For volcano enthusiasts, Hawai’i is a unique destination offering one-of-a-kind encounters with Kīlauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, and Mauna Loa, the world’s most massive volcano. I was fortunate to get to know one of the most reputable local ecotour providers in Hawai’i, VolcanoDiscovery Hawai’i, and to experience the Big Island differently.

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.

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

If you want to see great apes in the wild, Sumatra’s rainforest is one of the most accessible places to do just that. Seeing orangutans in the wild, along with silver Thomas leaf monkeys, pig-tailed macaques, and a diverse range of birds like hornbills, will leave you with a renewed appreciation for the beauty and ingenuity of other species.

Volunteering abroad, also known as voluntourism, is on fire. More and more, all kinds of people are looking for travel experiences where they can serve the under-served, globally. Who can disagree with such noble intentions? In fact, voluntourism is often hailed as one of the most constructive forms of tourism out there.

“Load up quick, bad weather, come very quick!” These are the last words you ever want to hear when you are a passenger in a tiny 20-seater plane flying into the rainforest. As the engines whirred into life, I wondered for a split second whether or not I’d bought enough supplies to last a trek to the nearest village should the plane crash. Risky or not, the flight into the interior of Sarawak only served to highlight the nature of the trip that was to come – remote and, at this point, reckless.

Projects in Kenya, Peru, Sri Lanka and Brazil have been announced as the winners of the first travel2change idea challenge. Over 500 members joined the travel2change online community since its launch in late April 2011, and submitted around 60 innovative project proposals. The submitted ideas were evaluated based on creativity, effectiveness, impact, feasibility and sustainability.

Back in 2006, my friend Legs and I packed our bags and bikes and headed to Iceland for a six-week pootle round the island. The cycling trip ended up being some of the most amazing six weeks of my life – howling gales that lasted days, thoroughly pot-holed dirt tracks, stunning views and the invention of tuna tikka-massala.

Barra de Potosí is a small coastal village at the mouth of a lagoon, part of a complex and interdependent system of lagoons, which runs along the coast of the Municipio de Petatlan in Mexico. The people of Barra de Potosí are now confronted by and opposing a development project that they believe will destroy the existing ecosystem. The fight is proving to be a difficult one, and the people can use all the help they can get.