also means an increase in demand for resources – more fish will have to be caught, more goods need to be delivered.

It’s always difficult to find that balance between opportunity and environment. What to do? Look at examples of success. In the simple town of Donsol, Sorsogon, whale-shark poaching was successfully converted into whale-shark watching, and what used to be a poor fishing village is now a thriving ecotourism destination visited by thousands every summer. And although they now take very good care of the gentle giants, their numbers have still depleted over the last 20 years. It is a constant battle for environmental conservation and proper environmental education.”
~ Mika Santos, Director, whl.travel Asia and the Pacific regional office

Emperor Shark Fin Soup: Local delicacy or endangered species? Photo courtesy of flikr/avlxyz

“I believe sheer weight of numbers of visitors is the biggest problem. With the explosion of budget airlines and a desire for people to visit ever more destinations, many places seem to struggle with issues such as rubbish, sewage, etc. People wishing to try local ‘delicacies,’ many of which are endangered, is also a concern.”
~ Adrian Cordiner, CEO, Green Path Transfers

As I saw during my year of tourism studies in Mallorca, Spain, cut-rate mass-tourism to beaches like Magaluf takes its toll on the landscape. Photo courtesy of flickr/lloydi

“I think the biggest environmental problem with global tourism is distribution. Cut-rate mass-travel such as Caribbean cruises and all-inclusive resorts tend to concentrate a lion’s share of international tourism in just a few destinations. For these mass-visited hot spots, the problems of land use and the stress on local infrastructure can turn the blessing of tourism into a curse. Places get loved to death.

For travellers, the challenge is creativity. Rather than looking for Walmart-style low prices and hot deals to sandy beaches, think a little more outside the box about where to go. With more and more of the world opening up to international tourism, it’s more possible than ever to find great new places where you can contribute to healthy local growth without overwhelming the natural environment.”
~ Cynthia Ord, Newsletter Editor, The Travel Word

This means that sometimes we can all end up looking a bit scruffy. That’s fine, since everyone’s in the same boat and no one’s going to judge you when you flop into your hostel bed at the end of a long day of trekking.

But because it’s a gradual process, it’s also easy to lose track of just how wild our appearance may be getting. Until you look back at your holiday snapshots, or finally get around to spending some serious time in front of a mirror, you might be surprised at just how rugged you really looked.

That’s why we love this video from Christopher Rehage, who filmed it as part of an attempt to hike from Beijing to Germany. Here’s a man who’s not only aware of his ruggedness, but actually revels in it. His beard is a badge of honour, which keeps track of the hundreds of miles already walked.

We love a good time lapse video here at The Travel Word. This one is especially nice because it gives you a flavour not just of the places visited, but the person who did the travelling and the ways in which he changed.

Chris, we salute you. And we salute your beard.

Take time for personal reflection and meditation in the peace-filled mountain paths surrounding Medjugorje, Bosnia. Photo courtesy of Zana R-Bilal

As an apparition site of the Virgin Mary that is well recognised by Catholics worldwide, Medjugorje is a Bosnian town with deep spiritual poignancy. Pilgrims and soul-searchers come from far and wide to partake in the sanctity of the place, get in touch with visionaries and simply enjoy the grace-filled ambiance. I recommend a minimum of three days in Medjugorje, as the longer you stay the more you can make time for personal prayer, reflection and religious activities in the community.

To start out, follow the path up Apparition Hill where the young visionaries first encountered Our Lady.  As you climb, you can see the inspired artistry of the bronze plaques depicting each mystery of the rosary. If climbing Mount Krizevac is too arduous, there is also a gentler path with the Stations of the Cross around the Risen Christ statue.

Visitors congregate at Cross Mountain, one of the many spiritual draws to the apparition town of Medjugorje, Bosnia. Photo courtesy of Zana R-Bilal

In addition, there is a daily International Mass with the Rosary and Healing Prayers, and Veneration of the Cross and Adoration in the evenings. Daily Holy Masses are made in several languages. Frequent talks by local Franciscan priests of the Medjugorje parish are also held in the blessed John Paul II Hall and there is daily adoration of the Blessed Sacrament each afternoon in the Adoration chapel.

Day trips

Before leaving Medjugorje, visit the surroundings full of natural beauty and historical interests. The gem of the region is the famous Waterfalls of Kravice, where in summertime you can swim with the locals or just enjoy the scenery while having a meal or cup of coffee at the nearby restaurant.

For a bit of history, visit the old city of Mostar with its historic bridge rebuilt across the beautiful Neretva River. The bridge and the area around it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wander through the narrow streets of the old town filled with souvenir shops, restaurants and historic buildings.

The shimmering waterfalls of Kravice make a great day trip into the beautiful Bosnian countryside surrounding Medjugorje. Photo courtesy of Zana R-Bilal

Even closer, in Ljubuski (15 minutes’ drive of Medjugorje), you will find the parish church of St. Anthony, where you can take in the ancients relics of the first Franciscan priests in this area. Then visit ”The Mother” gallery with its splendid portraits and statues.

Not everyone realizes that the town of Medjugorje is also in close proximity to fantastic Balkan cities. A one-day excursion could take you to Sarajevo (the capital of Bosnia) or a four-day trip could cover Dubrovnik and Split in Croatia. If you would like to combine a pilgrimage with some relaxation by the beach, try a day trip to the breathtaking Makarska Riviera along the Adriatic coast.

Shopping

Purchase rosaries, statues or books at different local souvenir and handcrafts shops. You will find interesting wooden crafts of Jesus and Mary, as well as angels and crucifixes hand-carved from Medjugorje stones. Medjugorje souvenirs can be blessed by a priest if you bring them to evening prayer at St. James Church.

Connecting with local priests in Medjugorje, Bosnia, is one of the biggest treats in this spiritual place. Photo courtesy of Zana R-Bilal

Restaurants

At mealtime there is a good choice of cafés and restaurants in Medjugorje that serve local cuisine.

Galileo Restaurant is known for its exclusive fish delicacies, and at Columbo Restaurant you will find the best choice of Italian cuisine and other International dishes. Have a meal at Voktor’s Restaurant for the kinds of homemade local specialties that keep people coming back for more.

Local Treats

The biggest treat in Medjugorje is the peaceful time for prayer in such inspired surroundings. Just walk through the fields to the Blue Cross or Apparition Hill. If you stay longer, take time to be a part of Medjugorje’s local community. Meet the families while attending Holy Mass, stop for casual conversation with locals or simply take your quiet time and space for personal reflection.

Catch an outside Mass celebration in Medjugorje, Bosnia. Photo courtesy of Zana R-Bilal

Night Out

To liven things up with locals, visit The Garden House, where local musicians play traditional instruments every Friday night. During the evenings, most cafés and restaurants are open. Try a glass of warm red wine or tea while sitting on one of their terraces and enjoying the great people-watching views of the streets from above. You will be able to feel the peaceful yet joyful vibe of quiet little Medjugorje.

Planning a trip to Medjugorje and the Balkan region? Be sure to contact Zana and the other local travel experts at Medjugorje Tours and Travel, the whl.travel local connection in Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“Almost there!” he bellows down the trail at us. He’s smiling and doesn’t seem at all winded by the last few hours of trudging through thick vegetation and brush, during which he expertly pointed out a slithering snake, sweet-smelling lemongrass and a weird, edible nut. The trail we’ve been following – when there has actually been sign of a trail – has recently grown wider into a dirt road, hopefully an indication we’re almost to the top of the mountain and the local village where we will spend the night.

A group of 12 trekkers marches toward a hill-tribe village in northern Thailand. Photo courtesy of Gina Douglas

I hear a low rumbling noise that gets louder and louder until a motorcycle comes roaring up the trail carrying two Thai boys who look about 15. They weave around me and stop when they get to Ti, who greets them joyfully. After a minute, the motorcycle takes off again and I notice bags of what looks like groceries strapped to its back.

“Think that’s our dinner?” jokes my fiancé, who has joined me on this adventure.

“The villagers drive motorcycles up and down the mountain?” is my surprised response. I’m aware they need to get around; I just assumed it was rare and via foot or animal. I’m more curious than ever to see this mountain-top village. We round a few more bends and arrive.

