Highlights in EcoTourism: South America and Africa
Posted by Lisa Carey
Find out what’s “hot” in the ecotourism spotlight, where to stay and what to do in Africa and South America.
If you’re interested in traveling the world and exploring some of nature’s amazing natural resources but you want to know that you’re not leaving big and harmful carbon footprints every step of the way, ecotourism can be your “green” card.
Africa and South America offer some unique sights and experiences and both offer ecotourism destinations that allow you to travel using eco-friendly practices.
Ecotourism in South America: Spotlight on Brazil
Brazil has an interesting story of how people can make a positive difference. When Brazil, home to the world’s largest wetlands, was quickly becoming a growing grazing grounds for the beef industry, people found a working solution that was both economically friendly and earth friendly too.
The Caiman Ecological Refuge took working cattle area of 132,000 acres that included forests, fields and waterways, and took these wondrous natural resources in a different direction with sustainable ranching. Where shack-like hunting lodges were the norm, the refuge now includes four standard setting ecolodges and over 30 private nature refuges.
Caiman is host to scientific teams that participate in jaguar and hyacinth macaw research projects and there are opportunities for guest to be involved as well.
Nature Lover’s Activities in Brazil:
-canoe the rivers
-ride horseback with Pantaneiros
-nature walks to search of over 60 mammals
-bird watching for 380 bird species
Ecotourism in South America: Spotlight on Chile
Chile has been described as a “country of pure nature.” Chile is home to national nature reserves that allow for wildlife protection and sustainable tourism to occur hand in hand. Chile’s beauty has inspired greener practices like using fuel-efficient boats to do river tours.
Nature Lover’s Activities in Chile:
-hiking
-trekking
-fly-fishing
-biking, or road cycling through National Reserves and National Parks of the Lake and Volcano District of Chile
-skiing at Lonquimay, Llaima and Villarrica volcanoes followed by recovering hot springs baths (Chilean ski season runs June to October)
- horseback riding tours of Easter Island or Torres Del Paine National Park
Ecotourism in Africa: Spotlight on Kenya
Kenya often evokes images of dry savannas, lions and elephants but Kenya’s natural resources include mountains, lakes, rain forest, deserts and beaches.
Ecotourism Kenya, which was founded in 1996, is a civil society organization formed to promote ecotourism and sustainable tourism practices in Kenya. Ecotourism Kenya seeks to support sustainable tourism and eco-friendly tourism in this beautiful country. They also rate lodges offering a gold, silver or bronze certification based on environmental polices. Currently there are 2 Gold eco-rated establishments, 6 Silver and 24 Bronze.
Nature Lover’s Activities in Kenya:
-tour the fifty protected national parks and reserves
-watch wildebeest migration every July and August
-walk and play on pristine beaches
-go diving in coral reefs
Ecotourism in Africa: Spotlight on Namibia
Namibia offers eco-friendly camping, including luxurious thatched roofed huts, for guests along with sightings of species such as desert-adapted elephant, gemsbok, greater kudu springbok, and occasionally a cheetah or black rhino. Namibia is also botanically interesting with flora like euphorbias and shepherd’s trees.
Of special interest in the area are some of Africa’s best rock engravings including the famous Twyfelfontein etchings.
Nature Lover’s Activities In Namibia:
-star gazing
-walking tours
-moutain biking tours
Eco-friendly tours won’t be all about you but that’s a really good thing. Eco-friendly tours will focus on the impact to the local community and their natural resources first and foremost. Spending your green on a green vacation can invest monies in local communities that are trying to offer sustainable tourism. Creating a green getaway means that you can enjoy once in a lifetime sights and activities that can be once in a lifetime opportunities for the generations to come too.
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