That Perfect Island: Does It Exist? Here's Where to Look.

Thirty-two years ago, I set out on an around-the-world journey to find, well, paradise—a pristine island no tourist had ever seen, where the locals still lived off the land. Naive? Sure it was. Even the most “offbeat” islands were crawling with backpackers and hawkers pitching cheap bungalows. But then I glimpsed a speck of land off the coast of Thailand near Ko Samui. “That Ko Phangan,” my boat captain said. “No place stay. No go.” I offered him a few more dollars, and he changed his mind. And there I found it: a stretch of white sand tucked between two jungle-covered hills overlooking a clear lagoon. There were no tourists—just a fisherman and his family—and I stayed for three months. The Thai name for the place was Haad Rin, but I called it “the beach” and swore the location to secrecy. Sadly, mobs of backpackers have since descended on Haad Rin, and it’s now a magnet for full-moon rave parties (Alex Garland’s book The Beach is based in part on the island’s demise).

But sustainable tourism has come a long way to prevent other “paradises” from meeting the same fate. One of my favorites: India’s Havelock Island, in the Andamans. Barefoot at Havelock’s eco-friendly cottages are hemmed by jungle—86 percent of the archipelago is rain forest—and they’re just a short walk from jewel-like lagoons. December marks the end of the rainy season and the beginning of a four-month span of sunny, 85-degree days. If paradise still exists, it probably looks a lot like this (doubles from $150).

Text by Costas Christ; Photograph courtesy of Barefoot Group

World Class: Turkey - Now Dig This

The eastern Mediterranean is a land so steeped in history (Phoenician, Babylonian, Persian—the list goes on) that nearly every rock-strewn trail reveals a story of trade, conquest, and religion. Slip into the past at Yunak Evleri in Turkey’s Cappadocia region, once a crossroads for more than a dozen civilizations. Dating back to the fifth century, the hotel’s 30 cave rooms were carved by villagers eager to avoid passing armies (in some places, they dug entire subterranean cities with markets, churches, and monasteries). But don’t expect the austere conditions of yore—the restored rock world of Yunak is softened with big brass beds, Swedish jet stream showers, and other modern comforts (doubles from $160). Tempting as it is to hole up in your plush digs, the greater attraction lies outside: a 50-square-mile swath of volcanic tuff that has eroded into a stark wilderness of spires, gorges, caves, and plateaus. Trek, bike, or horseback ride across the otherworldly landscape. You can’t go far without stumbling upon archaeological sites where, thankfully, no tourist crowds roam.

Text by Costas Christ; Photograph courtesy of Yunak Evleri

World Class: Spain - The New Old Thing

Ever since ecotourism took off in the early 1990s, European travelers have helped to spread the movement across the savannas of Africa and the jungles of Central America. Today they’re starting to look closer to home, and with good reason. Some of the most sustainable lodges on the planet are rooted in Old World ways. Take, for instance, Hotel Posada del Valle, a 12-bedroom, 19th-century farmhouse in northern Spain. Located on the remote Asturias coast near the steep mountains of Picos de Europa National Park, Posada sits at the center of one of southern Europe’s last wildlife strongholds. Brown bears still roam the forests, wolves hunt in the fields, and golden eagles soar the thermals. More than a dozen treks begin nearby, ranging from countryside strolls to 7,200-foot summits. When not exploring by foot (or canoe, mountain bike, or horseback), you can visit Posada’s rustic stone-and-wood dining room for organic farm fare—grown on the premises, of course (doubles from $90; posadadelvalle.com).

Text by Global Travel Editor Costas Christ; Photograph by Javier Salas

World Class: Solomon Islands' Wilderness Lodge

Just because you're visiting the Coral Triangle doesn't mean you have to spend the whole time underwater—at least not if you go to the Solomon Islands. One of the world's ten most biologically diverse countries, the archipelago is loaded with rare and endemic species onshore and off. For the best of both worlds, make the Wilderness Lodge on Nggatokae Island your base camp. The accommodations are nothing fancy (two rooms total, minimal furnishings), but the location is tough to beat. Spend your mornings hiking through a mountain rain forest in the shadow of 2,900-foot Mount Mariu, and afternoons in nearby coral lagoons (from $145 per person, including meals; thewildernesslodge.org).

—Global Travel Editor Costas Christ, from his October 2009 World Class column.

World Class: Rare Refuge at the Philippines' El Nido Marine Reserve

Miniloc Island Resort just might be the greenest lodge in the entire Coral Triangle, the richest ecosystem on Earth found between the Philippines, Indonesia, and the Solomon Islands. The buildings themselves hit all the right eco-notes, with recycled hardwood walls and roofs crafted from local thatch, but that's not the half of it. Since opening the 50-room hideaway on Palawan Island in 1982, Miniloc's owners have donated thousands of dollars to help protect the surrounding El Nido Marine Reserve. Here you'll find scores of limestone cliffs, some studded with climbing routes, rising from blue-green water. Snorkelers can dive through coral passages to emerge in sheer-walled grottoescompletely cut off from the world (from $150 per person, including meals; elnidoresorts.com). 

