Diane Valenti, owner and founder of Llama Expeditions, says their trips “are a chance for culturally curious travelers to make a meaningful connection with the people and the land of Peru”. Llama Expeditions tours offer full cultural immersion giving guests the opportunity to see how Peruvians live – to talk with them about their dreams and accomplishments, and to learn about the challenges they face.

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.

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 James Lantz

Located in the high jungle of Peru, Tingana was started by seven families with the objective of preserving the natural resources of a municipal conservation area called Asociacion Hidrica Aguajal Renacal del Alto Mayo. With the support and leadership of the community, Tingana was developed to promote conservation and ecotourism. Tingana’s 8,596 acres not only offer an important piece of conservation for the local wildlife, but helps protect the local water supplies for nearby cities.

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.

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.

By Roger Wynne-Dyke

As part of a new initiative, Roger Wynne-Dyke and Maddy Savitt have been travelling to the lesser known parts of South Africa to see if there is more than meets the eye, if there is beauty outside of Cape Town, animals outside of Kruger and contrasts outside of the Garden Route. They were sure they would find an easy yes to that answer but what they really found was a whole new country, a country full of smiles, cultures, smells, flavours, tastes and so much genuine hospitality.

Nowhere in Europe are there so many different peoples living in such a small region. Although the cultural wealth is made possible by their peaceful coexistence, the different communities cultivate their unique traits in an effort to preserve their national identities. The Wealth of Diversity project was therefore launched by the Magelan Travel Agency DMC and the Istar 21 Danube Tourism Cluster, with the goal of spotlighting multiculturalism in the Danube region as a unified tourism product on the world market and lend this part of Serbia a recognisable brand.

By Cynthia Ord

Living in splendid isolation in the remote mountains around Luang Namtha in northern Laos, the country’s most traditional ethnic groups have for centuries cultivated rice and inhabited small rural villages. These tribes, however, are at a crossroads between traditional ways of life and the forces of modernity and tourism. In 1993, the surrounding region was declared the Nam Ha National Biodiversity Conservation Area, and since then, streams of tourists plan treks to enjoy the outdoors of Nam Ha and the culture of Laos’ ethnic groups.