Going Local Travel

Here is the latest ‘eco awareness’ note I found proudly framed in a hotel bathroom. We strive to reach a harmonious balance with Nature by means of the sustainable use of natural resources. We thankfully appreciate your assistance in helping us keep a green and clean environment. What were they doing that was so outstanding and [...]

When I took my trip home to England for Christmas, I realised it was the first time I boarded a plane in over a year. I shouldn’t have been that surprised. One of the reasons I decided to base myself in South America was so I could do more overland travel and fly less. This [...]

There was a cry of horror when Royal Caribbean announced it would be resuming cruises to Haiti as early as last Friday. Immediately, people started to picture the scenario: hoards of spoilt tourists shaking their head in pity, before sailing away into the sunset and taking their minds off the nastiness with an all-you-can-eat midnight [...]

You may have seen a wonderful inspiration series of articles in the Guardian by Mark Boyle – a man who has spent a year living without cash. This doesn’t mean he’s just put it all on his credit cards like other recession-struck folk. Mark has given up money in all its forms. He lives through [...]

Highly disturbing images have been coming out of Peru in recent days. At least 34 people have died in conflict between police and indigenous activists who were protesting oil and mining projects in the northern Amazonian province of Bagua.

I’ve just watched Leonardo DiCaprio’s eco documentary the 11th Hour for the second time. The below quote from one of Leo’s talking heads stuck in my mind the first time round and it now seems more appropriate than ever. From Nathan Gardels, editor of New Perspectives Quarterly: We need to be slower; we need to [...]

There’s a new (beta) travel site on the block, TourDust.com. According to the blurb, “It’s all about discovering and sharing authentic travel experiences offered by passionate locals.” They’ve got some interesting trips up there so far: from wine-tasting in the UK to photographing bears in Alaska. (The latter is possibly my dream trip. Although at [...]

Will Oscar-tipped Slumdog Millionaire see a rush of tourists on Mumbai’s shantytowns? That’s what the Telegraph has predicted. It seems this could be the City-of-God-versus-the-favela-tour controversy all over again. The subject was picked up today on Vagablogging. “I’ve never really understood how movies inspire people to travel,” writes the author. Really? Big sweeping movie images [...]