Green travel destinations exist on nearly every continent.

In many ways, the

manner in which one travels is more important than the destination when it
comes to traveling green and acting in environmentally friendly ways. Travel
green options include eco-tourism, agritourism, volunteering for environmental
causes and organizations, and visiting ecoparks. Osetting car!on emissions is
another way to travel green. "hen selecting a green travel destination, there are
several !asic #uestions to keep in mind.
The three most important topics are the activity level, !udget, and preferred
environment or ecosystem. Green travel destinations vary from a relaxing !ut
earth friendly to performing di$cult and physically demanding tasks. One way to
travel green is to go on a volunteering trip that involves working on an organic
farm or !uilding eco-friendly homes or !uildings. %uch trips usually devote a
certain num!er of hours per day to tasks. These trips are an excellent way for a
!udget traveler to travel green !ecause accommodation and food are sometimes
very low cost or even free of charge.
Organic farms or volunteer opportunities can !e found worldwide in places like
&exico, 'ritish (olom!ia, (osta )ica, and other (entral *merican countries, as
well as locations in southeastern +urope. ,olunteering we!sites or green travel
magazines are an excellent place to look for sources. There are also dozens of
eco-tourism and green travel we!sites that can provide helpful green travel
information. Travel magazines often highlight environmentally friendly or green
travel destinations, and many provide tips on making vacations even greener.
*gri tourism is another green travel option. The concept is fairly new, !ut more
and more people are en-oying this relaxed and environmentally friendly form of
tourism. In agritourism, visitors head to a destination, many times someone.s
farm or home, and en-oy the local products, trades, and specialties. *gritourists
may go out to an orchard to pick fruit for !reakfast or visit the farm.s chicken
coop for eggs to make fresh pasta with the family of the farm.
This type of travel is greener !ecause of the local, fresh, and homemade
emphasis on every part of the experience. )ecently, the most popular
agritourism sites have !een in regions well known for organic farming and
regional cuisine. /ocations include Italy, Greece, %pain, (alifornia, and ranching
areas of the 0nited %tates, such as "yoming and &ontana.
*nother way to travel green is to reduce your travel footprint. This can !e done
!y traveling !y greener forms of transportation such as hiking, !icycling, or
pu!lic transport, such as !us or train. One of the easiest ways to !e green is to
explore local travel destinations and utilize local products.
Travelers who are not ready to give up the more luxurious forms of travel have
still more options. It is now possi!le to !uy or pay for car!on emissions. &ost
ma-or air carriers or travel agencies oer this option and can provide further
information.
%o you.re planning your 1rst trip to %outh *merica. "here would you go2 "hat
would you count as a must-see2 3ow long would you spend there2 %ee one
country or cram in as many as you can2 "ould you go for the popular
destinations only or try to get o the !eaten path2 (heck the *tlas de )utas
4%outh *merica )oad *tlas5 4direct !uy5 for highways, routes and distances
!etween destinations.
If you.re planning to -oin an arranged tour, where does the tour !egin and how
will you get there2 6oes the tour company make your 7ight reservations to and
from or is that up to you2 Is this travel covered in the tour price or is it extra2 *re
there entrance or exit fees from the country you.ll !e visiting2 (heck this out. 8ou
don.t want to !e leaving the country and detained for lack of an exit fee.
If you are traveling with an all-inclusive tour group where all you have to do is
show up at the airport on time with your tickets and your documents, skip this
portion of the feature and move on to 9repare 8ourself for Travel.
If you are traveling on your own, then you will !e responsi!le for all your own
travel arrangements, reservations and for verifying them as needed. 8ou.ll want
to 1nd the !est 7ights for the price with the most convenient airports. 8ou may
want to rent a car and explore on your own. 8ou.ll certainly want to 1nd a place
to stay. One way to explore the possi!ilities is to use the resources a!out Getting
There. *nother option is to let :ayak do the comparison searching for you.
+xplore your 7ight options, hotels and cars for your travel !ooking needs.
Once you.ve decided on a destination, you will need to get there. There are many
airlines who 7y internationally to %outh *merica and within the continent.
