Cruises are big business, but as climate change and overtourism worsen, are they an environmental and ethical way to travel? These companies have had a lot of bad publicity in the past few years, but do they deserve it? It…
Ethical Travel: Visiting Bangkok’s Red Cross Snake Farm
‘Snake farms’ are common as tourist attractions around the world but they are often not very ethical. The Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute in Bangkok, is an attraction with a purpose, as the Red Cross extracts venom to use for antidotes…
A quick guide to temple etiquette for the major world religions
An important aspect of ethical travel is having sensitivity towards other cultures and an awareness of the correct etiquette when visiting religious establishments. This is a list of the most popular world religions by the number of worshippers and ones…
Ethical Travel: Visiting the African rats that sniff out landmines in Cambodia
When I visited Siem Reap, the thing that I most wanted to visit after Angkor Wat and the other temples was the landmine-sniffing rats at the APOPO visitor centre. APOPO (Anti-Personnel Landmines Removal Product Development) is a non-profit organisation created…
Your guide to watching the Phare Circus in Battambang, Cambodia
I highly recommend watching the Phare Circus while you’re in Cambodia as it’s a fun way to connect with the culture and support young people in the arts. Phare Ponleu Selpak – The Brightness of the Arts – is a…
Ethical Travel: Snorkel with manta rays in a safe and sustainable way
Snorkelling with manta rays is one of the most incredible marine wildlife experiences that you can have, so I’ve put together this guide for you to cover these areas: What’s so special about manta rays? How to snorkel safely with…
Ethical Travel: Why you shouldn’t let sky lanterns go in Pingxi, Taiwan (or anywhere)
Taipei is one of East Asia’s most lovely cities, and many tourists make a day trip to Pingxi to release sky lanterns near the train station. Pingxi is also the location of a massive lantern release to celebrate the Pingxi…
How many travellers actually become ‘begpackers’ to fund their trip?
As a seasoned backpacker, I’m fascinated by the stories that I’m hearing on social media about foreigners like myself ‘begpacking’ their way around Asia. I’m currently travelling in Asia so I wanted to look out for it myself, to see…
9 ethical things to do in Cambodia
Cambodia is a friendly and fascinating country that has gone through relentless political turmoil in the form of the genocide by the Khmer Rouge in 1975. There is much more to Cambodia than its recent history, and I really enjoyed…
9 wonderful things to see and do in Battambang in Cambodia
Battambang is slightly off the Cambodian tourist track of Angkor Wat, Phnom Penh and the islands, but it’s a great place for budget travellers and it’s much more than just the bamboo train! I recommend hiring a moped to get…
Ethical Travel: Going for a seeing hands or blind massage in Asia
If you’re travelling around Asia then you may have seen signs advertising ‘blind massage’ or even read about them in your guidebook. This guide is all about this phenomenon began, how to avoid scams and why you should support these…
7 ways to judge the eco-friendly credentials of your eco-resort
If you love travel and you love the planet, then you may consider staying in an eco resort, but how can you tell if your accommodation lives up to its eco-friendly credentials? Staying in an eco-friendly hotel isn’t the only…