Independent travel or group tours? You’ve looked at tour groups during your trip planning and decided that you really want to be independent. You don’t want to be herded around. You want to sleep in when you want… find little local bistros to eat in… linger in a shop.

Independent travel is a great way to go. There are several ways to approach it. You can rent a villa for a week or a month… or make hotel reservations for every day. You can just arrive and find accommodations as you go… or you can make reservations for the first night or two then start finding your accommodations for the rest of the trip.

It takes less advance trip planning if you decide to find accommodations as you go, but some people don’t like the stress of finding a hotel every night. Part of the process is deciding what works best for you.

As an independent traveler, you can stay in small economical places that groups won’t fit into. It may cost more to stay in larger hotels… group tour operators tend to get good breaks on those rooms. But you’ll probably rub elbows with more locals in that small local place than you would in that big hotel. (Though sometimes that big hotel isolation can give you a little respite if you’re traveling in a rugged or third world area.)

You can use the Internet to make reservations at museums and popular spots before you leave on your trip. This means you’ll be sure to get into those museums or other venues, but it also locks you in to a timetable. If you’re feeling a bit more independent, consider making phone calls or using the Internet to make those reservations on the road.

You’ll get English speakers on the phone; you’ll probably still get the reservations you want and still have the flexibility of changing your timetable as you travel. (Getting those reservations can help you avoid lines just like the tour groups do.)

Independent travel allows for more adventure and spontaneity. If you end up in a village that looked charming in the pictures… but there really isn’t anything there for you… you can just move on. On the other hand, if you stumble on a great local festival, you can linger and enjoy it. You’ll miss what a tour guide might teach you, but if you feel you need it, you can always hire a local guide… or talk to a friendly local…. You never know what you might find out, and you could end up with a new friend!

If you decide you’d like to rent a car, it will be expensive if you’re traveling all by yourself…. It’s easier for a couple and better still if you travel with friends to share the expense. But traveling with friends and family takes some planning of it’s own!

So weigh you options, tour group or independent travel. Make all your reservations ahead or wing it? A large part of the joy of travel is the trip planning and anticipation.
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For sustainable tourism, we need to protect the cultural environment as well as the natural environment. We need to respect local cultures and ways of life, and contribute positively to local communities.

The potential negative effects of tourism are both local and global… but if we practice sustainable tourism, we can keep the negative effects to a minimum.

If we’re not careful, we’ll degrade the environment and the cultures we travel to see. Where ever we travel, we need to keep in mind that the local people have to profit from our visit. If you go someplace because there are wonderful native handicrafts, you need to buy some of those handicrafts from locals, so they get the money.

If you’re visiting a national park, you need to employ locals as guides so they will continue to value and protect the park. Those are the kinds of things that make for sustainable tourism.

Here are some more things to think about when choosing a hotel, a tour group or activity…..

Is the hotel locally owned and operated so that the profits stay in the community? If not, is it at least staffed by local employees?

How does the hotel contribute to the local community? Do they buy local produce for their restaurant? Do they sell local handicrafts in their gift shop?

If you’re taking a tour, travel with a tour operator who is environmentally responsible. Smaller group sizes make less of an impact… and make for a more enjoyable tour for you!

Is the group lead by a local guide? Does the tour company contribute to the local community in some way? To have sustainable tourism, the local community needs to benefit; not just some global tour company.

When hiking, stay on marked trails. Maintain safe distances from any wildlife you encounter… for your safety AND for theirs. “Leave only footprints”… carry your trash out or use trash bins.

If you’re snorkeling or diving, don’t touch the coral. Be careful with your fins, it’s easy to kick the coral if you’re not paying attention or to stir up sediment. Either way you can damage the reef’s fragile ecosystem… and most reefs are in trouble now, so they need all of our help.

Try to buy local products… You’ll support the local economy… and we all need that now no matter what country you’re visiting. Foods will be fresher, give you a taste of local cuisine and save fuel because they haven’t traveled half way around the world… only YOU have! Fewer imported products will be needed.

Don’t buy souvenirs or other products made from endangered animals or plants. You probably can’t get it through customs, and if you believe in sustainable tourism, you don’t want to contribute to the extinction of another species!

Treat locals with respect. You went there to learn about their culture! Learn a few words… at least hello, good-bye and thank you. Be open to our cultural differences. Read up on the area you’ll be visiting so you’ll know how to dress so you don’t offend anyone. Check to see if there are any behaviors or gestures that will offend your hosts.

Rejoice in our positive differences. Support them, and you’ll be contributing to sustainable tourism.
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