Eco-Tourism

Are you a responsible traveller? Believe in travelling green?
When travelling in South Africa, you can travel responsibly, travel green and give back to communities, by choosing providers who subscribe to the ethos of eco-tourism (see: What is Eco-Tourism?).

How to Travel Green:

• book eco-friendly accommodations
• get around responsibly
  • trains offer economical travel with a lower carbon footprint than a plane or car …
  • share the footprint by using public transport when possible (and safe) or “share-ride” with companies like The Green Cab
  • if you need wheels of your own, consider a bicycle if distances (and safety) permit, or hire a hybrid car (look for the Toyota Prius Hybrid – available from select Avis locations in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban).
• choose tour organisers with environmentally responsible practices
• support sustainable tourism – there are hundreds of eco-friendly activities in South Africa
  try wind surfing instead of jet-skiing, hire a bicycle instead of a harley, hike to the top of Table Mountain for a birds-eye-view instead of doing a helicopter flip, hire a canoe instead of a power boat …
• add a “volunteer day” onto your holiday – help out and give back to local communities
  we’ll be bringing you ideas on where to volunteer in the weeks to come
• reduce your own individual carbon footprint – travelling on a plane? Select an airline with the latest, more fuel-efficient jets as this will reduce your individual carbon footprint, as travelling by air is simply not friendly to the environment. So what to do? South Africa beckons to be explored and paddling the ocean to get here by boat is not an option, so hop on a plane and then offset your carbon footprint by joining a scheme that “pays back” what you “spent” in terms of emissions by planting trees in an equivalent amount to the carbon footprint of your flight – this assists local communities too (see the Wikipedia entry on carbon offsetting at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_offset).

Eco-Tourism

Eco-friendly activities in South Africa by Province

In keeping with August’s theme of Eco-Tourism, over the next four weeks we will be be publishing articles on volunteering and eco-friendly activities in South Africa by Province, so that wherever you are headed in South Africa, you can make informed decisions on what to do that will not only make your holiday enjoyable but will also give back to local communities and not impact detrimentally on the environment. Happy Travelling!

Useful Links:

• Urban Sprout
• Fair Trade in Tourism
• Cape Town Green Map

Essentially eco-tourism protects and empowers local people and natural areas, and at the same time provides visitors with a unique, but low impact experience.

The Ecotourism Society defines eco-tourism as ‘responsible travel to natural areas, which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of the local people’. Essentially eco-tourism should unite conservation, communities and sustainable travel.

However, it can get a little confusing. There are a handful of similar terms used to describe this type of travel, like ‘adventure travel’, ’sustainable tourism’, ‘responsible tourism’, and ‘green travel’. Most of these loosely adhere to the principles of eco-tourism. A walk through a rainforest is not eco-tourism unless it also benefits the people who live there. And in the same vein, a safari trip is only eco-tourism if it raises awareness and funds to help protect wildlife.

Eco-tourism

There are companies who market themselves as eco-tourism establishments, when in fact they are not. So it is up to the traveller to ask important questions about the trip’s ability to conserve and improve the destination. Often the term is used as a marketing tool to promote nature related tourism. However, placing a splendid hotel in the midst of a fragile ecosystem and calling it eco-tourism is ‘greenwash’.

Two of the terms most often used interchangeably with eco-tourism are ’sustainable tourism’ and ‘responsible tourism’, both of which include aspects of eco-tourism.

Sustainable tourism means that resources should be unaffected by your visit and that your stay  at the destination should not prevent future tourists from enjoying the same experience.

Responsible tourism means that you minimise your negative impacts on the environment, but often this also incorporates an element of ‘giving back’ to local communities. The Responsible Tourism Awards describe ‘responsible tourism’ as tourists who ‘want to interact with communities on a personal level, learn first-hand of their challenges, experience environments and hopefully, leave something constructive behind’.

So what does one need to do make sure that eco-tourism is really the form of travel on offer?
By asking the following types of questions:

• Is the environment being looked after?
• Is the local community being protected and uplifted?
• Does the travel build environmental awareness?
• Are resources remaining for future generations?
• Does the travel respect local culture?

It is not in South Africa alone that the term eco-tourism is used to describe ‘adventure’ or ‘nature’ trips that do not always meet the requirements of true eco-tourism. There are only a handful of countries around the world with national eco-tourism certification programmes in place, and these include:  Costa Rica, Australia, Kenya and Sweden. There are also attempts to create international eco-tourism accreditation programmes.

In South Africa there is not yet an official regulation of the term eco-tourism. SATSA (South African Tourism Services Association) tries to ‘provide high standards of tourism and focuses on accountability, integrity and quality control’, and awards like the local Imvelo Responsible Tourism Awards and the international Responsible Tourism Awards also influence many tourist destinations and tour package companies. Eco-tourism cannot be monitored as closely as it should be, until a formal procedure or framework exists.

For a fare of as little as R4, you can hop onboard and become part of the community. The conductor or “kaartjie”, as he is colloquially known, normally acts as something of a maitre d’ to the whole experience, welcoming you onboard, finding a seat for you, collecting your fare and inducting you into the communal conversation. Though these taxis operate on a set route, the conductor or driver can give you a run-down of the criss-crossing routes of all the taxi ranks. If you know how the system works, they can take you right into the heart of the city, or into the distant suburbs.

