Ecotourism is a form of travel that is close to nature, involves a lot physical activity and exploration. It takes the traveler to places that stand out because of their rich natural resources, stunning landscape and unique cultural heritage.
Rafting on the Niemen River, learning Spanish at an environmental school run by indigenous peoples in the heart of the Guatemalan jungle, hiking or skiing across the Carpathian mountains, trekking in the Himalayas, participating in safari adventures on the African savanna, tracking large predators in the Romanian Carpathians, kayaking on the Bug River or on the Oder River, birding trips to the Biebrza Marshes, horseback rides into the Mongolian steppe, learning the secrets of local dance and cuisine in Indonesia, handcrafts workshops and bread-baking courses in a remote village in the Bieszczady mountains, climbing up volcanoes in Malaysia’s national parks on the island of Borneo, biking trips on the Amber Trail …
What do all these journeys to nearby places or to the most exotic corners of the world have in common? Ecotourism, or an approach to travelling that is sensitive to the natural environment, to local traditions and culture and that is active in its pursuit of knowledge about local places and communities. Today, ecotourism is one of the fastest growing tourist markets in the world, and enjoys a strong position because of its commitment on the one hand to protecting the natural environment, and on the other hand because it supports local jobs, keeps tourist money in the community and boosts the local economy.
Welcome to this website which is dedicated to ecotourism and eco-travel locally and globally!
text: Dominika Zaręba Why does the wind make its home in the steppe? Sajnbajnu is a Mongolian greeting, which translates into English as: Good day, how are you, are you all right? … You cannot respond to it in the negative. Talking about sadness
COMMUNITY-BASED ECOTOURISM – SUPPORTING LOCAL PEOPLE AND THEIR ECONOMIES text: Dominika Zareba Introduction More and more local communities across the globe are struggling to maintain the uniqueness of the places they live in and at the same time to
Every trip is associated with some smell, taste, color… Belarus smells of wood, herbs drying out in the sun, tea brewed in a samovar with a view out onto a forest of pine, fir and birch. It tastes of eggplant and spicy adjika, which we enjoyed
South Africa through the eyes of young travelers text and photos: Dominika Zaręba We stop over to have a picnic underneath a blooming coral tree with a vista spreading out before us of seemingly endless rocky bluffs of the Sabie River Valley, somewhere
Children are great at breaking down cultural barriers, they bring us closer to people we meet along the way, oftentimes it’s thanks to them that we get to feel the climate of the place or end up in an engaging and memorable conversation.
Kids are natural and thankful travelers. Their needs are small compared to those of grown-ups, they don’t require any special conveniences, they show a natural curiosity for what goes on around them. They also love to be outdoors, like camping, watching animals in the wild, searching for hidden treasures and counting stars…
Children are keenly aware of their surroundings and they pay attention to details which are often invisible to the adult eye. When you’re on a trip with children, you see the world through their lenses, a world that’s more diverse, colorful and unpredictable.
Is it worth taking youngsters along on your travels, getting to know the world and all its tastes with them by your side?
