Of all the wildlife we’ve been fortunate enough to encounter during our travels, swimming with a West Indian Manatee remains one of our most treasured memories. The West Indian Manatee is one of three living species of the Trichechidae family (the others being the Amazonian and African manatee). Their name comes from the Taíno (the indigenous people … Continued
South Africa was a relatively early adopter of the principles of ecotourism, which The International Ecotourism Society defined as “Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.” More than half of the country’s total population lives below the international poverty line, in large part due to the … Continued
Every year around this time, news and travel magazines around the world unveil a clickbait-driven list of the world’s top travel destinations. It’s become an annual rite of passage as predictable as the swallows returning to Capistrano or East Africa’s Great Migration. From U.S. News & World Report to Travel + Leisure, many of these lists seem pedestrian (U.S. … Continued
On December 17 of 2014, President Barack Obama announced that the United States would at long last restore full diplomatic relations with Cuba for the first time since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. Because travel to Cuba was off limits for many years, American travelers have been chomping at the bit for an opportunity to immerse themselves in the … Continued
Belize had been near the top of my bucket list for 20 years before I visited in January. It’s nature/wildlife attractions are equally impressive to the ecotourism in Costa Rica, but with less crowds. It’s also among the few places we’ve explored in-depth that we’re dying to return to. There are so many great tourist attractions in … Continued
For most travelers, visiting new countries typically produces one of two effects: Either it’s another dream destination checked off the bucket list, or it’s the beginning of a life-long fascination with the place. For many people, traveling to Guatemala tends to have the latter effect. Guatemala is one of those places that seems to completely entrance visitors … Continued
November 4 is World Responsible Tourism Day, a day designated by World Travel Market and the United National World Tourism Organization in 2007 to encourage the travel industry to focus on responsible travel issues. Their major objectives were to drive change by educating the industry and consumers alike on responsible travel behavior, exploring ways of … Continued