Ultimate Vacation Spots

posted by Travel Cat on Feb 13

We all know the basics of polite society, yet sometimes we fail to apply them when on vacation in a foreign country. What we need to remember is that we are only visiting these places because we think they are better than a vacation at home, so why would we think it a good idea to overwhelm these destinations with our western ways and assume that 1) they can cope, and 2) they will stay the same for the next time we visit!

I know it might not seem so bad to drop that little tissue down to toilets (even though the locals use a bin) or to leave your empty plastic cosmetic bottles at the hotel, but multiply that by the 1000’s of visitors to that one resort, who all just do ‘one little thing’ wrong. The sewers will block up or spew metres of waste material into local rivers, and a small town may have 3000 plastic bottles to landfill. I can’t even begin to frighten you with the math if every holiday resort in developing countries have this mess to clean up. It can’t leave the locals to pleased either!

So, follow these simple steps to keep your destination friendly, clean and somewhere for other people to visit in years to come.

1) Research your destination before you go.
Make sure you know local customs and appropriate language and dress for your visit. Be aware of your presence in public places and during festivals, etc.

2) Learn the language.
Even if it’s just a basic grasp, you will find that not only will you enjoy your stay more, but communication with people there will be easier. Even if they speak English and you are taking for ever to order a drink, they may still appreciate your efforts enough to break the ice.

3) Don’t litter. Ever.

4) Buy local produce from locals.
If you are bothering to travel to a certain town, you obviously like what it has to offer, so buy something from there. Mingle with the locals and barter for a gift you know is keeping that town on the map.

5) Use local services.
Why book with a hotel chain when you could stay with some locals? Why book a room with a company that takes your money back to the U.S or UK rather than re-investing it back into the community you are in? Think of your local grocer being out-competed by a supermarket.

6) Check credentials for tours and trips.
Make sure that if you are relying on someone to take you through the local environment or a distant mountain or jungle, that they are responsible. Not only in terms of limiting damage to flora and fauna, but also that they are well known in the area and can offer you safe, reliable and community friendly travel.

7) Tip where you can.
Make sure that if a guide, waiter or porter is offering a better than average service and have made whatever you were trying to do effort free and worth that bit extra, make sure you tip them well. Not only will it make their efforts worth while, but it will encourage this high service to all the travellers who follow you there!

Respect people.
Don’t expect everyone you meet on your travels to have to like you and offer you a service or their time. They are also not part of the landscape, so make sure you check if they want you to take their photo while they sit on a bench, or tend to their land.

9) Don’t encourage the killing of endangered animals or delicate environments.
If you buy a piece of coral or a highly carved piece of turtle shell or ivory - where do you think they are going to get more from? If no-one buys a product, regardless of what it is, shops will stop selling it. This is what makes it all the more sad to see these products readily available in tourist destinations - someone is still buying them…….

10) Wash with piece of mind.
Use showers where ever possible to save water and the heating of it. In addition, try to travel with bio-degradable toiletries like shampoo, suncream and soap powder. They all wash off of us and our clothes into streams and rivers, so make sure they don’t stay there too long. Supplies of these are readily available in our stores and at a similar cost to regular products. Why not protect your own environment and use these at home too!

In fact all of these tips can help our own environment and cultures; use local services rather than chain stores, respect other people, use less water and don’t pollute what you do use. Also, why pay to be disappointed? Make sure you only pay for services that are safe, respect the environment where possible and offer a better than average service.

Congratulations, you have now become a responsible tourist!