Whole Travel Blog

With the economy in the dumps and California facing a massive $24.3 billion budget shortfall, lawmakers have turned to halting all general fund contributions to California’s 279 state parks within 2 years. What does this mean for residents and visitors to California? In all likelihood, this could close 223 parks - 80% of the state-owned parks in California. While it’s imperative that the state find ways to close the budget gap, these parks are already operating on shoestring budgets and have deferred maintenance for many years just to make ends meet so residents and visitors can enjoy this state’s natural beauty. Can you imagine if this park was suddenly closed?

Armstrong Redwoods, near Guerneville, CA

Now we agree that it is absolutely necessary that California create and execute a balanced budget this and every year, but with the entire budget of state parks only constituting 0.26% of the budget shortfall, is it really worth losing these outdoor escapes at a time when many people need to hit the reset button and get outdoors? Elizabeth Goldstein, president of the California State Parks’ Foundation, said, “Not only is it this bad for people who are relying on state parks more than they ever have for recreation and vacation, but it is also bad for the communities surrounding these parks.” She further pointed out that for every dollar spent on state parks, $2.35 in tax revenue is generated through economic activities in the park’s surrounding areas.

To read more, check out the San Francisco Chronicle article. And to get involved, write to your representative (to find out who that is, look here).

I was recently going through National Geographic’s Top 50 Jungle Ecolodges and found one that was particularly interesting. The Chalalan Ecolodge in Bolivia is nestled along the shore of Chalalan Lagoon. The villagers build the community-sustaining solar-powered cabins with the help of Conservation International. All local architecture and materials were used in the construction, so you’re guranteed to get an authentic local experience, with a great level of luxury for such a remote jungle ecolodge!

Chalalan Lodge Room

And if you’re looking for a retreat that is truly off the beaten path, Chalalan Ecolodge is the place for you. It’s a 5 hour boat ride from the nearest civilization, right in the middle of Madidi National Park. Here’s the dock where you’ll arrive:

Chalalan Lagoon

With traditional family-style dinners, music performances, dances, moonlight canoe trips and some of the best jungle environment you’ll find in Bolivia, Chalalan Ecolodge is on the top of our lists of places we like to go! If you’ve been to Chalalan, we’d love to get your feedback on their page on our newly-released user reviews section (just scroll to the bottom of the description section).

Sustainable travel no longer seems to be something that only the hemp-wearing, granola-eating crowd engages in, but rather it’s a concept that has gained so much traction that even the pope promotes it. At last month’s World Tourism Day 2008, Pope Benedict XVI called for sustainable and eco-tourism in which travelers respect the environment and the cultures they visit.

The pope, known as the “green pope,” declared that “experience teaches that the responsible management of creation is, or should be, a part of a healthy economy and sustainable tourism.”

In an effort to lighten its own carbon footprint, the Vatican is installing 2,700 solar panels on the roof of the Paul VI auditorium, which will conserve the equivalent of 35 tons of oil every week during the winter months. Read the BBC article to learn more about the Vatican’s solar power.

Taiwan's "Peculiar Peak" - Mt. Dabajian

More than 200 summits over 3,000 meters (10,000 ft.) in elevation, world-class mountaineering & rock climbing, thousands of kilometers of alpine trekking, lush evergreen forests, breathtaking valleys – an amalgamation of features that describe the likes of the Canadian Rockies or the French Alps, right? True, but what if I told you that you can find all this and more in… deep breath… Taiwan!?!? That’s right, Taiwan! Often noted for its extreme population density in urban areas and progressive architectural escapades, Taiwan also boasts an unbelievably gorgeous countryside that would leave any outdoor enthusiast foaming at the Nalgene. From the “rooftop of Taiwan,” Mt. Yushan (3,952m) – Northeast Asia’s highest peak – to the Sea of Clouds in the Central Mountain Range, Taiwan has a diverse expanse of rich terrain and stunning vistas. So… When you’re planning your next open-air adventure, take a gander at what Taiwan has to offer – you’ll be amazed!

For more information on the titillating Taiwanese terrain, check out the following links!

Taiwan’s National Scenic Areas & Parks
Taiwan Tourism Bureau

Many travelers equate eco-tourism and green travel with preserving local cultures, customs, and the environment. However, there’s another aspect to eco-tourism to think about, which is not as obvious a part of the environment: preservation of wildlife.

This is especially true in such war-torn countries as Senegal, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo where wildlife can be sacrificed in the middle of conflicts but where eco-tourism can work to counteract this destruction.

For example, ivory has for centuries been a treasured commodity, used for both ornamental as well as practical and medical purposes; this has been especially popular in Asian markets.

A recent article in Ethical Traveler (2008) highlighted the rise of elephant poaching due to  “China’s insatiable appetite for ivory” and cited shocking statistics including the demise of the Senegalese elephant population from 20,000 tusked pachyderms in the late 90s to only two today. Reuters also investigated the obliteration of elephants by poaching, citing that the 2-million acre Virunga National Park of Rwanda, once the home of 5,000 Savannah elephants in the 1970s, now only has 300 - seven elephants having been killed as recently as August 2008.

It has been suggested that eco-tourism, however, can help turn these numbers around. Travel to elephant sanctuaries and game reserves brings not only much needed money for elephant protection and conservation, but also attracts attention and heightens awareness of the continued illegal poaching.

Whole Travel offers a number of different African safari adventures including Leopard Walk Lodge, Tsaro Elephant Lodge, and many more which contribute to helping this preservation effort.