The beautiful Brazilian horizon is not the only attraction of Belo Horizonte, even though it’s what inspired the name of this splendid city, the capital of Minas Gerais state. Did you know that Belo Horizonte, or Beagá, as locals fondly call it, is also the Brazilian capital of bars?

There is a huge number of bars all across the city, giving you many options for a cool beer, caipirinha or cachaça (a Brazilian kind of rum). You can also get appetisers and good food in a multitude of places where people enjoy going out and meeting or making friends.

Brahma beer with a short lagoinha glass and an appetiser

The most popular Brazilian beer brands are Brahma and Skol, neither of which is very strong compared to European beers. You’ll notice Brazilians sharing a cold bottle of beer, especially when the weather is hot, in short lagoinha glasses that can hold only a 190 millilitres. It’s the perfect way to ensure that your beer doesn’t get warm! A 600-millilitre bottle costs about 3 Brazilian reais. Read More…

Posted under Brazil, local tips, whl.travel newsletter

A quick Web search on Minsk will give you the basics: It is the capital and largest city (2007 population of about 1.8 million people) of Belarus. It is also the headquarters of the Commonwealth of Independent States, an alliance consisting of former Soviet Republics. You may also read that Minsk is only appealing to Soviet Union enthusiasts, the city having been heavily damaged during World War II and rebuilt to Stalinist standards in the 1950s. There are even claims that tourism is not much of a priority, the most morbidly alluring curiosity being the bottom left apartment at 4 Vulitsa Kamunistychnaja, the former residence, during his defection to the USSR, of Lee Harvey Oswald, the man believed to have murdered American President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963.

Minsk Ministry of Internal Affairs. Or is it the KGB headquarters?

Sadly, most Web sites (and even local residents) don’t take into account some of Minsk’s other curiosities. For example, there’s a grand yellow building with a row of high columns in front of it located near the start of Independence (aka Francyska Skaryny) Avenue. Most guides and guidebooks say that this is the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It’s actually KGB headquarters! Fifteen or so years ago, if you pulled out a camera you were pushed away and asked silly questions; today, you can snap as many photographs as you like. Read More…

Posted under Belarus, local tips, whl.travel newsletter

The island nation of Mauritius (aka Ile Maurice) sits in the waves of the southwest Indian Ocean. Its white sandy beaches and immaculately groomed hotel grounds draw in thousands of travellers every year. Many are also eager to find the ‘real Mauritius’, so here is a special inside look at how a Mauritian might take in the island: a visit to its green heart at Chamarel.

Chamarel's famous coloured earth

Chamarel is already well known as the site of a magnificent waterfall and curiously coloured earth (see responses below), but there’s much more to see and savour in the rustic surroundings, best reached by car, as buses are infrequent and only come via the West coast. Read More…

Posted under Mauritius, local tips, whl.travel newsletter

By Ethan Gelber

.

Jordan is solidly back on the radar. Already one of the most entrancing destinations in the Middle East, Jordan is attracting more attention than ever before as site of the ancient stone city of Petra, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. But Jordan is far from being a one-hit wonder. Visitors moved to take in the awe-inspiring rock structures of the Nabataeans usually also discover the country’s other attractions -– archaeological, historical and cultural. And, these days, in keeping with a growing awareness of travel ethics, many are doing so responsibly.

Responsible travel in Jordan is a relatively new concept, albeit one steadily gaining ground, both amongst locals and visitors. So, to add momentum to important early strides toward the country’s sustainable tourism future, here are several responsible travel hints.

Airport arrival. Most travellers first touch Jordanian ground at Queen Alia International Airport, located approximately 30 kilometres south of Amman. Although there are airport taxis to Amman on hand, getting one can sometimes be nerve-racking, even with the posted fixed-price service. Alternatively, and with an eye toward reduced fuel consumption, take the hourly bus (leaves on the hour) from outside the terminal 2 arrivals hall. As of mid-2008, it cost 3 Jordanian dinars per person (taxis charge slightly more than 20) and runs via Amman’s 7th, 6th, 5th and 4th circles before turning north to the new large bus station. You can disembark anywhere.

One of Amman's responsible craft sales centres

Read More…

Posted under Jordan, local tips, whl.travel newsletter

Fiji is truly a jewel of the Pacific, fabled for both its amazing scenery and some of the happiest, friendliest people you have ever met. Here are ten helpful hints from a local eager to see you make the best of your time in paradise.

Bounty Island beach

* First things first: Exchange currency at Western Union outlets, either at the airport or in town, as they don’t charge commission.

* For true local excitement, visit during the annual BiliBili Race, one of the most exhilarating events on the Coral Coast. Teams compete throughout Fiji Day (independence day, celebrated in October) in a marathon relay, parade, waiter/waitress relay (bringing new meaning to quick service), board walk (see response below for explanation), coconut tunnel (see response below for explanation), egg toss, raft (bilibili) race, kayak races and swimming races. It’s an action packed day with smiles and laughter aplenty. But don’t be fooled: the Bilibili Race is taken very seriously! Read More…

Posted under Fiji, local tips, whl.travel newsletter

West of Panay Island, in the Visayas of the Philippines, Boracay is the holiday hotspot many people still haven’t yet found, although not for lack of services, reputation and attention. Just 350 kilometres south of Manila, Boracay’s more than 300 resorts, world-famous beaches and friendly people make the amazing palm-fringed coastline the perfect place to relax, party or enjoy the myriad water sports and other activities on offer. However, there is so much more to Boracay that most visitors do not even scrape the surface. In particular, there are great day trips and experiences that avoid the crowds and impart a sense of life as lived by a local!

