Category: Responsible Travel

Nature Based Tourism Part 2, Uganda

Rachel Dobb told us about the conservation efforts she experienced while studying in Africa in Nature Based Tourism part 1, Madagascar. In part two Rainbow Tours travel consultant Leila Kassam tells us about her upbringing in Uganda and the threats to the Gorilla population in the country. Both Leila and Rachel have worked with conservation organisations in Africa and believe that these projects are helping to make a real difference to species survival by creating jobs for local people in areas where work is hard to come by.

Leila Kassam on UGANDA

The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, home of the mountain gorillas.

My father is Ugandan and I grew up and went to school there, so the well being of the wildlife is very close to my heart. I first went gorilla trekking in June 2012 in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and this was one of the highlights of my life so far. Mountain Gorillas are found in the Virunga Massif which spans three land borders – Uganda (Mt Gahinga National Park), Rwanda (Volcanoes National Park) and DRC (Virunga National Park) – as well as in Uganda’s Bwindi Forest in the Kigezi Highlands. Whilst the capture and poaching of gorillas for gruesome souvenirs or live animal trade has diminished recently, the threat from habitat destruction is now the greatest challenge – the Virungas and Kigezi highlands are some of the most densely populated human areas in Africa. The land is incredibly fertile and over the last century, what was once forest is now nearly all fields.

A Gorilla in Bwindi National Park

Mountain gorillas are a species that do not ‘bounce back’ easily. Their productive cycles take up to 4 years, and if an infant survives, it stays with its mother until the age of three. With such a small area of their natural habitat remaining, it’s impressive that their numbers have increased. The Uganda Wildlife authority recently announced that the number of gorillas has risen 10% in Bwindi from 786 in 2010 to over 880 in 2012.

An infant gorilla, Bwindi National Park

This growth has been entirely due to conservation efforts funded by tourism. Through the sale of gorilla permits, gorilla racking in Uganda is responsible for bringing in around 80% of the annual budget of the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Gorilla tourism has created hundreds of jobs for local people – not only in the lodges where tourist stay, but also for trained Trackers and guides who take visitors into the mountains to seek out the gorillas. This employment has helped to ease the pressure on farming as the only means of support in the area.

Aerial view around the Virunga Mountains

Porters are also drawn from the surrounding communities, with a rotation system in place that allows local men and omen to be employed for the day. This distributes income as fairly as possible. Ex-poachers too have been given a second chance’ and now make a living as trackers, another positive change which brings hope to the gorillas future.

Mother & baby In the wilds of the Virunga Mountains

Take a look at our range of responsible Uganda holidays and read more about gorilla conservation efforts at www.ugandawildlife.org.

Nature Based Tourism Part 1, Madagascar

Two of Rainbow Tours travel consultants have worked closely with conservation organisations in Africa and believe that these projects are helping to make a real difference to species survival. At the same time these efforts create jobs for local people, often in remote rural areas, where work is hard to come by. In part one Rachel Dobb tells us about her experience studying in Madagascar.

Rachel Dobb - Madagascar Travel Specialist at Rainbow Tours

Rachel Dobb on MADAGASCAR

“I lived and studied in Andasibe for nine months as part of my degree. I was working with an inspirational NGO (non-governmental organisation) called Mitsinjo, and helped with their conservation work to protect the Greater Bamboo Lemur Prolemur simus), which is found in only two of Madagascar’s national parks – Ranomafana and Andringitra. This species is classified as critically endangered on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list and it’s estimated that only about 300 mature individuals are left in the wild, with an estimated decline of at least 25% over the next 9 years. These numbers are shockingly low, but we were very excited as there had been sightings in unprotected areas around Torotorofotsy and Mantadia near where Mitsinjo is based.