The village is more massive than I expected. Faded wood huts with thatched roofs, most on stilts, dot the landscape. As I walk around I notice a cluster of animals; puppies, pigs, chickens and roosters all abuzz amongst the overgrown grass and dirt paths winding between the huts. Joining them are a dozen young children, running around laughing, the setting sun dancing off their eyes as it creates a hazy glow over the mountains in the distance.

With glowing mountain views like this one, a northern Thailand trekking experience can seem staged for tourists. But the wild landscapes were here long before the treks. Photo courtesy of Gina Douglas

The children are barefoot, but look well fed and dressed. Another motorcycle whizzes by and the children chase it, giggling. It stops next to an empty lot where a low-slung volleyball net is strung and teenage boys, their western-looking clothes rustling lightly in the low breeze, are hitting a soccer ball over it with their feet. I wonder if they’re wearing hand-me-downs from visitors or if the money from tours actually covers the costs of such clothes.

I look around at the motorcycles, the well-dressed children and the minimalist huts and find myself wondering if it’s all an act. Do they head back down the mountain after we’re all asleep? Is this just a well-produced illusion for tourists? Then I notice a woman hanging up laundry and I pass what looks like a bare-bones general store. This definitely is a lived-in – and by all appearances happy – village.

Later, after the sun has set and a chill sets in, Ti regales us with stories. We’re huddled around a blazing bonfire adjacent to a long room we trekkers will be sleeping in. The bonfire is the only heat we’re going to have the luxury of experiencing tonight.

21st-century transport is set against a traditional wood hut, reminding us that this is a very real village and not a tourist display. Photo courtesy of Gina Douglas

A local woman, dressed in a long gold and red robe, enters our bonfire circle from the darkness beyond the hut (there is no electricity here). I look at her in surprise. Her outfit is so different from the ones I saw on the playing children and teenagers earlier this evening. She murmurs something in Ti’s ear and he nods before turning to us.

“Anyone want a Thai massage?” he asks. “200 baht,” which is roughly US$6.50.

My fiancé and I – and six other trekkers – excitedly raise our hands.

We head into the long room and climb onto our mosquito net–covered cots. Teenage girls, also dressed in robes, join us and begin massaging us over our clothing. It was relaxing, although these girls aren’t anywhere close to being professional masseuses. It’s just another useful (and clever) way for them to make some money through tourism.

Trekking in northern Thailand is a great way to enjoy the local environment's natural wonders while benefitting local villages along the way. Photo courtesy of Gina Douglas

As we leave the village the next morning, passing by a one-room schoolhouse, it is clear this is every bit an authentic mountaintop village – just not exactly what I expected. The villagers appear to have found a way to embrace the 21st century and make a living without having to leave their serene home up here where the air is crisp. From the trekkers they get what is most likely much-needed income and, in turn, trekkers such as myself get to share their beautiful mountains and home. The community’s peaceful existence is maintained through this low-impact form of village tourism, preserving the beauty of the river- and waterfall-filled environment, the habitat of wildlife such as the elephants I see along the way.

As I set off back down the mountain to where an afternoon of whitewater thrills on bamboo rafts awaits us, rows of bright green mountains fill the distance for miles and local children’s laughter follows me down the trail. To me, visiting this community is a remarkable experience, unlike any I’ve ever had. I hope it has helped to protect the little village and the majesty of its surroundings.

To experience overnight treks to the hill-tribe villages of northern Thailand, contact the whl.travel local connection in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.

A view looking east toward Munda from the hills of Gizo township in the Solomon Islands. Photo courtesy of Danny Kennedy

In the midst of all the wild beauty, right in the heart of this seaborne country, is Ghizo Island, where a different kind of lifestyle and culture can also be found: one built around surfing.

Quality Breaks

Surfing is a newcomer to the Solomon Islands, but for a handful of locals it has become something more than just a pastime. A few old boards left behind by adventurous surf-trippers have changed the way people on Ghizo look at their waves. The cyclone swells created out in the Coral Sea that have made the east coast of Australia so famous also make their way up to the Solomons – and Ghizo sits right in their path.

The setups in the Solomons are nearly all reef breaks. Ghizo boasts at least two world-class spots, and what they lack in size they make up for in quality. Paelonge on Ghizo island is the most consistent. It regularly offers rights up to a 100 metres long, with two long barrel sections. Titiana is a left and when the swell hits the reef the right way, it’s the best wave on the island.

Solomon Islands top surfer, Sammy, goes high on a wave. A couple of days later the remains of this board were retrieved from tsunami debris. Photo courtesy of Will Darby

The Solomons are relatively unexplored by surfers; different swell directions and sizes often give birth to waves that have never been surfed, so the potential seems enormous. But the greatest thing about surfing here is that you truly feel like you’re experiencing the place firsthand. There is no surf industry to speak of, so if it’s an alternative to Bali you’re looking for, this isn’t it. But you won’t find a crowd either. This is just a bunch of locals, on battered but well-loved boards, who are really focused on getting the best waves. They’re out every chance they get and know every inch of their breaks intimately.

Getting Practical

November to April is the best time to get the cyclone swells, but generally it’s pretty consistent. The quality of the reefs means that what little swell there may be is usually turned into something really fun. When it does get big, it can be seriously powerful and hollow. That’s when the locals have a new excitement and energy that will set you buzzing with excitement on the paddle out. Often the break is dotted with kids body surfing and swimming around the reef, and only a very elite handful of locals will join you when waves reach six feet or more. It’s always best to trust their guidance; these reefs are as much their home as their local spot.

Sammy, a number 1 surfer in the Solomon Islands, is right at home with the waves of Ghizo Island. Photo courtesy of Will Darby

Entering the Solomon Islands is only possible through the capital, Honiara, on Guadalcanal. If you’re a historian, there are some fascinating World War II sites dotted around Honiara, which was a key strategic battleground in the Pacific theatre. A tour of Honiara is a great way to get oriented. Generally speaking, though, Honiara isn’t somewhere to linger too long; while it has a kind of gritty (yet safe) charm, you should get out and explore the country’s true beauty.

Getting around the Solomon Islands is done either by flying on Solomon Airlines or travelling via passenger boat. While the latter is often overcrowded, hot, a little smelly and fantastically slow, there is no better way to see the country and meet locals. After all, the Solomon Islands is a country defined by water, so the best way to get around is by boat. The sea trip from Honiara to Ghizo takes around 30 hours – and there are no cabins – but what you will see on your journey you will never forget. If you’re a surfer, it’s also a good way of looking after your boards, as sometimes the airline baggage handlers don’t quite get the ‘fibreglass’ thing! There are also companies that will hire you a boat and driver, or you can hitch rides with locals.

The laid-back but bustling town of Gizo, on Ghizo Island, is the second most major town of the Solomon Islands after its capital city of Honiara. Photo courtesy of Danny Kennedy

In terms of accommodation in the Solomon Islands, there are plenty of options on or around Ghizo Island. The main town, Gizo (same name as the island, just no ‘h’) has numerous numerous guesthouses and a big hotel, while a nearby island has two resorts if you’re looking for somewhere quieter. Gizo is a really laid-back place, although there’s a vibrant market with fresh fruit, vegetables and fish. There’s also a new hospital, and taxis and trucks run up and down the single street. This is the most major town after Honiara, but don’t expect a metropolis. Still, Gizo is a bustling place, and you’ll feel right at home here in no time, as complete strangers are usually incredibly friendly.

There is not a single surf shop in the Solomons, so remember to bring everything you’re going to need, including a spare board (your usual shortboard size) and especially a decent repair kit. The most important things you can bring however are an open mind, a friendly smile and a healthy respect for this beautiful place and the people who call it home.

Before the US Civil War, while Abraham Lincoln was still just a US state representative ignorant of the great occasions to which he would rise, he uttered a remarkably prescient maxim: “The true rule in determining to embrace or reject any thing is not whether it have any evil in it, but whether it have more of evil than of good.”

I begin with this – something unimpeachably wise from someone irreproachably sagacious – in an attempt to ground what follows. You see, over many moons I have read and pondered your (my fellow travel scribes’) articles, blog posts and comments. Sadly, with each passing day, I shake my head and wonder how you’ve not read the writing on the wall: the travel terrain has changed, so why haven’t you?

