Green Holidays

photo credit: Vinni123

Need a quick re-cap for 2010 on why we take green holidays?

Be Open To New Things
Remember that not everyone does things the way you do them - so make sure that you are wiling to give something new a go if asked. It will certainly allow you to experience a different culture - and you never know - you might really like it!

Be Fair To Everyone
Try to put money into local hands rather than the firms that run the big hotels and tours. By all means haggle for your goods, but a few pence saved by you getting the best price could mean the vendor having to settle for little profit - and having to sell a lot more for their money.

Be Aware Of Differences
Respect the culture and think ahead when dressing for the day. Should you be wearing shoes or not - covering your shoulders or your head. It is all very important to the people who live there even though it means nothing to you!

Be Respectful To Everything
Remember when taking pictures and traipsing across fields and ancient sites - that these places could be very important to local people and their culture. Don’t assume that everything is there for you to explore and take pictures of -and that include people and their homes.

Be Unique On Your Trip
Don’t just follow the tourist track and go to all the places in the guidebooks - use that as a starting point and go from there. Yeah - see the sites that made the country attractive to you in the first place - but visit at different times or in a different way - or maybe visit a sister site or one that is less explored.

Be Aware Of The Options
Make sure that you check tour operators, airlines, hotels, and other travel companies before you make a choice. Check their eco credentials before handing over any money and make sure that you write and tell the best and the worst why you will or won’t be using them this time!

Be Generous And Kind
Don’t offer kids and beggars money and sweets - as this can lead to all sorts of social issues. Take pens and other useful but possibly hard to come by items for the local people you meet to encourage education and entertainment rather than tooth decay and stealing!

Be An Ethical Tourist
Come away from your vacation knowing that you have not only visited an amazing place and experienced amazing things, but that you have left it as it was before you arrived, or possibly made it a little bit better!

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I had 2 weeks booked off work to spend on days out - and I was very disappointed!

There are 2 main reason why planning a day out in the UK at this time of year can be a bit difficult - and it seems that when you do decide on where to go, it can let you down a bit too.

Planning:
I decided to look at houses and gardens for some day trips - and I don’t mind driving a few hours to get to them if they are going to be a full days entertainment with plenty of photo opportunities!

However, a lot of properties are closed for the winter either for cleaning and maintenance, or because the expected number of visitors won’t raise enough money to pay the staff that they will need for wardens, guides and ticket office staff.

Both of these are fair points when looked at on a personal level, but it doesn’t really go towards helping to keep holiday makers in the UK:  ‘It’s cold here and half the places are shut - let’s go on a cheap sunshine holiday instead!’

Most of the place I found open were ‘free entry’ landscape and beaches etc - so going there can be done anytime you want - so not worth making an effort to go and see while on your holidays!

Arriving:
We finally selected an ornamental gardens, with woodlands, water features, long walks and a special butterfly event in the glasshouses apparently with butterfly experts on hand to discuss wildlife tips and the butterflies themselves.  It also had a great garden centre attached so we could be sure of a full days fun.

Wrong.

Firstly, there was no butterfly expert on hand, there really weren’t even that many butterflies - and half of those in the glasshouse were still in a state of inactivity, having only just escaped from their chrysalis.  So they were hanging lifeless from branches with their wings all wrinkled up.

Secondly, most of the grassed areas and many of the large plant beds were closed off for re-working and planting.  Quite a lot of the beds from autumn were completely gone with just earth in their place, and many new projects hadn’t started yet, so were just fenced off.

I wasn’t expecting full beds of bright flowers and beautiful bushy shrubs - as I like plants in winter - but closing off these areas was a bit of a disappointment in my eyes.

Thirdly, we left an hour or so at the end to look around the garden centre and to take away some plants and seeds as well as a great cactus for a birthday pressie - but it was closed!

They hadn’t even told you this on the way in, or on the way out or even at the start of the path to get there.  You literally had to walk all the way to the doors to find that it was shut. 

