Because no one wants to damage the very environment they have traveled to see, the Travelers Conservation Trust encourages all travelers to follow the Travelers Code of Ethics. These guidelines will help you interact with nature responsibly, and enhance your experience while you travel.
Aspire to invisibility
-Move cautiously and quietly in natural areas so as not to disturb birds, animals and plants
- Do not collect natural souvenirs. Respect the sanctity and integrity of ecosystems and the terrain on which you walk
-Do not use recordings, decoys or loud noises to get a better view of birds or wildlife
- Accept that campfires are inappropriate in areas where wood is scarce
Leave no evidence of your visit and vanish without a trace
- Do not leave litter, charcoal or footprints
- Leave extra packaging for items such as film, cloths, toiletries, and foods, etc. at home
-Do not distribute non-degradable, breakable gifts or items in non-degradable packaging
- Use provided toilet facilities. If toilets are not available, carry a trowel to bury waste and burn toilet paper. Never dispose of human waste within 100 meters of water
-Avoid consumption or purchase of animal or plant products harvested from unmanaged wild populations
Respect local cultures
-Employ local residents, not foreigners, as guides and outfitters whenever possible
- Learn a little of the local language and your host staff’s names
- Determine from your guide the proper local etiquette for greetings, eating, and culturally-appropriate way to reciprocate for local hospitality
- Evaluated requests for gifts carefully. Understand the cultural context of gift giving. Only give gifts after a relationship has been established
- Invite local people or guides to visit you in the United States only if you are fully prepared to pay all expenses and compensate your invitee’s family for loss of services
-Take photographs within the guidelines suggested by your guide. Respect privacy requests. Compensation for appearances in your photographs may be a legitimate request
-Don’t make promises you may not keep. Like sending photos
- Purchase souvenirs close to their point of origin, from the original makers if possible. Don’t drive an excessively hard bargain. If moderate discussion does not derive what you consider a fair price on your terms, don’t buy
- Modesty is always cross-culturally appropriate. Dress neatly and conservatively in your own cultural tradition
-Don’t wear clothing or jewelry if you do not fully understand its cultural and ritual significance
-Listen and learn. Provide a balance view of Western material culture and encourage people to appreciate their own cultures and environments
-Don’t rely on local markets or village food supplies to outfit your trip. You can cause local inflation and food shortages.
About Travelers Conservation Trust:
The Travelers Conservation Trust [TCT] was created by Wildland Adventures founder Kurt Kutay in 1986 as a non-profit, affiliate organization dedicated to educate travelers in responsible and sustainable tourism. From its inception, TCT has worked to form and strengthen links between environmentally concerned travelers and host-country grassroots conservation groups. To learn more visit http://www.travelersconservationtrust.org/
SOURCE: Travelers Conservation Trust
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Luxury can be in the eye of the beholder. Here’s a chance to go green, meet the people of Mali on their own level, and have a once-in-a-lifetime experience — all from the seat of a bicycle.
International Bicycle Fund’s Bicycle Africa: Mali Sahel Journey program runs from Nov. 25 to Dec.8, and costs $1,390 per person for everything except airfare.
The tour averages 40 miles of moderate cycling a day, a riverboat trip on the Niger, and the opportunity to meet and stay with people of five different ethnic groups ranging from nomads to fishermen to farmers. Sights range from the historic market and mosque in Djenne to the isolated Dogon country.
Source: GlobalTravelerUSA.com
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Conservation Corporation Africa (Cc Africa), Africa's Leading Luxury Safari Company, offers it's top ten reasons to explore South Africa this Fall.
In South Africa, September and October are like our March and April, mild days and crisp nights - with sighs of Spring appearing. Animals are out, babies are being born and a warm drink never tasted as good as it does on a cool African night in the bush...
¸ The vegetation is sparse, allowing for improved visibility while out on game drives - animals are much easier to spot
¸ Guests can opt for full-day game drives with delicious lunch picnics or hearty bush brunches, complete with firebowls, fuzzy blankets, bean bag seats and warm drinks
¸ Delicious breakfasts (porridge, rusks and fruit) are served before morning game drives, avoiding those 8am tummy rumbles
¸ The exquisite Eastern Cape aloes are in full bloom
¸ Game drive vehicles are equipped with warm blankets, fleece handwarmers and hot-water bottles to keep toasty until the morning sun comes out
¸ Toast the sunset with a hot toddy, mulled wine or Irish coffee
¸ Animals tend stay out in the open as they don't need stay out of the sun
¸ Bush and boma dinners are wonderfully romantic, sharing stories beside a roaring fire under an impossibly starry African sky
¸ Pinotage - South Africa's unique wine blend - is served on inviting sofas back at the Lodge, next to a crackling fire
¸ Guests can enjoy a steaming bubble bath, and dive into bed, where another hot-water bottle awaits underneath fluffy down duvets...