Photo courtesy of Flickr/Johnnia Utah

Vision Is Not Seeing Things As They Are, but As They Will Be

Most mainstream newspapers and magazines today give periodic lip service to the evolution of travel, acknowledging that more and more travellers consider themselves ‘ecotourists,’ but not really giving their readers enough to feed their ethical penchants. Hamstrung by shrinking budgets, market-deaf advertisers and cumbersome bureaucracy, major travel media look like they’re being outpaced by the industry they’re supposed to support.

So why aren’t you, the new generation of penmen and -women, stepping into an expanding vacuum? Why aren’t more of you – buttressed by blogging skills and vocal in your frustrated desire to be recognised for your craft – helping to drive the kind of change that positions you as leaders? More nimble, more imaginative, more bold and less reliant on traditional revenue sources, you have little stopping you.

As one of the rank and file, I wouldn’t dare to guess at or pass judgment on your individual motivations as writers. And yet, banking on substantial personal experience, I feel justified in a Lincolnesque examination of the evil-good balance of advocating for the fastest-growing but most rough-trod parcel of the travel terrain and of wondering aloud why so many of you (travel writers in general, but bloggers in particular) appear to be shrinking from a perfect storm of a challenge.

What We See Is Mainly What We Look for

Here’s what I see: an alternative marketplace that’s got many niche names: ecotourism, responsible travel, sustainable travel, local travel, slow travel, community-based tourism, geotourism, green travel, pro-poor tourism, conscious travel, ethical travel etc.

This travel space continues to be alternative to the mainstream traffic of consumers who plan and shop for holidays guided principally by bucket lists and budget. That being said, high-minded considerations – worries about carbon emissions, ‘economic leakage,’ ‘cultural flattening’ and the like – are now increasingly asserting themselves as powerful motivators too. As early as 2007, Condé Nast Traveler‘s “The Power of Travel” focus on “the impact of tourism on communities and the planet” revealed a whopping 74% of respondents who thought “that hotels should be responsible for helping alleviate poverty in their own communities.” This is just a small fraction of the 7% of the international travel market in 2007 that the UN World Tourism Organisation attributed to ecotourism, a number that has increased significantly since then. We’re beholding the mainstreaming of the fringe.

Photo courtesy of Anne Flickr/Wangalachi/CIMMYT

What We Fight Against Defines Us As Clearly As All We Embrace

As I consider shifting travel trends, though, what has surprised me most is the lacklustre endorsement for change from travel media. Catherine Mack wrote meaningfully about this last month. “After a plethora of responsible tourism conferences, conventions and codes of practice, so many travel writers, not just travellers, still think it is amusing that our industry is ‘responsible’ for so much damage,” she lamented. So do I. I also wonder why.

Now, I’m sure the proliferation of travel monikers has lent to confusion about what it all means. It may even have lent to some degree of exhaustion. There’s already a small but important weight of accountability (and sometimes culpability) associated with the cluttered mix of mindful compound-noun travel styles, but does “The lack of a precise, commonly agreed definition of ‘ecotourism’… cause… misunderstanding, argument and debate,” as Ron Mader asks in an essay about tourism definitions? Why else would each new entrant into the space feel compelled to come up with a new banner, right?

I nevertheless keep coming back to the same thought. Does the majority of travel writers and editors just not get it? Or not care? In a LinkedIn comment left in response to Catherine Mack’s post, one reader is understanding about the mix of priorities that influence travellers and travel providers, but he has no sympathy for the media. “They would only be interested in the reality TV show ‘I’m a Responsible Celebrity on Holiday, Get me out of here.’ ” Another reader derides “smug media apathy.”

“We Buy Things We Don’t Need, with Money We Don’t Have, to Impress People We Don’t Like” – Dave Ramsey

Not surprisingly, the circle-jerk of blame in the travel media space can be impressive. I try to avoid it, which means I am ignorant both of what powers it and of how to neuter it when it grows too rabid. Looking in from the outsider ranks, I see writers criticising editors criticising advertisers criticising PR firms criticising travel suppliers criticising tourist boards criticising what writers write. Working in such conditions, the pool of writers – a glowing (and growing!) cadre of exceptions notwithstanding – seems fundamentally ill-equipped to drive change.

Photo courtesy of Flickr/McKay Savage

Far too many of them behave like angry miners clawing at a passing flash of blood diamond. Do they not care about morality or changing consumer interests? Perhaps not. A writer I won’t embarrass by name once told me “I write for today’s traveler, not tomorrow’s,” which struck me as fundamentally wrong-footed. Everyone’s stuck in an engine coughing on dirty oil that soils the clean whenever it’s added.

We Only Grow When We Step Outside Our Comfort Zone

If your comfort zone is exclusively surf, sand and sun in an air-conditioned, gated, foreign-owned resort that imports the foods you eat at home and staff who look like you, it’s time to expand your horizons. At a time of global warming, widespread economic and political upheaval, and irremediable cultural extinction, should you really be devoting energy to the promotion of bad practices and sorry stereotypes? Why do I even have to ask that question?

I’ve never yet heard a legitimate argument against being responsible when you travel. Burlap sheets and grass dinners are no more likely with ethical operators than they are with any others. And objecting to the sustainable use of resources or equitable sharing of profits with local providers would be like lobbying against kindness. By Lincoln’s standards, then, responsible travel is more of good than of evil, something to be embraced. Dipping your quill in support of it should also be a no-brainer.

“We Must Hang Together, Gentlemen… Else, We Shall Most Assuredly Hang Separately” – Benjamin Franklin

If ever there was a man who was unafraid to try something new, it was Franklin. However, while he was always ready to go out on a limb by himself, he was also a convinced collaborator, banking (sometimes literally) on the shared wisdom and foresight of his colleagues.

Now, I’m no Franklin, but I do believe that travel writers (especially bloggers) are in a unique position today:

* We could add oomph to the fair travel crusade by giving consumers what they want and, just as critically, rejecting what is wrong with irresponsible travel.

* We could join forces with the mass of industry stakeholders who are making meaningful decisions about where they work and how best to present it to visitors.

* We could stabilise the unsteady responsible travel stool by adding media – the missing third leg – to those above and finally propelling the travel industry into the next generation.

What do you think?

How can you do the same – slow down your own adventures? Well, start by choosing just one place to visit and commit to getting to know it well. Then rent an apartment, lodge or guesthouses with weekly or monthly deals.

Need help getting your imagination racing? Here are a five excellent slow-travel lodging ideas.

Art Lodge, Isla Gobernadora, Panama. Photo courtesy of Art Lodge

Art Lodge in Gobernadora Island, Panama

Isla Gobernadora is located off the Pacific cost of central Panama at the mouth of the Golfo de Montijo, an important wetland predictably called the Humedal Golfo de Montijo. It’s within sight of the famous wave of Santa Catalina and the wonders lying beneath the waters of Coiba National Park. Most importantly, it’s where you will find a special place called Art Lodge.

The owners of Art Lodge, Valerie and Yves, have built an island paradise where you immediately feel at home. As both Valerie and Yves are French artists, the facilities and layout of the lands reflect their love of creativity. Everything is unique – each bungalow has its own character and artistic flair – constructed using local supplies, recycling materials and even incorporating smooth driftwoods from the beach into the designs.

The Art Lodge helps you slow down by changing your rhythm. Isla Gobernadora is a place where people still prefer the relaxed pace of the island life. You tap into it by participating in handicrafts workshops, going fishing or discovering the island and its surroundings. This small idyll has no cars or roads – just footpaths worn into place by generations of locals keeping things as simple as possible.

Check out Art Lodge on Gobernadora Island, Panama

Kiansom Villa in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. Photo courtesy of Kiansom Villa

Kiansom Villa in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

Snuggled into the lush green of Sabah on Malaysian Borneo is an ideal place for slow travellers in search of tranquillity. One perfect spot is Kiansom Villa, a self-catering holiday home with fully furnished and spacious rooms large enough for up to six people. A kitchenette makes home cooking possible, as does a convenient local market for the purchase of fresh ingredients.