*dditionally, there are many airlines who 7y domestically. %ome of the latter are
very reputa!le and you should have no pro!lems. %ome may not !e so. I.ve 7own
on national 7ights on planes that I could have sworn were held together with
!u!!le gum and chicken wire taken from the chicken coops in the rear of the
plane. ;lying over the *ndes was #uite an experience.
8ou may prefer to use com!ination transportation, such as air and sea, !y 7ying
one way and taking a cruise either !ack, or !y adding a cruise such as the ones
in Tierra 6el ;uego which sail !etween *rgentina and (hile. This is an excellent
way to com!ine your travel time with sightseeing, relaxation and some great
photographic opportunities.
Once in-country, you may use pu!lic transportation, either !y choice or !y need.
%ome countries have excellent !us service !etween cities, others may leave a lot
to !e desired in comfort and relia!ility !ut may !e all there is to get you where
you.re going. (heck into the local railroads. *gain, they vary greatly, !ut
remem!er, travel is a way to !roaden your horizons and learn how others live.
8ou.ll need accommodations. 'rowse through the detailed, comprehensive links
for the cities and towns in the countries you will !e visiting. There are many
hotels, inns, posadas, !ed and !reakfast inns, hostels and campgrounds, and
resorts listed. They range from the simplest hostel to very expensive, 1ve star
hotels. (heck through them, look into the prices and amenities oered and make
your choice. 8ou may reseve !y email or the online reservation form provided.
&ake allowances for time zones in expecting an answer, and !e prepared with
second or third alternates if your 1rst choice is unavaila!le. %tart with 1nding out
what is availa!le with this hotel search.
There are some travelers who prefer to get where they are going and then 1nd a
place to stay. This may work for them, !ut I.ve always wanted to know I have a
room, a !ed and a shower waiting for me when I get o the plane.
8ou may need to make reservations for entrance to speci1c tours or activities.
;or instance, the 9eruvian government is limiting the num!er of people who daily
set out on the Inca Trail, so you may need to reserve a slot. *ngel ;alls are
accessi!le only !y air and you will need reservations for 7ights and lodging at
near!y (amp (anaima
There many advantages to using the internet such as:
Email.
+mail is now an essential communication tools in !usiness. It is also excellent
for keeping in touch with family and friends. The advantages to email is that it is
free 4 no charge per use5 when compared to telephone, fax and postal services.
Information.
There is a huge amount of information availa!le on the internet for -ust a!out
every su!-ect known to man, ranging from government law and services, trade
fairs and conferences, market information, new ideas and technical support.
Services.
&any services are now provided on the internet such as online !anking, -o!
seeking and applications, and hotel reservations. Often these services are not
availa!le o-line or cost more.
Buy or sell products.
The internet is a very eective way to !uy and sell products all over the world
Online Banking
The only time I write a check now is for a gift at a christening or a wedding. If
you haven<t started online !anking, you should de1nitely consider it. I<ve !een
online !anking for at least the past ten years and I a!solutely love it. The
reasons for doing so are numerous, such as=
8ou don<t have to !e constantly writing out checks to pay your !ills, licking
envelopes, and !uying postage.
8ou can easily pay your regular !ills like mortgage and car loan with a couple
of clicks and the payments will !e made electronically on the proper day to avoid
late charges.
8ou can also receive your !ills electronically and an email will notify you when
the !ill arrives. Then, after logging into your !ank we!site, you can schedule
your !ills to arrive on a given date.
*nother great thing a!out online !anking is that you can set up anyone as a
recipient of funds. %o, if you want to send a check to a relative you can do so
online either !y having a paper check mailed to them or directly depositing the
money into their account.
>. Online 6egrees
I could !e considered an authority on online education as I -ust completed
another college degree taking online classes exclusively. I -ust received my
diploma in the mail last week and I never once visited the college. I am a huge
proponent of online education. The !ene1ts far outweigh any draw!acks ?
especially for anyone who works full-time ? since the logistics of driving to and
from class would simply !e too time-consuming. There wasn<t even the hassle of
having to go to the !ookstore as I could order those online as well. %ure, there
are some draw!acks ? such as not having face-to-face interaction with
classmates ? !ut even that is possi!le if you want to %kype with them. If you
have the inclination to go !ack to school for your degree, you should really
consider taking an online degree. Take one class as a test drive@ you will not
regret it.
