Category: South & Central America

Buy a piece of luxury eco resort The Baymen, Belize

Nestled in the jungle of Belize, lovers of luxury are being offered the opportunity to grab a piece of paradise at a brand new eco resort…

The Baymen Luxury Decking & Plunge Pool

For those looking for a holiday investment opportunity (and if you’ve a few hundred thousand burning a hole in your pocket), new eco resort The Baymen Lodge and Spa is now offering its range of suites for sale. Buying a suite in this boutique eco retreat, currently in development, also gives you 30 days a year personal use of the hotel or Belize Ocean Club (part of the same group). The developers are predicting the suites will generate a high rental yield each year.

The Baymen promises high spec luxury that makes the most of Belize’s beautiful natural assets, and a retreat that aims to be as carbon neutral as possible. Located in 1,000 acres of private rainforest the deluxe suites and larger residences boast luxurious features such as infinity pools and plunge pools, private showers outdoors in the rainforest, four-poster beds, generous outdoor and indoor living space all designed in an old world colonial style, plus a stunning waterfall and natural wine cave in the grounds. Goodtrippers is predicting that holiday makers will be queuing up to stay here for some eco-friendly R&R!

The Baymen Luxury Suite Bedroom

The resort will be run on a combination of solar and hydropower, with water sourced from rainwater and the natural springs on site (springs which once served the ancient Mayans!). The vast majority of buildings are constructed using locally sourced, sustainably harvested wood. The roofs of the main buildings and individual hotel residences are made from local palm fronds, harvested locally three days before or after the full moon. All trees felled in the development are used in some form or another in either construction or in powering the site via the biomass generator.

Prices of the deluxe suites and larger residences range from US$230K – $460K. For more information visit www.thebaymen.com or contact Wolf Wörster Associates Inc on freephone 0808 169 6526.

‘Good’ credentials:

  • Responsible water management – use of natural springs and rainwater; filtration and reuse of waste water
  • Solar and hydropower energy generation
  • Local and sustainable timber and other responsibly sourced natural materials used in construction
  • Reinvestment into the local land and community to help the local economy

 

The Baymen Pool

Explore Latin America’s largest favela in Rio, Brazil

With the 2014 World Cup and the forthcoming 2016 Olympic Games, all eyes are on Brazil right now – but what is its most famous city, Rio de Janeiro, really like?

A new walking tour of the city’s slum neighbourhoods aims to reveal a different side to Rio, while celebrating the spirit and vitality of the community that lives there. You’ll get to know the neighbourhood of Rochina (which itself houses many ‘barrios’), Latin America’s largest favela.

rocinha1

The tours have been set-up by the Rochina by Rochina Project, an iniative led by a small group of dedicated young people living in Rochina. Tourists can hear first hand what its like to live in the favela, plus get the chance to stop and buy souvenirs direct from local people and perhaps hear an impromptu samba performance. While this is a walking tour, part of the journey is taken by mototaxi (motorbike) to reach some of the steeper parts of the area and catch stunning views of Christ the Redeemer, the Sugar Loaf, the Lagoon Rodrigo de Freitas, and many beaches.

Project founder Erik Martins said, “We want to show what the culture of Rochina has to offer, and to give a true feeling of what it’s like to be part of the community. Our tours cover the recent initiatives that are improving the conditions of the slum, but also reveal the locations that still lack zeal.

“We don’t want to hide what saddens us but explain everything that is beautiful and culturally rich around us, and some fascinating panoramic views that fill us with pride.”

Favela Rocinha. Rio De Janeiro. Brazil.

The tours are free but tourists are invited to pay what they like (and Goodtrippers believes that this positive initiative alone is worth some of your holiday money, let alone the time, effort and warm welcome given by each guide – give generously!). Rochina by Rochina guarantee that all donations go straight to the guide themselves, direct and uncut. And if you’re short of cash on the day, you can also pay by iZettle so guides can accept donations via smartphones and tablets.

