Can social media influencers on Instagram use their sharing and promotional power – something which helped accelerate overtourism – to affect and shift traveler decisions for positive impact? We offer a set of tips and considerations that each of us — professional influencers as well as everyday social media users – can employ to be part of a solution to overtourism.
Continue ReadingHow Social Media Influencers Can Use Their Power to Combat Overtourism
Travel to the Alay Region in southern Kyrgyzstan and you’ll find a growing, off-the-path, accessible adventure destination. Experiences run from mid-alpine treks and horse treks in the Alay Mountains to high-alpine experiences up into the Pamir Mountain peaks and epic Pamir Highway road trips into the high desert. Paths are dotted with yurts, shepherds and high pasture nomadic culture along the way. For pan-Central Asia travels and itineraries, the region also serves as a crossroads between Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and China.
This article explains how to plan and organize a trip to the Alay Region, including what to do and see in the Alay Mountains and Pamir Mountains.
Continue ReadingAlay Region, Kyrgyzstan: An Experiential Travel Guide
What do street kids, human trafficking survivors, and victims of acid attacks have to do with tourism? As we witness the evolution and integration of social purpose in travel, we find more travel experiences charged with a kind of social activism. As innovation and access to these types of experiences grows, the industry may increasingly become a force for social change. Here’s how and why.
Doing the Huayhuash Trek in the Cordillera Huayhuash in Peru had been a dream of ours for over a decade. Although our expectations were high, the reality of our experience far exceeded them: eight high mountain pass crossings, surrounding peaks of 6,000+ meters (20,000+ feet), turquoise alpine lakes, stunning glacier-covered mountains, and a diversity of landscapes. Each day felt like a different experience, a new discovery. After answering endless questions about planning, organizing and preparing for a Huayhuash trek, it’s time to share it all in this Huayhuash Trekking Guide.
Should I travel to India on an organized tour? Or should I travel India independently or solo? We’ve experienced India both ways – the first couple trips on our own and our most recent trip on a small group tour. Recent conversations with our audience, especially solo female travelers, told us a look at the benefits and downsides of small group travel and tours in India was in order.
Having fielded numerous questions about trekking in Ladakh — which trek to choose, how to find a trekking agency, when to go, how to get there, what to pack, and more — we’ve created this Ladakh Trekking Beginner’s Guide. We hope it encourages you to make the long journey to Ladakh and explore its stunning mountain landscapes and fascinating Ladahki and Tibetan Buddhist culture and people. You won't be sorry.
When travelers consider northern India, thoughts run to the Golden Triangle, the popular India tourist circuit of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. While we appreciate the appeal of sights like the Taj Mahal, there is much more to experience in northern India — without the crowds, scams and hustle of being on the tourist path.
Continue ReadingNorthern India Beyond the Golden Triangle: An Experiential Guide
When you travel, is there any way you can “follow the money” to ensure that whatever you spend on your trip stays local and benefits the communities you visit? This article offers a few ideas on how to do that and highlights some movements and methodologies afoot in the travel industry that might help.
Continue ReadingHow Do You Know Your Travel Money Stays Local?
We were out of breath, having just climbed 1,200 stone steps when Celso, our indigenous guide, called for us to join him around a group of stones arranged in a circle in a clearing. In the middle of the circle stood another square stone on top of which lay a pile of coca leaves placed as an offering. Celso explained with trademark calm in a slow, deliberate voice, “This is a place where we should let go of our impurities, our negative thoughts and emotions.”
Continue ReadingThe Lost City Trek, Colombia: All You Need to Know
We think of traveling sustainably as a movement of respectful travelers who live at the intersection of deeper travel experiences and caring for our planet and its people. This is a journey of awareness and travel decisions that aim to … Continue Reading