A. Online Training and %eminars
I remem!er a time that the only way you could get training on the -o! was either
!y going to a training class or having a trainer come into your workplace. "ell,
the landscape has certainly changed here. "e!inars have !ecome extremely
popular in the internet age, !ringing together a virtual class online. Gone are the
travel costs for !oth the trainer and the trainee, which lowers the cost for the
class itself. *nyone can !asically put together a training class from the comfort
of their own home with tools such as GoTo&eeting. I regularly schedule
GoTo&eeting training classes with foreign counterparts and customers.
B. %earching
There were days when you wanted to learn more a!out a particular su!-ect you
would open a !ook, an encyclopedia or a dictionary. *t my house, we always had
a full collection of "orld 'ook +ncyclopedias. "hen the end of each year came,
we would receive the edition that chronicled that particular year. To this day I
use a dictionary and thesaurus on a daily !asis ? !ut now they live online and not
on my !ookshelf. Today, we have lightning fast search engines that can give us
thousands of links !ased on speci1c keywords. Cust yesterday I used the internet
to scope out farmer<s markets in my neck of the woods. Dot only did I 1nd a local
one, !ut I got directions on how to get there.
E. )esearching
&y !rother, a professor at a prestigious li!eral arts college on the "est (oast of
the 0% , has written text !ooks in the area of Government and 9olitical %cience.
3e has told me that with the advent of the internet age, the manner in which he
does his research for his !ooks has changed dramatically. In the past, he would
have to go to a li!rary to do his research. Today all of this research is done
online, in the comfort of his own o$ce. 3is main concern is to !e conscious of
sites with faulty information. ;ortunately for him, his research is typically done
on legitimate government and political science we!sites ? so that is a minor
concern.
F. 'uying Online
If you can<t 1nd it in a local store, you can always 1nd it online. * case in point is
that I recently could not 1nd canned pumpkin anywhere in local stores. &y wife
uses pumpkin to make pumpkin !reads, pumpkin ravioli and for other !aking
needs. It appears that there is a pumpkin shortage in the 0nited %tates due to
excessive rain. %o, I mentioned to my wife that we should try to 1nd it online ?
and we did. "e were a!le to order a case of canned pumpkin for a fairly
reasona!le price. If you can<t 1nd it at a local store, chances are you can 1nd it
online.
G. Telecommuting
The internet age has completely rede1ned how we work. The a!ility to sit in
your home o$ce while connecting to all of the same resources as if you were in
your work o$ce is a reality in today<s workplace. This has allowed people like
me to avoid a two and a half hour commute on the days that I am allowed to
telecommute. The time savings, gas savings and the wear and tear on my car
4and on me5 is a huge gain. There is nothing I can do at work that I cannot do at
home ? other than walk over to some!ody<s o$ce. *s mentioned previously, I
use GoTo&eeting if I need to meet with someone and share my computer.
H. ;reelance "riting
"ith the popularity of the internet, there has !een an explosion in online
content. *s a result of this, there has !een a huge !oon in freelance writing.
Opportunities exist as never !efore in this area. If you love to write and are good
at it, chances are you can 1nd an online presence that will pay for your services.
I have had the good fortune of doing -ust that for this very popular !log, which
happens to !e !ased halfway across the world. 'eing a!le to develop a portfolio
of your work, and get paid for it, is a tremendous opportunity in the online world.
IJ. "orldwide media accessi!ility
The internet has opened up all users to worldwide media. Internet radio is
accessi!le to anyone in the world connected to the internet. *n example of this
is that the other morning my wife 4of Greek descent5 was going to put on some
Greek (6s on the stereo as she cooked for a large group that was visiting later in
the day. I suggested to her that we should search the internet for a Greek radio
site. "e #uickly found a Greek radio we!site that had links of roughly 1fty
dierent radio stations, most of which were music stations. "e found a radio
station !ased in Thessaloniki, Greece, which is where her mother was !orn. I
hooked up some cheap KB speakers to my laptop and we were a!le to en-oy
hours of Greek music, at no cost. &y wife was 7a!!ergasted with the #uality of
the sound and the variety of the music.