After standing there for a minute or 2 in shock from this, you then walked back down the path past all the other people still walking up to the door to find out the terrible news for themselves!

The Result:
It’s a shame when you are charged the full amount for entry to somewhere, when they don’t tell you that around a 3rd of the attractions are closed!  I mean, there are plenty of other gardens out there - and you want to feel that you got value for money.

If that was the first time I had been there, it is possible that I wouldn’t return!  The butterflies were enough to make the day not a total waste, but having known about the closed plant centre, and the fenced off areas, we may have gone somewhere else that day and come back here another time.

I know the bosses won’t want to be turning people away, but if this one entry fee from Family A is all they ever get from them - then it wasn’t worth it.  But if Family A turn up and have the best day ever - then Family A may be coming back next holiday - or may even become members.

We won’t be!

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Welcome to the first Blog Carnival of the new year - and welcome to 2010!

As expected, everyone has been very busy with the whole festive period - or have been trapped indoors for weeks with all this snow - so there are only a few articles for me to share with you today.

Lets start with some essential reading - especially after I started watching the BBC series ‘Survivors’ the other day where you really need some basic outdoor skills - and of course it helps to be able to take care of yourself outside of the city!  So lets join Dorrie for some reasons to think of Camping: A Valuable Reminder On Survival.

And surviving as a vegan while travelling can also be a bit tricky - so have a peek at 20stravel’s guide to Top 5 Tips for Eating Vegan On the Road for some inspiration.

Regular writer Guffly gives us not only: Best Eco-Friendly Getaways | Gufflyfor the new year, but also an insight into their eco friendly travel Green Products. Take a look yourself if you are planning a trip soon.

And how about this final article from Tyler Tervooren who spends a lot of time explaining the concept of the StayCation - and it really had me intrigued so take a look yourself at The Art of the Staycation and see if he convinces you……

Enjoy!

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The best way to learn a second (or third) language is to go to where they speak it!

Apart from in school where it is compulsory to learn a second language - whether you want to or not - you shouldn’t rely on books and things to learn how to communicate with the locals.

By all means, get started with a basic introductory guide - but the real language can only be found in restaurants and stores in the place you are visiting.

Downside To Books:
Well, needless to say - books and cd’s are using energy and valuable resources to create, and there is only so much you can learn about a language from written text.

Learning how to pronounce the words is virtually impossible with their weird symbols representing unheard of English sounds - for example the Spanish double l in paella.  You need to hear it to have the confidence to use it.  So if I said you should use the ‘y’ sound from the happy cheer word ‘yeay’ (or yay) but also don’t forget to pronounce the ‘ey’ for the ‘e’ - could you come up with it?  Oh and don’t forget to use the emphasis on the correct syllable too!

Go!!!

Or in Egyptian - pronounce the word ‘ughniyya’ if the ‘gh’ should be rolled like a French ‘r’ and you must pronounce both y’s individually with the stress on the second to last syllable.  Any the wiser?

Also, books are also quite repetitive in the sense that if you buy one basic German book for example, it will cover your name, where you live and giving directions.  Any other basic or introductory or ‘one-day’ books will also contain the same things.  They will all go for the standard stuff first.

Yes, they may do it from a different angle and some may have more role play than others, but you will basically be giving directions to the post office or from the police station over and over again (via the second turning on the left…..!  It can be quite frustrating every time you take up learning again.

And they are heavy to carry abroad too!

The Real Thing:
After travelling quite a bit in South America, I get so much more confident when I am there than when I am at home. 

Ask me to order a cheese and ham sandwich and a cup of coffee in Spanish while sitting on the bus puts a whole different stress on your brain than standing in a restaurant queue in Peru trying to get something to eat!

It just all falls into place.  You have to say the words otherwise you hold up the people behind you and don’t get your lunch!

You don’t need word perfect grammar to get started - and if you have ever watched people ordering food in their own language, it’s never said literally and in perfect order and timing anyway.  It usually goes something like this; “Hi, yeah, can I have a, er, well I suppose, er, a quick sandwich for me; ham and cheese, and a tea.  Thanks.”