—Global Travel Editor Costas Christ, from his October 2009 World Class column.

Discover additional World Class Coral Triangle lodges in Malaysia and the Solomon Islands here >>

Our Favorite Adventurers on Twitter - Updated 9/2

Who better to follow in 140 characters or less than our favorite explorers? We've put together a roster of tweeters, from eco-activist David de Rothschild to alpinist Ed Viesturs, to keep an eye on the ever-changing world of adventure. 

This list is by no means final, so keep checking back to see who's been added. And, as always, tell us who we left out in the comment section below. We're particularly interested in adding gear manufacturers, conservation groups, and outfitters that are tweeting, so if you're out there, let us know.

Of course, you can also follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/ngadventure

See the full list after the jump.

Wildlife: Is Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater About to Hit Bottom?

Beyond Green Travel is a blog written by Global Travel Editor Costas Christ. Read more NGA travel news in First In. 

If Noah’s ark had off-loaded into a massive version of Yankee Stadium, the result would have looked a lot like the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. The 102-square-mile caldera corrals great herds of zebras and gazelles and all of Africa’s Big Five. But recently, Tanzania’s chief tourist draw has started to buckle under the pressures of fame. 

Continue reading this story >>

Photograph by Nicholas Parfitt/Getty Images

Donald Trump's Battle of Balmedie, Scotland–Mass Tourism Style

Beyond Green Travel is a blog written by Global Travel Editor Costas Christ

What Donald Trump wants, he gets–but maybe not all of it this time. 

Since I first blogged last year about the struggle between environmentalists and local residents opposed to Trump’s plans to build a mass tourism development on an unspoiled stretch of Scottish coastline (see my blog entry of July 4, 2008), the battle has become hotter, grabbing the attention of the New York Times, who reported this month on Trump’s progress in turning 1,400 acres of fragile natural habitat and rural countryside in Balmedie, Scotland, into 950 vacation homes, two golf courses, a 450 room hotel, 500 single-family houses, a conference center and a golf academy. The only thing now standing in Trump’s way is not investment money in these bad economic times (he recently boasted that he sold a house in Palm Beach for $100 million) but rather, a local fisherman named, Michael Forbes. 

Despite mounting pressure, Forbes has refused to sell or move off of his 23 acre farm, where he has lived for 41 years and which sits right in the middle of Trump’s mass tourism building site, which also includes an ecologically sensitive area designated for migratory birds. 

Seven local community officials who voted against Trump’s project were declared “traitors" in news headlines and then overruled by the Scottish Government. Martin Ford, the locally-elected Chairman who cast the decisive vote against Trump’s plan, was ousted and stripped of his chairmanship, causing him to lose half his annual income. And, after refusing to give up his land to Trump, saying he would not move, no matter who wanted him to, Michael Forbes has found himself subject to an odd series of inspections from authorities who showed up at his home to see if he was abusing his farm animals (he was not), if he had a proper license for his shotgun (he does), and other similar random investigations. 

Trump, who usually flies into the area on his private jet and makes statements, has called Forbes’ 23 acre coastal farm, a monstrosity that ought to be cleaned up or condemned. But Forbes is not giving up his land and home easily, if at all. Locals who understand the need for economic development, particularly in hard economic times, have made the case that this is not the right place for a project as big as what Trump plans. But as I reported in my blog on January 13, 2009, government permission has already been granted to Trump to proceed with his mega-tourism development. Only Michael Forbes now stands in his way. This is Scotland, where bravery is part of cultural heritage. Stay tuned.

Real Budget Travel: Top 10 Do-It-On-Your-Own Countries

Beyond Green Travel is a blog written by Global Travel Editor Costas Christ

The travel media seems filled these days with articles about the economic crisis and "tips" on how to take a budget holiday, usually mentioning some tour company that is offering a great 50 percent discount. Well, here is a budget travel tip that the advertising revenue-driven media usually doesn't offer up: Just pack your bag and do it on your own. It's the ultimate budget trip, and when it comes to sustainable tourism practices, your dollars will go right into the local economy—often to those who need it most, like family-owned guest houses, street market vendors, and small local restaurants. In fact, many of the destinations on this kind of a budget trip were green before it was a movement, such as that thatched hut built with local materials and owned by the village grandma using kerosene lanterns for light, or the original way to "car pool" that reduces carbon emissions (also known as riding the country bus to get between towns and villages), or back street eateries where the food is always sourced from local farmers. 

