On the warm black sand beaches of the Caribbean island of Dominica, hundreds of tiny baby sea turtles emerge from their eggs and crawl to the sea. If you know when to go, you can witness this amazing natural phenomenon for yourself, and some hotels even have sea turtle conservation programs where you can help protect the adorable hatchlings (under the supervision of a trained scientist, of course). It's a spectacular experience all animal and nature lovers should have at least once in their lives.

All sea turtle species are threatened with extinction, often because of humans disturbing or destroying nesting beaches. Rosalie Bay Resort, where this photo was taken, has pioneered sea turtle conservation efforts in Dominica, and offers their guests opportunities to learn about and interact with leatherback, green (pictured), and hawksbill sea turtles.

 

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This entry was posted on January 31, 2014 at 2:25 PM and has received 791 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

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The first "Making a Difference" award winner in 2014 is Matagalpa Tours, a sustainable tour operator in Nicaragua that is Rainforest Alliance verified and focused on nature, rural, and community tourism.

We spoke with general manager Arjen Roersma, who tells us about the essence of Matagalpa Tours, its work with communities, and the challenges of being a sustainable tourism business.

Question: How did Matagalpa Tours get started?

Roersma: After exploring many beautiful places in the northern zone of Nicaragua (actually, it's in the center of the country, but it's commonly called the "north" because the paved roads don't go any farther), we realized that there was no company offering tours to the destinations here. We recognized an opportunity, knowing that adventurous travelers would love to discover the beautiful jungles, volcanoes, and people of this region.

Q: Why did you decide to focus on rural tourism and cultural experiences?

Roersma:There is very little tourist infrastructure in the Matagalpa region but these communities and their inhabitants have many fascinating stories to tell and interesting activities in which tourists can participate. Our tours are perfect for travelers who are interested in the culture and history of Nicaragua and who do not mind having to spend a night in very basic accommodations in exchange for having a unique and authentic experience.

Q: How do you support the local people with whom you work?

Roersma:We have community initiatives to support indigenous women artisan groups and farmers. We also make a special effort to promote environmental education in the communities. Our Agualí project, which has been particularly successful, is an environmental education initiative executed by Matagalpa Tours with support from the Dutch embassy geared toward local youths. In 2013, we began organizing free tours for groups of students focused on environmental and sociocultural issues. We created the Aguali.net website in order to maintain a connection with the kids and increase the impact of our message. The website offers environmental, educational, and current events information for young people.

Q: How do tourists respond to your combination of entertainment, nature, and contact with communities?

Roersma: Many of our clients say they've had an unforgettable experience. It is essential for us that in addition to having a good time in Nicaragua, they take the message home. For example, we provide a lot of information on consumerism and how their choices at home affect the people here in our country. Some of our tours combine visits to sustainable coffee or cocoa farms so that tourists will think about the origin of what they consume and the power they have to make a change by being more conscious consumers.

Q: What environmental efforts do you make?

Roersma: We believe that best environmental practices should be an integral part of our lives. It cannot be that we save energy at work but do not care in our private lives. We have had a series of workshops and activities where the Matagalpa Tours team itself developed rules for environmental consciousness in all aspects of our lives.

Q: Why is it important for a company like Matagalpa Tours to obtain sustainable tourism verification from Rainforest Alliance?

Roersma: For us, the efforts we make to be a social and environmental business are already a major achievement. The Rainforest Alliance verification seal confirms and reaffirms these efforts. In both the economic and business realms, the verification process has helped us to prove that we are a credible environmental and community-oriented company.

Q: What efforts are you making as a member of Tour Operators Promoting Sustainability (TOPS)?

Roersma: Although organizing ourselves is a challenge, in 2013 we trained the guides and drivers working with our businesses in good sustainability practices. We are also taking steps to promote Nicaragua as a destination with a sustainable profile nationally and internationally.

Q: What does a tour operator need to do in order to be sustainable?

Roersma: Even though other tour operators are competitors, you must be interested in the overall growth of the travel sector. We can achieve a lot more together than alone.

As a company, you must invest in your staff and create a place for their personal and professional development. It is also vital that the company generates revenue for the communities to which it brings visitors and applies its best practices everywhere it operates, not just within the company.

Q: What achievements has Nicaragua made in sustainable tourism and what challenges remain?

Roersma: Tourism development in Nicaragua got started slow and late, but luckily many local initiatives have been able to establish themselves. Most service providers such as hotels, restaurants, and transportation services are family businesses, which has helped Nicaragua be an original and unique country where culture and the hospitality environment continue to be attraction number one.

A challenge for us and the tourism industry is to promote domestic tourism.

