Sustainable travel is more than just a buzzword.
Planning trips designed to minimize environmental impacts while empowering local communities makes any vacation more deeply rewarding, creating lasting memories while doing good for Planet Earth.
With this simple yet all-too-often overlooked principle in mind, here are 10 adventures all over the world that anyone passionate about sustainability can get behind.
1. Learn all about sustainable living practices in Costa Rica
Costa Rica is famous for its eco-resorts, and few are more low-impact than Rancho Margot. The perfect base for exploring the hiking trails, bubbling hot springs and scenic lake of nearby Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal, this lush, off-grid retreat doubles as a sustainable learning center. Guests can opt for a tour of its self-sufficient practices (from organic agriculture to green-energy production) or sign up for a week-long immersion program to learn about sustainability initiatives you can integrate into your life at home. Twice-daily yoga classes and farm-to-table meals from the ranch’s own garden are also included in all types of stays. If you’re prepared to make a four-week commitment, volunteering here is also an option.
2. Take a low-impact whale-watching tour in New Zealand
The Māori-owned and -operated Whale Watch Kaikoura supports the Indigenous Ngai Tahu community, located in Kaikoura on New Zealand’s South Island. Its boats operate all year round, and sightings can include (depending on the season) gentle aquatic giants such as sperm whales, humpbacks, blue whales and orcas. Boats keep a respectful distance from these celebrity creatures, and the onboard commentary focuses on conservation efforts and cultural information. Kaikoura is roughly midway between Picton and Christchurch; take the local bus service along State Hwy 1 for about 2 hours.
3. Kick back at an Amazon Basin eco-lodge in Bolivia
Hidden deep in Amazonian Bolivia, a cluster of cabins occupies a lush area that is home to a whopping 11% of the world’s species of flora and fauna. Chalalán Ecolodge is entirely managed by the Quechua-Tacano Indigenous community, and a share of the enterprise’s profits goes to fund community health and education facilities. The compound is encircled by 14 well-marked nature trails, and the majority of guests choose to spend their mornings on jaunts through the jungle before spending the rest of the day swinging in the lodge’s hammocks. The best time to visit is during the dry months, from May to October. From Rurrenabaque, head 30km (19 miles) west to Madidi National Park.
4. Support Europe’s brown bears in Romania
Home to Europe’s largest population of brown bears, Romania is a fitting location for the continent’s largest preserve for the animals. Libearty Bear Sanctuary near the town of Zărnesţi in Transylvania provides a safe, humane environment for bears rescued from cruel captive conditions – and offers the next best thing to viewing the impressive predators in their natural habitat. Guides take visitors through the 69-hectare (170-acre) oak forest that more than 100 bears now call home. For those keen to spend more time with the bears, UK-based Responsible Travel offers a seven-day volunteer program at the sanctuary.
5. Settle in with locals in Bhutan
The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan famously measures its success in terms of Gross National Happiness, an ethos that helps maintain a remarkable commitment to traditional culture and environmental sustainability. Accordingly, it takes some work (and resources) to visit this remote country. A tour with a government-approved operator is a prerequisite and will likely include visits to historic temples and hikes through yak meadows high in the Himalayas. Connect more deeply with local culture by enlisting an operator that can arrange a homestay experience – such as the Bhutan Homestay program, through which income generated by tourism helps to offset the losses to crops and livestock caused by park wildlife.
6. Shadow Africa’s first peoples in Namibia
Visitors to northeastern Namibia’s Tsumkwe Country Lodge get to tag along with the San people (the original inhabitants of southern Africa, once known as Bushmen) and observe and partake in their daily activities. San have survived in the Kalahari Desert for at least 40,000 years – which means city slickers can surely learn a thing or two from them about living in the wilderness. A morning’s outing may include sampling the “fruits” of the desert (berries and tubers) or witnessing a finely honed hunt for antelope. Book directly with the lodge, or visit as part of a longer tour with a responsible operator like Expert Africa in the UK, which works closely with the community and can advise on suitable itineraries for individual travelers.
7. Take an in-depth walk with the land’s traditional owners in Tasmania, Australia
Known for its fire-colored, lichen-tinged granite headlands, white-sand beaches and idyllic turquoise waters, northeastern Tasmania’s Bay of Fires is one of Australia’s most unforgettable landscapes. Thanks to the launch of the Wukalina Walk, you can have the 10,000-odd years of Aboriginal history and culture in the region narrated to you by a Palawa (Tasmanian Aboriginal) guide.
This exciting experience represents the first time Palawa people have had the chance to tell their story on their own land. The three-day, four-night exploration of the Larapuna (Bay of Fires) and Wukalina (Mt William) areas will deepen your understanding of Palawa culture and community history. Immersing you in the natural and rugged beauty of the breathtaking coastal region, the 34km (21-mile) walk includes two nights of lodging in comfortable bespoke domed huts and one night in the keeper’s cottage at Eddystone Point Lighthouse.
8. Camp in a rhino sanctuary in Kenya
Stretching from Mt Kenya to the rim of the Great Rift Valley, Kenyan-owned Ol Pejeta Conservancy is East Africa’s largest sanctuary for black rhinos. With camping available, it’s also one of the best budget options for a safari stay in the region. By choosing to bed down here (or even just visit for the day), visitors help to fund one of Africa’s most successful community-led conservation initiatives. With activities ranging from classic game drives to eco-friendly experiences, including walking and horseback safaris, there are plenty of opportunities to tick off the Big Five while learning about Ol Pejeta’s conservation work.
9. Master coral planting in Fiji
Is there a better way to experience Fiji’s dazzling coral reefs than to actively help protect them? A growing number of the Pacific island nation’s resorts have now introduced coral gardening as a guest activity. Also known as coral aquaculture, this activity involves cultivating young corals in a protected nursery until adulthood. They are then transferred – or “planted” – back into the natural environment, often on artificial reefs. Resorts where you can try your hand at this sustainable underwater activity include Castaway Island Fiji; Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort on Vanua Levu, Fiji’s second-largest island; and Makaira Resort on the island of Taveuni.
10. Volunteer for the National Parks Service in the USA
Fall asleep to a chorus of wolf calls and count bears as your neighbors at one of the USA’s dozens of national parks. Volunteering positions range from guiding tours to conducting scientific research, each providing immersive opportunities to gain a unique perspective on nature. Volunteers work a minimum of 32 hours; remuneration for expenses is dependent on the local organization for which you are volunteering.
This article was first published Jul 26, 2010 and updated Aug 8, 2024.
