funtotravel.info TIPS: How Will I Get My Laundry Done on the Road?

Your're probably laughing reading this, thinking 'why the hell would I think about that?', but...

...this is the kind of issue that we never really thought about before we went away, but it is information that is vital if you’re away for anything more than a couple of weeks. If you are travelling around Australia, Western Europe or anywhere similar, expect to spend a surprising amount of time doing your laundry over the course of your trip! The situation with laundry depends which part of the world you are in, we would summarise the situation as follows:

Southeast Asia, India, Nepal: most guest houses and hotels will take in your laundry and have it washed for you, typically for around US$1 and less per kilo. It will usually come back smelling sweetly and be ironed. If your guesthouse is one of the few not to provide the service, ask at reception and you will no doubt find a place within a couple of minutes walk that will do your laundry for you for similar if not cheaper prices. Expect to have your laundry back within 24 hours. Bear in mind that if it happens to be raining then laundry will not dry as quickly since it is dried out in the open.

South and Central America: a minority of guest houses will have in house laundry services for a reasonable amount (again think around US$1 per kilo), but if you’re in a more upmarket hotel, stay away from the laundry service as they are likely to do a stupidly expensive per-item wash (i.e. $1 for a t-shirt, 50c for a pair of underpants etc). Your best bet is to ask the staff where you’re staying where the local launderette is and take it down there. Launderettes in this part of the world tend only to deal with service washes – i.e. you take in your washing, the staff will take it off your hands and wash it for you and typically you pick it up the next day. Again this will cost around US$1 per kilo of laundry.

There are easier ways of getting your clothes clean - the banks of the River Ganges, Varanasi, India

Europe, the US, Canada, China, Japan, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand: bad news I’m afraid – unless you are willing to shell out a lot for item by item hotel laundry services, you are going to be washing your clothes yourself. Many hostels (and even campsites in the case of Australia and New Zealand) have in house laundry rooms with coin operated washers and dryers. If this is not the case, the hostel will be able to tell you where the local launderette is – most of these will be of the coin operated variety so plan on having a few hours spare to do your laundry as and when necessary!

Africa: outside of South Africa the situation with laundry is, pardon the pun, a real mixed bag. A lot of hostels and guesthouses have a laundry room where you’ll be able to wash your own clothes (most likely coin operated), while others will have a laundry service that should be fairly inexpensive and saves you the time taken to sort it out yourself.

funtotravel.info PLACES: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Quite simply one of the most naturally beautiful and fun cities on the planet. Yes it has its problems with violent crime and drugs, but the world can prepare itself for one hell of a party when the Olympics and World Cup come to town during the next decade.

With so much to see and do and so many amazing things on offer, it's not called the cidade maravilhosa (marvellous city) for nothing. The best way to guide you through this simply fantastic city destination is to let you know what we'd do if we had a weekend to kill here. Note that we have recommended throughout that you take taxis - they are a safe and inexpensive way of getting around. We would normally recommend taking public transport, but for many of the sights in Rio it is just not very convenient.

Remember that if you are a sensible traveller and keep your wits about you, the worst thing that will happen to you in Rio is that you'll have a pretty bad hangover. Be aware that English is not very widely spoken (this may change with the Olympics and World Cup coming), so take a good phrasebook, smile, be polite and patient and you'll be fine!

The funtotravel.info guide to Brazil can be found here. Click here for the funtotravel.info members' guide to Rio de Janeiro.

Day 1
After a quick breakfast in your hotel/hostel (Brazilians don't seem to be big on breakfasts really, much like the rest of South America), take a taxi (plentiful and inexpensive in Rio) to Rua Cosme Vehlo 513: you are about to visit a wonder of the world. We know that we've put it first up on our itinerary, but we really don't think that a visit to see Christ the Redeemer on his lofty perch should be delayed by even a second. It's just a jaw-droppingly brilliant experience, though not cheap at around US$12 for the return cable car ride. Take your time at the top, as crowds are likely to be pretty big. The view needs to be seen to be believed:

View from Christ the Redeemer

Take in the sweeping view over Sugarloaf mountain, Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, Botafogo, Ipanema and Copacabana beaches and and if you have the time, pause for a coffee at the unsurprisingly expensive cafe at the top - it's well worth taking your time! Steel yourself for the bill and one last look up at Christ (literally), before taking the tram back down to earth. Don't be surprised if you're serenaded by a samba band on the way down - you should give them some of your change.