Our advice is to book for at least a week and take your time with all that there is around the villa. Visit the Mari-mari Cultural Village – a reminder of the ancient indigenous tribal era – a mere five minutes’ drive from Kiansom. Set aside a full day for Manukan Island, a haven part of Tunku Abdul Rahman Park and just 20 minutes by boat from Jesselton Point, Kota Kinabalu. You can arrange for island hopping, snorkelling, diving or pure relaxation.

On a drive into the hinterland of scenic hills and paddy fields, stop by at the village of Pekan Nabalu to savour local fruits in season. Visit the Kinabalu Park World Heritage Site and make your way to Poring Hot Springs, famous for its sulphur baths, canopy walkway, butterfly farm, orchid conservation centre and tropical gardens, as well as the Kipungit and Langanan waterfalls.

Check out Kiansom Villa in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo

Herceg Etno Selo in Medjugorje, Bosnia. Photo courtesy of Herceg Etno Selo

Herceg Etno Selo Village in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Visit a bygone era just outside of Medjugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Opened just four years ago, Herceg Etno Selo was built to help travellers step back to a time when life was simpler and slower. To get oriented, follow the stepping-stone paths through the 15 buildings built using age-old masonry techniques and arranged to create a sense of community.

Inside your own village house, you’ll find handcrafted mahogany furniture and warm, soft lighting. The favourite common area is the restaurant, which is located at the heart of the village. Here you can enjoy a real taste of rural Bosnia pulled from a menu of local food and wine, including famous varieties like Zilavka and Blatina.

This assembly of traditional-style houses feels like a village also because of an emphasis on culture. The amphitheatre – another favourite common area – hosts regularly scheduled local shows and events. You’ll even find an ethnography museum with great insight into the country’s past. Shoppers can browse in the village shop, which stocks traditional masonry tools and artefacts.

Check out Herceg Etno Selo near Medjugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bua Lodge in Malawi. Photo courtesy of Bua Lodge

Bua River Lodge in Malawi

The newly opened Bua River Lodge is all about mood – good ones and slow ones. Built with repurposed safari tents on the bank of the Bua River, it is illuminated at night with paraffin lanterns and solar-powered lamps, which means there are no noisy generators and, at dinner, the ambiance is truly magical. When you’re looking out over the river, every night is a good night, but full moons are particularly magical.

The lodge is superbly located in the Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve of Malawi. In fact, it is the first permanent accommodation to be built within the reserve.

As extra incentive to go slow and stay longer, the lodge offers a discount for stays of three days or longer. We urge you to take advantage of it and let the enchantment seep in. You’re going to need to take your time here – leisure activities include fishing, bird watching and walking safaris.

Check out Bua River Lodge in Malawi

River View Bungalows in Vang Vieng, Laos. Photo courtesy of River View Bungalows

River View Bungalows in Vang Vieng, Laos

Get comfortable and slow down in Laos by staying in a unique and elegant stilted guesthouse built on an island right in the middle of the Saysong River near Vang Vieng.

Called the River View Bungalows, they are a family-owned business inspired by Mr Southchai Chanthavong, a young entrepreneur with a passion for Laos and its tourism industry. Southchai studied accounting and English in Vientiane before returning to his hometown of Vang Vieng to live his dream of building the River View Bungalows, an internet cafe and the Saysong Guesthouse.

Given the abundance of activities around Vang Vieng, especially the ever-popular river tubing trips that launch from the tubing station nearby, you’ll need at least a week here. Act fast for slow travel savings, though. Until April 11 (2012), get 10% off your stay at the River View Bungalows by booking online in advance.

Check out River View Bungalows near Vang Vieng, Laos

You’ve seen them flocking together at every major tourist site: groups of travellers in bright Hawaiian shirts escorted by their tour guides, who lead them around like herds of cattle. Lumbering off buses, they brush sleep from their eyes for a 10- to 15-minute glimpse of whatever natural or manmade wonder they happen to see before them – a thunderous waterfall perhaps, or the crumbling pillars of an ancient civilisation. Then, still snapping photos with their brand-new cameras, they’re wrangled back on the bus.

One hopes that one day these folk will realise this is no way to see the world, watching the landscapes whirr by instead of savouring the journey. The typical big-hits packaged tour – characterised by buses speeding from one highlight attraction to the next – misses out on the unexpected pleasures of slower travel. Why not linger a little while to experience landscape from up close? What better way to get to know a place than to interact with the locals who live there? Group sightseeing by bus is a sleepwalker’s holiday. You need to get off the tourist coach for some real adventure.

A traditional dugout canoe, known as a haabja, is the best way to explore the wilderness of Estonia's Soomaa National Park. Photo courtesy of www.soomaa.com

Get Wet and Wild in Estonia

Known as the “land of the bogs,” Estonia reveals its natural splendour inside Soomaa National Park. Special footwear is required for “bog-shoeing” across this vast wet tract of land known for its abundant wildlife that includes numerous types of bird, wild boar and brown bear, all common residents of the peat bogs and flooded grasslands. The famous late-March ‘fifth season’ of floods is an ideal time for fully exploring the area’s damp landscapes and raging rivers, as well as the nearby Baltic Sea and the Estonia Islands just offshore. Spot seals, beavers, lynx and more on a Sea Kayaking and River Canoeing Adventure, with time spent both in Soomaa and in the Hiiumaa Islets Landscape Reserve.

The high-speed toboggan on Madeira Island, Portugal has been operating since 1850.

Take off by Toboggan in Madeira, Portugal

Visitors to Portugal’s Madeira Island have long been enjoying the high-speed trip from the hilltop resort town of Monte to the island’s low-lying capital city of Funchal. This easy commute requires no gas-guzzling vehicles, however – just a 10-minute ride via an old-fashioned toboggan. Steered by two men in traditional straw hats who use their rubber-soled boots as breaks, the toboggan ride has been a means of local transport on the island since as far back as 1850. During the two-kilometre trip, speeds can reach up to 48 kilometres per hour.

Away from the capital of Ulaanbaatar, a ranger patrols Mongolia's Khustai National Park. Photo courtesy Batbold Ragchaa

Horse Around in Mongolia

Since as far back as the days of Genghis Khan, horses in Mongolia have had a unique influence over the country’s history and culture. Mongol riders once ruled much of Eurasia, and horses remain central to the traditions of Mongolia’s nomadic tribes. In fact, the country today is home to approximately 20 million steeds, while the number of Mongolians is barely 2.8 million. It’s little wonder why riding is still so popular throughout Mongolia, especially as the beauty of country’s vast steppes is best discovered on horseback. Departing from the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, a six-night Horseback Adventure to Legendary White Lake lets visitors take in sights that include ancient Mongol Empire ruins, petrified forests and rolling sand dunes – all while sleeping under the stars in a traditional yurt-style Mongolian ‘ger’ camp.

In Johannesburg, South Africa, visitors learn about the history of Apartheid while cycling around the vibrant Soweto township. Photo by Johannesburg Urban Adventures

Cycle Away in South Africa

Two wheels are an ideal way to see the sights in the legendary Soweto district of Johannesburg, South Africa – the colourful and vibrant neighborhood which helped usher in the end of the turbulent era of Apartheid. On Urban Adventures’ Cycle Soweto tour, visitors explore the most famous landmarks and streets recalling the days of Apartheid. The seven- to eight-hour leisurely pedal passes Vilakazi Street, where Nelson Mandela once lived, and encounters many noteworthy sights from the historic 1976 student uprisings. Rounding out the trip is a pause for umqombothi (traditional grain-brewed beer) at a local shebeen (bar).

On a reindeer sledding tour with Nutti Sámi Siida, travelers drive sleds across Swedish wilderness and learn how to handle their own reindeer. Photo courtesy of Katja Bechtloff

Sled Through Sweden – by Reindeer

In the far north of Swedish Lapland, one local travel operator had the ingenious insight to combine reindeer husbandry with community-based tourism. Based in the village of Jukkasjärvi (which is also home to the legendary IceHotel), Nutti Sámi Siida arranges first-rate ecotourism trips that showcase the environment and culture of the region’s indigenous Sámi people. On a reindeer sledding tour, riders learn how to handle their own reindeer while driving a sled through Sweden’s snow-covered tundra. Along the way, time is taken to taste traditional Sámi food, learn how to throw a lasso and become better acquainted with the four-footed companions. Why take the bus, when you can caravan above the Arctic Circle?