Greater Bamboo Lemur, Ranomafana National Park

The project obtains behavioural, ecological and genetic data that is used to develop and implement large scale conservation management plans. Often, collecting this data requires long hours in the field, so our team of researchers, students and guides camped inside the National Park for months at a time, working in the early hours when the lemurs are most active. The research looks at issues such as whether unprotected areas need to be protected, what habitat features specific lemurs require and what can be done to stop the destruction of habitats that are essential to a specific lemur species. Data collection methods often rely on the use of expensive equipment like radio-tracking collars.

A stream in the primary rainforest of Ranomafana National Park, eastern Madagascar

Tourism provides vital funds to support the work of Mitsinjo and similar research projects through the entrance fees that are paid to the national parks by each visitor. The president of Mitsinjo allocates the money raised each year to worthy projects and  scientific studies. Most of these projects are locally based. As well as generating hard cash for projects, NGOs like Mitsinjo also provide jobs for local people and give the guides a sense of ownership over their local environment and a duty to protect it. Everyone at Mitsinjo has a job they wouldn’t have without tourism, and the genuine desire to protect the forest and its wildlife is clear.”

See our website for a full range of our responsible Madagascar holidays. Read about the conservation efforts hoping to protect the mountain gorillas of Uganda here.

Inspiring Responsible Tourism Winners 2012

The 7th November was World Responsible Tourism Day 2012 and also the date for the highly respected annual Responsible Tourism Awards. In its ninth year now, the awards aim to inspire and set new standards across the travel industry, with awards for initiatives that range from poverty reduction to the reduction in the carbon intensity of travel, and much in between.

This year Rainbow Tours were the category sponsors for the Best for Conservation award, and as pioneers of responsible travel, we were delighted to be able to play our part.  Back in April we encouraged staff and customers alike to nominate the national park, wildlife sanctuary or eco-programme that they felt most deserved recognition.  Arguably Africa has led the way with many exemplars of successful long-standing commitment to community involvement in habitat and wildlife preservation.  However, these issues are increasingly of concern to the many organisations and parties that make up the travel industry in Latin America. So we weren’t surprised to see a Chilean nominee in the list, Huilo Huilo, a reserve set  in the temperate northern Patagonian rainforest.

Winner at the Responsible Tourism awards for Best for Conservation, Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve, Patagonia, Chile

Huilo Huilo went on to win the Best for Conservation award and we were thrilled that a South American reserve was recognised for its inspirational work.  Over 100,000 hectares of pristine rainforest has been conserved since the project started in 2000 and the owners have been instrumental in changing the way in which they and the entire local community secure their living from the forest. Originally an area of logging, the reserve has changed the emphasis to conservation and the development of sustainable tourism.  Situated in the lakes area of Patagonia, its relatively easy to integrate a few nights at Huilo Huilo into most Chile holidays. The judges highly recommended Huilo Huilo for the impressive scale of their conservation work.

Des Walsh (right) presents award on behalf of Rainbow Tours to Huilo Huilo Reserve at the Responsible Tourism Awards 2012

All the projects nominated by the Responsible Tourism awards deserve further attention, and if you do nothing else, do read the story of Reality Tours and Travel, the overall winner, whose educational Dharavi Slum Tours show how its possible for tourists to visit an Indian slum in a responsible and beneficial way.

My personal favourite in the remaining categories is 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking, who train and employ women guides and porters in a Nepalese industry that has traditionally been a male preserve.  I do have to declare a special interest though as I went trekking in the Annapurna Conservation Area with their guides earlier this year. Since working at Rainbow Tours, the belief that tourism should always benefit local people has become my starting point when planning my own holidays. I had a wonderful time and can highly recommend both their treks and their sister organisation Empowering Women of Nepal (EWN) which works for gender equality and an end to child labour. It was the achievement of combining both social and business goals that most impressed the judges.

Trekking in the Annapurna Conservation Area - Yo Maya and Tchring, my guide and porter from 3 Sisters Adventure

The panel of eminent judges included Harold Goodwin, Professor in Responsible Tourism Management at Leeds Metropolitan, Mark Watson, Executive Director of Tourism Concern and Sue Hurdle Chief Executive, The Travel Foundation. You can read more about the awards and the stories behind the winners on the Responsible Travel website.