Jesus: big in Brazil.

Find yourself a cab and head down to Ipanema beach for a spot of lunch and some sun-bathing. Rio is chock full of excellent eating options, but being the gluttons we are suggest you head for one of the excellent 'por kilo' restaurants in Ipanema. These are buffet restaurants where you pay depending on the weight of food on your plate. Dismiss any sniffy thoughts you might have about buffet food: the fodder on offer is fresh, tasty and varied with great meats, pastas, fried foods, sushi, salad etc on offer. We would recommend the Frontera, which is slightly more upmarket than most, but with a great range of food. Prices are reasonable in what can be a very expensive city (about US$12-15 per kilo - a hell of a lot of sushi!).

Having stuffed yourself silly take the short walk to Ipanema beach and pick yourself a spot. We were reliably told by a number of cariocas (Rio locals) that Copacabana is for tourists and Ipanema is for locals. We think it's prettier and a bit less seedy. You are free to just find yourself a free stretch of sand and throw down your beach towel (harder than you think with huge crowds at weekends!), but you'd be well advised to keep an eye on your things as petty theft is rife. We'd recommend taking up one of the Godfather-like beach vendors on their offer of  a couple of deckchairs on their 'patch': spend the afternoon being waited on hand and foot (as well as feeling like your things were being watched for you) - well worth the slightly-inflated price for drinks and snacks as well as the charge for the chairs (around US$5). 

Ipanema beach: stunning. Speedos everywhere: not so stunning.

Having spent a few hours sunning yourself, indulging in some of the most fascinating people watching on the planet (speedos are just plain wrong wherever you are though!) and marvelling at the sheer range of goods being hawked by the beach sellers, it's time to head back to your hotel/hostel to get ready for a night on the tiles.

Before sunset, take a taxi to the bondinho (street car) station on Rua Profesor Lelio Gama and take the tram up to the beautiful district of Santa Teresa, a hillside area full of charm and colonial architecture, with a slightly rough and ready feel. The tram costs around US$0.40 and takes about 15-20 minutes, though expect a wait around at the station for departure as they only leave every half hour - find a guide here. Don't be alarmed if locals run alongside and get a free ride by hanging off the side - it's normal! Get off at Largo de Guimaraes, a square with some great cafes and restaurants.

The Bondinho tram in Santa Teresa

Find a restaurant that takes your fancy (we like Bar do Mineiro at Rua Pachoal Carlos Magno 99) and stay for some delicious and filling food as well as a few cachaça (cane sugar liquor) cocktails before taking a cab on to Lapa for dancing (don't walk - the neighbourhood isn't the safest after dark). Lapa is THE area of the city to head to if you fancy dancing the night away - getting your groove on to some samba beats is a must-do experience in Rio. We recommend checking out Carioca de Gama - our favourite of the samba venues in Lapa and a great place for first timers. If you don't fancy dancing then stay in Santa Teresa and check out the bars around Largo de Guimaraes and Largo das Neve for a good drink. Definitely take a cab home - there are hundreds around Lapa around kicking out time so you won't have a problem getting home safely!


Day 2 
Bit of a hangover? Start your day with brunch at the brilliant Caroline Cafe near the Botanical Gardens to help lift the fog around your head. If you can't face moving that far then we suggest trying one of the many amazing fresh juice bars around the city - try an acai juice if you want to be like a local. It's purple, blended with honey, sugar, banana or even nuts and it's quite delicious.