This entry was posted on January 28, 2014 at 2:01 PM and has received 845 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

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Imagine staying at a hotel surrounded by the most delicious fruit trees and plants--where every trail you explore offers a sweet, natural snack. This is what you'll find at Fond Doux Holiday Plantation, on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, which features a delicious "edible landscape."

Oranges, bananas, starfruit, coconut, coffee, nutmeg, cinnamon, and giant pods of cocoa grow all over this 19th century colonial plantation. In this picture, you can see their home grown cocoa beans drying in the sun after the fermentation process. These are used as the main ingredient for many delicious recipes, like their famous cocoa tea!

This entry was posted on January 24, 2014 at 1:39 PM and has received 322 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

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Who doesn't love watching the setting sun after a fun-filled day of travel, disappearing below the horizon and turning the sky into a beautiful canvas of red and orange hues?

Today we want to share some amazing photos of sunsets from the sustainable hotels listed on our website:

Baja California Peninsula, México

Baja California offers a unique contrast between intense ocean-blue water beaches and arid desert landscapes. Photo by RED Sustainable Travel.

Arenal Volcano, La Fortuna, Costa Rica

The Arenal Volcano is well known for providing tourists with magical eruptions in the night. But this photo proves that the views are just as great right before dark. Photo by Catarata Eco Lodge.

Cancún, México

Cancún has amazing beaches and a great weather, but its romantic sunsets may be what has made it one of the top destinations for couples getaways and weddings. Photo by Dreams Riviera Cancún Resort & Spa.

Yacuma Protected Amazon Rainforest Reserve, Napo, Ecuador

Imagine experiencing a sunset right in the heart of the Amazon jungle! Photo by Yacuma Ecolodge.

Lago Atitlán, Guatemala

Lake Atitlán, also known as the "mirror of the sky," has been called the most beautiful lake in the world. So you can expect exceptional views behind its three impressive volcanoes. Photo by Hotel y Centro de Convenciones Jardines del Lago.

Monteverde, Costa Rica

Most of us like to sit, relax, and enjoy a sunset. But zip lining in the amazing cloud forest is another option to enjoy this magic moment! Photo by Hotel El Establo .

This entry was posted on January 21, 2014 at 5:36 PM and has received 721 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

Tropical cocktails, fresh fruit, a couple of beach chairs, and a sea kayak for two. What more could you ask for? A beach vacation like this is sure to cure even the chilliest winter blues.

This photo was taken at Almonds and Corals Resort, a sustainable hotel located on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, in the heart of the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge. Booking with a sustainable business is a great way to ensure your money is supporting the protection of coastal ecosystems!

This entry was posted on January 17, 2014 at 2:50 PM and has received 358 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

In one of our first blog entries ever, we explained why all travelers should consider "packing for a purpose" on their next vacation. Now that the Pack for a Purpose organization has a couple more years under its belt, it has facilitated donations of more than 27,000 pounds of supplies to needy schools, clinics, and orphanages worldwide.

We love this idea because it's such an incredibly easy way for travelers to give back. To participate, all you have to do is check the list on Pack for a Purpose's website to see if your hotel or tour operator has registered a list of items needed by their community. Suggested items are usually small and include school supplies, medical supplies, and toys. For example, La Quinta de Sarapiqui Country Inn's list includes crayons, math flash cards, Band-Aids, and stuffed animals. All you have to do is choose your items, pack them in your luggage, and drop them off at the front desk, and the hotel will deliver them for you. And voilà--now you have more room in your suitcase for souvenirs!

Last fall, Michael and Susan Henry visited Ka'ana Boutique Resort and Spa, a Rainforest Alliance Verified™ hotel in the rainforest of Belize. They brought a backpack filled with pencils, calculators, shoes, and deflated soccer balls and left it with the hotel staff to donate to the nearby Succotz Primary School. They visited the school anonymously to see where their donation would be used--a trip that ended up being one of the highlights of their vacation.

"After a brief walk about, it was clear that the school is doing a great deal of good on a limited budget," they recalled. "The children were orderly, but filled with enough laughter and mischief to be indistinguishable from students anywhere else in the world."

Ecoventura, a Rainforest Alliance Verified tour operator that offers yacht tours in the Galapagos Islands, also participates in Pack for a Purpose. Ecoventura donates supplies from its clients to the Alejandro Alvear School, an amazing institution on San Cristobal Island that provides therapy for children with Downs Syndrome, cerebral palsy, deafness, blindness, autism, and learning disabilities.

The Jeffs family visited Hotel Fairmont Mayakoba in the beautiful Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The littlest member of the family was put in charge of choosing and packing the items to donate to the Save the Children community organization, a task he was thrilled to perform!

Pack for a Purpose was started in 2009 by former schoolteacher and sustainable travel enthusiast Rebecca Rothney. More than 365 hotels and tour companies in more than 50 countries have added lists to the Pack for a Purpose directory. The organization has been recognized by Travel + Leisure magazine, winning the coveted Global Vision Award for Best Digital Initiative in 2012. It was also shortlisted in the Travel category of The Guardian's Observer Ethical Awards in 2013.