Alright, you may get the odd thing wrong and end up picking something you didn’t want out of your dinner - or getting a different dinner to the one you had planned - but you won’t make that mistake again! I always have a reference book abroad with just keywords in it - but I never use it when I am out - it’s just to check things before I go!

And of course, you could always get asked a question about your order after you made it, throwing you totally out of kilter - but just pick up on the words you do know and try to answer their question - this is when you could use pointing!

Fresh Approach:
Seeing as we should all be taking longer holidays now to counter the terrible effects of long haul flights - you will have plenty of time to perfect your new language skills.

Nothing beats turning up at a train station somewhere needing to find you hotel to bring out all your learnt vocabulary.  Even if it is just a few words strung together - you will get by, get to your hotel and probably order something to eat as well.

You really shouldn’t be afraid to start chatting to locals with what you know - they will always be happy to help fill in the gaps.  They can also help you with colloquial terms and phrases too, like the way different regions of your own country refer to their parents (mum, mom, mammy, mother, ma) or their friends etc.

I had more fun learning a language whilst on my holiday than any number of lessons back at school.

So, take your time on your next vacation - and come home with a new language under your (money) belt!

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Learning to Tango in Argentina can be just as important as visiting a rainforest…….

There are a whole host of festival and events that may well rely on your visit to survive the next 30 years or so. 

I’m not talking about the modern Rio Carnival or Oktoberfest - I’m talking about traditions that have lived for centuries in small communities across the world.

UNESCO has set about preserving these traditions with their Intangible Cultural Heritage scheme - to which they have recently added the Tango - but which holds many many more already including many little known cultural delights from across the globe.

Take for example, the Indonesian Wayang Puppet Theatre. This art of story telling has been used in Indonesia for 10 thousand years, across the royal courts and in towns and villages, to bring the regions epic history to life.

There is still an interest in the puppets - either 3-dimensional or brought alive by shadows - accompanied by musicians and singers, but it is having to compete with television and the internet for viewers. 

By making sure you add a visit to a traditional theatre show on your trip to the area, you could be making sure that it is worth continuing the tradion and worth training for.  Would you invest your time learning a skill that people might not need in 5 years?

Or a trip to Mexico in late fall could coincide with the huge festival: el dia de los muertos - the Day of the Dead.  Thousands of local villagers spend the day in celebration of their lost loved ones who are said to come alive for the day and to bring properity and good luck to the families.

Cultural Heritage:

We all know how important it is to encourage traditions and festivals, but of course we need to make sure that we don’t make them into a side show, like the Kayan women from Thailand have become, but we want to make sure that they know the importance of their traditions.

Also, they do not want to freeze cultures in time.  There is no intention to force people to continue with customs that are no longer relevant, but to empower cultures with their past - rather than force them into an uncomfortable future.

Things like Morris Dancing in the UK are well known not to be a part of modern culture - yet we all love the tradition of the dancing and the people who dress up for this know the history and pass on the reasons behind the colors and the stick-bashing!

Society will always evolve - but why not hold on to the things that were once important.  Hopefully governments are working with these groups to make sure that these traditions are not lost forever like many languages around the world have been.

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I know it’s early yet - but keep the date clear in your diary!

I have been to this show for several years now - and I love it! 

It has got everything from volunteering, gap year advice, great products, specific seminars and great food!

I would really recommend a visit here for any travel related queries. The experts on hand can offer you all sorts of tips and tricks and new ideas - whether you know what you want already or you want to be taken completely by surprise!

This show has inspired us to finally travel to Costa Rica for a month to watch the wildlife - which was one of my best travel experiences yet - as well as numerous other trips and ideas!

I remember sitting in the Overland tours bus that was rolled into the hall watching a great video about Africa wondering where on earth anyone was supposed to go to the toilet!

So whether you are looking for inspiration or want to fine tune your ideas - this is the place!

Go to their website: Adventure Show 2010 for more details and to sign up for their newsletter…..