These are -ust some of what I call Llife-changingM advancements of the internet
age. The productivity and personal gains that the internet has given to the world
are tremendous. This list is not meant to !e comprehensive !ut these are some
of my favorites. I am fortunate in that I am a!le to remem!er what life was
without these conveniences.
I sometimes wonder if the young people of today can truly appreciate the gifts
that the internet has !estowed upon us.
Unity through sports activities
*t 8our %ervice !y 6*T0: &O36 8*%ID &O36 %*//+3
&ore than -ust !eing a!out discipline and con1dence, games !ring the people
together regardless of their !ackground.
%9O)T% are all forms of physical activities that contri!ute to 1tness, mental well-
!eing and social interaction. They include play, recreation, organised casual or
competitive sports as well as indigenous sports and games.
'y their very nature, sports essentially denote participation. They are a!out
inclusion and citizenship. %ports activities !ring individuals and communities
together, highlighting commonalities and !ridging cultural or ethnic divides.
The easy and inherent a!ility of sports to !ring people together make them a
powerful communication tool.
%ports provide a forum to learn skills such as discipline, con1dence and
leadership and core principles such as acceptance, cooperation and respect.
%ports expound the value of eort and how to manage victory as well as defeat.
The fundamental elements of sports make them a via!le and practical tool to
support the achievement of nation development. Taking part in activities will also
help reduce the likelihood of many diseases arising from a sedentary and
inactive lifestyle.
%ports programmes are eective tools for social mo!ilisation, supporting health
activities and they can provide employment and contri!ute to local development.
They encourage volunteerism and can !e utilised to spearhead non-
governmental changes and transformation initiatives.
%ports can cut across !arriers that divide societies, making them a powerful tool
to support con7ict prevention and peace-!uilding eorts. "hen applied
eectively, sports programmes promote social integration and foster tolerance,
help reduce tension and generate dialogue.
The concept of L%ports for *llM is central to the understanding of sports. This
concept aims to maximise access to and participation in appropriate forms of
physical activities. +mphasis is placed on participation and accessi!ility for all
groups in society regardless of gender, age, a!ility or race.
&any of the core values inherent in sports are compati!le with the principles
necessary for development and peace, such as fair play, cooperation, sharing
and respect.
The life skills learned through sports help empower individuals and enhance
psycho-social well-!eing such as increased resilience, self-esteem and
connection with others.
These features of sports are !ene1cial to people of all ages !ut they are
especially vital to the healthy development of young people who will inherit
positions of power and responsi!ility in government organisations.
&ore than stimulating economic growth, eectively designed sports programmes
strengthen !asic human capa!ilities, create connections !etween individuals and
teach core values and life skills.They are valua!le tools to initiate social
development and improve social cohesion, especially when implemented among
young people."hen social and personal skills are com!ined, sports can !e an
eective medium to intervene in a person<s a!ility to decide whether to a!use or
not a!use drugs.
This is especially true when elements of sports are com!ined with mechanisms
and structures providing drug-related information and life-skills training.;actors
that contri!ute to young people turning to crime include the a!sence of positive
role models, a lack of self-discipline and !oredom.%ports can tackle causes of
-uvenile crime !y helping youths make positive connections with adults and their
peers, !y integrating them into constructive activities within society and !y
providing useful activities.
%ports can !e an eective tool for empowering girls and women, given that they
are often excluded from participation and from en-oying its physical and psycho-
social !ene1ts.'y directly challenging and dispelling misperception a!out
women<s capa!ilities, integrated sports programmes help to reduce
discrimination and widen women<s role.
%ports can integrate persons with disa!ilities into society, providing an arena for
positive social interaction, reducing isolation and !reaking down pre-udices.
%ports programmes for the disa!led are also cost-eective methods of
reha!ilitation.They are highly therapeutic, improving motor skills and increasing
mo!ility, self-su$ciency and self-con1dence.%ports have !een !ringing people
from all over the world together since the 1rst Olympics in Greece. %ports !ring
people a sense of accomplishment !ut more importantly, unity.
"hen playing a sport, you have to !e a!le to communicate with team mem!ers
and coaches. If you are playing the sport !y yourself, chances are you have a
coach !y your side. (ommunication is extremely important when it comes to
unity.It allows you to tell other players or the coach what is going on in a
particular situation to improve and o!tain !etter results.