How to be a better tourist & travel responsibly

There has been much talk about responsible travel in recent times, with awards, accreditation and claims of ‘green travel’ seemingly in abundance. Authentic experiences are often high on our clients’ holiday wish list, and if the well-being of the communities and natural environments you visit are important to you, our short guide will help to ensure that you receive the warmest of welcomes wherever you visit.

1. Put money directly into the local community
• Buy locally made crafts to take home, helping to provide vital income and keep traditions alive

• Don’t over haggle… pay what you think is fair – a few extra dollars may make all the difference, especially where tourism is seasonal

• Try to eat out locally… this is not always possible but every little counts so have a drink in a local bar or book a local excursion where you can

• Tipping is a complex issue, but as a general rule tip little and often to help support many incomes. Your travel consultant can provide advice on tipping guides and drivers

Our Cape Town Township tour - organised by local company Cape Capers - includes an opportunity to purchase locally-made craft and artefacts.

2. Be sensitive to other cultures
• Read up a little and talk with your travel consultant before you go to be aware of local customs and practices. Consider learning a few words of the language too

• Dress appropriately, particularly outside your hotel, bearing in mind local sensibilities, particularly when visiting a temple or a mosque

• Children are usually keen to have their picture taken and will love to see shots of themselves but always ask before you take photos of people, particularly in Muslim countries where women are not allowed to be photographed

• Where appropriate, consider taking public transport… it’s a great way to start chatting to people

Like many of the lodges Rainbow Tours works with in the Masai Mara, most of the employees at Saruni Mara are from the surrounding areas, and guests have a chance to learn about the culture first-hand from the Maasai warriors.

3. Use precious resources sparingly
• Think about your water consumption and only use what you need – take short showers not baths, and avoid requesting clean towels or sheets every day

• Turn off air-conditioning and lights when not in your room

• Take home objects like used batteries that require complex recycling as waste disposal is a major expense in developing countries

• Take your own re-usable shopping bags and water bottles, rather than buying in countries where they don’t get recycled

In Ecuador's Amazon, many lodges are owned by or directly benefit the local indigenous communities, and each of them provides a opportunity to experince traditional life in the rainforest.

4. Actively support local charities and conservation efforts
• Safari concessions, national parks, game reserves and wildlife sanctuaries all help to preserve natural habitats, flora and fauna. Entrance fees are a vital part of income generation

• Donating to a charity or NGO that will have a lasting effect – we can make suitable recommendations

• Donating to a local school or orphanage – don’t simply hand out sweets to children you meet, consider schemes such as Pack with a Purpose, which support a school near where you are going and can tell you which items are most needed

A stay at Anjajavy in Madagascar helps the hotel to support the local school at Ambondro Ampasy.

5. Choose your accommodation carefully
Ask our travel consultant to suggest lodges and hotels that have strong social and environmental practices. Some things to look out for are:

• A robust commitment to the environment that includes use of bio-degradable toiletries and cleaning materials, solar power alternatives particularly in wilderness areas, properties that sanitise and filter their own water reducing the need for plastic bottles

• Employment and training opportunities for local people. In remote areas there may not always a huge of choice of hotels, but in most regions you will find properties that operate ethical employment practices

• City hotels that distribute excess food to homeless people and support street children, a serious problem in many developing countries.

Trainee chefs at Hog Hollow Country Lodge on South Africa's Garden Route. The lodge is a model of Responsible Tourism and is accredited by Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA)

We may not know all the answers to the big responsible travel questions, but as company Rainbow Tours is committed to ever increasing our knowledge and finding ways to help all our customers make a positive difference. If tourism is to be sustainable it needs to ensure it improves the lives of the people in the countries visited. Please do add your comments to this blog.