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You must have heard of WWOOFing?

Basically it’s a great way to travel the world and get to know all about the food we eat and the land we need to use - World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.

What better way to discover how delicate the land is that we rely on for our fruits and vegetables, and the rest as well than to work on the very farms that produce it.

And There’s More…..
You get to live on the farm for free too!  I know it’s hard to believe, but you need not worry about all the normal expenses of accommodation and food - it’s all included!

In return for your labour, the organic farmer will fill your tummy with yummy home-grown organic food and give you a place to stay as well.  Many of the farmers also like to teach you about organic methods too, making the experience even more of a green adventure.  You can come away with a belly full of food and a head full of eco facts!

How Does It Work?
Well basically, you decide which country you want to volunteer in and sign up for the list of available farms looking for helping hands.  Some countries require you to get a working visa - for example you will need an american visa - but others treat you as a volunteer tourist, so do bear this in mind before setting out!

Once you get your list of farming opportunities you speak directly to the farmers who appeal to you - and then confirm the dates and the length of time you want to stay there and help out.

So, if you want to volunteer on organic farms anywhere in the world for as long as you want - then make sure you take a look at their website.  And start thinking about which country you fancy……

I’m afraid there is an green holidays shortage occuring!

I only have 2 that are true to the title of this Blog Carnival and are actually talking about something original!

So, lets start with Guffly’s article on how to Have an Ecofriendly Holiday on a Budget | Guffly. This fantastic eco-article-a-day website is worth going back to time and time again…… Can’t get enough of it myself!

And then Autumn Beck covers an interesting topic: Want the best wet bag for your cloth diapers?

So, that’s it. Sorry!!

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If it doesn’t recycle or have solar panels - is your holiday cottage still a green choice?

I think it depends on your priorites and the area in which it is situated. For example, if it is a city, I think that the emphasis should be on the inner workings of the building. Is it reducing it’s energy use, are it’s appliances A rated, are it’s suppliers doing their part too?

Whereas if it is in the countryside, then I think the priorities can shift a bit to the outside world. Why focus all your attention on the inside of the building when it is the location that is more important. What good is a totally carbon neutral, self-sufficient eco lodge that has flattened all the woodland to build the hotel in the first place and to make a car park?

New builds are very difficult to assess as well, as why build from scratch when you could improve what’s already there without changing the whole location?

I Like Old Fashioned.
It is very difficult for me as a known ‘little-spender’ to see these trendy eco lodges in forests or woodlands that have everything an eco holiday needs but cost an absolute arm and a leg!

I’m all for paying to support my ideals, but paying some of these what I consider excessively high prices, is something that I cannot bring myself to do.

I would rather have the simple holiday with no frills than pay for the luxury of all the bells and whistles that are included in some of these places. Basically I would rather go without appliances for a few days than pay to use super, eco friendly, carbon neutral, low energy fairtrade alternatives!

I recently stayed on a working farm in a renovated 150-year-old barn surrounded by wildlife. And to me, this place was totally natural and a perfect environmentally sensitive location.

The farm owner had gone completely out of his way to preserve the landscape (his hedges are about 1000 years old), protect wildlife (he has banned hunting and doesn’t use pesticides), encourage wildlife (owl boxes and restoring grasslands) and helping animals (he’s released badgers and hedgehogs, rehomed battery-farmed chickens and taken on 2 rescue dogs and 4 feral cats!).

The Location.
This farm is in a protected historic landscape and it’s a shame that their criteria aren’t as strict as his!

I often think of the perfect eco lodge in my eyes, and it’s a bit like here.

I don’t need all the trendy furniture and attractions of what appear to be the only eco lodges out there - they are more like boutiques or top-of-the-range holiday resorts.

Yes, they look totally perfect and some of the locations are amazing - but I couldn’t think of anything better than a small self-sufficient unit in amongst the landscape and the wildlife. Ideally a protected warm indoor area that had some basic amenities and was right in the thick of it.

Basically, I want a camping experience without all the other campers, and I want a place I can stand up in which has running warm and cold water. Anything more is a bonus!