In a team setting, you know your team is united when there is trust on the 1eld
or in the court. 8ou have to !e a!le to trust that your teammate will make that
important catch or trust in your teammate to score the winning !asket in the
championship.
8ou may have a super star on your team !ut the lack of communication among
players and the super star would !e costly. The team has lost the game !efore it
started !ecause without trust, talent means nothing. Trust !rings unity and is the
key to winning games."e have witnessed the extent and far-reaching
conse#uences of participation in sports to the individual, community,
organisation, institution and the nation.
The !ene1ts are indeed tremendous and ideally sports can extend to previously
unchartered territories of endeavours and manage human con7icts. %ports will
continue to serve human development.
9romoting unity through sports
ID keeping with its vision of promoting unity through sports among children of
dierent races, %ports0nite in colla!oration with &ilo and ;igos recently
presented some sports items and organised a (hinese Dew 8ear tea party for IE
children of the (hempaka "elfare 3ome at Taman %ea, 9etaling Caya.+ach child
also received a )&IJ ang pow.
%portsunite executive director 6ina )izal hoped the contri!ution of sports items
would !ring some new year cheer to the children of the home.LIt<s an initiative
that we have !een organising for the past three years,M )izal said, adding that he
!elieved sports is a good way to !ring happiness to children.LIt allows them to
interact, make new friends, develop good sports values and lead healthy
lifestyles.L"e hope our hum!le contri!ution will !ring some (hinese Dew 8ear
cheer to these deserving children,M )izal said.
3e also commended the home<s employees for their dedication and patience in
helping these children tirelessly.LI would also like to thank &ilo and ;igos again
for their loyal support to our cause.(hempaka 'uddhist /odge 4manages the
home5 exco mem!er %. :. Tan said he was grateful for the contri!ution.
LThe children will surely en-oy these gifts. I look forward to %ports0nite<s
continued support and appeal to other companies to also help us in our eorts to
give these children a purpose and future in life,< said Tan
L+xcellent way to spend a relaxing dayM
A of B stars )eviewed I Cune NJIN
"hen we go islanding we usually do a !oat trip that includes a ride to a spot or
two to snorkel, lunch, lots of !ooze, sometimes a stop at a !each and then a long
!oat ride !ack. This is perfect for those that dislike !eing regimented !y a
company.s day in, day out repetitive trips with another faceless crowd of tourists.
"hat.s dierent is that you take a short water taxi ride to the 7oating platform,
settle in and then snorkel, laze a!out, eat at your own pace. I like to snorkel and
although the num!er and variety of 1sh may not !e as rich as a coral reef
environment, there is plenty to !e entertained !y. The next platform over is this
underwater helmet walk where they put people in these goofy headgear then
they walk along a paved path, all the while spewing massive amounts of !u!!les.
Do matter how much of a goofy tourist you are, watching those folks makes you
feel like a knowledga!le -et-setter.
The crew on the 7oat was very friendly and e$cient. The crew leader, /eroy, did
an excellent -o! socializing with the civilians without going over!oard with the
usual Olet.s get drunk.O The music wasn.t over!earingly loud, making it di$cult to
hold a conversation. It was relaxing, if you wanted to doze o you could.
I snorkeled around > times, one time following a mantaray for a!out IB minutes
while it hugged the sea 7oor. Do one called me !ack to the !oat. I spent time
7oating around on a !unch of pool noodles, en-oying the sea and the sun. I sat
on the deck, under an um!rella, shmoozing with some of the cruise people and
had a nice lunch.
"hen we 1nally decided to go it was easy, the water taxi came and IJ minutes
later we were !ack in our rental car zipping through tra$c, cutting islanders o
and scaring everyone else in the car. Great fun.Travel can !e a wondrous
experience. Do really, it can !e. In terms of traveling to a new location and
experiencing new people, culture, and food, it is truly a thing of wonder. To start
learning some !asics as to how to make a plan that works for you, refer to the
tips !elow.
To save money on meals when traveling make sure your hotel rooms have
refrigerators. This allows simple meals for !reakfast and lunch, like cereal with
milk or lunch meat and cheese sandwiches. 9lus, any leftovers from dining out
could !e en-oyed the next day.