Having sated your appetite, do something that will get you under the skin of the 'real' Rio a little more. Rocinha is the first and biggest of Rio's favelas (shanty towns), and you can take a fascinating half-day tour around the neighbourhood with a local guide (do NOT go into any of the favelas on your own). You'll be safe, well-informed and looked after on your trip around this fascinating city within a city. We'd recommend Exotic Tours for their excellent attitude to sustainable tourism. An incredible way to spend half a day, and it will teach you something about how the city really works away from the glitz and glamour of Ipanema and Copacabana.


If day 2 happens to be a Sunday as we've planned, ask your guide to drop you near Copacabana beach, which is brilliant to explore on this particular day because the Avenida Atlantica (the beach road) is closed to traffic since it's Shopping Day! 

Sundays: No traffic on Copacabana beach

Drink some fresh coconut juice or a caipirinha if that takes your fancy, grab a snack from one of the roving food venders or cafe cabins on the beach then take a taxi to the cable car station for Pao de Acucar (Sugarloaf Mountain in English). A return ticket to the top costs about US$12, and not only are the views back over the city stunning, but it's an incredible place for sunset.

View from Sugarloaf Mountain

Come back down to street level on the cable car and make your way back to Ipanema, where for your last supper you will sample a Brazilian eating tradition: the churrascaria. If you're a vegetarian, this isn't for you (though there is a seafood version if that's your bag) - these are all you can eat barbecue restaurants. You pay a set price (not including drinks and sometimes desserts) and are seated at a table with a reversible red/green card. As long as you have the green side showing, the waiters will continue to bring you whatever delicious type of meat the kitchen grills up that second, which will then be carved at your table: gorge yourself on every cut of steak you can think of, sausage, chicken, pork etc until you take mercy on your stomach and show the red side of your card. At this point they will stop serving you meat. Help yourself to the delicious buffet of salads/potatoes/sushi etc, which is included in the price. If you get hungry again, just flip your card to green and let the orgy of eating continue! You'll find many of these restaurants all over Rio but our favourite was Carretao. We saw one woman there cry because she loved the meat so much but couldn't fit any more in. Honestly.


If you still have room in your stomach, head to the obligatory Irish Pub, Shenanigan's, which is popular with tourists and locals, and is a great place to watch sport. After this collapse exhausted following a fun-filled two days.


We hope you've enjoyed your brief virtual tour around this incredible city. We've barely scratched the surface and there is so much more on offer - go for yourselves, explore and report back to us! We haven't even mentioned carneval! We'll save that for another time....


To read the funtotravel.info guide to Brazil, click this link

funtotravel.info PLACES: Luang Prabang, Laos

Without a doubt one of our favourite places in the world is peaceful, laid back Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage city on the banks of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. We think it's the most beautiful city destination in South East Asia, although it feels more like a small town, and is a world away from bustling metropolises like Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Ho Chi Ming City.

Situated in North Central Laos, about 425km north of Vientiane, Luang Prabang offers a stunning mix of beautiful temples, gorgeous French colonial architecture, fantastic fusion food and some fascinating markets. There are also some great bars and an increasingly upmarket restaurant scene. Make sure you have plenty of room left on your camera's memory stick when you visit - it's an incredibly photogenic place.

We think the best way of giving you an idea of what you can do in this fabulous city is to give you a run down of what we'd do if we had 24 hours to play with in Laos's jewel in the crown - Luang Prabang.

Morning

Head to L'Etranger for a fantastic breakfast and some great local teas and coffees. Pick up something to read from the wonderful downstairs book shop, or flick through one of the myriad National Geographic magazines that line the walls upstairs where you'll eat. This top cafe/bookshop also shows art movies at night.

Having sated your hunger temporarily, head out to explore some of the city's many cultural jewels. We recommend a visit to golden, ornate Wat Xieng Thong (a wat is a temple, and Luang Prabang has over one hundred of them) and then to the fascinating Royal Palace Museum. We also love pretty Wat Xieng Maen.