This place certainly had more, (well, it was a holiday cottage) but it was away from all the other ‘campers’ and it was right in the countryside. I could - and did - go out for a walk everyday - and sometimes within less than 5 minutes from my door, there were groups of fallow deer in sight, and the sound of a tawny owl carried on the wind.

On Balance.
Well, I know he won’t win any ‘eco hotel’ awards for his cottages themselves - but that didn’t seem to be his initial intention. I think he just wanted to enjoy the land and the landscape - and he has done just that.

There are many ‘eco’ things he could do in terms of the cottages themselves, as could we all in our own homes, but I really think that he has achieved some really wonderful things in terms of restoring the land to a more natural form. The wildlife are thriving and there is surely more to come.

I’m glad we found it, and we hope that he continues to make a difference!

If you are in the south of England and are looking for a holiday cottage - why not try here. Use this link to take a look at the place.

Stay in the amazing Torres del Paine EcoCamp and experience the rush!

With this amazing experience you can camp in relative comfort in Patagonia. The rooms/tents/domes are a neat half-way between comfy hotel rooms and a standard tent and are based on the traditional tribal Kawesqar huts resembling an igloo - and perfect for deflecting the high winds that sweep this area.

You can stand up in them and they are right on natures doorstep - but you don’t have to eat on your knees (although you can if you want too) and you won’t ruin the location with a giant obtrusive building with added energy requirements……

And these structures can (and are) moved regularly to allow the grass and plants to recover and regrow without showing signs of continued human destruction!

The Camp:
There are different types of dome available depending on your needs, group size and you budget!

Suite Domes- Have double or twin beds, chairs and units - and are heated with a low-emission wood stove. The electricity for each unit is generated with both a micro-hydro turbine and solar panels. All units also have a private bathroom, composting toilet and food waste facility.

Standard Domes- Also have 2 twin or a double bed, and have clear holes in the roof of the structure so you can see the stars! These are slightly smaller in size as they have no private bathroom facilities. Toilets and showers are available in separate units which are of a high standard.

Group Domes - There are also 2 giant domes for all visitors: 1 for cooking and eating, and the other (at nearly 20ft in diameter) for relaxing and socialising.

The Resources:
Basically, they make sure that they are as little known as possible! They don’t advertise on site as their site does move slightly with time and the tents are completely removed in winter.

They use natural resources and renewable energy as much as possible, and try to create as little waste as possible, by ordering in bulk and less often to reduce transport waste and excess packaging.

They separate all waste - and even feed their organic waste to a neighboring pig-farm! They also have only composting toilets on site. They are also working with the CarbonFund to be carbon neutral.

Food is prepared in bulk by the staff and eating is a group affair to make sure that all the resources and energy are reduced, rather than spread out through the evening.

The Experience:
You can wake up here with a perfect view of the magnificent Torres Del Paine National Park outside of your room. The domes look absolutely amazing at night - and are very impressive inside.

There are a number of trips on offer around the great Patagonian wilderness, and can be aimed at either the mountaineering, the sight-seeing, the natural formation, wildlife, or just peaceful trekking here and there.

Guides can arrange for trips further afield - but if you are based here - it seems a shame to take day trips to other places and miss out on this wonderland!

And If You Needed More:
This adventure firm won the National Geographic ‘Best Adventure Travel Company’ award for the 2nd consecutive year, and is listed in Alistair Sawday’s Green Places to Stay, Rough Guides Clean Breaks, The International EcoTourism Society (TIES) and was even mentioned by USA Today.

However, it is a shame that these locations are so expensive that they restrict the eco trip to just those who have so much money that they could pay for us all to go on vacation in a normal campsite for a month or 2!

At around $1400 for only 3 nights in the eco-camp (1 night elsewhere) and 3 days trekking per person, not including flights to the country or transfers to the site, it certainly isn’t cheap! At least all meals are included!

But, wow - what an experience! Go to EcoCamp Patagonia to see more…….