9lanning is one of the most important aspects that you will need to consider
when you are traveling. &ake sure that you always arrive at least an hour and a
half !efore your 7ight so that you have ample time to get yourself situated. This
will help to give you peace of mind.
"hen choosing a seat, try the coach plus section. 'usiness class is still
expensive and coach can !e extremely uncomforta!le. If you are taking a long
7ight, consider the coach plus option= for a decent price you get the comfort you
need to help you go through hours of 7ying.
"hen traveling !y airplane, try to limit yourself to a single NJ pound carry-on
!ag. This way, you always know where you luggage is. If you are traveling to
multiple destinations in a single trip, there<s nothing worse than having your
luggage chasing you around while you go without clean underwear.
"hen taking a road trip it is important to factor in the true cost of the trip. &any
people forget to factor the cost of their fuel when they are taking a road trip. 8ou
should 1gure out how much it will cost to travel to and from your desired
destination !efore you !egin to travel.
"ith international air 7ights !ecoming cheaper in cost the entire world really is
your oyster so why not try somewhere a little dierent for this years family
vacation2 *sian destinations are !ecoming increasingly popular with *mericans
with points of interest including these availa!le at +xplore the "onders of the
'iggest )eef In The "orld and travelandplacestosee.com its no surprise.
;ind out which vaccinations are needed in order to go to the country in which you
are traveling to. "ithout these vaccinations, you may not !e allowed to enter.
*lso, try to get these vaccinations far in advance of your trip, -ust in case you
happen to have a reaction to it.
*lways carry a small !ag in your !ags. +ither a collapsi!le duel or !ackpack
that can !e easily stored gives you the option of returning with items such as
gifts, souvenirs or even duty free items. "hile it may !e one more !ag to check,
you can avoid potentially higher weight charges from stu$ng these items into
your regular luggage.
(hoosing a speci1c seasonal time to take ones trip can lead to a more en-oya!le
trip. ;or those who like snow sports they should aim for a trip during the winter.
%omeone who likes hunting should plan a trip to coincide with their hunting
season of choice. 6ierences like that can make a !ig change to a trip.
* great travel tip is to never fully unpack if you<re staying at a hotel room for a
small amount of time. It might get annoying having to get everything out of your
suitcase !ut it<s a great way to make sure you won<t lose anything !y leaving it
!ehind.
(reate an authentic, memora!le travel experience. "hen you travel alone, you
have all the time in the world to do the things you want to do. 8ou can take all-
day walking tours, visit local festivals and events, or even take a few days or
weeks to en-oy a class in some local skill such as cooking or creating a type of
folk art that is speci1c to the area.
*n excellent way to reduce costs on your next travel adventure is to allow for
7exi!ility of your 7ight date. 8ou can literally save hundreds of dollars -ust !y
changing the day of the week you are willing to 7y, as some days during seasons
of high travel are sure to !e packed with excess costs.
6etermine your driving privileges where you are going. +specially if traveling
a!road, there can !e very dierent driving rules and re#uirements and you want
to know that you are legal to drive and have the appropriate information and
documentation. 8ou don<t want to !e tied up for hours with law enforcement,
especially if you share two dierent languages.
(heck the weather of the area you<re going to. +ven if it<s the 'ar!ados you
might still run into a little !it of rainy weather. This can also !e useful if there are
some environmental dangers that might !e present in that area@ hurricanes and
heat waves can !e #uite common when you<re going to other warmer climates
that are close to the water.
'e 7exi!le when making your travel plans. 0nless there is some reason that you
must travel on a speci1c day, 7exi!ility will save you money. *llowing a !ooking
we!site to search for 7ights near your desired travel dates could save you as
much as a hundred dollars per 7ight, especially if it shifts you o of a weekend
7ight.
If you travel fre#uently or are in a position that re#uires you to travel on very
short notice, keep a !ag of toiletries that are earmarked only for use on trips.
This is much easier to keep up with than having to go through all of your
cosmetics and toiletries to pull out the ones you plan to use on the trip.
%o, now do you see why traveling is such a wondrous experience2 6iscovering
new lands, places, people, and food is truly a thing of wonder and can !e a life-
changing experience. The tips a!ove should have created a good foundation for
you to !uild upon and create your own wondrous traveling experience.