One of the great things about the city is that you are constantly surrounded by delicious and tempting snacks, so when you're all templed out, why not stop at one of the outdoor riverside cafe/restaurants that line Th Khem Khong and enjoy a drink and a snack while you watch life on the Mekong slide gently past. This is the perfect opportunity for you to hail one of the many boatmen who ply their trade on the river(s) - they hire out their boats for trips up and down the Mekong, so take an hour-long cruise and enjoy the tranquility (boat ride costs around US$3-5). 

View Larger Map

Afternoon

Return to Th Sisvangvong (the city's main tourist thoroughfare) and eat lunch at one of the many great restaurants there. We'd recommend Yongkhoune Restaurant for excellent people-watching and decent food. With all that fodder in your belly it's time to work some calories off. There are a number of local travel agents to be found on Sisvangthong who can arrange activities for you , but we'd recommend White Elephant. They arranged a brilliant trip for us mountain biking, swimming in the stunning Tad Sae waterfalls, riding elephants and kayaking back into town. A range of other trips are on offer, from forest trekking to overnight village stays and trips out to the Kuang Si waterfalls (equally beautiful). Return to your accommodation for a well earned shower and eat out for your evening's entertainment.

Evening

The perfect start for an evening in Luang Prabang is watching sunset on Phu Si hill. It takes a rather sweaty 15-20 minutes to hike up to the top (expect crowds!) but the view is well worth it - see the picture below if you don't believe us!

Once you've witnessed one of the greatest sunsets in South East Asia and made your way down from Phu Si, you will have definitely earned a drink. We recommend a bit of a splurge, so head to Pack Luck wine bar on Th Sisavangvong for a delicious glass of wine while you watch the world go by. Although Luang Prabang has a tremendous range of restaurants offering dishes from around the world, we recommend a trip to the night market to indulge in some delicious street food. As well as selling some great crafts and clothes from throughout the region, we think that the best thing about the market is the sheer range of delicious (and plain weird!) dishes on offer, from grilled meats to noodle dishes, fried insects on sticks, curries, soups, fried rices and filled baguettes. All for ludicrously cheap prices and perfect to wash down with a few wonderful Beer Lao. 

After filling your stomach, no doubt you'll be ready for a few drinks, so we recommend heading to Lao Lao Garden on Th Kingkitsarat (see this blog entry for a run down on the bar's delights) to get your groove on in their fantastic bonfire filled garden. Be aware that all bars in Luang Prabang close at midnight, so if you're not ready to call it a night then take a trip to the bowling alley (yes, really) for late night carousing! It's the best (and only) late night venue in town.

So there you have it, a great and fun-packed day in this jewel of a town. Pay it a visit and prepare to leave your worries and stresses behind.

Practical Stuff

Country: Laos

Currency: Kip (though US Dollars and Thai Baht are also widely accepted)

Accommodation: The best area for budget digs is on the streets off Th Phommatha near Phu Si - ask for the Merry Guesthouse and there are lots of options around.

Budget: $10-20 on a shoestring, $24-50 on a mid range budget with a few drinks and excursions thrown in.

Next destination: from Luang Prabang you can head south to Vang Vieng (a drunken Disneyland for backpackers) and then on to Vientiane (the country's sleepy capital) or head West over the border to Chiang Mai in Thailand (by boat or plane).

To read the funtotravel.info guide to Laos, click here.

funtotravel.info TIPS: How to haggle

Bargaining over the price of goods is a tradition in many countries that are popular with travellers. To give you a guide of all of these countries would be a little difficult, but is best summed up as follows:

Amongst other places, in Southeast Asia, China, India, Nepal, most of Africa, and parts of South and Central America haggling over prices for taxis, clothing, souvenirs, commodities and even accommodation prices is a part of everyday life and if conducted properly and in the right spirit can be a lot of fun. Outside of these regions, prices are mostly fixed, and attempts to drive down prices through bargaining are unlikely to work or be seen as a good idea (though give it a go if you’re feeling brave!).

