Responsible travel is more fun!

In fact, travelling responsibly is a positive experience which actually makes travelling more fun, not less.  And on top of that, you get that warm feeling of knowing that you’ve made a difference in some way. Perhaps you’ve helped with the conservation of rainforest or helped to fund an anti-poaching patrol, or brought money to a community development scheme. Maybe responsible travel for you means ensuring that you’re using local guides and services, or ensuring that the hotels you stay in treat their employees well or keep pollution and environmental damage to an absolute minimum.

© TomasRodriguez

When you travel responsibly you might be very aware of the benefits your visit is bringing, for example if you go on a gorilla trek you know that your permit is being used to help protect the gorillas. However, sometimes it’s much less obvious. An example of this is if you stay at a luxury lodge where you get the best accommodation, delicious cuisine and top-notch guiding in a remote reserve.  It’s not immediately obvious that the lodge is in fact owned by the local Maasai community and that all profits go to help conservation and development projects in the area.

© SDannhauer,Shutterstock

“So how are responsible travel and sustainable holidays more fun?”

Well, they are quite often far more interesting than a ‘standard’ holiday, and they can more readily connect you to the place you’re visiting. Also, the people you meet are usually really keen that your experience is a superb one. They know that your visit is bringing benefits, and they appreciate that.

Here are 10 examples of fantastic diverse things you could enjoy on responsible travel holidays that make a difference:

• Become a Maasai warrior for a week!
• Trek in the Peruvian Andes and stay at community-owned lodges.
• Stay in a romantic treehouse as a base for trekking for tigers in India.
• Go jaguar spotting in the Brazilian Pantanal.
• Visit musicians and craftsmen in small villages in Kerala and get involved.
• Enjoy a safari in the Serengeti staying at a luxury lodge with great eco-credentials.
• Explore Ecuador’s Cotopaxi region staying in an ecolodge.
• Meet meerkats in the wild in Botswana.

© Shutterstock

There really are so many exciting things to do, so ask us for inspiration if you want, or check out the website for great ideas. And, on top of all this, when you book with Tribes, we plant trees in a degraded area of Malawi to encourage diversity and help stop deforestation.

Go on, give yourself a treat, and know that the fun from your responsible travels is bringing positive change.

© AGMarks