It doesn't hurt that Pack for a Purpose has one of the most heartwarming Pinterest boards we've seen in a long time! Reading those stories is sure to brighten up your day and inspire you to make a difference on your next vacation.

It's almost as easy for sustainable hotels and tour companies to sign up for Pack for a Purpose. Just visit the submission form and follow the three easy steps!

So tell us – will you pack for a purpose on your next trip?

This entry was posted on January 15, 2014 at 5:09 PM and has received 1132 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

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The magnificent Iguazu Falls, located about where Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina join borders, are ranked as the second largest waterfalls in the world. This UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site is a collection of 275 falls that extend over 1.7 miles in total, reaching anywhere from 197 to 269 feet in height. The Iguazu Falls were discovered in 1542 by Spanish commander Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca. They were created by a geological fault about 200,000 years ago, but ancient myths have a different explanation:

It is said that many years ago, there was a big and monstrous serpent god who lived in the Iguazú River, and its name was Boi. Once a year, the Guaraní people had to sacrifice a beautiful maid as an offer to Boi by throwing her to the river. All of the tribes, including the ones that lived far away, were invited for this ceremony. One year, a young warrior named Tarobá found out that the beautiful maid Naipí was chosen for the sacrifice. He rebelled to elderly members of the tribe, trying in vain to convince them not to offer her.

To save his beloved Naipí, he decided to escape with her on the night before the sacrifice. They stole a canoe and fled down the river. But Boi caught them and became furious. He drove his serpent body into the ground, which split the river and formed the falls, engulfing Naipí and Tarobá in their canoe.

Tarobá became the trees on the cliffs above the falls, and the beautiful Naipí was transformed into a rock. Their punishment is to always see each other but never be together again.

Boi retreated into a cave, where he watches Naipí and Tarobá be forever separated. However, on sunny days, a rainbow surpasses Boi's power and joins the trees to the rock, symbolizing Naipí and Tarobá's eternal love.

Photo courtesy of Yacutinga Lodge.

This entry was posted on January 10, 2014 at 2:10 PM and has received 369 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

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By Thomas Enderlin

As the Costa Rican tourism industry continues to take off, one of the biggest challenges rural communities face is finding a balance between the conservation of traditional ways of life and the need for economic growth. A visionary new agrotourism project in the Dota region of Costa Rica--developed by a group of community leaders and Vancouver Island University--helps rural communities establish financial security, protect the environment and conserve their traditions.

The project is centered on a multi-day trail, known informally as the Los Santos EcoTrail. Descending through the Dota region before arriving at the Pacific Ocean in the city of Quepos, the trail links a handful of small coffee farming communities and homestays. Currently, five Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms are directly involved in the Los Santos EcoTrail project, with many others indirectly benefiting from the gradual growth of community-based ecotourism in the area.

The Dota region is world famous for its top quality coffee production. Here, Rainforest Alliance certification is helping to improve farming practices while reducing environmental impacts and providing economic and social benefits. But volatile coffee market swings and erratic climate patterns make economic diversification an important attribute in the region--and local communities are achieving this critical diversification through small-scale tourism enterprises connected to the Los Santos EcoTrail.

"We really believe in this project, and we are doing this for the future of our children," one community representative explained. "We love our rural way of life, and don't want to see that disappear."

With increasing demands for adventure and culinary tourism and an upswing of consumers interested in purchasing products featuring the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal, projects like the Los Santos EcoTrail will provide opportunities for travelers to take their commitments one step further. These immersive vacations can provide a more direct connection to the origins of certified ingredients while demonstrating how farm and forestry certification benefits local rural communities and biodiversity.

On the trail, visitors also learn how local communities have survived off the land for generations. The people of Providencia still grind their shade grown coffee by hand. The people of Naranjillo let guests test their skills processing sugar cane into juice and crude molasses. Elsewhere along the journey, visitors are invited to make tortillas, learn traditional dances, and make artisanal crafts.

This model of diversified local economics is the future of sustainability. The Rainforest Alliance is currently exploring other agriculture and forestry landscapes that could benefit from small-scale sustainable agrotourism projects so that consumers can have an opportunity to travel to the places where their coffee, tea, and chocolate originate.

For more information on unique agrotourism opportunities, visit the Heart of Gold website.

Thomas Enderlin has a background in conservation, sustainable tourism, commodity trading and agriculture. He is currently based in San José, Costa Rica, where he divides his time as a project consultant, adventure travel guide, photographer, writer and cactus cultivator.

This entry was posted on January 7, 2014 at 1:03 PM and has received 1075 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.