Most Western tourists are not entirely comfortable with the idea of bargaining, and it does take some time to get used to. With your first few attempts you are likely to either pay over-the-odds for something (which is why it’s best to start with low value goods first!) or be laughed away for trying to pay a pittance for something that’s worth a lot more. Many people find that bargaining for things becomes one of the most fun and pleasurable elements of their trip – it is one of the best ways to interact with the locals and be satisfied that you’ve got yourself a bargain. There is a real knack to bargaining though, and don’t underestimate the value of a smile and a sense of humour about the whole exchange. Practice makes perfect and don’t forget – a few cents makes little difference to you but could be a big deal to the person selling to you.

Here are a few tips on the best ways to bargain:

Tip 1: Do your research

Before starting to bargain, you should have an idea what the item you’re interested in should usually cost – this should stop you from getting taken for a ride by the seller and being overcharged. Have a look around the other stalls, browse, look and listen to what others are paying for similar items and this will give you an idea of what you should be paying.

Tip 2: Pretend you’re not interested

Have a look at a few different items; and don’t make out that you’re interested in the particular thing that you actually want to buy. Don’t even ask for prices at this point.

Tip 3: Let the seller quote the price first

It’s best to force the seller to make the first move. You’ll be encouraged again and again with ‘How much do you want to pay?’ from the seller in the hope that in your presumed ignorance you will quote a price much higher than he/she was hoping. Don’t fall for this and get them to suggest the price first. You can assume that this first price will be much higher than the price that they are willing to actually sell for, with anything from double to five times a fair price being quoted. It always helps to look shocked and slightly offended at this point!

Tip 4: Smile and ask for a better price

Smile and tell the seller something like “I know you can do better than that” or “we both you know that you can give me a better price than that”. If their English is not great and neither is your grasp of the local language (shame on you!), a cheeky smile and a “Cheaper price!” should suffice…

Tip 5: Naming your price

This is the tricky part, and where it’s handy to know roughly what you should be paying for an item. You want to name a price that’s lower than you know the price should be, but not so low that the seller thinks you are taking them for a fool – they will soon stop taking you seriously if you name an insultingly low price.

Tip 6: Have a sense of humour and keep smiling!

Don’t get too emotional – if you keep a smile on your face and negotiate in good humour then the seller will be far more likely to co-operate with you. Getting angry will not work in your favour and you could well be insulting the seller. You are likely to go back and forth a few times with prices until you reach a stage where you feel you will both be fairly happy with the price offered.

Tip 7: Bulk buy = discount

If you like more than one item that a merchant has for sale then ask for a discount if you buy both. If you don’t ask, you don’t get. The more items that you buy the better the potential for discount. Though don’t forget that your backpack only has a certain amount of space as we discovered when we bought 60 DVDs in Vietnam once…

Tip 8: Walk away if you’re not happy with the deal

A brilliant tactic as a last resort. If you feel that you’ve reached a fair price and that the seller is just being difficult then try pulling out of the negotiation and walking away. You’ll be surprised how many times the seller will follow you and suddenly agree to your last price.

Tip 9: It’s not over until it’s over

Until you have agreed on a final price, you have no obligation whatsoever (even morally) to go through with the purchase. Even if you have haggled back and forth for twenty minutes, if you have not agreed on price then you are completely within your rights to walk away and try somewhere else. Do not feel pressured or guilted into returning to the shop and paying a price you’re not happy with.

Tip 10: The best times to grab a bargain

We think that you’ll get the best price either at the start of the day or at the very end. At the start of the day, most sellers are keen to get a sale under their belts to get the day rolling properly and will usually lower their prices slightly to get things off to a good start. Likewise at the end of the day most sellers are looking to boost the amount of cash they’ve taken so will usually lower prices slightly to get rid of stock. Take advantage of this!

