As a nation still haunted by the memories of genocide, Rwanda continues to show its ability to be redeemed. Their efforts to preserve the natural beauty of mountain rain forests like with Nyungwe National Park continues to be a goal among government officials. The effect is twofold: travelers from abroad get to witness the beautification […]
Mauritius may be young but it’s well known for being one of the developing world’s most successful democracies. It’s been featured on Ethical Traveler’s 2015 Ten Best Ethical Destinations, earning a place on the list for the fourth year in a row—and with good reason. Eco-tourism has taken off in a big way in many […]
Last month I was honored to attend the first-ever White House Summit on Study Abroad and Global Citizenship. The administration invited the top 100 travel bloggers and digital influencers to Washington DC to discuss how to encourage citizen diplomacy. The administration wants to see more people-to-people connections across borders. And for this first summit, that […]
The State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (or the ECA)’s mission is to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchange that assist in the development of peaceful relations. The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange […]
Greenpeace’s mission is to ensure that the Earth and its beautiful diversity survive—without nuclear destruction, climate change, commercial overfishing, deforestation, or genetic engineering disrupting the health of the planet and its myriad creatures. They’re a non-profit focused on what we’re doing in the present, and how it will impact the future. But a recent stunt […]
Volunteer tourism, or “voluntourism,” is the practice in which tourists incorporate charity work into their travels abroad. Over the past few years, this travel industry trend has become a recurrent source of controversy and has left many wondering whether it is possible to ethically volunteer abroad at all. Despite the recent deluge of headlines on […]
For decades the plight of the silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) went unnoticed. They were once thought to be the most populous type of requiem shark, but the slow-to procreate and overfished silky sharks were potentially down an average of 80% from their originally estimated population numbers long before anyone realized what had happened. Silky sharks […]
In many rural villages across the world, people rely on kerosene lamps after dark — lighting that is toxic, nonrenewable, and hazardous. But a variety of forward-thinking companies and NGOs are enabling some communities to leapfrog right over traditional electrical power and light their homes with solar energy. In Cambodia, for example, only 13 percent […]
Located 600 miles off the western coast of Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands has long been revered for its larger-than-life eclectic and mythological presence. The beauty of its 20 plus islands have captured the hearts of many travelers. Charles Darwin’s writings from the region are widely believed to be the origin of his evolution theory. Many […]