Nature and wildlife are abundant on and near Boracay, but there’s no better spot at which to take this all in than Caticlan, a pristine world of natural beauty on the mainland near the airport, just a short trip from Boracay in a banca (local ferry boat). It’s a favourite local place for hiking, biking and just soaking up the serenity.

A view to distant Boracay Island from the Malay mountains

From Caticlan, for a bit of physical challenge, Nasog Point is ideal. To get there, make your way to the town of Malay and then head to the beachfront. Follow the path off to the left and walk along the beach (towards Pahle) until the path takes you to a hill. Starting halfway up, there are stunning views of Boracay! Take drinking water with you.

After the hike, nearby Pahle (just mentioned) is an incredible resort with hardwood furniture and native artwork. Order in advance for the fabulous vegetarian cuisine and then relax by the sea.

Alternatively, from Malay head up to Agnaga Falls. Most tricycle drivers know it and will drop you off at a bridge, from which it’s an invigorating 40-minute walk via native villages, small rice terraces, mountain pathways and coconut plantations. Reward yourself with a dip in the freshwater swimming hole at the end.

If you instead want to meet some locals, head down to the jetty port and ask a tricycle to go to Nabaoy (Nab-ah-oy) River. Here you can join in on some karaoke in the native huts or cross the bridge and then follow the river around to the right to the picnic area, a deck on stilts built around two huge trees. Order food on site or bring your own. Drink a fresh buko (young coconut) juice. Immerse yourself in the fresh river waters. Read More…

Posted under Philippines, local tips, whl.travel newsletter

Responsible travel is all about the people who practice it. It’s not just a principle; it’s a way of life, something you do in your home and in friends’ homes, as well as in your extended home community, which in responsible travel terms includes the whole world.

In the interest of promoting best practices, we would like to hear how you have taken responsible travel to heart. 

• Tell us what you value in a responsible travel vacation.
• Tell us how you go about finding the information you need so that you can be sure it’s responsible.
• Tell is what you do on a holiday that demonstrates your commitment to responsible travel.
• Remind us about what you do at home too!

We would like to share this information about what you do.

To that end, this space is your space. With every release of this newsletter, we will focus on what you tell us is important. We will profile you –- your interests, your practices, your concerns.

To set the ball rolling, and because at whl.travel we believe in practicing what we preach, below is a short contribution from one of the whl.travel team.

Now it’s your turn. We look forward to what you have to say.

Posted under responsible traveller, whl.travel newsletter

Over the coming months, we will be examining the many and various qualities of what we believe qualifies as responsible tourism. It comes in may forms and is known by many names – ecotourism, sustainable tourism, pro-poor tourism, ethical tourism, geotourism, community-based tourism, inclusive tourism, agritourism, tourisme rural etc.

But with such a generous and broad scope, where should we begin?

Well, in 2002, the 280 participants of the Cape Town Conference on Responsible Tourism in Destinations issued a declaration. They agreed that responsible tourism should: 

• minimise negative economic, environmental and social impacts
• generate greater economic benefits for local people, and enhance the wellbeing of host communities, in part by improving working conditions and access to the industry
• involve local people in decisions that affect their lives and life chances
• make positive contributions to the conservation of natural  and cultural heritage embracing diversity
• provide more enjoyable experiences for tourists through meaningful connections with local people, and a greater understanding of local cultural, social and environmental issues
• provide access for physically challenged people
• be culturally sensitive, encourage respect between tourists and hosts, and build local pride and confidence.

Let’s delve into this, one point at a time.

Where do you think we should start?

Posted under responsible travel, whl.travel newsletter

The Partnership for Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria has announced the release of landmark universal sustainable tourism criteria, a new global framework intended as a guide to the practice of sustainable tourism.

The criteria focus on best practices in four fundamental areas: 

• maximizing social and economic benefits to local communities
• reducing negative impacts on cultural heritage
• reducing harm to local environments
• planning for sustainability.

The Partnership for Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria is a new coalition of 27 leading tourism organisations from the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Consultations have involved sustainability experts and tourism industry representatives, as well as a review of more than 60 existing certification standards from around the world.

Posted under responsible travel news, whl.travel newsletter

The Old News: In 2002, a Cape Town Conference on Responsible Tourism in Destinations (held in anticipation of the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development) brought together 280 tourism-industry representatives from 20 countries.

They issued a joint declaration defining the role and potential of responsible tourism. The terms they set and the path they began to pave were early steps of a more and more urgent effort to steer worldwide tourism down an ethical and sustainable course.

The New News: Now consumers and host communities are placing more and more pressure on tourism-industry companies and organisations to behave responsibly.

As a demonstration of strides already made to anticipate and meet these demands, the World Travel Mart (WTM) launched, with the support of the UN World Tourism Organization and industry leaders, a World Responsible Tourism Day (WRTD), “the only global day of action of its kind.”

Mark your calendars: November 12, 2008.

“The day is vital -– for business, for profitability and for our planet. It means taking care of a world that we seek to promote. Preserving our heritage and cultures and taking into account the views and needs of local communities,” declares the WTM WRTD Web site. “WTM World Responsible Tourism Day is our chance to speak out as one voice, demonstrating that responsible tourism is the ONLY means of securing our future.”

Four guiding objectives will guide industry practitioners throughout the day:

• spurring change by educating the tourism industry and travelling public about responsible behaviour
• exploring destination-specific sustainability and highlighting best practices
• debating key related environmental issues as a step in propelling the agenda
• harnessing the influence of World Travel Market as a forum through which to advance responsible tourism.

Posted under responsible travel news, whl.travel newsletter