A real treat in the Australian bush is the huge numbers of tiny wildflowers. Their real beauty is often only apparent on very close inspection, so a good camera with zoom lens becomes a mandatory accessory. This native pink hyacinth orchidn in Boronia is one of the most common bush orchids in Australia and also one of the tallest. It blossoms from around December to March. Photo courtesy of Len Cordiner

Always a shock to first-time visitors to Australia is the loud laughing song of the kookaburra. Also a large bird similar in size to the king parrot, the kookaburra is a far more common sight in both urban areas and along the coast. It is carnivorous, feeding mostly on snakes, lizards and small rodents, although they are also keen on barbecues and regularly steal sausages whenever they get a chance. Photo courtesy of Len Cordiner

Inspired, my wife and I started our own ‘slow travel’ mission. For the past four months, we have been checking out the natural world in and around Sydney – starting in our own backyard. I live in a suburb called Gladesville, located in the inner west region of the city. It borders another suburb to the north called Boronia, both about four kilometres and across Sydney Harbour from the city’s central business district. Being this close to the centre, Gladesville and Boronia are two of the older suburbs of Sydney, although as I recall from when I was a boy growing up here (some 50-plus years ago), it was rather sparsely populated and we were surrounded by dairy farms and bushland.

Sadly most of Sydney's naturally occurring mangrove forests, like this small patch in Gladesville, are gone due to urbanisation and clearing for commercial activities; however, the damage has been curbed and signs of renewed growth are apparent in several areas. The mangroves in Sydney are mostly Grey Mangrove Avicennia marina, with small pockets of both naturally occurring and planted River Mangrove Aegiceras corniculatum. Photo courtesy of Len Cordiner

Basking in the sun on the side of a walking track in Boronia was this large black snake around 1.5 metres long. They are common on the east coast of Australia, are good swimmers and tend to live near creeks and rivers. They feed on small rodents and frogs and the female gives birth to around 20 live young. They are venomous, although its venom is milder than the brown snake. Photo courtesy of Len Cordiner

Today, Gladesville and Boronia are suburbs that most people rush through on their way to or from the city. They strike most Sydneysiders as rather nondescript, perhaps also reflected in the fact that neither were selected by Louise in her 52 suburbs. Of course, living here had taught us differently. We set out to explore some of the small pockets of parkland and harbour foreshore we knew were nearby.

Of 86 species of tea tree (Leptospermum) occurring globally, 81 are endemic to Australia. You find them everywhere around Sydney, including Gladesville. They got the name 'tea tree' after early white settlers in Australia used the leaves of this tree as a tea substitute. Tea tree oil is a widely used antiseptic due to its antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. Photo courtesy of Len Cordiner

Bush turkeys are large ground-dwelling birds (up to 2.2 kg and 85 cm tall) common on the east coast of Australia. The male builds a huge nest on the ground from leaf litter in which up to 50 eggs are laid by several females. The eggs are incubated by the heat given off by the rotting leaf litter. The male maintains a constant temperature by digging holes in the mound and inserting his bill to check the heat, then adding and removing leaf litter as required. Photo courtesy of Len Cordiner

We were amazed – thrilled, even – at what we found. In the large tracts of mangrove forest and bushland, we couldn’t see any hint of suburbia. Instead, we encountered many different species of plants and wildflowers. What also delighted us was the variety and concentration of wildlife, ranging from bush turkeys, cockatoos, kookaburras and king parrots to some very healthy-looking goannas and snakes. Returning home from our first outing, when our collection of photos were taken, my wife and I both felt elated. We had (re)connected with where we live, getting closer to both the natural environment and history in a way we hadn’t expected.

Sydney is built on sandstone, something that becomes very apparent when you see road cuttings and building excavations. Most of Sydney's early public buildings were built from sandstone, much of it stained red and brown from iron. On this walk in Boronia we discovered a natural sandstone overhang displaying some of the beautiful iron colouration. On a spot not far from this location was an Aboriginal rock carving, a reminder that the area was populated originally by the Wallumedegal people. Photo courtesy of Len Cordiner

King parrots are magnificent and quite large, growing to around 43cm in height. They reside on the east coast of Australia, mainly in densely forested regions, so they are not commonly seen around Sydney, unlike their smaller cousins, the brightly coloured lorikeets. This picture is of a male in Gladesville - they have the distinctive red colouration around the head and neck. Photo courtesy of Len Cordiner

Our new resolve is to share what we have found, to encourage some of our friends in Sydney (and from out of town) to try a local Sydney suburbs walk. We also want to share how we found it – by travelling slowly in our own backyard.

Planning a trip to Sydney? Interested in other slow and local experiences? Check out Sydney Urban Adventures, unique day tours with a difference, designed to get under the skin of the city, so you get to know it like a local.

The port of Corfu Town, Greece, faces the Albanian coast, visible in the distance. The laid-back off-season is still one of deep blue skies and clear waters. Photo courtesy of Sandra Broedner

More people really should see this side of Corfu. After all, between bouts of heavy rain and thunderstorms, the off-season weather in Corfu is usually still surprisingly sunny and warm, the atmosphere has a mildness to it. It can be warm enough that many Corfiots continue swimming and bathing in the sea in the winter. (You may want to join them by the windmill in Garitsa in Corfu Town.

By January, the mimosas starts blooming, followed soon after by the almond trees. In February, vibrant Carnival festivities take place, with all kinds of costume parties in the streets. Before you know it, spring is here, and that’s something you also really shouldn’t miss. Spring in Corfu has its own set of wonders and charms, including more music to be found everywhere.

In the off-season, even Corfu Town slows down. It becomes easy to find a table along the elegant Liston arcade and no one complains if you decide to spend hours and hours reading your newspaper while slowly sipping a coffee or ouzo. In the narrow alleys of Corfu Town, you can enjoy the small family-run tavernas that have been serving lunch to the locals for generations. They usually cook only a few dishes of Corfu’s traditional cuisine – different each day – so even if you choose to eat regularly at the same place, you’ll have something new to enjoy each time.

Travelling slowly during the off-season in Corfu, Greece, you'll have beaches like Liapades Beach in west Corfu (and the winter sunshine!) almost all to yourself. Photo courtesy of Sandra Broedner

Remarkably, you have the beaches almost to yourself, free of crowds and tacky tourist activities. Off the beaches, Corfu’s lush nature is more enjoyable with less heat. A simple walk in the countryside will easily lift your spirits. Corfu is full of old footpaths and in some places the municipality has put up signs that make them easy to follow. You can also find footpath guidebooks with detailed maps and the Hikers Society of Corfu (phone 26610-39481) is happy to help you with information. Or why not try mountain biking? Corfu’s hilly landscape makes the island a paradise for mountain bikers.

Closer to home, many Corfiots own olive trees and harvest the olives in early winter, the ultimate local activity. If you’ve ever visited Corfu’s countryside, you may have seen the nets tidily folded up in the olive groves. During harvest, the nets are spread out under the olive trees and after the olives fall to the ground they are gathered and taken to be pressed. Ask around in the villages and you will see that you are more than welcome to join in and help out. You may even get a bottle of freshly pressed olive oil for your efforts.

Of course, throughout the off-season, certain high-season attractions are missing. There isn’t as wide a variety of restaurants and bars to choose from. Most resorts in Corfu that were full during the summer start closing down by mid October and don’t open again until May. Steer clear of them, especially since you will find you’re too far away from other amenities like supermarkets, banks and coffee shops, where you may want to meet friends on a rainy day.

In the traditional mid-winter olive harvest in Corfu, Greece, large nets are used to capture the falling olives. Extra hands are always needed, so join the fun! Photo courtesy of Flickr/shplendid

What’s left, though, is the local scene! You get to eat in those small taverns and coffee shops that have been around for decades and where you can experience the authentic Corfu. For lodging, look for apartment rentals near Corfu Town, Acharavi in the north, the area around Gouvia or even near a village. If you don’t mind living a bit remotely you may even consider housesitting for a few months. Many of the larger villas on the northeast coast need looking after during the winter. In exchange, you get a place to stay and sometimes even compensation for a bit of maintenance.

