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 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.

Projects in Kenya, Peru, Sri Lanka and Brazil have been announced as the winners of the first Travel2change idea challenge. Since its launch late April 2011, over 500 members joined the travel2change online community, and submitted around 60 innovative project proposals. The submitted ideas were evaluated based on creativity, effectiveness, impact, feasibility and sustainability. The four winning projects were awarded on July 17, 2011 by a jury of experts and will be realized in the coming months, thanks to the support of the travel partner Kuoni.

By Kelly Austria

Inspired by our treks and visits to mountain communities, in 2007 we formed a group based on a shared common love for nature and compassion for the kids living in these mountains. We decided to hike on a new trail, and called our group TREK, or Trails to Empower Kids. Our first outreach program was held in the mountainous province of Benguet, in the municipality of Itogon, Philippines.

By Alexandra Frischmann

Travel2change is a nonprofit organization with the mission to connect travelers, organizations, and local communities in order to initiate change in a sustainable manner. The goal of travel2change is to capitalize on the potential of travel to make a positive difference in the lives of travelers and local communities alike and to create projects that will have an impact and foster sustainable change.

By Tara Harrison and Samira Said

The UK’s Unseen Tours volunteer group has launched a socially sustainable tourism project to bring together the homeless and visitors to London in order to showcase the city at the ground level. Training, pay, and recognition has helped some of those who are out of work and out of home find a way to support themselves. The project has been so successful that numerous other countries are looking to launch similar initiatives.

By Melissa Lim

The Borneo Ecotourism Solution and Technologies (BEST) Society is a non-profit foundation formed by Borneo Eco Tours, a leading tour operator specializing in regional ecotourism adventures and accommodation. The BEST Society was established in 1995 in Sabah, East Malaysia, when Borneo Eco Tours joined hands with the Sukau Rainforest Lodge to organize a large environmental protection project in Kelananap oxbow lake.

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 Ali Zerriffi

Barra De Potosi is a small coastal village at the mouth of a lagoon which runs along the coast of the Municipio de Petatlan. The lagoon network regulates the lives of both human and animal lives and has a balanced ecosystem that has kept its people employed and its environment protected. The people of Barra de Potosi are now confronted by a development project that they believe will destroy the existing ecosystem, in spite of Mexican laws protecting the environment.

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.