Responsible Travel Stories
Learn more about responsible travel from the expertsRead tales of responsible travel from all over the world. The articles are written by some of the world’s most acclaimed travel writers, sharing their unique insights.
Tracking mountain gorillas in the post-pandemic era
Gorilla trekking is carefully managed in Africa, with limits on the numbers of visitors allowed on treks, the distance to be kept between the people and the primates, and the amount of time permitted in the company of the gorillas. And then Covid-19 happened, bringing a far greater challenge in gorilla protection.
The unexpected joys of a slow safari in Botswana
After two years and two Covid-induced cancellations, my partner Will and I finally made it back to Botswana’s Okavango Delta last month (February 2022), commissioned to write about ‘slow safaris’ as part of the post-pandemic concept of ‘travelling back better.’
On the Road Again
I have encountered many dangerous situations in a lifetime of travel. But perhaps the most dangerous of them all was to fly halfway across the globe in the midst of a global pandemic. A few days after my return, Australia’s borders slammed shut behind me.
Our dream trip – delayed …
I’d planned to write this blog from Botswana, on my first African safari in two years. That might sound a bit ‘privileged,’ but two years is a long absence for me. I’ve been craving to get back there: Africa isn’t just my job, it’s my passion.
Conservation Issues That Won’t Go Away
There are very few silver linings to this pandemic, and those that do exist can never replace what has been lost. But the natural world has had a breather, enjoying 18 months of rest from over-development, over-tourism, and humankind’s never-ending encroachments into our planet’s last tracts of wilderness.
Climate Change & the Need to Support Sustainable Tourism: a Moral Dilemma?
I’m no expert on climate change, but I’ve been working as a travel writer specialising in African responsible tourism and wildlife conservation for many years, and have seen just how vital tourism is to the developing world. If done well, sustainable tourism can be a huge force for good, protecting landscapes, conserving wild animals and improving lives.
African Safari Travel in a Post-Covid World
The limitations imposed upon international travel by the covid-19 pandemic has us dreaming of exploring the world – particularly the natural world – with newfound longing for the far horizon. Returning to Africa remains one of my most closely held dreams for a post-Covid world, as it does for many.
An Ethical Dilemma – Vaccinated Travellers in Unvaccinated Countries
Is it okay for a vaccinated person to travel in countries with high numbers of unvaccinated local people? And is it possible to be fully vaccinated, become infected and transmit the virus to people in the local population? If that is possible…should I be travelling here at all?
Let’s talk about periods
Despite a lot of work to bring menstruation into the mainstream it is still not a topic you will hear being discussed at most dinner parties. We tell our travel stories – such as how we missed a flight and took the slow road, but we don’t talk about how we had to sign-language to buy pads or tampons in outback Vietnam…
Slow Travel – A Better Approach to Travel in a Post-Covid World
The journey had started out rather haphazardly, without much thought given to how my visit might affect my destination. Yet, by chance, it had turned into an opportunity to travel more mindfully, to think about the choices I was making…
Bad Tourists versus Responsible Travelers
In the wake of headlines that read “Tourist Breaks Toes of 200-year-old Italian Sculpture”, I started reflecting about my own ‘bad tourist’ moments and others that I have seen or read about. What makes for responsible tourism compared to what makes for bad tourism…
Travelling Responsibly – Before I Travel
Since I am at home, maybe it’s time to take stock of my travel gear and the ethics of what I pack. I am not an expert on ethics or philosophy but like most of us nowadays I try to be conscious of my consumerism and to not waste resources or cause suffering through my choices.
Better in the Long Run
For the sustainable business guru and former Puma boss, Jochen Zeitz, it began in Africa. The German philanthropist made his first trip to the continent in 1989, and watched the Berlin Wall coming down while on safari in Kenya. The African bush and its liberating carpe-diem culture of appreciating the present moment became a refuge.
Why The Illegal Trade in Wildlife Matters
Make no mistake about it. The reason that around a third of the world’s population is currently in a coronavirus lockdown and 87% of the world’s children are missing out on a proper education is because of the illegal international trade in wildlife.
The World’s Most Trafficked Animal!
All my life, it had been my dream to see a pangolin. This gentle, bumbling creature is one of South Africa’s least-known species. I was beginning to think they must be mythical, unicorn-like creatures.
Volunteer Tourism in India
India. Nowhere else on Earth is quite as addictive. And volunteering in India can be an amazingly rewarding experience, but there are important considerations to take into account before rushing off.
African Parks – Conservation Trailblazer
Managing 15 parks in Africa, African Parks’ holistic approach takes it well beyond traditional conservation models. Its success is largely based on support and investment in local communities. It is setting new standards in conservation and poverty alleviation in Africa.
A Traveller Tackling Gender Discrimination
Where do culture, religion and gender discrimination cross over? This is probably a question we have all had at some point. When we are travelling questions relating to gender can become quite significant to our day-to-day. Great advice about gender issues when you travel.
Ethical Travel and Empowering Women
My desire to help out women is based on an understanding of women’s roles in many of the communities where I travel. It is the case that women are often the family caretaker, reinvesting 90% of their income into families, compared to men’s 30%.
The Responsible Wildlife Traveller
Sadly, tourism has not always been a boon for wildlife. Animals are often exploited and left mentally and physically scarred, all in the name of ‘entertainment’. But if you follow some simple guidelines you can avoid contributing to the exploitation of animals when you travel.