{"id":22777,"date":"2023-04-21T13:06:07","date_gmt":"2023-04-21T12:06:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/?p=22777"},"modified":"2023-05-16T16:30:01","modified_gmt":"2023-05-16T15:30:01","slug":"how-to-travel-better-earth-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/how-to-travel-better-earth-day\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Travel Better This Earth Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Abigail is a journalist who writes on topics ranging from travel, wildlife, and wellbeing to relationships, lifestyle, and parenting. <\/em>Her work has been featured in The Times; The Telegraph; The Guardian; Family Traveller; and Mumsnet.com, to name just a few. Abigail has travelled with her family to Sri Lanka with ETG in the past and knows us well, so we asked for her opinion on\u00a0the sorts of \u2018regenerative\u2019 travel experiences we offer.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This year\u2019s<\/span> Earth Day (April 22<\/span><\/span>nd<\/span><\/span>) <\/span>marks<\/span> the 53<\/span><\/span>rd<\/span><\/span> \u2018birthday’<\/span> of the modern environmental movement<\/span>. But while travelling mindfully has never been more important,<\/span> helping the planet while<\/span> you<\/span> holiday <\/span>doesn\u2019t<\/span> have to mean <\/span>a <\/span>rain-soaked <\/span>staycation spent<\/span> volunteering. <\/span>From tips on how to tread <\/span>lightly<\/span> to life-changing<\/span> ethical<\/span> experiences<\/span>, here are some <\/span>tried-and-tested<\/span> ways to creat<\/span>e<\/span> m<\/span>emories<\/span> that <\/span>truly <\/span>matter<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][vc_single_image image=”21966″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

SHOULDN\u2019T EVERY DAY BE AN EARTH DAY?<\/h2>\n

First, let’s gently shoo the elephant out of the room to roam freely as nature intended. <\/span>As the world’s largest industry, tourism is responsible for approximately 8% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, of which flights make up around 40%.<\/span> There\u2019s no denying the hideous effect that mass tourism has had on swathes of the globe; the way the natural world rebooted during the pandemic\u2019s global lockdown was evidence alone. But simply saying \u201cstop taking long-haul holidays\u201d ignores the widespread economic, societal and, yes, even environmental benefits that truly sustainable travel brings. (Face it: without tourism\u2019s long-term financial support, many leading conservation initiatives would be pushed to the edge of extinction.)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, if we want to travel, we should do so in a way that strengthens and protects the symbiotic relationship between the planet and its people.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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TRAVEL WISELY<\/h2>\n

Fortunately, the first step is one any savvy traveller can take without even leaving home. Whether you book through a tour operator or travel independently, book responsibly and choose specialist providers wholly invested in sustainable tourism. Sadly, \u2018greenwashing\u2019 (making unsubstantiated \u201cwe\u2019re so eco\u2019\u201d claims to look good on paper) is rife within the travel industry. So, ask your travel provider about their sustainability guidelines and what they\u2019re actively doing to achieve their aims. (Hint: What you\u2019re after is a defined, robust, and transparent set of protocols that cover more than just bath towel usage and recycling.) If they\u2019re anything like Experience Travel Group, they\u2019ll fall over themselves to tell you.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Essentially, if you\u2019re going to fly, do your homework and make sure your holiday matters for the right reasons. And if you\u2019re using a tour operator, choose one passionate about creating exceptional, ethical escapes designed to leave you, the people you meet and the lands you explore enriched\u2014not just on Earth Day but every day.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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TRAVEL SMART<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s a given that every flight you take ramps up your carbon footprint. That said, any sustainable travel provider worth handing your hard-earned cash to should be actively monitoring and offsetting its carbon footprint. On an immediate level, ETG can advise you on the most fuel-efficient airlines and routes. (While seldom the cheapest, a direct flight with no stopovers is typically the most eco-efficient option.) More importantly, they\u2019ll automatically mitigate your flights\u2019 carbon footprint through their new partnership with <\/span>SeaTrees<\/span><\/a>, an inspired non-profit program that plants, protects, and restores \u2018blue-carbon\u2019 coastal ecosystems to reverse climate change.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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TRAVEL KINDLY<\/h2>\n

