By Ronit Epstein

The sprawling Amazon rainforest is alive with sights, sounds and movement that cannot be seen anywhere else on our beautiful planet. Bolivian Amazon covers 59.6 million hectares, and more than 11 percent of Bolivia is officially protected. Anyone visiting this beautiful region will experience some of the world’s most stunning, strange and wonderful wildlife, leaving memories that are difficult to beat.

As the most southerly of the Greek Islands, Crete enjoys a long, hot summer and an even longer tourist season, thanks to its classic Mediterranean blend of sun-baked beaches, inland flora and the bright blue of the Cretan Sea. But this island has a distinct history and its people retain a deep sense of heritage that goes far beyond the resorts of the eastern shores or cheap flights to Heraklion. Look elsewhere and you can help sustain the Crete of ancient civilisations, culinary traditions and warm hospitality.

International Ecolodges & Jem Winston

The home stay program was just another step on the eco-path of the lodge since its inception in 2002. One of the most fundamental aims is to live in harmony with, and have as little harmful impact on our surroundings as possible, whilst recognizing that the ecolodge has an important role to play in protecting and enhancing the environment for guests and residents of the local community.

By Cindy Fan

Internet connectivity is recognized as a world development indicator and is closely related to a country’s economic development and infrastructure. This is why projects like the Tadlo Computer Education Center are so vital to Laos, a developing nation. If you’re visiting Tad Lo waterfall on the Bolaven Plateau in Salavan province, southern Laos, pay a visit to the TCEC, a development project and local initiative that offers free computer training and English lessons to local students of Ban Sane Vang village.

By Polona Vida Čeligoj

Kafuli – which in the local Dioula language means ‘a gathering of different people’ – is a local grassroots organisation running a variety of projects, from foster parenting to programs in education, fair-trade agriculture and responsible tourism. Yes, you heard right – it’s small but it actually runs all of these projects.

By Katie Boyer

Women all over the world are fighting for the protection of their basic human rights. From the extremes of honor killings in Pakistan and female genital mutilation in Africa, to a universal lack of educational opportunities and reproductive choices, to worldwide domestic and sexual abuse, there is still a long way to go to reach gender equality.

Sikkim is a Himalayan state in northern India known for its rugged mountains, deep valleys and dense forests. It is also the only state in India with a Nepali majority as well as a Lepcha and Bhutia population. As a result of its unique location and culture, Sikkim is an ideal place to benefit from ecotourism. Community-based ecotourism is a major draw to this area, and many such tourism experiences include homestays.

Oxlajuj B’atz’ (OB) – meaning “Thirteen Threads” in the Maya Kaqchikel language – is a non-profit organization in Guatemala supporting indigenous women’s empowerment and education. OB offers travelers the opportunity to tour rural Guatemala and to learn about Mayan women achieving economic independence through innovative and sustainable development projects. OB’s tours offer artisan classes at the Maya Women’s Center, taught by women from local women’s cooperatives.

By Anja Lorscher

The way Bloom Microventures, in Soc Son, Vietnam, combines tourism with microfinance is extremely innovative. Compared to numerous microfinance institutions, Bloom’s unique model of cross-subsidising microfinance operations with income generated through tourism enables the organisation to have a far greater social impact.

Deep in the South Pacific, in the Solomon Islands, is an atoll called Rennell Island. Like so many other natural World Heritage Sites that have gained UNESCO recognition for their unique biogeography, Rennell faces a dilemma: It wants to realise its high potential for ecotourism, but this can only happen if the infrastructure remains basic and little or no development is imposed on the area’s natural and cultural attractions.