There are a number of excellent organisations that are leading the debate about sustainable travel and their websites are well worth visiting: Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and Harrold Goodwin’s blog.

Authentic travel…authentic food

Food is such an important part of any holiday and something that Rainbow’s clients have always valued and commented on – unforgettable dining experiences in unspoilt locations is one of our favourite mantras. It’s the local knowledge that makes all the difference, whether you’re looking for award-winning haute cuisine and world class wines, or a freshly caught and grilled lobster washed down by a local beer.

We were therefore thrilled to win the Food and Travel Magazine’s Best Tour Operator 2012 award back in September, voted for by their readers, and flushed by our success, we hosted our very first food bloggers event last week. Fourteen top food bloggers came along to our Taste of Africa evening, held at the innovative Open Kitchens in Hoxton. We cooked beef and greens from Madagascar and Tanzania fish with fried onions, chilli and garlic. See the recipes and more photos from the event on our Taste of Africa page.

The wine flowed and we exchanged views on food, responsible travel to Africa that benefits the communities you visit, and the role of the bloggers as the new journalists. There was much debate, but in the final analysis we all agreed that good food is an essential part of any holiday and that authentic travel experiences, where you can genuinely engage with local cultures and people, lead to more authentic food experiences.

Read what our bloggers had to say about their Taste of Africa experiences:

- London Unattached
- Future Foodie
- Snigs Kitchen
- Brunch Etc
- Hot & Chilli

Chef Attoma Mandji demonstrates how to cook Tanzanian fish with fried onions

World Rhino Day 2012 – Help save the Rhino’s in Africa

“A true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his father but borrowed from his children”…John James Audubon

We all hear the shocking headlines of even more rhino poaching in Africa and the numbers of rhinos in the world is diminishing by the day. It’s a terrible problem which is brought up constantly by conservationist and nature lovers alike but what is actually being done about it and how do we stop the carnage of these beautiful creatures?

With information on the internet and social media, the shocking problem of poaching is accessible to everyone and is in the minds of the young and old. None more so than the 11 year old Julia Murray from Hong Kong.

We all know this problem needs to be addressed before the species is eventually instinct and will no longer roam the lands of Africa, but if we do nothing how will we ever know if we could of made a difference. That’s why the story of this little girl truly touched me.

With an imminent birthday approaching, Julia a South African born girl living in Hong Kong decided to organise a birthday party with a difference. Each of her guests would take part in painting a picture which would then be auctioned off online to raise money for Julia’s Rhino fund. It was decided the money collected would be given to Chipembere Rhino Foundation. The foundation indicated that they had a need for tracking collars that cost approximately R10 000 (£740) to dart and collar one Rhino.

The party was held, T-Shirts were made and the pictures were auctioned. Amazingly Julia raised R30,000.00 to help the Rhinos. The family had planned to go on a South Africa holiday and Julia was given the opportunity to collar her Rhinos which the funds she raised had helped purchase.

Julia's Save the Rhino's Photo

“Being up close to these huge animals was a humbling experience. Spending time with these amazing people, who do so much to care for animals, really inspires me to continue raising awareness and money for rhinos. I hope we can make a difference so that my children too, can experience these wonderful, almost prehistoric beasts. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make this an unforgettable experience for me”. Julia Murray

Julia made a small but significant difference in the global fight to keep Rhinos from extinction and is a great inspiration to us all. If we all made the effort to help, this incredible animal will survive. Where would the Big-Five be without any Rhinos??

Today is World Rhino Day, bringing awareness to the poaching of Rhinos. If you’d like to donate to help save the species you can do so through WWF.

Running for Street Child of Sierra Leone

Street Child of Sierra Leone is an inspirational charity whose aim is to get children off the streets and back into school. I came across Street Child through organising the travel arrangements for one of the runners and have been bowled over by the commitment and enthusiasm of every person I’ve come into contact with. Rainbow Tours was one of the Post Race Event sponsors and this is just the beginning of our involvement. The marathon raised over £400,000 and we’re already thinking about how we can be involved next year. Lewis Aldridge is a volunteer for Street Child and sent in this report and photos of this year’s Kiln Sierra Leone Marathon.

