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This Week in Ethical Travel: Passport Privilege
Everything is packed, you’ve made sure you have everything you need in your suitcase before you head to the airport. You grab your passport and off you go. For so many of us, we can just book a trip and plan a vacation, stress free. For so many more of us, we have to go through dozens of documents just to get the go ahead to begin even the planning phase of a holiday. Passports hold either so much promise for exploring new places or so much strife as a reminder of restriction, all in one little book. Why are passports part of ethical tourism? Part of being an ethical…
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Combatting Overtourism with Responsible Travel Solutions
What is Overtourism? For as much as you see Frost’s famous phrase about taking “the road less traveled”, it sure seems like we all are on similar paths. Finding too many tourists in the same locations is a growing problem. So what really is overtourism, how big is the issue & how does it relate to responsible travel? The definition of overtourism is when “tourism has moved beyond the limits of acceptable change in a destination due to quantity of visitors, resulting in degradation of the environment and infrastructure, diminished travel experience, wear and tear on built heritage and/or negative impacts on residents.” ~ Center for Responsible Travel, CREST The…
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22 Best Drinks Around the World: Travel Spots to Quench Your Thirst
Best Drinks Around the World One way to really get to know a place is to drink and eat. The best cocktails around the world are ones that have local ingredients or has a history or tradition unlike anywhere else. When you drink these drinks, you should be transported directly back to your vacation. I’ve included both boozy and non alcoholic suggestions so everyone can go gulp. Whiskey in Scotland The Scots know their whiskies. Two things to remember about Scotch, it’s made from malted Barley and don’t add an “e” in Scottish Whisky. Want to try Scotland’s “other national drink”? Often when I’m in another country I love checking…
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Mindful in the Motor City: A Green Guide to Detroit
Can the city that has been the industrial hub of the midwest convert to becoming both auto friendly AND eco friendly? The rise and fall of Detroit has created an opportunity to reinvent itself, making a space for more sustainability in the city. Once an industry beacon of the US that fell on hard times, the city is reinventing itself and it’s a great time to check out what they’ve been up to. Here is your Detroit city guide to all things responsible & sustainable in the “motor city”. Auto Alternatives Synonymous with the automobile industry, there are other ways to see the city than by car. The Detroit People…
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An Ethical Marrakech Travel Guide
Marrakech Travel Guide I had my routine sorted out. During the week I was living and working in Asni and when the weekend came around, I’d take a shared taxi back to Marrakech and enjoy a few days in the city. Warm showers, big comfy beds and window shopping each Saturday and Sunday. I stayed at the same hotel, walked early each morning to explore the Medina. Every day, I passed a small shop with bright, beautiful artwork spilling from the doorway and onto the pedestrian dirt road. The quick, dark brushstrokes over bright greens, reds and yellows stood out against the pink walls of the Medina. As I would…
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Visiting Poznan, the Prettiest of Cities in Poland
Poznan City Break A large crowd gathers in the square, bodies jammed in front of the Town Hall. Necks stretched toward the sky, eyes gazing toward the face of the clock tower the top of the building. The group watches patiently, everyone waiting for something, or someone to appear, but what? I stand around the others, feeling a little silly to blindly follow strangers. I know all too often that if a crowd forms in an unassuming place, usually something interesting occurs. A silence fell over the old square as the clock strikes noon. Cell phones are held up and at the ready to record. As the chimes reverberate through…
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An Austrian Hiking & Yoga Retreat: The Perfect Wellness Vacation in the Mountains
The Austrian Alps and the surrounding pristine, verdant landscape are enticing to even the novice hiker. It’s the sort of place where you step outside, breath in, and physically feel that the air is cleaner and fresher. There are so many Austrian hiking options, with over 24,000 kilometers of marked routes in the Tirolean Mountains alone and over 100 hiking trails just in the Kals Valley. Ultimately, I chose MoaAlm Mountain Retreat to help simplify planning and where I could have everything in one place. Here are just a few reasons to choose Moaalm for your own Austrian hiking vacation. Eco Conscious Accommodation Typical Austrian Alpine housing is where mountain…
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A Switzerland Itinerary: A Weekend in Zurich
A Switzerland itinerary is not complete without taking a few days to explore it’s largest city. Zurich is frequently ranked as one of the world’s most livable places. In addition, it’s often an example of a sustainable city. What makes a city sustainable? There are three things to look at when seeing a city’s potential. Environment, economy and social impacts are the three indicators used to determine how eco-friendly a place is. That means the city is active in being as green as possible, viable, safe and responsible. It’s nice to know you can plan vacations in urban areas and still try to make ethical travel choices. You can easily…
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14 Best Vacation Destinations for Book Nerds
Book nerds pack your bags, here are the best places to visit that are book-centric locations. Bibliophiles will appreciate each of these destinations as an inspiration for your next book based vacation. Get lost in a good book and then get lost in a new place. Here is a list of 14 places where I’ve found unique bookshops or libraries that made my trip more memorable. With each city I’ve included a travel tip to help you start to organize your own itinerary. Plan your vacation to some of these popular destinations and then make sure to add a stop at these libraries or bookshops while you are in town!…
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A Prague Itinerary for the Ethical Traveler
Prague is one of the most visited cities in Europe. I’ve been told that nearly 80% of tourists who visit the Czech Republic only go to Prague and fail to see the rest of the beautiful country. It’s no surprise when places like this see high tourist traffic. The city is beautiful, it’s full of history, good food & interesting architecture. What is over tourism exactly? Is there such a thing as too many tourists? Some suggest that raising rates or limiting entry are solutions to the problem. These restrictions limit accessibility for everyone and so in my opinion, the answer is education. Teaching travelers to make better choices is…
