So, I wanted to talk about how I started putting together these ethical travel guides. It wasn’t like a big plan at first, more like something that grew out of my own trips.
I remember being somewhere – don’t recall exactly where now – and seeing how tourism was kinda messing things up for the locals. Like, money wasn’t really staying in the community, and some popular spots felt totally overrun and disrespectful. It got me thinking, there’s gotta be a better way to travel, right?
First thing I did was just try to figure out what “ethical travel” even meant. It sounded good, but what was the actual deal? I spent a bunch of time reading stuff online, looking at different viewpoints. It boiled down to a few main things for me:
- Respecting people: Making sure locals benefit, fair wages, supporting local businesses, respecting culture.
- Respecting the planet: Lowering my impact, not trashing places, conserving water and energy.
- Animal welfare: Avoiding places that exploit animals for entertainment. That became a big one for me.
Okay, so I had some ideas. Then I thought, how do I actually find these places and experiences when I’m planning a trip? It’s not always obvious.
My Process Kinda Goes Like This Now:
Picking a Place & Digging In: When I decide where I wanna go, I start digging deep. Way beyond the usual big travel sites. I look for blogs by people who live there, small local forums, maybe even social media groups focused on sustainable tourism in that specific area. It takes way more time, honestly.
Finding Accommodation: This is tough. I actively search for guesthouses, B&Bs, or small hotels owned by local families. I try to avoid the huge international chains if I can. Sometimes I look for places that mention eco-friendly practices, like solar power or water saving, but you gotta take that with a grain of salt sometimes. I read reviews carefully, looking for mentions of how staff are treated or if the place seems connected to the community.
Eating Out: Similar thing here. I look for small, family-run restaurants. Places that seem to source local ingredients. Farmers’ markets are awesome for this too – you get great food and support local growers directly. I try to skip the big global fast-food joints.
Activities and Tours: This is where the animal welfare thing really kicks in. No elephant riding, no sketchy wildlife parks where animals look miserable. I look for community-based tourism projects – maybe a cooking class run by locals, a walking tour led by someone from the neighbourhood, or visiting craft cooperatives where you know the money goes to the artisans.
Getting Around: I try to use public transport whenever possible. Trains are often better than short flights. If I need a tour, I look for smaller operators, ideally local ones, rather than massive bus tours.
Putting the Guide Together:
Once I’ve gathered all this info (usually during and after my own trip), I try to organize it simply. I focus on sharing my experience – “I stayed here and liked it because…” or “This tour felt good because the guide was local and passionate…”.
I break it down into sections like:
- Good Places to Stay (Locally-Owned Focus)
- Where to Eat (Supporting Local Spots)
- Things to Do (Ethical & Community Focused)
- Getting Around Responsibly
- A Few Extra Tips (like packing reusable stuff)
It’s not perfect. Sometimes it’s hard to know for sure if a business is truly ethical. It’s often about making the best choice you can with the information you have. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, I just share what I found and what felt right to me, hoping it helps others travel a bit more thoughtfully.
It takes more effort, for sure, both planning the trip and then writing about it. But honestly, travelling this way feels much better. You connect more with the place and the people, and you feel like you’re maybe, hopefully, leaving a slightly smaller, kinder footprint.