Rob Morley

Kiln Sierra Leone Marathon, image by Mark Gillett

“I’ve just come back from a wonderful and inspiring trip to Sierra Leone and wanted to tell everyone at Rainbow Tours about it. I’m in love with Africa and spend as many of my holidays there as possible, but up until now I hadn’t been anywhere over in the West. I also love running. So when I heard there was a charity organising the first ever marathon to be run in Sierra Leone, it was something that I just had to get involved with.

We flew direct from London to Freetown and transferred straight to Makeni where the run was to be held and where the charity, Street Child of Sierra Leone, works tirelessly to get children off the streets and back into school. The marathon day itself was phenomenal. I’ve run about a dozen marathons and it was the best one by far. The scenery was sublime and the atmosphere was electric, but perhaps above all I think it was the 170 or so international runners all running for the same cause which made it really special.

Kiln Sierra Leone Marathon, image by Mark Gillett

After leaving Makeni I decided to rest my tired legs by spending a few days down by the sea. The beaches in Sierra Leone are some of the best in the world. I spent one night on the delightful Banana Island followed by two nights on the wonderful Tokey Beach. And on the last day I went to see the Sierra Leone national football team play in the national stadium in Freetown. I recommend it all. I love Sierra Leone. It’s safe, friendly and practically devoid of tourists. I can’t wait to go back for next years race!”

Lewis Aldridge

Kiln Sierra Leone Marathon for Street Child. Image by Mark Gillett

If you’d like to donate to Street Child, get in touch with Rainbow Tours or go to the Sierra Leone Street Child’s web page on Virgin Giving here. Regular giving really helps the charity to plan ahead and they say monthly donations are key to Street Child’s stability and growth – here’s a reminder of what just £10, £20, £40 or £100 a month can do.

£10 a month – Pays school fees, uniform, materials for 3 children.
£20 a month – Funds a child’s journey from the streets to family and school.
£40 a month – Trains a community primary school teacher and pay them a basic wage.
£100 a month – Pays a social worker’s salary: who supports 50-100 street children.

Traditional Luxury vs Eco in Mozambique

I like luxury, there’s no getting away from it! I can see the allure of a Robinson Crusoe style desert island, but I still would like some of my creature comforts. A super comfortable sun lounger, fabulous food and an ice cold G&T are all standard on my holiday wish list.

I’ve long wanted to explore Northern Mozambique, attracted by the photos of gorgeous, empty beaches with little or no development. But it’s also an area known for its cutting edge eco-tourism, and I was therefore a little intrigued about what I’d find when I set off on a recent trip to experience it for myself. Tourism that contributes to the well-being of the local community and schemes to encourage towel and bed linen reuse are ‘meat and drink’ to all of us in the Southern Africa travel team, but I’m not so familiar with the reality of actual eco-living.

My first stop was Nuarro Lodge on Mozambique’s northern coast, south of Pemba and north of historic Ilha de Mocambique. Billed as an eco-lodge, it instantly impresses with everything from the chairs to the roof made by local craftspeople, using eco-friendly materials, constructed without power tools or nails, with everything cleverly tied and woven together.

The chalets are spaced out along the beach, each with a path straight down onto the incredibly spacious beach – even when the lodge is full you can still have a vast area all to yourself with chairs, thatched umbrellas and amazing double lounges on stilts. The rooms are equally huge with good views from just about everywhere, even from the shower where there’s a window perfectly placed for an ocean vista.

Nuarro Lodge

The custom at Nuarro is to sleep with the door open to let the sea breezes in, and despite my fear of creepy crawlies, I decided to go with the flow and in fact had an awesome night’s sleep. There is just something so special about feeling safe enough to do this and to wake to sound of the ocean and the birds – this is true relaxation!