Another option is the Metro train system. At very reasonable rates (R5.50 for a deluxe “Metro Plus” ticket) the trains offer the scenic route between the city centre and the peninsular coast. The Southern Line runs through the suburbs, from Cape Town to Simonstown, and is a great way to take a day exploring the coastal towns and the many restaurants, bars and ice cream parlours therein. The trains are also a good opportunity to come face to face with different cross-sections of the vibrant Cape Town community (although for a “Metro Plus” ticket you can still have space to stretch your legs), and sometimes offer informal live theatre, music or soap-box sermons right there in the carriage.

There are also the Golden Arrow bus services which provide bus transport throughout the Cape Metropolitan area. This includes outlying areas such Mitchell’s Plain, Phillipi and Simonstown and hence are essential for people who need to get to places away from the Cape Town city centre. These ubiquitous vehicles can be recognised by their distinctive green orange and white branding and are a very useful resource to keep in mind when wanting to travel. A timetable can be found at http://www.gabs.co.za/timetables.aspx.

Finally, Cape Town’s tourist scenes and night spots always have plenty of meter taxis on offer. Though these cost quite a bit more (always ask the driver his rate before getting in) they will take you direct to wherever you want to go at any time of day and night. The drivers always have a story to tell or a sympathetic ear, if you’ve got a story of your own.

Links to Related Pages about Cape Town:
Cape Town Travel
Cape Town Accommodation
Cape Town Hotels
Cape Town Attractions

Family Holidays

Newly launched on SA-Venues.com is our Child-friendly Accommodation section. Catering specifically for families travelling with children from birth (age 0-3 months) to teenagers, the section features over 1,200 establishments catering for children, including family hotels, game lodges that cater for kids, guest houses, bed and breakfasts, self catering holiday suites and apartments that welcome children of all ages.

And whilst you are looking for that perfect family holiday destination in South Africa, visit the Family-friendly Provinces pages for some great ideas on what to do with the little ones in different parts of the country.

Port Elizabeth boasts fantastic beaches, an oceanarium and snake park at which to entertain children, the Garden Route is a wonderful escape for families with children of all ages, particularly for those children who can join you on walks through magical forests where the elusive knysna loerie serves as part of an entertaining diversion.

Cape Town holds a host of activities, both in and outdoors, like the Two Oceans Aquarium (with a wonderful child-friendly restaurant) at the V&A Waterfront and the Cape Peninsula National Park. In KwaZulu Natal the beaches of both the north and south coast make holidaying with children an absolute pleasure.

Family Holidays

In Mpumalanga, The Bundu Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre and Game Reserve is a must for little ones; and try to stop off at Elmswood furniture tea garden, where farm animals are available to pet in lovely surrounds.

In Johannesburg there are a number of fun activities for children: The Johannesburg Zoo in Parkview, with a farmyard section specially designed for under-sixes. In the North West Province, Hartebeespoort Dam is a great place for a family vacation and a visit to the De Wildt Cheetah Farm, one of the most renowned centres for breeding cheetahs, is a wonderful educational outing.

Family-friendly Links:

• Western Cape Family Friendly
• Garden Route Family Friendly
• Eastern Cape Family Friendly
• Kwazulu Natal Family Friendly
• Mpumalanga Family Friendly
• Gauteng Family Friendly
• Limpopo Family Friendly
• North West Province Family Friendly
• Free State Family Friendly
• Northern Cape Family Friendly

Bring your family, bring your friends and visit us in Sunny South Africa for a once in a lifetime Family Holiday!

“South Africa has some of the best and least crowded beaches in the world,” says Stefani Searle of SA-Venues.com, a site serving as a directory to vacation options in South Africa. “We’ve seen a big upswing in interest from Americans in recent months,” Searle said.

Visitors enjoy renowned wildlife parks such as Kruger National Park, beautiful natural scenery, and a stable post-apartheid environment. South Africa, long a vacation favorite for Europeans, has a very well developed tourist industry that offers world class accommodations and an unusually diverse range of natural wonders and cultural activities.

Recently, with storms shutting down many of North America’s key vacation areas, Americans are looking to South Africa in large numbers. Being in the southern hemisphere, South Africa experiences a mild summer while North America is suffering under the snow and ice of winter.

SA-Venues.com serves as an easy-to-use online guide designed to help anyone wisely plan their trip to South Africa. There are comprehensive and easily searchable directories of hotels and accommodations, along with ways to rent cars, book safaris, and more. Many are surprised to discover accommodations range from world-renowned 5 star hotels to luxurious African game lodges.

Favorite activities include wildlife and bird life tours, health resorts and spas, and championship 18 hole golf courses. “For the budget-conscious traveler who really wants to get a feel for South African life, we have a full list of bed and breakfast facilities that offer lower prices and a truly local experience,” Searle said. Vacationers can travel the region easily, from Cape Town to Cairo or the Kruger Park to Kilimanjaro. South African Airways offers regularly-scheduled flights between the major centers, as do many international airlines.

Travelers are able to get lower prices by booking through SA-Venues.com. Travellers deal directly with the Hotels and service providers and the site does not charge any commissions. A complete set of online maps is provided for each province in South Africa.

See the site at http://www.SA-Venues.com

SA-Venues.com
P.O. Box 56
Sea Point
Cape Town, 8060
South Africa
Contact: info@sa-venues.com