For more information and to book a tour visit www.rochinabyrochina.com or email: tours@rochinabyrochina.com

Recommended for… Those who are social and love meeting local people

Be aware that… While mototaxis are on hand, streets are sometimes steep and narrow so leave your flip-flops and bring your walking shoes

‘Good’ credentials:

  • 100% of your donation/tip goes to local guides
  • Supports local businesses and livelihoods
  • Shows the real side of Rio’s favelas

‘As seen on TV’ – the Amazon rainforest project you can join

Guest blogger Gemma, placement manager at volunteering organisation PoD, reveals more about their Amazon Conservation project recently featured on the BBC, and how you can join them…

The PoD team have loved watching the BBC 2 TV series ‘I Bought a Rainforest’ – not only is a great series to investigate the complexities surrounding rainforest conservation, but it also features our Amazon Conservation project location in Peru!

Wildlife photographer Charlie Hamilton James bought 100 acres of tropical rainforest on the edge of Manu National Park in south east Peru with the aim to conserve the area. The BBC documentary follows his journey into the forest and the difficult decisions he has to make when conserving his area of jungle. He learns that the conservation of the rainforest is not a simple issue to solve. To help understand the importance of regenerating previously logged or farmed rainforest and find out about the forest ecosystem Charlie and the film crew visited our PoD Amazon Conservation project location.

PoDVolunteer

In the first episode Andy Whitworth, the scientific coordinator who works closely with PoD volunteers at our Amazon Conservation project in Peru, demonstrated the different research techniques which help the research centre to have a greater understanding of the importance and biodiversity area of rainforest. The team documented all the species found on a mahogany tree using a ‘bio-blast’ which was due to be cut down by a local logger. It was incredible to see that there were so many species of beetle, ant, butterfly, bird and frog on one single tree. Unfortunately illegal logging is a big issue in the reserve and during the second episode Charlie follows individual loggers and gold miners.

Although it can be easy from an outsider’s point of view to blame the illegal loggers or illegal gold miners for the deforestation and the negative environmental impacts, the documentary follows individual loggers and miners which illuminates the complex issues. The illegal loggers and gold miners are desperate to make an income to support their families and there are often limited other options for them to pursue. It is incredible to see the juxtaposition of Beto, the illegal logger, who has strong love for nature and the rainforest, yet he cuts down 150 year old trees to pay for his daughter’s education.

How volunteers help the project

The PoD project in Peru has a real passion for helping to conserve the rainforest by working alongside the local communities. Volunteers at the Amazon Conservation project work alongside local communities to develop bio-gardens and agroforestry plots. Volunteers help develop food gardens with local mothers on wasteland which provides nutritious food for the families and even produces enough for the families to gain additional income by selling the vegetables at the local market. The biogardens provide healthy meals for 360 children at the local school, and since 2009 has increased local families’ income by 35%. This reduces the pressure for the local community to log illegally and helps to preserve the forest.

PoDAmazon3

The impact of the project

The agroforestry project works with local farmers to harvest sustainable woods and bananas. This is an environmentally sustainable alternative that protects the surrounding forest from illegal logging activity, encourages species diversity, increases soil nutrition, and creates carbon credits that can be sold to further support the project. Volunteers have helped turn 17 hectares of abandoned and degraded land into agroforestry plots, which have subsequently seen increased biodiversity, help plant over 10,000 plantains and 3,000 trees, and created the first program in Peru to ever commercialize carbon credits on behalf of a local community.

It is fantastic to follow the BBC series in the jungle – you get a real flavour for the rainforest and project location. We hope that this will encourage more volunteers to join the project and do their bit to help conserve the Amazon rainforest.

If you would like to find out more about the project or find out how you can apply simply visit: www.podvolunteer.org/Conservation/amazon-conservation.html

How responsible travellers get more from the Brazil World Cup

Guest blogger Cristina Nanni, of volunteering NGO Frontier, reveals some great ideas for responsible tourists visiting Brazil for this year’s football World Cup…

sports fans in Brazil

On the 12th June the world will wait with baited breath as the first match of the Brazil World Cup 2014 kicks off as host country Brazil faces underdogs Croatia. Fans will have the chance to watch football in the country where Pelé, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Socrates first kicked a ball, but for many, watching the players fight it out in the stadium will be the end of their cultural experience.

For those that are keen to get to know more about the country behind the football, adding a volunteering project as a chance to give back to Rio’s impoverished communities is a fantastic opportunity to give back. So if you want to turn your sport pilgrimage into a true adventure, make sure to take a look behind the city’s scenes…

An easy way to get a look at the ‘real’ Rio is to immerse yourself within the favela community. By partaking in an introductory or favela tour you’ll get an insight into the vibrant carnival culture which Rio is famous for.