Tip 11: Once you’ve agreed on a price then it’s final

Once you are both happy with a price and have settled on the amount you are going to pay then you have to go through with the transaction – to walk away at this point would be seen as very unfair and cause you both to lose face. Culturally this is not cool at all.

Tip 12: Don’t use a big note for a small price

If you’ve just spent twenty minutes pleading your poverty to get the price down on a $2 t-shirt, don’t then try and pay with a $20 note and expect to get change. Not only is this extremely rude and slightly duplicitous (after you’ve just been telling the seller that you have very little money), but culturally not really acceptable and also serves to highlight the gap between the haves and the have-nots. The myth in many areas is that tourists are just walking ATMs and it is exactly this kind of behaviour that gives travellers this reputation. Carry small denomination notes with you for exactly this reason.

Tip 13: Remember where you are and don’t take things too seriously

Please don’t spend twenty minutes bargaining over the matter of 20 cents – it makes very little difference to you and a lot of difference to the seller trying to feed their family.

Always remember these tips on bargaining and most importantly, smile, relax and have fun: by being respectful and having fun at the same time you are bound to get yourself a bargain!

funtotravel.info ISSUES: 'Green' Travel - an oxymoron?

Practical steps you can take to travel more sustainably.

Sustainable travel is an important and challenging issue. Travel, by its very nature causes harm to environment, especially as a result of the typically large distances clocked up by backpackers on long-haul flights across the world. It is far too simple though to dismiss travelling as something that's destroying the planet. We hold the opposite belief – that travelling can be a force of good. By visiting different countries and experiencing different cultures, travellers understand that there is a true world community: by continuing to travel we are improving peoples' livelihoods and promoting the development of local economies as well as helping to conserve countries' cultural and natural heritages.

Travelling also makes us aware of the problems of those people less fortunate than ourselves. The world belongs to all of us and we all have a huge responsibility towards it. Cutting down our carbon footprint and our impact on the environment.

As we have stated there is no way of getting around the fact that many travellers take longhaul flights to reach their desired destinations. What can we do practically to reign in the effects of this?

First of all, rather than fly long distances, we could look for destinations of interest closer to home so that we can avoid flying. If you live within Europe then you have a vast array of destinations that you can reach by plane or bus, travelling on public transport and thus cutting down on your carbon foot-print. Likewise if you are from the States, Canada or Australia then you are lucky enough to live in huge and diverse countries in terms of people, landscapes and attractions. Why not hit the road within your own country by public transport and see what there is to offer?

If you do choose to visit destinations further away that you cannot travel to overland then of course you will have to fly. There are ways in which you can minimise your carbon footprint, and the most obvious of these is to offset your carbon. Many airlines are now offering to do this for you at the point of booking, but if you prefer to do it directly with a reputable company then we suggest that you look at carboncare.com.

This is fine as a starting point, but we feel that the situation with carbon off-setting is getting slightly out of hand. It should be a tool by which people look at their carbon footprint and seek to reduce it, but instead people are only paying the offset fee to ease their conscience and doing nothing to reassess their travel plans or travel more responsibly. For this reason we would advise you to think about how you can reduce your carbon emissions as well as offset the ones you can't avoid.

If you are on a round the world trip then think best how you can cut down on flights when you have reached the region in which you are planning to travel. Take buses or trains rather than internal flights – not only will taking public transport cut down on your carbon footprint, but it also means you are far more likely to meet and interact with the locals and experience life and destinations in-between that you may well fall in love with. The experiences that you have on never-ending bus journeys, full of livestock and without a toilet will be the ones that look back at when you get home with a smile on your face – they make for great stories too. Don't miss out!

If you do have to take a long haul flight to your destination then we'd recommend that you use a Carbon Comparison flight search like the one offered by responsibletravel.com. This will give you an indication of how much carbon dioxide your journey will produce and which airline has the least impact on the environment.

