The web
The world’s best ethical destinations
Ethical Traveler (www.EthicalTraveler.com) is a non-profit organisation is “dedicated to educating travelers about the social and environmental impact of their decisions, showing how travel can be a potent form of diplomacy, and giving travelers a forum through which their united voices can serve the world community.” Although they’re a bit more geared towards political and environmental […]
Travel like a local in Europe with your iPhone
Spotted by Locals, a network of travel guides by handpicked locals in European cities, has just released iPhone applications for each of its 33 destinations. Check out for example the Amsterdam application in the Appstore. Find the apps in other cities by searching for “Spotted by Locals”.
The unknown Naoussa, Greece
If you search the net about Naousa or Naoussa, Greece, you will probably only find information about Naousa in Paros Island. There is, however, another Naoussa: a lovely little town in Imathia, Central Macedonia, the land of the ancient Macedonian Kings. Naoussa, just 90km of easy road from Thessaloniki, is a great place if you […]
Local food: a culinary world tour
When it comes to life’s simple pleasures, food definitely ranks near (if not at) the top of the list for most people. It’s probably fair to say that the way to a whole nation’s heart is through its stomach, so finding out what makes a country tick is often as simple as checking out what […]
Thinking globally makes local tourism a heartfelt choice
Sometimes it takes a global village to help the one just down the road. For Fundación En Vía of Oaxaca, Mexico, that means not only reaching out to touch the lives of a nearby community through microfinancing loans and free English classes, but sharing the experience with people from all over the world who would […]
Are you serious?
I recently found this interesting project “Are You Serious?” – an organization that aims to develop projects to raise awareness and communicate messages about subjects that are important today, through traveling. The founders (a bunch of 20 somethings from around the world) have some concrete projects (Arttrack, Ecotrack, LifeTrack) they are going to carry out […]
Creating community through volunteering in Oaxaca, Mexico
The women filed one by one into the dirt courtyard, taking seats on a long log bench after greeting each other quietly in Zapotec. They wore traditional full aprons over their everyday dresses; most had ribboned braids and dusty sandals. There was an electric air of anticipation, as though something important were about to happen. […]
Going local: are we driven by selfish motives?
If anyone mentions that they’re travelling to Ushuaia in Argentina, I instinctively want to tell them about the guest house in which we spent three memorable nights. The two young owners were on hand for anything we wanted, but otherwise left us in peace to enjoy their beautiful property and its outstanding views. It’s a […]
Developing an inspiring search engine for the Local Travel Movement
The Local Travel Movement More and more travellers desire extraordinary travel experiences off the beaten track. They want to immerse themselves in the local cultures and environments of the countries they visit. They want to get the real thing. There is a steadily growing Local Travel Movement that is promoted by various people and organizations […]
Awakening: what local experiences are really about?
The other day I remembered a passing incident from the mid 90s and realised something profound about the character of local experiences. I had succeeded in becoming a shareholder (probably by looking and dancing so Cretan!) of Vamos SA, a village company for preserving local livelihoods in Apokoronas in Crete. Without being an insider it is […]