Recommended for… Whoever wants to discover Rio’s soul.

Be aware that…You have to be in Rio de Janeiro on the same day as your tour. Tours run from 10am to 2pm on weekdays and 12pm to 4pm on weekends.

Good credentials… A percentage of the tour fee goes straight back into the favela community, directly helping to support a number of initiatives aimed at getting kids off the streets and people back into work.

Rio, Brazil

If you have a longer stay planned in Rio, you might want to consider joining a community development volunteering project running for two weeks or more. Through a series of educational programs you can help impoverished local communities to acquire expertise and knowledge to expand their academic and career opportunities. By teaching and transferring skills, you will allow locals to be more competitive in the job market, and there is a wide range of activities you can be involved in: music and dance, graffiti art, sport, gardening, handcrafts for women and young people. If you have a basic level of Portuguese you could consider teaching English or IT, or offering tutoring services.

Recommended for… Anyone that wants to make the most of this World Cup experience

Be aware that… To take part to the project you have to commit for a minimum of two weeks and you will stay in a local hostel sharing a dorm room with your fellow volunteers.

Good credentials… This project will help you to gain valuable job experience in teaching while contributing to the sustainable development of a friendly and vibrant community in one of Rio’s largest favelas.

For more details, prices and booking visit www.frontier.ac.uk

About the author: Cristina Nanni works for Frontier, a non-profit international volunteering NGO that runs over 300 dedicated conservation, community, and adventure projects in 61 countries across the globe. Find out more about Frontier’s volunteer projects, ethical adventure trails and gap year planning.

You may also like… Positive favela tours in Rio de Janeiro

Lonely Planet reveals 10 best eco hotels

To celebrate the launch of its first ever collection of the world’s best hotels, travel experts Lonely Planet have revealed its 10 best eco-friendly places to stay.

The list features a diverse selection of eco accommodation, as chosen by a panel of travel experts, from Lapa Rios in Costa Rica and Maison Anglaise in Morocco, to Bunlungula Backpackers in South Africa and Earthship Rentals in New Mexico, USA. All 10 of the outstanding eco-friendly places to stay have made impressive strides to minimise their impact on the environment and have made positive contributions to their local communities.

Lonely Planet’s collection of the world’s best hotels, also includes a top 10 ‘Extraordinary’ places to stay, and a top 10 ‘Best Value’ places to stay list.

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LonelyPlanet.com editor Tom Hall was part of the expert panel who selected the finalists. He said, “We’re delighted with our first ever list of top hotels. This collection is one of a kind we believe, as it is put together by the most well-travelled people on earth. At Lonely Planet we’ve been giving recommendations to travellers about where to stay for 40 years. Our guidebook authors provide their honest opinion and never take freebies in exchange for positive coverage, so you can trust our reviews.”

The Lonely Planet ‘Eco’ list in full:

1. Lapa Rios, Peninsula de Osa, Costa Rica – This lodge lies in a private nature reserve that serves as a buffer for Costa Rica’s remote Parque Nacional Corcovado. It consists of 16 gorgeous bungalows with four poster beds, garden showers and private decks. Simply put, this is the promised land for nature lovers. (Read our Lapa Rios review here).

2. Bulungula Backpackers, South Africa – Feel like one of the family at this community-driven lodge. Bulungula Lodge is nothing more than a group of traditionally designed rondavels owned in partnerhsip with the adjoining community, but a stay here is an immersive experience. This is a place to unwind and disconnect, completely solar and wind-powered, and where a menagerie of animals wander the unfenced property.

3. Chole Mjini, Chole Island, Mafia Archipelago, Tanzania – Get back to nature with a treetop stay at Chole Mjini. This lodge is like nowhere else along the Tanzanian coast. Accommodation is in imaginatively designed tree houses – simple, chic and nestled amid the vegetation for maximum privacy. A short walk away are vine-covered 19th-century ruins, and beyond that, a lively village.

4. Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, Aguas Calientes, Peru – In the heart of a patch of restored Andean cloud forest, is this hotel in the form of whitewashed cottages, scattered through a 12-acre site. The rooms are full of Peruvian fabrics, ceramics and art, but the real enchantment is the forest itself, a stupefying ecosystem of butterflies and birds, not to mention the world’s largest collection of native orchids.

