5 Rewarding And Sustainable Travel Experiences To Try Out This Year

Taking a vacation is always a fun experience, but choosing sustainable travel options it can be both exciting and rewarding for the traveler and his destination. Planning trips around minimizing environmental impacts, while empowering local communities allows travelers to create memories of a lifetime. The following five sustainable travel destinations offer ideal choices and a perfect stay in nature.

Choose one of these sustainable travel experiences in 2024

1. Sustainable travel in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is one of the top countries for sustainable living and travel and features great eco-resorts set in beautiful nature. Among these is Rancho Margot, set among hiking trails, with hot springs and a scenic lake close by.

While the off-grid retreat is a wonderful place to relax and chill out, it also offers a sustainable learning center. Here, visitors can choose a tour of its self-sufficient practices, including green energy and organic agriculture to try out once back home. As part of its offerings, guests can enjoy twice-daily yoga classes and delicious meals crafted from the ranch’s garden.

2. Stay at an Amazon Basin eco-lodge in Bolivia

Chalalán Ecolodge nestles deep in nature in the Amazonian forests of Bolivia. The sustainable property offers a group of cabins in an area that hosts 11 percent of the world’s species of fauna and flora. Meanwhile, the Chalalán Ecolodge is managed by the Quechua-Tacano indigenous community. Moreover, a generous share of the property’s profits benefits community health and education facilities.

Around the compound, guests can choose from 14 well-marked nature trails where they can spend their mornings in the jungle. The afternoon is great for relaxing in the property’s hammocks. Meanwhile, the best time of year to visit is in the dry months, from May to October.

3. Sustainable whale watching in New Zealand

Heading to New Zealand, the Māori-owned and -operated Whale Watch Kaikoura supports the indigenous Ngai Tahu people. Located on South Island in Kaikoura, boats operate all year round and sightings do vary. Depending on the season, visitors can spot humpback whales, sperm whales, orcas and blue whales. Meanwhile, the boats keep a respectful distance from these huge mammals so as not to disturb nature.

While on the tour, guests can enjoy the onboard commentary, focusing on cultural information and conservation efforts. Kaikoura is located between Picton and Christchurch on the island, with a local bus service taking visitors along State Hwy 1.

4. Explore with Africa’s first peoples in Namibia

Exploring the Namibian desert with a San guide teaches visitors about their relationship with the harsh terrain. Visitors shouldn’t believe they are experiencing a typical African safari, as the San people reveal their daily activities in the Kalahari Desert where they have lived for around 40,000 years.

The day starts by sampling the “fruits” of the desert, including berries and tubers for breakfast. Next, they can enjoy a traditional hunt for antelope as they learn more about the people’s lives. An excellent choice is a responsible operator like Expert Africa, who work together with the community and can plan suitable itineraries for individual visitors.

5. Learn about Tasmania, Australia with the local people

Heading now to Tasmania in Australia, visitors can enjoy a walk with the land’s traditional owners, heading through the granite headlands, and visiting the idyllic beaches and clear turquoise waters in the Bay of Fires in northeastern Tasmania. Sustainable travelers can enjoy the Wukalina Walk while learning about some 10,000 years of Aboriginal history and culture from a Palawa (Tasmanian Aboriginal).

A three-day, four-night exploration of the Larapuna (Bay of Fires) and Wukalina (Mt. William) areas teaches visitors about the culture and history while experiencing the breathtaking, rugged beauty of the coastal area.