By Jason Wire

Aysén is Chile’s third-largest region, about the size of Tennessee, and the most sparsely populated. It’s among the most remote and undisturbed areas of Patagonia, and could be changed forever by the largest hydroelectric project in the history of Chile. This is not just another forest. This is the largest river in Chile. These are among the most powerful rapids on the planet. These are the wildest and most pristine rivers within the wildest and most pristine area left on earth.

By Adriana Braun and Julio Bin

Ecotourism for people in wheelchairs? You may wonder what that looks like, how it’s done. You’d be pleasantly surprised to learn that in many destinations there are efforts in place to improve tourism infrastructure to better serve people with disabilities. Brazil is one such example. Recently the Brazilian company Accessible – Adapted Tourism has developed a new project featuring an online tour guide for travelers with reduced mobility.

By Thomas Marvin

Back in 2006 my friend Legs and I packed our bags and bikes and headed to Iceland for a 6 week pootle round the island. We’d originally been looking at cycling to Norway’s North Cape, but for a variety of reasons (which I can’t quite remember) we sacked that in, and decided to go cycling in Iceland. The cycling trip ended up being one of the most amazing 6 weeks of my life – howling gales which lasted days, thoroughly pot-holed dirt tracks, stunning views and the invention of tuna tikka-massala.

By Kim Lisagor

It’s a sad day in Patagonia. Despite a grassroots opposition effort that had spread across the globe in recent years, the Chilean government finally caved to corporate pressure and approved a $7 billion dollar hydropower project that will destroy one of the world’s most pristine places. The Aysén region’s last two free-flowing rivers – rivers so pure you can drink the water without consequence – will be dammed to create up to 2.75 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes.

By Pål K. Medhus

Høve Støtt’s main target is to create new standards in the production of experiences, at the peak of Norwegian tourism. To achieve this, we work constantly on developing authentic Norwegian ecotourism experiences. We always strive to achieve more, and we’re always hungry for knowledge. By engaging the local forces, we wish to show the culture and history that has made Geilo what it is today.

By Hannah Wood

The site is officially named Udzungwa Forest Tented Camp, but the locals call it Hondo Hondo which translates to “hornbill” in Swahili; the camp is a favoured nesting spot for these birds. Due to the high biodiversity and fascinating ecological features of the park, we proved popular with school and university trips. Soon the camp was full of students from Germany, the UK, Uganda and Tanzania, to name a few.

Whether you believe in Old Icelandic tales or not, Troll peninsula is believed to be the last home of trolls. They happen to be afraid of daylight, and a strong ray of sun can petrify them to eternity. At the end of winter, forced by the ever-rising arctic sun, they make gigantic steps, crossing glaciers, plateaus, ridges and torrents to reach their secret hiding places, before it is too late. Everlasting snow on its dominant peaks, luxuriant green valleys with small farms and cattle randomly scattered and much, much more is to be found in this tranquil area, suitable for trekking all year round.

By Neil Rogers

As a past advisor to Sweden’s Ecotourism Quality Label Nature’s Best, and as current advisor to VisitSápmi and the Quality Label for Sámi indigenous tourism, I’ve seen many positive changes over the years yet much remains to be done. Sweden and Norway have world-class assets for outdoor and experiential travel, and have enviable reputations for image, safety, security, health, hard and soft infrastructure. The question is how to make more of this competitive advantage so that small-scale entrepreneurs can thrive.

By Megan Coatley

Travelers in Costa Rica have plenty of choices when it comes to surf schools and coastal retreats. But Bodhi Surf School is not just your average surf school; it is a company built on sustainable principles, and with the conscious traveler in mind. Nestled in the heart of the small Pacific fishing village of Uvita, Bodhi’s mission extends far beyond simply getting visitors to stand up on a surfboard. In Sanskrit, the word “bodhi” means “awareness.”

By Lindsay Milich

Although celebrated foods such as hummus, tabbouleh, baba ghanouj, falafel and kibbeh have become relatively mainstream, authentic Lebanese food is not homogeneous or over-done; it is unique, regionally diverse, many-layered, and full of character…Every village and every region has its specialties, whether it is spicy fish sandwiches with tahini (samkeh harrah) in the northern port of Tripoli, or fist-sized kibbeh filled with lamb-tail fat then grilled (kibbeh shaham); a specialty of the mountain village Zghorta.