5. EcoLodge Chepu Adventures, Chiloe, Chile – Perched on an overlook peering oEcoLodge Chepu Adventures, Chiloe, Chileut onto three rivers and 140 sq km of sunken forest, is EcoLodge Chepu Adventures. The owners have designed everything at this eco-fierce property with the end goal of complete self-sufficiency, from infrared solar showers, to wind-generated electricity. Green-conscious travellers cannot get enough of the mystical kayak trips at dawn, the views and the barbeques.

6. Maison Anglaise, Taroudant, Morocco – Watch the sunset from the roof terrace of this tall medina house in the walled market town of Taroudant. Maison Anglaise is an excellent place to learn about Berber culture – the English-speaking staff organise visits to rural villages and schemes the guesthouse supports, including soap-making and beekeeping. It has been awarded the Green Key eco-label for its sustainable practices, such as using solar panels to heat water and serving locally grown produce.

7. Earthship Rentals, Taos, New Mexico, USA – If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to live completely off the grid, then this is your chance. In the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains near Taos, lies a small collection of buildings that seems equal parts Gaudi masterpiece and Dr Seuss whimsy. These are the so-called Earthships, radically designed buildings made from recycled materials (think old tyres and glass bottles) and boasting impeccable green credentials.

8. Dana Guest House, King’s Highway, Jordan – Jordan’s top bolthole is also home to one of the Middle East’s most amazing views. Dana Guesthouse blends into the sandstone cliff face sitting on the 1,200m-high tip of Dana Nature Reserve. The guesthouse is run by Jordan’s Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, and the staff are highly knowledgeable about the reserve’s natural wonders. The simple stone-clad rooms are designed to invite you to watch the sunrise light up the gorge below.

9. Nuli Sapi, Papua New Guinea – Nuli Sapi is located in a pristine area of mountainous Nuli Sapi, Papua New Guinearainforest-covered islands, tiny traditional villages and teeming aquatic life. The bungalows themselves are simple but comfortable and made entirely of bush materials, with a veranda perched over the water. Aside from admiring the tropical beauty, there’s much to do here. Nuli Sapi is deeply committed to the surrounding communities – locals can take you out bushwalking, snorkelling with manta rays, fishing, canoeing or simply for a village visit where you can learn about traditional cooking techniques.

10. Baikaler Eco-Hostel, Listvyanka, Russia – Siberian log cabin-style dorms, yoga and chill-out decks await you at this hostel. Russia isn’t exactly celebrated for its eco-friendliness, but the country’s only purpose-built hostel on the shores of Eastern Siberia’s Lake Baikal bucks the trend, big time. The enlightened owner has crafted a green sanctuary complete with solar-heated water, triple insulation, an electricity supply generated partially from solar panels, and energy-saving lighting and electrical devices throughout.

For more on the Lonely Planet’s top eco stays for 2014 click here

Have you stayed at any of the Lonely Planet’s favourite eco-friendly hotels and hostels? Tell us what you think…

 

 

 

 

A luxury stay at Costa Rica’s Lapa Rios Eco Lodge

Guest blogger Bev Sninchak reviews a luxurious eco resort nestled in the rainforest of Costa Rica…Macaws at Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

Tucked away in the Costa Rican rainforest, eco lodge Lapa Rios, which means ‘River of Scarlet Macaws’, is a green resort which oozes luxury. According to a Stanford University study published in the Journal of Ecotourism, Lapa Rios offers significant eco-tourism benefits to the region, in addition to offering economic boosts to the area.

Accommodation

Nestled in a private rainforest wonderland of beaches and wildlife, Lapa Rios touts its destination as the place to be for tourists who insist on the ultimate green travel, combining ethereal luxury with environmentally friendly practices that put the goal of sustainability as the top priority. What’s more, the land can never be developed to ensure the forest remains untouched, based on a conservation easement signed by owners John and Karen Lewis.

Facilities

At 930 acres, Lapa Rios’s Eco Lodge features 16 luxurious rainforest bungalows set right in the middle of the rainforest. Awaken to the sound of macaws and enjoy being surrounded by delightful jungle animals such as toucans, sloths and howler monkeys. You can take in a Pacific Ocean view directly from your bed, and when you’re ready for a meal, saunter down to Lapa Rios’s award-winning Brisa Azul restaurant.