Planning to visit Corfu, Greece? Get in contact with the team at Corfu-Hotels.Travel, the whl.travel local connection, for expert advice all year round.

We’ve asked our global network of local tourism professionals about the ‘length of stay’ factor in their destinations. Answers varied, but they all agree on one thing: the average tourist isn’t a slow traveller and just doesn’t stay long enough to really appreciate a place.

We’ve shared the thoughts of 15 of our local partners on how long is long enough and what the average fast traveller is missing.

The moving sand dunes on the Curonian Spit, near the town of Nida, Lithuania. Photo courtesy of Flickr.com/Lee Fenner

Lithuania

Average length of stay: Three days to visit the three main cities in Lithuania – Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipeda.
Recommended length of stay: One week at least. Two weeks would be even better to allow time at the awesome beaches on the Baltic Sea in summertime or Druskininkai spa resort.
How to travel slow in Lithuania: Cycling, canoeing, taking hot air balloon rides and relaxing by the seaside or at the spa.
~ Kestas Lukoskinas, the whl.travel local connection in Lithuania

Browsing the local markets of Luang Prabang, Laos. Photo courtesy of Stanislas Fradeliza

Luang Prabang, Laos

Average length of stay: Three to four days.
Recommended length of stay: Two weeks, in order to include outdoor activities around Luang Prabang, which is also to be considered in other destinations like Nong Khiaw, Vang Vieng and Vientiane.
How to travel slow in Luang Prabang: Practice the art of doing nothing! Just sit beside the river with a drink, relax and soak in the ambience. Rivers are the lifeblood of Laos and its key destinations (Vientiane, Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang), so take the time to travel via the Mekong River, as local people do. For example, take a slow boat cruise from Luang Prabang to the Thai border.
~ Cindy Fan, the whl.travel local partner in Luang Prabang

Boats near the Sunday Morning Fish Market in Marsaxlokk, Malta. Photo courtesy of Louisa Attard

Malta

Average length of stay: 8.2 nights. This number is quite high compared to other countries, mainly due to the many long stays of English school students.
Recommended length of stay: Between two and three weeks. Take your time with each site so you really can appreciate the atmosphere. Even though Malta is very small there’s still so much to see.
How to travel slow in Malta: Find more time to experience the landscape by foot. Go hiking in Malta, especially in spring. Take five days, pack up some camping gear and hike around the whole island of Gozo. You’ll be surrounded by pure nature.
~ Marco Attard, the whl.travel local connection in Malta

Surfing at sunset on Ipanema Beach, Rio de Janiero, Brazil. Photo courtesy of Luiz Renato Malcher

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Average length of stay: Two to three nights.
Recommended length of stay: At least one week.
How to travel slow in Rio de Janeiro: Try the local brownie with chilly pepper jam in one of the cosy cafés in the Santa Teresa area of Rio de Janeiro. See the samba rehearsals on Saturdays at a local samba school. Visit a favela. Watch a soccer match in Maracanã Stadium. Sample the nightlife in the bars and clubs of the Lapa district. The list could go on and on!
~ Luiz Renato Malcher, the whl.travel local partner in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

A fuzzy lake bird spotted on a trek to Niupani Village on Rennell Island of the Solomon Islands. Photo by Rennell World Heritage Tours

Solomon Islands

Average length of stay: 10.92 days (according to a study completed in 2009).
Recommended length of stay: Essentially it would take months to reach the 900+ islands on local transport, but you need about two to three weeks minimum to get a real feel for the Solomon Islands. Most visitors take the first four or five days just to slow down and stop looking at their watches.
How to travel slow in the Solomon Islands: Stop and stay overnight in a local village. Stroll through and watch how life moves at ‘Solomon Time.’ Sit down with locals to learn about how simple a lifestyle they have.
~ Kerrie Kennedy, the whl.travel local partner in Solomon Islands

The view from Apparition Hill in Mejugorie, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Photo courtesy of Mate T. Vasilj

Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Average length of stay: Four to seven nights.
Recommended length of stay: Six nights and seven days in Medjugorje to see it well.
How to travel slow in Medjugorje: Attend the frequent talks in John Paul II hall given by local Franciscan priests of the Medjugorje parish. Find peaceful time for prayer or just walk through the fields. If you stay longer, you will have the chance to be a part of the Medjugorje local community. Stop for casual conversation with locals.
~ Zana R-Bilal, the whl.travel local connection in Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Kite surfing in Florianópolis, Brazil. Photo courtesy of Renata Asprino

Florianópolis, Brazil

Average length of stay: Travellers spend from five to seven days here.
Recommended length of stay: A minimum of seven days, but 15 days would be better to really experience the island of Florianópolis.
How to travel slow in Florianópolis: Get in close contact with the island’s well-preserved nature. Hike to remote fishing villages or to archaeological sites. Mountain bike to refreshing waterfalls. Learning to kite-surf, go birdwatching or just relax on the beach.
~ Renata Asprino, the whl.travel local connection in Florianópolis, Brazil

Ushguli, the highest village in Europe, is towered over by Mt. Shkhara in Georgia. Photo courtesy of Ia Kverghelidze

Tbilisi and Caucasus Mountains, Georgia

Average length of stay: Seven days.
Recommended length of stay: 7-12 days. Although Georgia is a small country, all its regions are different from one another.
How to travel slow in Georgia: The best way to feel the Georgian spirit is to hike in the remote mountains, where ancient and medieval towers are still preserved. Visit Ushguli, the highest settlement in Europe. Compare the nature, architecture and traditions of the mountainous areas of Tusheti, Svaneti and Khevsureti. Other options of active travel are mountain biking and rafting. Georgia is famous for its wine. A wine tour in the Kakheti region, with advanced winemaking techniques and many vineyards, promises tasty wine and meals.
~ Ia Kverghelidze, the whl.travel local partner in Georgia

A typical road scene outside Petriti in southeast Corfu, Greece. Photo courtesy of Jillian Wareham

Corfu, Greece

Average length of stay: Around 7-10 days
Recommended length of stay: At least 14-21 days
How to travel slow in Corfu: Since north, south and west Corfu are so different from each other, just spend a few days on each coast. Find Paxos Island. Go snorkelling or diving. Ride horses. Try cycling, walking or hiking.
~ Sandra Broedner, the whl.travel local partner in Corfu, Greece

Recycling paper at the Nchima Paper Recycling Trust in Malawi. Photo courtesy of Will Turner.

Malawi

Average length of stay: Two weeks.
Recommended length of stay: Two to three weeks.
How to travel slow in Malawi: Try activities that are unique to Malawi, like visiting its rural areas, especially the mountains and rural villages.
~ Kate Webb, the whl.travel local partner in Malawi

Boat painting at Slow Travel Art Lodge in Panama. Photo courtesy of Sandrine-Pia Casto

Panama

Average length of stay: Three days.
Recommended length of stay: At least five days.
How to travel slow in Panama: Look for traditional fishing and handicraft workshops with the local population, discover islands off the coast of Panama and visit Coiba National Park.
~ Sandrine-Pia Casto, the whl.travel local partner in Panama City, Panama

Inside a traditional longhouse used by the Rungus tribes of Borneo, Malaysia. Photo courtesy of Borneo Eco Tours

Borneo, Malaysia

Average length of stay: One week.
Recommended length of stay: At least two weeks.
How to travel slow in Borneo: Visit the Mari-mari Cultural Village. Cook local dishes from Malaysia and taste local delicacies. Visit Kinabalu Park and Poring Hot Springs. Taste local fruits when in season. Stroll through the Sunday Market on Gaya Street in Kota Kinabalu. Allow for two nights on the Sukau Kinabatangan river cruise. Stay in a traditional Rungus tribal longhouse. Finally, get outdoors on a three-day climb of Mt. Kinabalu or a five-day trek to Crocker Range or Maliau Basin.
~ Jessica Peters, the whl.travel local partner in Borneo, Malaysia

A harvest of shea to be used for shea butter in Ghana. Photo courtesy of M&J Travel and Tours

Ghana

Average length of stay: 10-12 days.
Recommended length of stay: It’s not the quantity of time, but rather the quality of time that’s important. Seek the kinds of experiences that enable you learn more about the ways of life of ordinary people in Ghana.
How to travel slow in Ghana: Opt for homestay accommodation with a local family so you can get a feel for their daily activities or simply spend a few days. It’s all about doing very genuine things. Sample the farming life, try volunteering and take an interest in local livelihoods.
~ Marian Thompson, the whl.travel local partner in Ghana

A giant tortoise in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Photo courtesy of Heather Rath

Ecuador

Average length of stay: Most travellers spend at least a week in Ecuador.
Recommended length of stay: At least 14 days to really experience the important destinations.
How to travel slow in Ecuador: Experience all “four worlds” of Ecuador. Take a tour of Quito, the capital of the world, then head to the Galapagos Islands to learn about the place where the evolutionary theory was born. Then head back to the mainland to visit the Andes Mountains and the Amazon Rainforest.
~ Sebastian Sierra, the whl.travel local partner in Quito, Ecuador

Goree Island, one of Dakar's biggest tourist attractions.