To know more about CC Africa, visit: www.ccafrica.com
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
If you haven't taken a look at a Travel Smith catalog lately, you'll want to. They've gone stylish and trendy with a whole new selection of fresh new clothing and gear for your next adventure. Gone are the frumpy outfits of the past. Now, from hassle-free women's and men's travel clothes, flight friendly travel accessories, walking shoes, luggage, handbags, and gadgets, there's more style, more sophistication and more travel savvy for people who love to travel.
Check out what's new online at www.travelsmith.com.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
It’s a common packing dilemma for on-the-go travelgirls: How do you limit yourself to two pairs of shoes when you really want to pack a closet full?
Thanks to Quick Change Artist’s Onesole line of interchangeable shoes, you can lighten your load and change your style with a snap. Each Onesole shoe has interchangeable tops made of soft, stretchy neoprene that can be snapped off and on to a fashionable variety of lightweight soles.
On a recent trip to Mexico, I packed a single pair of Onesole shoes and three tops and matched every outfit in my bag.
And now, Onesole’s stylish selection of comfortable wedges, sexy sandals and practical clogs with interchangeable tops can be personalized and customized and made to match any design, fabric, handbag, pattern, even accessory items: It's as simple as emailing a photo.
To learn more visit www.onesole.com
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
America's Leading Travel Insurance and Assistance Provider Helps Travelers of Those Affected by Dean with Medical and Emergency Travel Assistance
AIG Travel Guard announced that it will provide emergency travel services and medical assistance services free to all travelers and families affected by Hurricane Dean. The services Travel Guard is offering to travelers affected include airline or hotel reservations, message relay to family and friends still stranded in the affected areas, cash wire transfers and lost travel document replacement assistance. In addition, Travel Guard is offering to provide emergency travel arrangement assistance, such as airline or hotel reservations, to family members seeking to mobilize loved ones in the affected areas. Travelers and family members seeking these services for their relatives can call Travel Guard Assist (866-644-6811 or 715-295-1209).
"Our worldwide travel and assistance centers have seen over a 40% increase in calls from our travelers looking to flee Cancun and surrounding areas before the hurricane worsens," said John Noel, CEO and founder of AIG Travel Guard. "We're now using our assistance capabilities to help all travelers and families affected by Hurricane Dean."
"We have made arrangements to properly staff our travel assistance coordinators in order to do whatever we can to help those involved, and we urge other companies to do the same," said Noel.
AIG Travel Guard is one of America's leading providers of travel insurance plans for more than 6 million travelers each year. Travel insurance plans through AIG Travel Guard are distributed by more than 12,000 travel agents across the United States.
Travel insurance through AIG Travel Guard may include coverage for trip cancellation, travel interruptions and delays, emergency medical expenses, medical evacuation expenses, and lost or delayed baggage. AIG Travel Guard's plans also includes 24-hour travel emergency service* for emergency medical assistance, last-minute or emergency travel changes, lost luggage tracking, pre-trip travel advice, and more. AIG Travel Guard is a wholly owned subsidiary of AIG Travel, Inc., a member company of American International Group, Inc. (AIG). American International Group, Inc. (AIG), world leaders in insurance and financial services, is the leading international insurance organization with operations in more than 130 countries and jurisdictions. AIG companies serve commercial, institutional and individual customers through the most extensive worldwide property-casualty and life insurance networks of any insurer. In addition, AIG companies are leading providers of retirement services, financial services and asset management around the world. AIG's common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, as well as the stock exchanges in Paris, Switzerland and Tokyo.
The travel Insurance plans offered through AIG Travel Guard are underwritten by National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, Pa, with its principal place of business in New York, NY and a member of the AIG Companies®. The Policy contains reductions, limitations, exclusions, and termination provisions. All coverages are not available in all states.
*Non insurance services are provided by AIG Travel Assist.
Source: AIG Travel Guard via PRNewswire.com
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".