The world is a breathtakingly big place, and in this big book we have...
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A Year of Adventures is the inspirational planning tool to take you...
This book is fantastic. If you love to travel but worry about the impact on the environment, culture, and economics of where you are visiting, or if you are looking for unique vacation ideas that are completely off any tourist track, this is the guide for you. It gives practical ideas and recommendations on a host of travel experiences from rebuilding temples in Mongolia and Nepal to observing lemurs for the National Parks in Madagascar. These aren't just ethereal ideas either-- the author gives you the web site for each project, the best times to go, how to get there, the costs, etc. And not all are about "volunteering"; there are suggestions for isolated islands in Micronesia (where all the money you spend goes directly to the locals who live there), hiking wildflower fields in Switzerland, and other more "luxury" vacation plans. Plus, there are explorations of some of the questions we all face when traveling: Should I give to beggars? Are indigenous tours and sites exploitative or appreciated? I recommend this book to anyone who wants to tread lightly, immerse themselves in culture, and make a positive economical impact while on vacation.
This book has one big problem, it makes me want to quit my job, jump on a plane, and travel to the world until the end of my days. Seriously. It is chock full of inspirational travel opportunities. I have done a lot of travel to third world countries and am always shocked and saddened by the depth of poverty in the world. It's hard as an outsider to know how best to help. This book gives useful resources and contacts in each featured country. It also spells out how each activity supports the local communities. I love this book. Whenever life gets rough, I pull this book out and make plans for my next big adventure! So beware, this book is addicting!
I was thrilled to find an entire book that focuses on green travel ideas. It's something I'm really interested in, but it's just so hard to find the right resources. The book looks great. There are beautiful, color pictures of each destination, and the layout is completely professional. You could leave it out as a coffee talbe book. Sadly, many of the destinations are pretty mainstream. They recommend the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and a road trip on Route 66 (how is driving for the sake of driving eco-friendly?) in the US. Their only recommendation in Guatemala, a beautiful country with lots of great places for responsible travel, is Antigua, a city backpackers refer to as Grinotenango. The advice on each location is also lacking. They recommend going off the beaten path when you go to Hawaii, but they don't tell give any specific recommendations about where to go or avoid. Thanks for trying Lonely Planet, but I'm gonna keep looking for a resource that will help me discover a more unique experience.
CODE GREEN: EXPERIENCES OF A LIFETIME outlines over eighty journeys which have positive impacts on the environment, culture and economy of the destination. As such the concept and presentation moves beyond the 'how I can enjoy' theme to 'how I can contribute through my enjoyment': chapters document experiences which have minimal tourist impact on the destination yet don't involve hardships on the traveler. From saving birds to visiting a living longhouse in Borneo, a continent-wide organization allows for easy location of areas of special interest. Sidebars of conservation information accompany color photos and personal accounts by travelers and guides alike. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch
This is a great book that give a lot of unique and do-able travel ideas that would provide real life changing experiences. It is separated by continent and gives about 10 suggestions each. Some of the suggestions are mainstream but the book offers ways to make the trip more "green" or more memorable. It gives alternative ways to room and board as well as alternative things to do when you're there. The green concept is a little vague. They explain it in the beginning, but to them it seems that the trips either help the local economy OR the local environment, and only occasionally both. For example a road-trip on USA's Route 66 doesn't seem too environmentally friendly... driving for days. But they suggest you take in the culture and stay at locally run hotels and really add to the economy that now barely exists on the almost abandoned Route 66. Overall I think the book touts cutural responsibility and expereinces that could really influence your life because of the people more than environmental impact. There are some awesome ideas, one of my favorites is bear watching in Transylvannia, and I would recommend this book as a good couch travel book or to someone who is looking for real culture, to just a place to travel to.
The Green Festival is the quintessential event for the Green Economy. This book...
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