While you can\u2019t escape flying, you can still make a positive impact on touchdown. Whatever your preferred comfort level, there\u2019s a wealth of astonishing accommodation nowadays where you can lay your head where the heart is. <\/span>If you\u2019re not shy of roughing it, you could trek into Sri Lanka’s stunning Knuckles Mountains for a unique homestay at <\/span>Abode<\/span><\/a> in the tiny hamlet of Walapolamulla. Truly regenerative travel, the trip offers the chance to immerse yourself into the remote community’s daily life while helping to support it responsibly. Bit too intrepid for you? Cambodia\u2019s <\/span>Shinta Mani Wild<\/span><\/a>, an opulent, safari-style tented camp on the Cardamom National Forest\u2019s borders, is a magical example of sustainable eco-luxury. Created to help fund the <\/span>Shinta Mani Foundation<\/span><\/a>, the industry-disrupting camp works with <\/span>Wildlife Alliance<\/span><\/a> to protect the surrounding forest from <\/span>poaching, mining, and logging. Plus, via the foundation\u2019s community outreach programmes, it provides healthcare, education, and financial support to some of Cambodia\u2019s most underprivileged groups.<\/span> So, even while you\u2019re sleeping, you\u2019re giving back. \u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Wild about animals? Unfortunately, finding ethical encounters in the destinations ETG specialises in can be more complex than it seems. Whether you want to hang out with <\/span>happy elephants in Thailand<\/span><\/a>, take jungle walks with poachers-turned-guides at Sri Lanka\u2019s superb <\/span>Treetops Jungle Lodge<\/span><\/a>, or bottle-feed thirsty calves at Laos’ brilliant <\/span>Buffalo Dairy Farm<\/span>, ETG\u2019s nature nuts have tracked down a pack of socially responsible experiences where the animals\u2019 wellbeing is what matters most.\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”13677″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]If you’re keen to make every step of your journey count, seek out projects like Delhi\u2019s Salaam Baalak Trust City Walk. Led by teenage guides who once lived and worked on the streets, the highly personalised tours offer a unique window into a very different Delhi while empowering the children with the life skills needed to achieve their dreams.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even sitting down to great local food can make a huge difference (and who doesn\u2019t like great local food?). ETG\u2019s \u2018One Meal At A Time\u2019 initiative celebrates a host of lip-smackingly good social enterprise restaurants, including <\/span>Laos\u2019 Khaiphaen<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Koto in Vietnam<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>Bali\u2019s Fair Warung Bale<\/span><\/a>. Providing life-changing support and vocational training for vulnerable young people, <\/span>the effect of your meal will last <\/span>long after your tastebuds stop tingling.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we rush, we skim the surface, and fail to make real connections with the world or other people.\u201d Carl Honor\u00e9 \u2013 \u201cIn Praise of Slowness\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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TRAVEL SLOW<\/h2>\n

It might seem counterintuitive, but domestic flights have the worst emissions mile-for-mile. While the exact science could take you the best part of your holiday to get your head around, passenger numbers, distance travelled, aircraft type, and\u2014vitally\u2014the increased fuel usage at take-off and landing all factor into the equation. (When even Dutch airline KLM\u2019s CEO recommends ditching short-haul flights for sustainable alternatives, you don\u2019t need the precise math to know \u2018plane-hopping\u2019 can\u2019t be good.) So why not slow down, stay grounded, and dig deeper into your destination?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Aside from being more eco-friendly, travelling by local transport\u2014or with one of ETG\u2019s legendary driver guides in Sri Lanka\u2014offers an incredible insight into the country you’re visiting. Not only will you see so much more (clouds are so overrated), but you can live in the moment and react to the world around you. Plus (and for my family, this was the big draw), you\u2019ve far more opportunities to make new friends\u2014and memories\u2014along the way. The lovely Sri Lankan family who wouldn\u2019t take no for an answer and shared their short eats on the train to Badulla is something we\u2019ll never forget.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, if you want to take your foot off the gas, why not whack it on a pedal instead? From family-friendly pootles into the <\/span>countryside outside Galle<\/span><\/a>, 20km adventures through Thailand\u2019s <\/span>Sri Lanna National Park<\/span><\/a>, to four-day treks from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai, chances are the team at ETG know a bike with your name on it. Who knows, it may even be electric.<\/span><\/p>\n

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TRAVEL CURIOUS?<\/h2>\n

Like where we\u2019re coming from?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Want to go where we go?<\/span><\/p>\n

You can browse our holiday ideas<\/a> or get in touch on 020 7924 7133<\/span>\r\n \t.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll tell you everything you need to know in praise of slow\u2026 and kind.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alternatively, fill out an online enquiry form to start your journey<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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If the last few years have taught us anything it\u2019s that there\u2019s never been a more important time, to find time, to spend time, with the people you love. Now more than ever. Because now – it really is all we\u2019ve got. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":80,"featured_media":22044,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1348,11,17,62,10,15,1317,13,1344,1427,12],"tags":[88,1354],"coauthors":[1436],"class_list":["post-22777","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-across-asia","category-cambodia","category-guest-contributors","category-india","category-laos","category-sri-lanka","category-sustainable-travel","category-thailand","category-the-etg-take-on-travel","category-travel-inspiration","category-vietnam","tag-food-and-drink","tag-why-etg"],"aioseo_notices":[],"views":2042,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22777","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/80"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22777"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22777\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22777"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22777"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22777"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=22777"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}