By Jacqueline Baleon

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Located in the Ejido (communal land) of El Rosario, only 45 minutes to the south of La Paz (the capital of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur), is the lonely Cactus Sanctuary (Santuario de los Cactus), in which 50 hectares of parkland have been divided into 50 distinct areas to preserve cacti and endemic plants found only in this part of the globe.

Signs throughout the Cactus Sanctuary of Baja California Sur, Mexico, share information about this unique plant preserve

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Posted under General, Mexico, countries, responsible organisations, whl.travel newsletter

By Johnny Hogue

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As perhaps the premier Mediterranean destination for diving, Kaş, located on the south coast of Turkey, frequently mesmerises first-time visitors. It seems to have a magical quality that people return to again and again. This is particularly true for scuba divers and snorkelers, who discover in Kaş’s waters its unusual shore formations, ancient and modern wrecks, reefs, canyons and large caves.

Around Kaş, Turkey, the crystal-clear turquoise Mediterranean Sea, purified by local currents, offers excellent diving conditions

In fact, the Turkish diver community has declared the nearby rocky reefs to be the country’s best. In the waters of Kaş, lucky divers can thrill to a swim alongside a gentle giant sea turtle or the rare Mediterranean monk seal, both carefully protected. Schools of dolphins sometimes race a dive boat out of the Kaş marina. Groupers appear on almost every dive, along with schools of calamari and small barracuda.
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Posted under General, Turkey, countries, local tips, responsible travel, whl.travel newsletter

This article was first published by our friends at Intrepid Travel, who have agreed to its republication here.
View the original article on their Intrepid Express Blog.

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Faced with the daunting experience of landing in a strange city for the first time, sometimes it feels like our fate is in the hands of the gods. So these tips from Intrepid’s Danielle Jeffreson will help your Thailand holiday get off to a great start.

The floating markets of Bangkok draw both locals and tourists in Thailand (photo courtesy of Alison Agnew)

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Posted under General, Thailand, countries, local tips, responsible travel

By Ethan Gelber

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The lion is one of the Big Five found in Kruger National Park, the country’s largest game reserve and a superb place for a safari (photo courtesy of South African Tourism)

The clock’s ticking. Every hour we move closer to 4pm South Africa time on 11 June 2010, when the World Cup 2010 kicks off in Johannesburg’s Soccer City Stadium. The anticipation is palpable, but so is the growing frustration and sometimes anger about the absurd room rates and out-of-focus travel opportunities in a country driven by high expectations.

So what are you to do? Are there reasonably priced accommodation options anywhere in South Africa? How can one find exciting and responsible travel options beyond the pomp of a month of games? And, as we’ve written about already, is there any way of ensuring that some of the money spent will be fairly distributed, so that the inflated profits benefit as wide a cross-section of people as possible, not just the already rich and powerful?
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Posted under General, South Africa, countries, local tips, responsible organisations, responsible travel, responsible travel news, whl.travel newsletter

By Pedro Paulo Capelossi

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Every year, people travel to Fernando de Noronha, a group of islands off the coast of Brazil, to meet some of the archipelago’s most famous residents: spinner dolphins.

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Posted under Brazil, General, countries, local tips, responsible organisations, whl.travel newsletter

By Maureen Valentine

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The diamonds that were once harvested from the national park of the Chapada Diamantina (or Diamond Highlands) are only the tip of a precious natural resource iceberg in the northeast Brazilian state of Bahia. In fact, until recently, Chapada Diamantina was perhaps Brazil’s best-kept secret, trade from tourism having been on the rise only since it became an official national park in 1985.

Brazil's Chapada Diamantina landscape is known for the mesa-like features called 'tepuis'. In the Pati Valley (pictured here), hikers are rewarding to stunning vistas over the national park after a bit of serious legwork.

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Posted under Brazil, General, countries, local tips, responsible organisations, responsible travel, whl.travel newsletter

By Maureen Valentine

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Off Panama’s Pacific coast lies Isla Gobernadora, a peaceful and natural haven practically untouched by modern preoccupations. For the local inhabitants, primarily fishermen, island life tends to revolve around the seasons and tides, and the absence of roads and cars means that people get around by boats or boots. This hasn’t however prevented outsiders from beating a path to the famous surfing point of Santa Catalina or establishing a base for diving trips into Coiba National Park or nearby Isla Cebico.

Boats on the Isla Gobernadora shore await use in this ideal diving area. The beautiful waters of the Pacific off Panama draw some of the best divers in the world.

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Posted under General, Panama, countries, responsible organisations, responsible travel, responsible travel news, whl.travel newsletter

By Anda Cirule

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Although small, the Baltic country of Latvia attracts oversize attention, luring in travellers with a richness of culture and traditions, green and pure nature and a history dating back to early 9000 BC.

Detail from an Art Nouveau building in Riga, Latvia, which famous as a centre for this style of architecture

Latvia’s capital city, Riga, is the largest metropolis in the Baltic states, an urban spread particularly well known for its fantastic integration of historic and contemporary architecture. In fact, Riga, sometimes called the Eastern Paris, is considered by many to be the world’s best epicentre of Art Nouveau, particularly Jugendstil (German Art Nouveau).

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Posted under Latvia, countries, local tips, whl.travel newsletter

Image/text by Maurisun International/Kevin Koborg,
whl.travel local connection in Mauritius

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The memory that many travellers take home from a holiday stay in Mauritius is that of silent beauty – a vision of turquoise lagoons with sandy beaches, fishermen along the shore or in their boats and palm trees silhouetted against a spectacular sunset. It’s a magical, but typical take on a tropical island vacation.

Like anywhere, though, Mauritius is much much more. It can be difficult for visitors to get a real sense of all that this small island destination has to offer, but we try to help as best we can.

What is one tactic? Why not start with the gastronomy!?

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Posted under General, Mauritius, Photo of the Week, countries, local tips, whl.travel newsletter

By Maureen Valentine

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Off the Caribbean coast of Venezuela lies Los Roques, a remote paradise, where stretches of picturesque beach meet a crystal-clear sea teeming with schools of colourful fish. Over the centuries, this near-utopia archipelago has seduced many tourists into full-time residence with its isolation, charm and stark beauty. It was even once described by Christopher Columbus as ‘heaven on earth,’ and has continued to amaze Venezuelans and international holidaymakers alike as they take a break from the routine of everyday life.

The turquoise waters and marine wildlife diversity of the Los Roques archipelago make it an ideal location for diving and snorkelling. Close encounters with sea turtles are common.

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Posted under General, Venezuela, countries, local tips, responsible organisations, responsible travel, whl.travel newsletter