Ocean activities like diving and snorkelling take top billing at Nuarro, which my colleagues who were more experienced at these pass times threw themselves in with gusto. I’ve never done either before so was eager to jump right in and found myself blown away by all the little and the slightly bigger things there are down there beneath the surface.

One evening we had a wonderful dinner on the beach which was a real highlight. The fish and seafood based menu at the lodge is varied and lets the fresh ingredients do the work. The lodge buys as much food as it can locally, for example they asked a family to volunteer to start a chicken run – Nuarro supplied all the chickens and the equipment and they now have 100 chickens that produce eggs which Nuarro buy. One of the real strengths of Nuarro is its relationship with the local community, and it’s no surprise that they have been approached by an NGO to start a school just outside their community which will benefit children from a broad locality.

Nuarro Lodge

Next stop the luxurious but remote Coral Lodge. I knew before hand that this would be perfect for me, my more natural terrain. We travelled by road to Ilha de Mozambique and were picked up by the Coral Lodge boat, which turned out to be an amazing way to be arrive at the hotel! Plates of delicious tapas greeted us on arrival and this was just a taste of what was to come. The chef here is really wonderful, each dish prepared with such imaginative and again using fresh local produce.

The individual villas are incredibly spacious and decorated beautifully. Now the bed… this has to be the most amazing air-con system ever as it’s actually built into the bed itself. It’s so gentle but very effective. I was at Coral Lodge in the summer and just loved luxuriating in the air-cooled bed after a hard day on the beach.

With my new found snorkelling skills I was able to explore the nearby lagoon. At first it didn’t look that impressive but then you look down and it’s incredible! There are so many young fish it’s like a giant nursery. The dive master at Coral Lodge is also a biologist, so its great fun learning about ocean life at the same time.

The lodge supplies the local community with electricity and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit to meet them all. It’s a wonderful place – the kids are all excited to see you and they follow you all around the village waiting for you to take photos with them and of them. My tip here is to always show the children the photos afterwards, as it is a real treat for them and they just love it.

Coral Lodge - Kayaking on lagoon

Thinking over my visit to the two lodges, Eco doesn’t have to mean basic – it’s more what people aptly call barefoot luxury. Whilst you don’t have ‘gold tap’ luxury at an eco-lodge, there can still be an emphasis on comfort as well as on the authenticity of your experience. And likewise, many lodges in Mozambique that offer top-class luxury are also closely involved with the local community and you feel that your visit has made a difference to the lives of real people. Responsible tourism doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice all those luxurious treats you’ve been looking forward to all year!

Nuarro and Coral Lodge each offer different types of luxury experiences; ‘Eco’ does in some respects mean a bit of a compromise but the lodges are well thought out, trying to consider as many creature comforts as possible and they are always so kind and helpful, willing to help you find the right solution. So with a bit of patience and a thought for the planet’s future, you’ll have a ‘feel good’ holiday in all respects.

The gateways to this beautiful country are truly starting to open up and it is definitely worth the extra effort required to reach this remarkable destination. The planning and journey are all part of the holiday, and these are my tips for minimising travel hassle on a Mozambique holiday.

• Try to sit by the window on the flight into Mozambique’s Nampula as the views are breathtaking; there is just nothing but open spaces, a few houses dotted around spectacular rock formations.
• Get your visa ahead of time in London if your entry point is via a small place like Nampula or Pemba, as the queues can be long. Regional airports tend to be tiny but also busy, and it’s great swooshing straight past all the people in the long visa queue!
• Consider taking light aircraft flights rather than road transfers. I was nervous about the 45 minute flight from Nampula to Nuarro, but we had an incredible pilot, who spoke to me the whole way. I sat in the front which really helped and I disembarked feeling like an old hand at small aircraft flights! The alternative is a four hour, bumpy drive, which might suit more intrepid types than me.

Coral Lodge villa