Food

Focusing on eco-friendly fare, Brisa Azul serves dishes featuring grass-fed beef, organic chicken, locally caught seafood, and fresh vegetables and fruits produced from the local region alongside organic wine.

Horse riding at Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

Activities

This stunning location in a private rainforest set on the Osa Peninsula reserve that stretches a thousand acres provides visitors with active participation in sustainable eco-tourism. Guided tours with trained local guides teach about the biodiversity of the area. Access to waterfalls as well as three beaches provides a wealth of experiences for lovers of sand and surf, including boating trips, horseback riding along the beach, kayaking, and surfing.

Recommended for…Those who want to completely ‘unplug’ there is no internet, air conditioning, telephone, or television at Lapa Rios.

Be aware that…Lapa Rios is a private rainforest reserve located 45 minutes from the closest airstrip in Puerto Jiménez, and driving takes seven hours from San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica.

‘Good’ credentials:

  • Lapa Rios was the first Costa Rican hotel to receive the highest status for sustainability from the Costa Rica Tourism Board.
  • Provides both organic and biodegradable shampoo, soap, and lotion.
  • Eco-friendly grooming products are produced locally.
  • Serves to educate about biodiversity through the use of informative materials located in a guide hut.

 

For additional information and to book your trip, visit www.laparios.com

About the author: Bev Sninchak is a veteran freelance writer with 16 years of experience producing content for various publications. She writes about many subjects, from managing your social media platform to Reputation.com testimonials.

Positive favela tours launch in Brazil

To celebrate World Responsible Tourism Day on 6 November, guest blogger Andrew Thompson of responsible tourism operator and South America specialist Sumak Travel, describes a fascinating new initiative in Brazil…

View from the top of the Santa Marta communityResponsible tourism can help reduce poverty and support the creation of sustainable livelihoods pursued in harmony with the environment and local culture. In Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, for example, Sumak Travel has developed a different approach to the ethically suspect practice of ‘slum tourism’ where some tour operators take visitors around shanty towns in vehicles with security guards. Instead, by working with local partner Soul Brasileiro, we have started running a relaxed walking tour of Santa Marta, a favela (shanty town) inhabited by around 5,500 people.

Under a state government programme launched in preparation for the World Cup and the Olympics, shanty town inhabitants have been trained as bilingual tour guides and can speak English, Spanish, French and several other languages. The cost of the tours is modest and fixed by the municipality, and between 15% and 20% of the revenues must be reinvested in local social and community programmes. The guides themselves are asked to spend their earnings inside the community.Michael Jackson mural in the Santa Marta community - Rio de Janeiro

Visitors can walk around, meet the locals, see the incredible views of the city and shop for locally made handcrafts at the market, including art made from recycled materials such as old tin cans. The tours are advertised across Rio, and favela residents are incredibly proud of the publicity generated for their community. After years of being ‘invisible,’ they are now protagonists, eager to tell Santa Marta’s story and show off its facilities.

Soul Brasileiro is a local tour group that describes itself as ‘nuts for Brazil!’. They believe responsible tourists should be given a chance to understand not only the beauty of the country but also its social problems: “this understanding is the only way to seek joint solutions and build a better Brazil every day” it says.

At the top of the Santa Marta communityTo that end it offers a whole range of community tours, nature treks, and hands-on encounters with local cooking, arts, and culture. They have a particularly exciting project called Nature, Kitchen and Culture which is developing an organic community garden.

We take a similar approach with less known shanty town projects in Sao Paulo and with Quilombos (hinterland settlements of people of African origin) in Paraty, in partnership with Brazilian responsible tour operator Aoka.

Click here for more information on Sumak Travel’s tours of  Sao Paulo, Paraty and Rio de Janeiro. (All pictures courtesy of Sumak Travel).

 

About the author: Andrew Thompson is a freelance writer, blogger and management coach; he works for Sumak Travel. Brought up in Latin America, he has worked for BBC World Service and been a foreign correspondent in Mexico City (The Guardian), Buenos Aires (The Times), Rio de Janeiro (BBC) and Rome (Inter Press Service). As editor of a team that produced a radio documentary on social reform in Latin America, Andrew won the 1994 King of Spain Journalism Prize. Visit his blog at http://www.yorugastories.com/

 

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Nicaragua’s Morgan’s Rock helps define what ‘community tourism’ really means

Guest blogger Andrew Lisa reviews an eco-resort in the heart of the Nicaraguan jungle…

On a vast, 4,000-acre spread located deep in the Nicaraguan jungle, 15 bungalows await holiday-makers like us, who want to enjoy the natural wonders of the jungle without disturbing them. Imagine a private tropical beach, white sand, nesting sea turtles, and perfect weather – that’s Morgan’s Rock, an island paradise that is the pinnacle of luxury and eco-friendly planning.