Protecting local cultures and helping local economies

We should all ensure that we are doing our best to protect the interests of the countries that we visit and the people who live there rather than lining the pockets of large corporations from our own countries. We want to help and learn about local cultures and peoples rather than exploit them. There are many ways in which we can do this, by promoting local businesses and fair trade practices, hiring local guides and doing our best to ensure that our consumption of local products, water etc is sustainable.

If you choose to travel with an organised group or on a tour then think carefully about which one you go with and choose one that has a written policy on responsibility and sustainability. Be sure that they support local businesses and minimise their environmental impact. Do not be afraid to ask questions of them before you book.
What you can do before you go:

• Read up as much as possible on local cultures and do your best to learn some of the local languages – respect the local people.
• Do your research to see if there are any useful gifts that you can take out with your for the locals i.e. pens and schoolbooks for the local children.
• If you have bought any new equipment (bags, cameras, clothes etc) please remove any excess packaging before you go thus easing the load on the destination country who might not have adequate waste disposal means.

What you can do whilst you're away:

• Buy local produce from local businesses and ensure that the money you spend stays within the community.
• Use local guides rather than guides shipped in from elsewhere.
• Please do not purchase any artefacts, hard wood products or endangered species –this sounds like obvious advice but you'd be amazed by how many people do.
• Respect local cultures and do not act in a way that will upset the local people – don't act drunk in public, ensure that you dress appropriately and behave in a manner that is a credit to yourself and other travellers: you won't be the first to pass through there and you certainly won't be the last so don't tarnish future travellers' experiences.
• Take public transport as much as possible as opposed to flying to keep your impact on the environment as low as possible and be sure to walk or cycle as much as you can to lower your carbon footprint even further.
• Use water sparingly as supplies of clean and treated water can be in short supply in many areas. Refill your water bottle wherever possible and don't buy new ones all the time.
• Ask questions of the locals and take interest in their traditions and cultures – you are not going to a zoo and you are not, we hope, just going to hang out with other travellers.
• In poorer countries, rather than giving money to random beggars, try instead to find charities and organisations that have been set up to tackle the problems of poverty and homelessness and give to them instead to be sure that the money is being spent in the right way.
What you can do on your return:

• Donate to local projects and charities in areas that made your trip really special – give something back to the communities that gave you such wonderful memories.
• If you promised to send someone a picture or stay in touch by email then please make sure you follow up on this – it can mean an awful lot to the people to whom you made the promise.

You will find a growing number of businesses while you're away that claim to be 'green', 'eco-friendly' or even 'eco-lodges'. Please do your bit to ensure that they are what they seem by asking them the following questions before handing over your hard earned cash:

• Do they have a written policy on sustainability? Any company that is serious about best-practice when it comes to sustainability and reducing carbon emissions will have one.
• How do they measure their contribution in terms of being sustainable?
• How many local people do they employ and how many of these are in management positions? If there aren't any then ask why not.
• What are they doing to protect the environment?
• Are they working with any local charities in this regard?
• What percentage of their products or services are sourced from within 20km of the site? Are they using as much local produce and people-power as possible.
• What are they doing with their waste-water and how do they heat their buildings (i.e. do they use solar power)?
• Do any guides that they employ come from the local community?

If the answers to any/some/all of these questions make you suspicious then you are better off taking your business to somewhere with better sustainability practices.

Community based travel is a great way to put money directly back into a community and meet the locals first-hand. These schemes are not however getting the marketing or sales they deserve, so check out responsibletravel.com’s database of such schemes and see if any are of interest.

As you can see from all of the above, sustainability and collective responsibility for our planet is a growing concern, and one that all travellers should do their best to help with. By taking the small steps listed in the paragraphs above you can help to do your bit to reduce our collective carbon footprint, put money back into local communities, maintain the respect of the inhabitants of the destinations we travel to and to have a great time in the process.

If you have enjoyed this blog then why not check out the funtotravel.info e-book which covers other green issues as well as giving practical advice on travelling the world? Click here to get yourself a copy.