Green Holidays

2009 is the year of the Gorilla, and if you were ever going to visit them, do it now.

Not only because of all the great green holidays available to help conservation, but because groups such as the mountain gorillas in eastern Africa are down to around as few as 700 – and dropping! So there is a chance that you won’t be able to see them in the near future.

Mountain gorillas live in close-knit family groups and are found in only 2 small pockets of forest within the East African countries of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). However, these countries are not always safe for human populations either!

As a result of this, the families are constantly threatened by war, habitat loss and by ruthless people who just kill them. Sometimes for trophies, sometimes to steal their babies for private collectors, or sometimes for no reason at all – they don’t even use or sell the bodies; they just leave them where they fall.

Even rangers sent into the forests to help protect the gorillas are at risk – in recent years over 100 have been killed according to report by WWF.

There are of course several other species/sub species of Gorillas through other areas of Africa, but the ones in danger need your help more than others right now.

Visiting The Gorillas:
There are 2 main ways to see the gorillas in their natural habitat and they are either on a paid tour or by working in the surrounding environment which includes possible sightings as part of that research.

You need a Gorilla Viewing Permit to actually go into the jungle to see them, and you also have to pay for park fees and visas where necessary. There are only a limited number of permits available per day usually around 30-60 depending on which park you are viewing from. Each permit costs around $500 and park fees on top.

Paid Tours:
These will offer a great opportunity to actually see the Gorillas in their natural environment, and depending on the company you use – you will be accompanied by a primatologist who will better guide you through the trials and adventures of the family you are viewing.

Also, the better companies (basically those that are linked in some way to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund or the International Gorilla Conservation Project (or both)) will also divert more of their ‘profit’ back into the community and to the conservation of the delicate environment in which they live.

You will no doubt pay slightly more for these, but it is all proportionate. You can guarantee that you will get a much more comprehensive tour rather than just an hour in the muddy jungle for a brief sighting. Some tour companies including Discovery Initiatives, offer 3 separate viewing trips into the jungle included in the price rather than just the one and may involve both Uganda and Rwanda as part of that trip.

As with all green holidays; check what is included and what is not. Always ask questions regarding local issues that you are concerned about before booking. And always book well in advance for any Gorilla-based holiday as the permits sell out fast!

Check out the local website before booking – www.berggorilla.de (English language available).

Volunteer Holidays:
Also on offer are research and volunteer programs in the local area. Many of these do not actually guarantee that you will get to see wild Gorillas at all.

What you will get from such an experience would be amazing. You would be working with primatologists and researchers in Africa, possibly locating home ranges, processing important data and working with local communities to promote more ‘Gorilla-friendly’ lifestyles – and much, much more.

The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund offer 12 week programmes for volunteers from as little as £250 to cover administration. You will need to get there yourself – as with most volunteer projects – and pay for your lodgings and food on site, but everything you need for the job and your daily transport is all included.

Alternatively:
You could sponsor a Gorilla from the Aspinall Foundation for yourself or for a birthday or anniversary gift for friends and family – all proceeds going to protect these magnificent and endangered animals!

Learning a foreign language can improve your vacation and help you experience more of the country while travelling.

I’m not expecting you to be fluent in the language of every country you visit, but understanding a few of the basics can really make a difference to your holiday abroad.

Some people find that learning a second language comes naturally – and learning a third or fourth is also easily achieved by a select few. But for most of us – being fluent in any language but our own seems a distant dream!

Your Choice?
My school only offered it’s students French as a welcome into the languages – and I was never really any good at it to be honest. However, if you didn’t pick up the French, you weren’t offered any other languages – it was a dead end for most.

However, if you were good at it, you got a choice of others – which to me is a bit backwards. If you are good a basic French, why turn your back on it and learn basic German as well? Why not stick with it and become an expert? And if like me you were awful at French and not really enjoying it – why not try another instead instead of keep struggling with your verb endings week after week!

I think schools had it wrong and travelling got it right. Find a country you love and then the language will come naturally.

The Future:
I had always wanted to learn Spanish, but was stuck in a rut at school, so had no chance of achieving anything in the ‘second language’ department. But now I have travelled around Central and South America, I have heard the words, seen the culture and now enjoy the language. I recently immersed myself in their language for a month and found myself easily talking to the locals.

I even questioned the timing of my washing at the laundrette with the lady there, as she had told us that our washing would be ready for tommorow – however we wanted them done today!!! How’s that for courage! I really felt proud of myself and hope to improve for my return.

In all honesty, there are too many good reasons to learn a foreign language not to. However, I have listed some important ones, which will hopefully get you started on your way. Some are standard requirements and others are a bit more specific to people you meet.

To Undertand Directions:
It’s important that you know your ‘right’ from your ‘left’ otherwise you could end up nowhere near your hotel or bus stop. Knowing the time is also very important for getting to places and understanding opening times and other important locations and services – and this includes ‘later’ and ‘tomorrow’ etc.

To Find Food & Drink:
Make sure you are aware of the essentials, like ‘no ice’ and ‘boiling water’ for you health, and things like ‘with sugar’ or ‘chocolate’ for your pleasure! Local dishes are best explained by guide books – but if you are vegetarian or allergic – you need to pay more attention. This section should also include where to find the bathrooms and hand-washing facilities!

To Book Acommodation:
Make sure you know what you get at your hotel or pension. A shower or bath, hot water, breakfast, shared kitchen and extras like tour booking and free internet. Counting nights with fingers can be used, but I got a bit stuck trying to advise them that we would be leaving before their reception opened and wanted to know where to leave the key! Try that one for yourself….

For Your Safety:
Make sure you know what signs mean ‘danger’ or ‘no entry’. And in case something does go wrong – do you know how to describe your pains or injury to a doctor? Do you know how to call the local police or emergency services – do you even know how to use a local telephone?

To Be Polite:
Along with reading up a bit on customs and etiquette, do you know how to say ‘thank you’ to a friend and to someone important – there is usually more than one way to do so. If you can communicate with staff or store keepers they will be more helpful and may even offer you extra advice or products.

To Teach In Communities:
You could also sit and chat to children in the communities you visit, telling them about your journey and where you are from, but also to ask about their lives. Equally so when attending festivals or ceromonies with elders or the whole village – talking (or trying to talk) can really impress them – and work out better for you.

Maybe even become advanced enough in the language that you could teach in schools, run tours, work in the country for several months or even teach TEFL courses.

For Your Trip:
There are many locations in any country where even the staff in the hotels advertising in English did not speak a word of the language – and why should they really – so any part of a sentence can be important and help you on your way!

I don’t think I’m ready for a 3rd language just yet – so I’ll stick the Central and South America for my travels for the time being…….