Senegal

Average length of stay: Less than a week in Senegal and less than two days in the Dakar area.
Recommended length of stay: Exploring Senegal would require more than 15 days, but if you choose to zoom in on just one or two areas, then plan about four days per area.
How to travel slow in Senegal: For a real feel of Dakar, spend one night on Goree Island. Dedicate one full day to the markets, for they are so different one from another. Spend one day focused on cultural places and traditional arts, and one night making the most of Dakar nightlife. Take one day to visit Dakar’s surroundings, with an excursion to Pink Lake (Lac Rose), Turtles’ Village (Village des Tortues), Bandia Nature Reserve or Îles de la Madeleine Reserve.
~ Jérôme Kardos, the whl.travel local partner in Dakar, Senegal

Long-trippers (often backpackers) have lots of tricks for cutting costs and prolonging their sojourns. They stay in hostels or even camps, cook their own meals when they can and cram themselves into local transport to avoid taxis and flights. They’re an agile, fast-moving species of traveller. The goal is to cover as much ground as possible and travel for as long as possible, which can add up cost-wise no matter how carefully they budget their moves.

WWOOF volunteers in Canada Through WWOOF Canada, volunteers work on an organic farm in exchange for room and board. Photo courtesy of Becky Young

If you are willing to skip some of the hit-and-run sightseeing and country hopping of gotta-see-it-all travel, there’s a much simpler way to stay on budget and on the road for a long time: Take it slow, base your travels in one place and opt for a work exchange. Today, there are more and more ways for the industrious slow traveller to find work and break even.

BackdoorJobs.com, “Short-Term Job Adventures”

Browsing the homepage of Backdoorjobs.com, your sense of adventure is instantly ignited. Where to click first? “Seeking 7-Month Cheese-Making Apprentice in Colorado,” announces one headline. “Work and live in the redwood coastal hills of Northern California!” beams another. Although these hot travel stints are mostly geared toward Americans looking for something in the U.S., there is also an “International Short-Term Job Opportunities” section that’s well worth perusing.

Check out BackdoorJobs.com

Help Exchange (HelpX)

The idea behind HelpX is to connect willing travellers with farms, bed-and-breakfasts, hostels, ranches, lodges and even sailboats that are looking for someone to lend a hand, short-term. “In the typical arrangement, the helper works an average of four hours per day and receives free accommodation and meals for their efforts,” says the site. Access to listings comes in two flavours – a free version and a more comprehensive paid membership.

Register for HelpX

Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF)

One of the longest-standing – and perhaps the most well known – of the work-exchange programs out there, WWOOF is oriented toward matching help with organic farms all over the world. In the beginning, the acronym stood for “Willing Workers on Organic Farms,” but due to legal issues surrounding the term “worker,” WWOOF now officially stands for “Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms.”

There’s no central WWOOF organisation; rather, each country has its own listing and network to join for a small fee. Becky Young, the coordinator of WWOOF Canada, encourages everyone to try it at least once. “Go for it! You learn to travel on your own and feel safe because you are living with families, immerse yourself in a new culture, learn new things, make new friends and so much more.”

Find out which countries have WWOOF organisations

Work and Wine connects interns with wine industry opportunities in several countries. The trio pictured above are enjoying their time in Australia. Photo courtesy of facebook.com/Work-and-Wine

Work and Wine

One of the newest work-abroad coordination resources on the web, Work and Wine, is based in Mendoza, Argentina, the internationally renowned wine region. The goal of Work and Wine is to resolve visa issues and enable student interns and skilled professionals to work in the local wine industry in Mendoza. It also coordinates exchanges with wineries in other great wine capitals in the world, including in South Africa, Napa Valley in California, Australia and New Zealand.

Get in contact with Work and Wine

Workaway.info

Similar to HelpX and WWOOF, Workaway is an online network of organisations, farms and even families worldwide who offer room and board in exchange for some help. For a small membership fee, you can list yourself as a host or as a “Workawayer” volunteer. Workaway is one more big and growing listing of mouth-watering stints that will make you wish you could spend your whole life as a gigging traveller.

Explore the listings on Workaway.info

Travel slowly and keep your eyes open. You never know what kinds of work opportunities will pop up. Photo courtesy of Flickr/Leonard John Matthews

Wing It

Some people like to plan ahead online, others improvise. If you’ve had experiences working and living abroad, you might have seen that some opportunities present themselves in person, on the ground level. Get where you want to go, and then do the legwork by looking for the kinds of work you’re most qualified to do.

Put yourself out there. You never know what will come your way. Find gigs as an English teacher, nanny, waiter, receptionist, contributor to a local publication, or work with a local NGO. If you travel slowly, rent an apartment and commit to staying in one place for at least a month, you’ll see a world of travel work opportunities open up.

A hop-on/hop-off sightseeing bus in Cape Town, South Africa, can't offer the slow travel experience of hiking or biking, but is a good way to get oriented. Photo courtesy of City Sightseeing Tours

One thing that visitors immediately notice about Cape Town is its laid-back attitude. Those who are used to the fast pace of other cities take a bit of time to adjust, but ultimately they settle in and love it. Still, it’s worth remembering in advance the best piece of advice you can get from a local: if you really want to get under the skin of Cape Town, you have to slow things down. If you speed through the city, you will miss out on the great subtleties that give Cape Town its character. It’ll melt together and become a blur, as if you are driving a car at 100 miles per hour and trying to look out the window.

There is, of course, a great list of must-do sights and activities in Cape Town. I too would like to offer some suggestions for visiting the city’s top destinations, but my angle is to do it the way we locals know and love – the slow way. Exploring Cape Town’s top attractions by slower means provides many more unique and exhilarating experiences.

Walk, Hike and Bike in the Table Mountain Range

Table Mountain, a recently appointed New Seven Wonders of the World, is one of the best places for panoramic vistas of Cape Town and the mountains surrounding it. Instead of taking a gondola or cable car that will whiz you to the top in five minutes, though, why not ascend the mountain the slow way?

Check out the views of Cape Town, South Africa, while mountain biking in nearby Tokai. Photo courtesy of Mark Stodel

If you are relatively fit and enjoy walking, there is no better way to see Cape Town unfold before your eyes than by walking. The hike up Platteklip Gorge – a series of stone-stepped switchbacks – takes about two hours. You can make the hike on your own or with friends, but I suggest taking a Table Mountain hike tour. For serious walkers and climbers, there are more difficult trails, but travel along these is not recommended without experienced Cape Town guides.

Mountain biking in Cape Town is another great mode of slow travel. Try cycling the lower slopes of Table Mountain or Tokai, the latter of which is further south in the Table Range.

Cape Town is laced with trails, walking paths and climbing routes; once you start looking, you see them everywhere! Running down the Cape and into the suburbs, these trails are some of the best ways to experience Cape Town slowly, taking the time to soak in local life. For a completely unique experience (and one of the city’s best-kept secrets), try walking to the top of Lions Head during a full moon. And if you are really looking for a local experience, try trail running, one of Cape Town’s fastest growing sports.