Nicaraguas Morgans Rock, pic by uncorneredmarket.com

Accommodation

The bungalows at Morgan’s Rock are the pinnacle of sustainability. Half of the 4,000 acres on which they sit is government-protected land. The other half is reserved for low-impact, sustainable agriculture.Each bungalow is perched on a cliff and comes with its own terrace. All the wood and furniture is sustainable and recovered from what would have gone to waste.

Food

The ultimate in locally grown, farm-to-table dining, about 60 percent of the cuisine you’ll enjoy at the restaurant is grown right there on the sustainable farm. Visitors can also visit the farm, milk the cows, and select their own eggs.

Facilities

Chill out in a beachside hammock and indulge in fresh fruit from the local organic working farm. Enjoy an exotic massage and marvel at the bizarre and beautiful wildlife that shares the jungle with you. A beautiful seaside restaurant and straw-thatched huts await you whenever you’re ready to leave your room.

Activities

Learn to surf in the surrounding warm waters. Tour the oldest city in Nicaragua, and marvel at its colonial architecture and design. Or, Howler monkeys at Morgans Rock, pic by uncorneredmarket.comfor the more adventurous, check out an active volcano. Zip across the canopy of the dense, primitive Nicaragua jungle; go fishing, cruising, kayaking, horseback riding, or walking at night.

Recommended for… The tourist who wants a slow, measured pace in an ancient jungle.

Be aware that… The city is two hours away. The bungalows are hidden on purpose, isolated on a private jungle island.

Good credentials

  • Sustainable agriculture used on site
  • Virtually no environmental footprint on protected land
  • Solar-powered hot showers
  • Salvaged wood and furniture

For more information and booking, visit www.morgansrock.com

About the author: Andrew Lisa is a freelance writer living in Los Angeles. He writes about travel and Spokeo Removal.

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Hotel Xixim, Mexico – a honeymooners’ eco paradise

Guest blogger Rachel Cafferty reviews an eco retreat in Mexico perfect for honeymooners

Hotel Xixim is a tiny piece of paradise in the northwestern part of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, and is part of the ‘Special Biosphere Reserve’ of Celestun.  It’s tucked away from all the noise and people, located along a three mile stretch of white beaches, and home to many species of birds, animals and flowers.

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Nature plays an important role at Xixim, the hotel has been built in a way to minimise any disruption to the land. The area is one of the main feeding grounds for the American Pink Flamingo, which can arrive in their hundreds, and to sea turtles who choose to nest in the beaches.

I may be biased as I spent my honeymoon there but to me, it was beautiful and I wouldn’t hesitate to back. We were lucky enough to be the only guests for two of our five nights there, so had the whole complex to ourselves. The things that stand out are the extraordinary stars in the night sky, the many lizards of various sizes which lined the paths and climbed up the walls, and the attentive staff who made sure we were well looked after (and excellent food and drink).

Accommodation

There are 32 bungalows and every one has a private terrace and an amazing sea view. The Master Suites are perfect for honeymooners and despite not having any air conditioning (they only have ceiling fans for ecological reasons) they stay cool and comfortable. Huge four poster beds take up most of the room and are perfectly positioned for watching the sunsets, while the bathrooms are minimalist but stylish. A member of staff sneaks in each morning and leaves a tray with tea and sweet bread for when you wake up.natural pools Hotel Xixim, Mexico

Facilities

The hotel is out of the way and once you get you there, you may not feel like leaving. The onsite restaurant does delicious (and relatively healthy for Mexico) food, making the most of the fresh fish and traditional Mexican flavours, and the bar serves strong cocktails. There are two pools – one ‘Family Pool’ and one ‘Wellness Pool’, both with cafes serving snacks and drinks, a wellness centre, yoga and small gym facilities and massage centre.

