It’s become an annual rite of passage for travel writers to pick their favorite travel destinations for the coming year. Since we here at Discover Corps are committed to the concept of Sustainable Travel (travel that benefits the local ecology and economy of a place), we thought it would be fun to ask our favorite travel blogging experts to share their favorite eco-friendly destinations. Check out these mini-guides to the Top Sustainable Travel Destinations for 2017:
Antarctica
Antarctica is one of those rare experiences where the destination is the adventure in itself. One of the last untouched destinations on earth, the continent is absolutely pristine!
A hundred years ago, no more than a handful of people had ever journeyed to Antarctica. Today, expeditions are available to the average person seeking an exceptional adventure. Conservationists have been working together with leading governments for years to enact international conventions which prioritize the protection of the continent and its wildlife from disturbance. In terms of sustainable tourism, this government-free land ironically seems to be one of the best managed in the world.
Cruises usually leave from Punta Arenas, Chile or Ushuaia, Argentina and set off for the South Shetland Islands. Once there you’ll experience spectacular glacial lagoons, dramatic icebergs, and incredible wildlife like breaching Whales, Penguin colonies, and deep-diving Seals. Most cruises offer the opportunity to step off the boat for hikes through ice fields, kayaking adventures, and camping overnight on the most remote continent in the world! -Megan Jerrard at Mapping Megan
Australia
Borneo
Alberta, Canada
Canada boasts an astounding spread of eco-conscious destinations and experiences, but one highlight is Alberta’s Jasper National Park, the largest and wildest wilderness area in the Canadian Rockies. While all but about 3% of its 4,200 square miles is protected, the roads and backcountry trails that traverse it deliver its imposing immensity.
Time permitting, visit the top of Whistlers Mountain (accessible via Canada’s highest and longest aerial tramway), Maligne Lake (the world’s second largest glacier-fed lake), the Miette Hotsprings (the hottest in the Canadian Rockies), and the Columbia Icefield. The trip to each is worth the journey, as is time spent in the town of Jasper. -Ethan Gelber of The Travel Word
Costa Rica
Costa Rica is often the first example given for countries that have embraced ecotourism. 25% of Costa Rica’s total land area is preserved by its 29 national parks.
One of the most popular parks with tourists is Arenal Volcano National Park, where you can find most of Costa Rica’s 850 bird species, including the endangered and beautiful Resplendent Quetzal. Manuel Antonio National Park is the smallest of the parks, but boasts some of Costa Rica’s best beaches. Poás Volcano National Park has one of the largest volcanic craters in the world. One of our favorites was Tortuguero National Park, which is home to 6 of the world’s 8 species of sea turtles.
Costa Rica is especially popular with adventure travelers, who can zip line in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, surf on the Nicoya Peninsula or raft down the Pacuare River. Volunteer opportunities are also available, including helping to protect Costa Rica’s vulnerable populations of Leatherback Sea Turtles. -Chris Christensen of Amateur Traveler
Galapagos Islands
The world’s first UNESCO site is one of the world’s most pristine, well-protected national parks. Despite their remote location 563 miles west of mainland Ecuador, the wildlife of the Galapagos was threatened in the 20th century by everything from poaching and invasive species to El Niño.
Thanks to decades of scientific research, strict controls on visitor numbers and access, and aggressive eradication and captive breeding efforts, today the Galapagos Islands are a model for how conservation scientists and sustainable travel destinations can work hand-in-hand.
The result is a wildlife lover’s paradise where weird animals like Marine Iguanas, Flightless Cormorants and Galapagos Penguins have no fear of humans, and every island offer distinctive, dynamic landscapes to explore. -Bret Love of Green Global Travel
Germany
Guatemala
Guatemala can offer chilling moments atop volcanoes, hiking up Volcan Acatenango to watch neighboring Volcan Feugo spew fire through the night. Turtles nest along the black sand beaches of the Pacific, while Jaguars prowl the jungles that the ancient Maya called home over a thousand years ago. The persuasive blue eyes of Semuc Champey’s cascading pools call to be swum in.
