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Being a Better Traveler: Cultural Appropriation vs Cultural Appreciation
This Week in Ethical Travel: Cultural Appropriation vs Cultural Appreciation Traveling to new places gives us a chance to learn about cultures and traditions. It may be one of the top reasons we travel, it’s the chance to experience something different. When we’re in a country that has customs outside of our own, assimilation is often the first instinct to try and “fit in”. It can be for a variety of reasons, to show respect while visiting or to avoid standing out in a crowd. In doing so, cultural appropriation vs cultural appreciation can be a way for us to decide how to best immerse ourselves without being offensive. It…
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Muscle on the Mountain: Everest Sherpas and Kilimanjaro Porters
Adventure destinations are on the rise. People are looking for experiential travel over resort vacations and places like Everest and Kilimanjaro are seeing more and more visitors. Traveling on the mountain isn’t possible without the help of the people who live there. When doing some research about ethical ways to visit the mountains I realized the Kilimanjaro porters and Everest Sherpa are two very important components when planning a trekking trip. The Sherpa of Nepal A Sherpa is far more than just a job on the mountain. Sherpas not only is a profession, but it is a culture and ethnic group of people. Over 500 years ago this group migrated…
- Bolivia, Cambodia, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, England, France, Guam, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Morocco, Norway, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, US, Vietnam, Zambia
The Ultimate List of the Best Museums in the World
World’s Best Museums Visiting a new country can be exciting yet overwhelming experience. There is art, culture, history, architecture, music, design and science that are all waiting to be learned and explored in cities and towns throughout the world. A museum can provide a glimpse into local life, or provide education on a broader level. I think museums are a way to get a glimpse of the view of a country. Small, local museums even more-so, they show how they perceive themselves and the rest of the world. Get out to a museum near you, open your eyes and enrich your minds. Doing some research to choose an interesting museum…
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Going Neutral: How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint in Travel
The best way to be more environmentally conscious when traveling is learning how to reduce your carbon footprint. While a majority of us will have most of our carbon emissions through day to day choices we make at home, travel has become a major cause of carbon. And for Americans, the United States is one of the leaders in emissions through travel. Originally it was predicted that tourism had about a 3% impact on overall global emissions, but after research it was revealed that number is closer to 8%. While that percentage may not sound large, we were nearly 3 times off when trying to predict the impact travel has…
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16 Game of Thrones Places to Visit as a Responsible Traveler
The Best Game of Thrones Places to Visit I’m not one to trot-off to a location just because a movie or television show was filmed there. However, I have accidentally been to several of the more famous, and less known filming locations for HBO’s Game of Thrones. Normally, this wouldn’t be something I’m interested in but these are coincidently some of my favorite locations to vacation. Not only are these fantastic vacation locations, but these Game of Thrones places are GORGEOUS. Not only will I reveal how I stumbled upon GOT destinations, but I’ll also give you a suggestion for each place on the best way to visit as a…
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Czech Spas & Chateaus: Relaxing Places to Visit Near Prague
On a European vacation, taking a few days from visiting busy cities and relaxing in the country can make all the difference for a successful, restful vacation. Getting a chance to see more than just a small portion of a country is truly the best way to experience a location. When exploring the Czech Republic, the first thought is immediately to Prague. Prague in my opinion is a beautiful city, arguably one of the most stunning in Europe. With that reputation, it is also one of the most visited. Over 80% of the people who come to the Czech Republic only go to Prague. Afterward, they move to other cities…
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7 Things to Remember When Long Term Travel Ends
Things I Don’t Forget When Returning from Long Term Travel Travel frequently distributes lessons that you’ll only learn while on the road. Long term travel is a privilege that exponentially increases those chances of valuable life lessons. While there are so many things I’ve found out about myself and others through travel, I think it is the way you use those AFTER you return is the most important. Too often we hear people talk about long term travel as transformative. It’s all too commonly suggested that travel is the best way to find yourself and learn. I’ve been guilty of this myself. I’ve been known to talk about how travel…
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Women in Travel: Portraits of Women Around the World
While I would love to say that gender, more importantly being feminine, doesn’t have the power to define certain aspects of travel, I’d be lying. When visiting new destinations, the topic of gender and solo women travel seem to be in some form, a constant. While this depiction is consistently being defined and shaped by male dominated forces, whether that be a country, a political party, the tourism industry or societies as a whole, I seem to have gained more insight into how extraordinary women are by visiting some countries where we may not always have the most equal of rights. While so many places try to erase individuality of…
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Responsible Travel Behind the Lens: Taking Ethical Pictures
It’s Friday in Nizwa, Oman and the weekly market is underway. Cars covered with a fresh coat of dust squeeze into the gravel parking lot overflowing into the side streets. People flood into the souk to pick up local fruits and vegetables, meats and their weekly shopping. In the far corner of the market is a round, dirt floor pavilion. Noises from the corner crowd float through the alleyways luring you closer to the commotion. As you make your way towards the group, there is a small sea of colorful, flat embroidered caps. Men wearing long flowing white linen robes raising their hands, vying for attention of others who…
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Singles Getaway: Best Destinations for Solo Travel
We see articles all the time that focus on romantic travel destinations, couples retreats and the ultimate honeymoon spots. This is NOT that list. As a solo traveler, I’m often asked about places that are safe for travel on your own. Safety is important, however, why aren’t you asking me about places that are fun to visit solo?! I’ve decided to compile a few recommendations for a singles getaway. Best Places to Get Over a Heartbreak Where to go to eat your break up away: Italy I know that people have romantic connotations when thinking of an Italian holiday, but hear me out. You can eat your weight in pasta…