Buses and minivans will get you to the Cape of Good Hope, but to really feel the wind in your hair, head there via WWII motorcycle sidecar. Photo courtesy of Mark Stodel

Drive Along the Cape of Good Hope in Style

The southwestern tip of the African continent was described by Sir Francis Drake in 1580 as “The most stately thing and the fairest Cape we saw in the whole circumference of the earth.” Cape Peninsula National Park is one of the most popular tourist spots in South Africa, with historical maritime significance and breathtaking surroundings.

The common way for Cape Town tourists to reach the Cape of Good Hope is via a bus or minivan tour. Instead, why no let a chauffeur drive you there in a classic WWII sidecar or vintage car? The views along the way are astonishing, and you get an added sense of history when travelling in this classic mode of transport. There are also plenty of opportunities for unscheduled photo stops, which are great for meeting locals; people stop in their tracks to admire these classic cars.

If you want to get some exercise on your trip to the Cape, then rent a bicycle and get a shot of fresh air straight from the Cape Doctor; the prevailing wind is locally renowned for clearing chest infections and other respiratory ailments common to colder and wetter climates.

Visitors to Cape Town, South Africa, can experience the day-to-day life of the townships, where reminders of the country's recent segregated past meet its hopes for a more equitable future. Photo courtesy of AWOL Tours

Explore Cape Town by Foot

Most first-time visitors to Cape Town orient themselves to South Africa’s oldest and most beautiful city with a half-day minivan tour or by taking the hop-on/hop-off bus that winds its way through the city. But Cape Town is small and, in my opinion, the best way to really see it is on a Cape Town walking tour or cycling excursion.

Personalised walking or biking tours of Cape Town really wade into the city’s melting pot of cultures. Originally a Dutch settlement set up as a supply station for passing ships, the city’s essence and history are rooted in the competing interests of colonial powers and local indigenous groups. Walking around the city introduces visitors to this complex history. As the terrain is relatively flat, it’s a great option for families of all ages.

Bike the Winelands of Constantia

Fifteen kilometres from Cape Town lie the oldest and most beautiful wineries in South Africa. There are at least six world-class wineries in the Constantia Valley, most dating back to the 1600s. To drink it all in, take a South African wine tour (by bike), on which you can taste and purchase wine, as well as sample the outstanding cuisine at the local top-class restaurants.

The green valleys north of Cape Town are rife with family-run wineries and local culinary delights. Take a taste trough the region by car, bike or even horse. Photo courtesy of Mark Stodel

A tour of the Constantia Valley is just as easy by car or on an organised Cape Town tour. However, for slow travellers, the best option really is by bicycle. This low-impact form of travel is great for people of all ages and fitness levels. Just go easy on the wine tastings or you run the risk of falling of your bike!

Township Tours

As you approach Cape Town from the airport, you will see firsthand the material inequities that are a constant reality of life in South Africa. Along the highway are what many describe as ‘shantytowns’ – informal settlements on the outskirts of more affluent neighbourhoods. It might be easy to pass judgment as you drive by, but that only makes the situation seem hopeless and untenable. In reality, South Africa has come a long way from the times of mandatory segregation, since the Apartheid was officially abolished under Nelson Mandela in 1994. The best way to find out the real story is to visit these areas and meet the people who live there.

To do that, take a slow, interactive Township tour, walking through the area with a local guide who grew up there. Hearing his stories will take you on an emotional roller-coaster ride, but the experience is guaranteed to leave you with a sense of hope for South Africa. The country is a living example of the positive outcomes people can achieve when they work together. There is still a long way to go, but the road has been mapped and its foundation has now been laid.

A meander in or around Cape Town - best done by bike - will help you get to know the city in the same slow way the locals do. Photo courtesy of AWOL Tours

Another option is a responsible cycling tour of the townships. Several community-based bicycle tours provide visitors with more opportunities to interact with the community than from an air-conditioned bus. It’s also recommended to take a tour of Robben Island to round out your knowledge of South Africa’s political history and Nelson Mandela’s incredible impact.

With so many Cape Town tours from which to choose, be sure to experience life from a local perspective…the slow way.

For a traveller on a tight schedule, this can be challenging. Time is such a precious commodity these days; we’ve been led to believe that if we don’t maximise our scant vacation time by hitting all the major tourist must-dos, we’ve somehow failed.

Slowly, take the time to learn about the ethnic tribes of Laos. Photo courtesy of Cindy Fan

But travelling and living in Laos has taught me that slowing down adds richness to your experience – like seeing the world vividly in Technicolor. You begin to notice things and understand how they fit into a greater cultural narrative.

“Slow Travel” is a buzzword that is gaining popularity. It can mean a variety of different things, but is often used to describe a longer stay in one place rather than flitting from one spot to the next. What you experience is usually a deeper connection to a place, its culture and its people.

Sunset on the Mekong River as seen from Luang Prabang, Laos. Best enjoyed slowly. Photo courtesy of Cindy Fan

So if you’re planning a trip to Luang Prabang, I suggest you treat yourself with time. Experience this UNESCO World Heritage city through the lens of slow travel:

On your first day, do nothing

Crazy, I know. While most people scramble up Phousi Hill for the sunset (yes, it is nice), my favourite spot is at a bar on the Mekong River. The view is unobstructed and the sunset is equally, if not more, spectacular. Sit, relax with a drink and just do nothing. You’re in Laos!

Dried fish at the Phosy Market in Luang Prabang, Laos. Photo courtesy of Cindy Fan

Slow food

One key ingredient in Lao cuisine is patience. A delicious Lao dish begins with a trip to the morning market for fresh ingredients (check out Phosy market, where the locals go). No fancy equipment is involved in Lao cooking – just a mortar, pestle and good ol’ fashioned elbow grease. Fresh herbs and plenty of chilli are bashed to make mouthwatering marinades and dips. And a Lao table is never without a basket of sticky rice. The grains have to be washed several times and soaked overnight before they can be steamed.

Big smiles at Big Brother Mouse, a non-profit organisation that distributes Lao books to rural villages. Photo courtesy of Stanislas Fradelizi

Give back with your time

Started in 2006, Big Brother Mouse is a locally run organisation that publishes books and distributes them to villages. Not only can you sponsor a library, a book party or buy Lao books in the shop to take to villages, you can help out at their English language sessions. Eager locals, especially young adults, attend to practice their English conversation. It’s a great way to learn more about Laos and for Lao people to learn about your country. Sessions run daily; just drop in at either 9 a.m. or 5 p.m. You don’t need to bring anything (they have some books and maps), although pictures of your family or country would be interesting.

A Lao weaver proudly displays her silk textiles. Photo courtesy of Cindy Fan

One thread at a time

Laos boasts beautiful handicrafts. You can’t appreciate patience and time until you’ve seen an artisan working at his or her craft. In fact, it’s not uncommon to hear that a single handwoven textile with an intricate pattern has taken a month to complete. In Luang Prabang, while you can see the pieces being made, you can also try your own hand at creating one. Learn how to dye fabric naturally, weave, draw Hmong batiks, paint silk or make paper. Or, if you’re all thumbs, numerous shops sell locally made textiles and crafts.

An unhurried rural hill village just outside of Luang Prabang, Laos. Photo courtesy of Cindy Fan

Experience village life

Less than an hour outside of town, you are out in rural countryside. Go trekking and stay in a village to experience the simple life, where even electricity is a luxury. Phone? Internet? Forget about it. Think of it as a detox from Facebook and all other distractions of the modern world. Experience what it’s like to grow and raise your own food, bathe at a tap, cook over an open fire and dine with a local family. After a long, refreshing day of walking, crawl into your sleeping bag, but prepare to wake when the rooster crows.

The early morning alms ceremony in Luang Prabang, Laos is an important Buddhist tradition that should be respected. Photo courtesy of Cindy Fan

Wake up early. Really early.

Every day at dawn, monks walk through town collecting alms from humble locals. The alms-giving ceremony is an important ritual in Luang Prabang. The sight of hundreds of monks clad in brilliant orange robes lined up to receive food is truly breathtaking. But the ceremony is in danger of becoming a tourist spectacle, with some people behaving badly to get that perfect photo. Be respectful: dress appropriately, maintain your distance and be quiet. Read the etiquette and guidelines for the alms-giving ceremony in Luang Prabang.

Thinking of travelling to Luang Prabang and around Laos? Plan your trip with Teamworkz, the whl.travel local partner in Laos.