In a country no bigger than the state of Louisiana, there are 23 different languages and distinct cultures to discover. This is why eco-lodges, environmental NGOs, and humanitarian organizations have reached into every corner of this emerging sustainable travel hotspot, working to preserve the grandeur of a true global treasure. -Jonathon Engels of A Life Abroad
Iceland
Sure, Iceland isn’t a tropical vacation spot like Costa Rica, Belize and the other usual suspects you find when you research sustainable travel destinations. But what could be more eco-friendly than a country which supplies free heat and hot water to all its citizens through green hydroelectric plants?
There are so many natural hot springs in Iceland that, even in the dead of winter, locals don’t have to spend a penny on heat. Iceland is a world leader in terms of protecting natural resources, pollution control and public health through clean, “green” lifestyles.
As far as must-see spots, check out Thingvellir National Park and Eyjafjnallajokull Volcano (just don’t try to spell them easily). My family enjoyed both immensely last summer. But fair warning: Even in July, we had to bundle up in several woolen layers to stay comfortable. – Jennifer Miner of The Vacation Gals
India
India may not be the first place you think of when planning an eco-friendly vacation. However, there are a lot of spots throughout the vast country (the world’s seventh largest) that are gaining worldwide acclaim for sustainable tourism development.
The pride of India is the country’s network of 40+ tiger reserves, which were created in the 1970s under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s Project Tiger initiative and are still going strong. In fact, some of the parks are so well-managed that wildlife populations are rebounding. For India’s national animal, the Bengal Tiger, numbers have risen by about 20% in the last 10 years.
Ranthambore, Corbett, Bandhavgarh and Kanha are among the most highly recommended Tiger reserves. While on a Tiger safari in India, not only do you have a good chance of seeing the big cats (since India is home to more than 60% of the world’s Tiger population), but you might also see Leopards, Sloth Bears, Elephants and more glorious birds than you can imagine. -Mariellen Ward of BreatheDreamGo
Ireland
The first thing you notice when visiting Ireland is just how green the country is. Perhaps it’s because of all the rain, but I think it’s also because Ireland is magical.
Here you can travel back in time at historical sites (we visited Staigue Fort, on the Ring of Kerry, every day we were there), eat at renowned organic cooking schools (Ballymaloe) or restaurants (we love Avoca), see Europe’s first Marine Nature Reserve (Skibbereen Heritage Centre), and explore the great outdoors in a variety of ways.
Many people go to Ireland specifically to walk, especially along the Wild Atlantic Way. Just make sure you bring a raincoat! -Dr. Jessie Voigts of Wandering Educators
Peru
Portugal
In May 2016, Portugal became one of the first countries in the world to run solely on renewable energy for four straight days. A large percentage of all food and drink in Portugal is sourced from within the country itself.
Eco-friendly factors like these are reason enough to visit Portugal. But the array of wildlife reserves (such as Ria Formosa in the Algarve), use of local tour guides and eco-focused tour operators make Portugal one of the most up-and-coming green destinations in Europe. –Emma Higgins of Gotta Keep Movin
Tanzania
Still widely viewed as an untamed wilderness, Tanzania is teeming with incredible nature/wildlife and outdoor activities. Ecotourism has been a driving force for the local economy for decades, and with associations such as Responsible Tourism Tanzania popping up, it’s only getting better!
Tanzania has an important history of environmental research and eco-development. It’s home to Gombe Stream National Park, where Jane Goodall first studied chimpanzees back in the 1970s, in addition to being where her Roots n Shoots program was born.
Amongst Tanzania’s greatest natural treasures are Mt Kilimanjaro (tallest mountain in Africa), the vast plains of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. The country is home to the Big 5 safari animals, the Maasai people, and the beginning of the annual Great Migration. And then there’s Zanzibar, a beautiful island with white sand beaches, coral reef, and a rich multicultural past.
There are so many reasons why Tanzania is one of my all-time favorite Sustainable Travel destinations on the planet. -Ian Ord of Where Sidewalks End
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