Hot ethical destinations for 2008

GreenTraveller's tips for an ethical holiday in 2008...

Mozambique
After years of isolation, Mozambique is emerging as one of the Africa’s newest tourist destinations. With its 2,500 kilometres of Indian Ocean coastline (left), there are gorgeous tropical beaches and lots of excellent snorkelling and diving. Visit the sparsely inhabited islands of the Bazaruto Archipelago or the Quirimbas Archipelago in the far north where 400 kilometres of relatively unexplored coastline and islands are opening up for ecotourism. In the north of the Quirimbas National Park, Guludo Lodge (www.guludo.com) is pioneering the adoption of the principles of fair trade in an area of extreme poverty...

Gabon
Gabon in central West Africa has opened up thirteen national parks to eco-tourism, protecting a huge range of wildlife including Western Lowland Gorillas, Forest Elephants, Chimpanzees, Monkeys, Forest Buffalo. On the coast, you can see elephants and buffalo on the beach, hippos playing in the surf and humpback whales offshore. Although it’s a relatively stable country, transportation and infrastructure are still developing and not all the parks are easily accessible yet, so do your homework before you go. Specialist operator Wildlife Worldwide (www.wildlifeworldwide.com) recommends visiting the following areas: Loango National Park, Lope National Park, Ivindo National Park and the islands of Sao Tome and Principe.

Guyana
Tourism to Guyana is still in its infancy, but there are some excellent examples of where small-scale tourism is helping to protect the country’s biodiversity and provide genuine benefits to local communities amid the country’s beautiful rivers, waterfalls, savannahs and virgin forest. Guyana’s rainforest is home to only 2% of the population yet covers 80% of the country, so there’s a good chance of seeing wildlife that are endangered elsewhere, including jaguar, monkeys, armadillos and tapirs. Dotted around the country, small Amerindian villages run their own ecotourism ventures and you can visit the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway where your visit will help fund the International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation (www.iwokrama.org).

Laos
One of the poorest countries in the world, The Lao People's Democratic Republic has only recently opened up to international visitors, but is fast catching on to the tourism boom enjoyed recently by neighbours Thailand and Vietnam. You can go trekking, kayaking, bird watching and camping trips in a network of 20 National Protected Areas where there’s a wealth of wildlife, including over 800 species of birds and more than 100 large mammals, including Tigers, Clouded Leopards, Languar, Gibbons, the Irrawaddy Dolphin, and Hornbills. Symbiosis Expedition Planning runs small-scale ethical holidays throughout the country, including an 11-day wildlife survey along the wonderful Nam Fa River (www.symbiosis-travel.com).

An edited version of this article, by Richard Hammond, was first published in the January 2008 issue of New Consumer Magazine.