By Charles Barker

Seven million tons of bombs were dropped on Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia – more than twice the amount of explosives dropped on Europe and Asia in WWII. But amazingly, it didn’t work. Not only did the Vietnamese stubbornly fail to be destroyed, they won the war. How on earth could a relatively small, poor country defy the might of the most powerful nation on earth and send them packing? Ten minutes spent exploring the tunnels at Cu Chi about 40 miles from Ho Chi Minh City reveals the answer.

By Phyllis Kaplan

Laos was once called the “the land of a million elephants,” currently there are less than 900 alive: 450 domestic and 400 wild. There are 2 births for every 10 deaths. Crunch the numbers. If this is not addressed, Laotian Asian elephants will be eradicated very soon.

By Anshul Srivastava

Try to envision a world without wildlife. Due to the number of animals becoming endangered because of killings, trading, loss of habitat, deforestation and disease, chances are this thought may turn into a reality. However, thanks to concrete steps undertaken by governmental bodies and various individual organizations, it has also become a possibility, like never before, to conserve wildlife and prevent mass extinction.

By Michael Soncina

Sustainable tourism design in Jordan and other Middle Eastern locations, especially in the realm of architecture, is creating sustainable tourism potential in the Middle East. Interestingly, hotels are built with sustainable materials, such as LED lights and solar panels and are made to co-exist with the dangerous sand dunes affecting the region so negatively.

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 Michael Soncina

While in Korea I met up with some of TIES’ organizations members to learn more about how ecotourism was developing in Korea. After contacting a couple professors and industry professionals, I was referred to “Victor” – a Russian expat running group tours on Jeju Island. Victor actually does not claim to be doing eco-tourism, but you’ll come to see that he is, when you see the way he runs his trips.

By Cindy Fan

I can’t imagine a nicer setting to fail at making Ua Si Khai. We are a 15-minute tuk-tuk drive outside Luang Prabang’s tourist centre in lush and tranquil countryside. The class is held beside a small lake where the tilapia was caught for our Mok Pa, whitefish filets wrapped in a banana leaf with an herb marinade and steamed. The outdoor pavilion holds individual cook stations, fully outfitted, and one head demonstration table loaded with the fresh herbs and flavours essential to Lao cuisine

By Laurel Angrist

No matter where you travel – the saying goes – there’s still no place like home. Luckily, for many travellers, it’s now possible to forgo run-of-the mill hotel stays in favour of a night (or more) spent with a local family. Considering sustainable alternatives to staying in a hotel? Here are five of our favourite cultural homestays that offer enriching travel experiences while also improving local livelihoods.

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.

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.