WELCOME: WeGoEco.com is your home site for finding eco-friendly tourism information. It was established with you in mind to fill a need for a user friendly website which gives you all the information you need to help you plan your next vacation--or to just learn, dream and imagine a virtual trip.
ECOTOURISM: The International Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people." This means that those who implement and participate in ecotourism activities should follow the following principles: * Minimize impact * Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect * Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts * Provide direct financial benefits for conservation * Provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people * Raise sensitivity to host countries' political, environmental, and social climate * Support international human rights and labor agreements
DESTINATIONS: Where to go? Credible agencies like The International Ecotourism Society, Green Globe and EcoClub have focused on countries with strong commitments to preservation such as: Belize (for its Mayan sites), Brazil (national parks), Ecuador (Galapagos Islands and Amazonian rainforest), Kenya (wildlife reserves), Nepal (mountain trekking), Peru (bird watching), and South Africa (game and nature reserves). The following countries are also noteworthy: Argentina, Barbados, Costa Rica, Croatia, Madagascar, Slovenia, Sri Lanka and Uruguay. There are many others, of course, so look over the wide variety of offerings and enjoy whatever appeals to you. Just click on a country on the list, or click on the activity sources below, and get information on a country, tour services, accommodations and lodging. Many of the sites have links to other interesting information. Also take a look at the websites, including blogs, on the links page for valuable information and comments from other travellers. For current travel warnings go here and for travelers' health advice go here. .
GUIDE TO SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL: 50 real ways to journey responsibly—and still have fun. Ethical Traveller has posted "The Developing World's 10 Best Ethical Destinations": Argentina, Belize, Chile, Ghana, Lithuania, Namibia, Poland, Seychelles, South Africa and Suriname.
BASIC RULES FOR ECOTOURISTS:
* Be prepared. Learn about the place that you’re going to visit. Find out about its culture and history. Learn a little of the native language, at least basics like ‘please’, ‘thank you’, and ‘good morning’. Think of your holiday
as an opportunity to learn something.
* Have respect for local culture. Wear clothes that will not offend people. Always ask permission before you take a photograph. Remember that you are a visitor.
* Don’t waste resources. If the area doesn’t have much water, don’t take two showers every day.
* Remember the phrase: ‘Leave nothing behind you except footprints and take nothing away except photographs.’ Take as much care of the places that you visit as you take of your own home. Don’t buy souvenirs made from endangered animals or plants.
* Walk or use other non-polluting forms of transport whenever you can.
* Be flexible and keep a sense of humour when things go wrong.
* Stay in local hotels and eat in local restaurants. Buy local products whenever possible and pay a fair price for what you buy.
* Choose your holiday carefully. Don’t be afraid to ask the holiday company about what they do that is ‘eco’. Remember that ‘eco’ is very fashionable today and a lot of holidays that are advertised as ecotourism are not much better than traditional tourism.
-- by Linda Baxter

CULTURAL:
Asian Pacific Adventures
Borneo Ecotours
Go South Adventures
GSE Ecotours
Holbrook Travel
KarmaQuest Ecotourism and Adventure Travel
Kepri
Mongolian Ways
North by North East Tours
Original World
WildChina Company Ltd
Wilderness Travel
Wildland Adventures

ADVENTURE:
Adventure Life Journeys
AdventureSmith Explorations
Borneo Ecotours
Boundless Journeys
Cosmopolitan Adventure Tours
Eco Voyager
Environmental Adventure Company
G.A.P Adventures
Go South Adventures
JOURNEYS International
Nature Travel Specialists
North by North East Tours
Peregrine Adventures Pty Ltd
Southern Explorations
Surtrek Tour Operator
WildChina Company Ltd
Wildland Adventures
World Expeditions
Ziptrek Ecotours Inc.
TREKKING:
Amerika Venture
Borneo Ecotours
Country Walkers
Crystal Mountain Treks
Eco Voyager
Expediciones Chile
Surtrek Tour Operator
Te Urewera Treks
The Wayfarers
trekkingchile
WildChina Company Ltd
Wilderness Travel
SAFARIS:
ecoAfrica Travel
Indian Nature Tours
Micato Safaris
Vintage Africa LTD
Volcanoes Safaris
Wilderness Safaris
WILDLIFE:
Borneo Ecotours
ecoAfrica Travel
EcoQuest Travel, Inc.
Eco Voyager
Go South Adventures
Holbrook Travel
KarmaQuest Ecotourism and Adventure Travel
Natural Habitat Adventures
Nature Travel Specialists
Southern Explorations
Surtrek Tour Operator
Terra Incognita ECOTOURS, Inc.
Tropical Nature Travel
Uncharted Outposts
Wildland Adventures
Worldwide Ecolodges
BIRDWATCHING:
Amerika Venture
birding.com
Birding in South India
Bird Treks
Conservation Birding
ecoAfrica Travel
EcoQuest Travel, Inc. .
field guides
Holbrook Travel
Natural Habitat Adventures
Nature Quest
Nature Travel Specialists
Neblina Forest
Neophron Tours
Speyside Wildlife
Surtrek Tour Operator
Terra Incognita ECOTOURS, Inc.
Tropical Nature Travel
Wings Birding tours
CYCLING:
Bike Asia
BikeHike Adventures
Cycling through the Centuries
Escape Adventures Bicycle Tours
Lava Bike Tours
On Track Cycling Holidays
Pure Mountains Bike Holiday
Sacred Rides Mountain Bike Holidays
Saddle Skedaddle
Spice Roads



LINKS:
travel sites, blogs and carbon footprint compensation

PLEASE LOOK AT OUR SISTER SITES:
* Global Adventure Tourism Guide to find where to expect the unexpected
* Global Volunteer Tourism Guide.to find all forms of voluntary activity
* Global Spa Tourism Guide to relieve stress, get in shape or just treat yourself
* Gobal Medical Tourism Guide -- superior medical care at a fraction of the price

 

 

to bookmark or link to a country page go to: site/pages/area/country.html
--for example: http://www.wegoeco.com/pages/africa/algeria.html
--use underscores in spaces as in costa_rica and burkina_faso

Please mail comments/suggestions to tourismguides at msn dot com