What about safety when you travel without a tour company to take you around? Let common sense be your guide. When I travel, the local people have always been my risk management plan. They are the ones who really know what's going on—where to go, when to go, how safe it is—and they have repeatedly come to my aid when help was needed (after I bashed my head open on an underwater rock surfing in Indonesia, it was the villagers who pulled me out of the water and got the doctor who stitched me up). 

The world really is a good place, filled by a vast majority of kind people who want to help others. It is a fact that gets lost in all of the fear-driven and crisis news coverage these days. And there is no better way to experience the world with less money then to set out with an easy-to-carry bag in hand, inspired by the feeling of adventure that awaits. Your biggest expense will be your air ticket to the more far-flung locales. But once there, you can make it up by staying, eating, and traveling the local way. Here's my personal list of the top 10 countries (not in any particular order) for taking the good old fashioned—and most affordable—way to travel.

Canada - Consider doing North America's true ecotourism haven one section at a time. French culture and northern wilderness doesn't get any better than in Quebec. Start in Montreal and slow travel your way among the towns, villages, and forest outposts that connect 27 national parks, including off-the-radar Nunavik.

Ecuador - The diversity in Ecuador is astounding: beach, jungle, snow peaks, vibrant indigenous markets, cobblestone towns. Most people do not even know that you can go to the Galapagos on your own and stay in small inns and hotels on Santa Cruz island, making daily forays to some of Darwin's famous sites.

Balkans - Sure it is easy to travel in Europe on your own, but not for $5 a day anymore. The Balkans—Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Kosovo, Albania—will get you closer to old Europe's prices and its less-trodden experiences.

India - India has been the ultimate do-it-on-your-own country, ever since the Beatles headed there in the 1960s. Lodging can run as low as a few dollars a night, and some great meals are even less than that. Make the intense big cities quick transit points while spending your time in the smaller towns and villages.

Belize - This Central American country is close to the U.S., easy to get around, and has lots of tiny villages to welcome you. Plus there's plenty of nature activities spanning coral reef lagoons to dense rain forest. 

Nepal - Nepal's travel industry was literally created by backpackers. Start by spending a week in Kathmandu. On day seven you will be acclimated and have all the up-to-date information needed from others travelers coming and going, to set out on your own mountain trek.

Philippines - In the run up for friendliest people on Earth, the Filipinos could take the crown. Don't delay in Manila when there is so much else to see. Build extra time (or take all of your time) for exploring Palawan.

Morocco - Travelers are still riding the "Marrakech Express" to a country that is a bastion of tradition, authenticity, and affordability. Stay in small riad guest houses and live on excellent street food for pocket change.

Laos - Okay, you could also substitute Thailand, Cambodia, or Vietnam, but if I had to pick just two of the sub-Mekong region quartet, it would be Laos and Thailand—the former for its rich cultural and natural heritage, the latter for its lesser known islands in the south.

Australia - Simply put, the Aussies are fun people to hang out with. Period. That they also have their own continent is pretty cool, along with the fact that they have been global leaders in sustainable tourism. Ask around for the cheap places to stay, eat, and travel. No worries mate. This is where Lonely Planet was born.

Is This the Golden Age of Green Travel? Plus: Five Bargains on Five Continents

Beyond Green Travel is a blog written by Global Travel Editor Costas Christ

Photo courtesy of Black Sheep Inn

Over the last 12 months, a lot of progress has been made in sustainable travel: The World Travel & Tourism Council has issued a ten-point action plan to combat climate change; four international airlines have tested their first bio-fuel supported flights; the United Nations Foundation has launched the world’s first set of Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria; and Americans have elected their first president who equates going green with economic growth. It is tempting to think that, if it were not for the economic recession, we would be entering the Golden Age of sustainable tourism right about now. But here’s another thought: Maybe we already have?

Gone are the days when environmentally and socially responsible practices were the hallmark of just a few jungle lodges and safari operators. Today, we have reached a tipping point where sustainable tourism practices are being more widely accepted across the full spectrum of the global travel industry. (Who would have imagined that Marriott Corporation, one of the largest hotel companies in the world, would be spearheading the protection of 1.4 million acres of Amazon rain forest, or testifying before the U.S. Government to gain support for biodiversity conservation—they are doing both.) The very term “ecotourism”—which was originally coined to describe conservation-minded mom and pop lodges before it was applied to $500-a-night jungle resorts—has also come full circle. Small outfitters are again setting the pace for tourism done right. So, when contemplating whether to shelve your travel plans until the stock market picks up, consider this: Your dollars will stretch farther today, and do more good, than ever before.

Here's a sampling of four places on four continents, that are committed to the Earth, to benefiting local communities, and to offering more affordable travel. See the list >>