Activities

If you don’t want to leave the immediate area then you can swim, sunbathe, kayak, take part in a yoga session, walk along the three-mile beach or use one of the hotel bikes. There are also a number of day trips and excursions you can do – boat trips to see the flamingos (season depending) and the Petrified Forest; or visit the old haciendas; visit Uxmal (ancient Mayan city); a mangrove adventure; offshore fishing; or even a moonlight safari.

Recommended for… Couples, honeymooners, families (pets are welcome too)

Be aware that… This isn’t a ‘budget’ break and as the hotel is away from the nearest smallest town, you do end up eating each night at the hotel restaurant

‘Good’ credentials

  • The bungalows are designed to harmonise with the surrounding nature
  • No air conditioning – just ceiling fans and thatched roofs provide ventilation
  • Organic garden
  • Reforestation – planting of 30 hectares with Malayan dwarf coconut trees
  • All water is biologically recycled, grey waters go through a biological filter

For more information, including booking, for Hotel Xixim, Yacatan, Mexico, visit www.hotelxixim.com, T: (01-988) 916 21 00, E: info@hotelxixim.com

About the author: Rachel Cafferty works in charity PR in London and has discovered the joys of choosing holidays based on how much nature there is, thanks to her husband’s insistence on seeking out wildlife and staying in yurts.

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New Amazon Rainforest conservation project launched

Guest blogger Ellie Cambridge, of NGO Frontier, profiles a new conservation project that takes you to the heart of the Peruvian jungle.wildlife in the Amazon (c) Frontier

The mighty Amazon rainforest has long been seen as one of the ultimate destinations for adventurers – but with its fragile biodiversity in danger, it needs dedicated teams of conservationists and their volunteers more than ever.

NGO Frontier has launched a new volunteering project – Peru Amazon Rainforest Conservation. By working in a  unique region of the Peruvian Amazon, Frontier and the volunteers work in partnership with leading international universities on the project to carry out research and education, to promote a model for sustainability that could be replicated by other communities throughout South and Central America. And it couldn’t some sooner…

The Amazon Rainforest boasts half of the world’s species of plants, animals and insects, and holds one fifth of the world’s fresh water and produces more than 20% of the world’s oxygen. Due to deforestation, the rainforest is losing 137 plant, animals and insect species everyday. This project aims to lead by example and help protect the rainforest as a valuable resource that should be sustainably looked after.

The work – butterfly identification to tree phenology

Volunteers can get involved in several practical tasks and surveys, and take part in community work such as promoting the project’s work, and new sustainable ways to use the rainforest, in local schools. Practical projects may include camera checks, biomass projects, butterfly traps, tree phenology, agroforestry projects and night transects.

wildlife watching in the Amazon rainforest (c) FrontierAccommodation – a fabulous eco lodge in the heart of the rainforest

Volunteers stay in a fabulous Eco-Lodge which boasts a solar-powered internet connection, an environmentally sound septic system and gravity-fed water pumps; all helping to minimise the centre’s impact on the environment. The lodges consist of six thatched buildings with two single beds in each pod. All food is provided, which includes three meals a day of pancakes, omelettes, fruit, rice, beans, meat, potatoes and cheese. Other food and snacks, if required, can be purchased once a week from a nearby town.

Recommended for… Anyone who wants hands-on conservation work that will help protect a vital and biodiverse rich area of the world; and who wants to see what it’s really like to live and work in the rainforest.

Be aware that… This project means total immersion in the rainforest so volunteers can gain the best possible understanding of conservation, climate change, and poverty. It is for those that want to get stuck in to the conservation effort and do as much as they can to help, and will potentially involve a four day expedition into the rainforest sleeping under the starts if volunteers stay for longer than four weeks.

‘Good’ credentials:

  • Base data gathered by volunteers provides the local community with crucial information, helping them grow the local economy, alongside supporting natural resources to protect the environment
    Frontier aims to create international connections linking industries (including agriculture, tourism, timber) to a network of responsible organisations and communities to ensure continued sustainability

 

For more details, prices and booking visit www.frontier.ac.uk  

About the author: Ellie Cambridge works for Frontier, an NGO dedicated to safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem integrity, and building sustainable livelihoods for marginalised communities in the world’s poorest countries. Find out more about Frontier’s volunteer projects, ethical adventure trails and gap year planning

image courtesy of Peru Amazon Rainforest Conservation

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