Travel Globally, Think Locally
Providing 20 different ways you can travel with the planet’s wellbeing in mind.
1. Reuse your hotel towels.
A very good childhood friend of mine’s mother of five would wash a load of the entire household's towels every single day. Yes, this by default, made them single use towels. I never inquired about their water bill. I didn’t want to risk a heart attack at 13.
2. Turning off the shower between soaping up and rinsing off. Blasphemous or reasonable? Oh, and showering together also saves water (wink wink)
I grew up in a fairly environmentally conscious household. It became habitual for me to turn the shower and the sink on and off between soaping up and rinsing off and brushing my teeth. And what may seem like a trickle of savings at the time does add up. Don’t leave your good habits at home when traveling overseas!
3. Don’t accept the nasty pretzels on the plane if you don’t plan on eating them. (I personally despise pretzels)
And if you can’t say no fast enough, pawn them off to your still ravenous neighbor or someone else who will and find a reason to potentially strike up conversation with someone new. I gave them to my flight compadre once. The little bottomless pit of a pre-teen was completely giddy…Maybe more so because a young woman with perky boobs was really articulating real words in his direction.
4. Practice responsible snorkeling and diving techniques when visiting coral reefs.
They are so fragile. And some of the most beautiful things in this world are also the most delicate. Coral reefs are actually massive conglomerations of tiny, living organisms. So, next time you decide to take a dip, before you plant your big, fat fin on top of a coral head, remember, “I’m livin’ ‘er!
5. Wearing eco-friendly sunblock on the boat and to the beach.
The chemical makeup of most commercial sunblocks has been scientifically proven to be incredibly toxic to the poor wittle calcium carbonate skeletons of coral reefs. Sun Bum is my trusted brand of choice. (Or no sunblock at all. Don’t take that advice) More expensive than your average? Yes. Worth the investment? Absolutely.
6. Ask for the vegetarian option on the plane. Every airline has them.
Don’t be afraid to look bougie. I ask for sparkling water all the time. (Even got called out by a complete stranger once. Though he was totally trying to hit)
7. Don’t be a litterbug!
You can usually spot an American traveler from a mile away by the mile long trail of used wrappers and cigarette butts left in their wake. Not the kind of trail you want to blaze, young Thoreau.
8. Support responsible ecotourism in your destination of choice.
Take a guided nature tour. Go on a photo safari through the rainforest. Visit the volcano via two wheels rather than four. Take a dip in the local springs or waterfall. Invest back into the wellbeing of the ground you’ve been given the humbling opportunity to traverse.
9. Invest in and tote a sturdy, reusable water bottle wherever you go. Or a collapsible, if you’re a space saver.
Buy a clip for it if you can’t trust your own hands not to lose it. I know I can’t trust mine.
A quick note on plastic water bottles: We literally don’t need them. Except in cases of emergency, like bars in Cancun and in the wake of a natural disaster; which tends to claim the integrity of a city’s entire drinking water supply.
10. Turn off the appliances before you leave the hotel room.
The maid’s not going to do it for you. And, contrary to popular belief, ghosts don’t have the time to watch TV while you’re not there. (While you’re likely on vacation, Casper’s a working specter with people to scare)
11. Purchase goods from local vendors and farmer’s markets!
Support local business. Nothing tops the non-generic quality and authenticity of a hand woven scarf made with tender, loving care. And I’ve never met a roadside mango stand I didn’t like. “Ahhh, yes, let the sweet nectar of summertime dribble from the corner of your mouth triumphantly for all to see.
12. Don’t accept plastic bags.
There is nothing impolite about saying no. Sometimes, a staunch refusal is necessary because most people haven’t acclimatized just yet to the concept of not using plastics with a 15-minute lifespan. They will look at you with genuine, muddled confusion. But, you’ll get used to it. And, eventually, they will, too.
13. Invest in a lasting pair of headphones and don’t forget to bring them.
Because you’re surely not going to ask Bill to borrow his. I mean, just LOOK at that candle wax! And I can’t begin to untangle and count how many decrepit airline headphone corpses are in the graveyard that is my own personal dresser drawer. What a waste.
14. When visiting natural sites, take pictures and leave footprints.
You need bring back only memories. I like to bring back stories.
15. Share a hotel bed.
Everyone…(well, most everyone) likes to cuddle. If you’re close enough and it’s appropriate enough, stay the night in a single bed. It means housekeeping will only have to wash one set of sheets. Good for housekeepers. Good for you. Good for the environment. It’s an irrefutable win!
16. Avoid taking pictures with exotic animals on leashes.
Supply satisfies demand. And the products in circulation within the illegal wildlife trade are only second in global demand to narcotics. A subsector of this trade in many touristy parts of Southeast Asia involves the many animals forcibly stripped from their homes at an early age and domesticated to serve as entertainers. Avoid the temptation to accept the seemingly once in a lifetime photo opp with a monkey, kinkajou, pangolin, or any other kind of oddity on a leash. You are financially reinforcing an industry that is detrimental to these animals’ very existences. No, you’re not helping to support a small, local business.
Seeking an alternative? If you really can’t leave without getting up close and personal, opt for a responsible photo opp at a local wildlife sanctuary! Now you’re supporting a small, local non-profit!
17. Don’t visit just any zoo...
I can’t stress this enough. Because there are zoos with decent intentions and then there are prisons looking to make a quick buck while you take a quick stroll past the rows of their non-human hostages. For example, tiger farms in Thailand raise these magnanimous creatures only to harvest their precious hides, bones, teeth, and claws as décor, wine, and medicinal byproducts that really only work due to the miraculous ability of the mind to believe that they were the cause of your skyrocketing male libido. (Cue placebo effect) But, as these powerful cats are developing, tiger farm operators will also offer you the seemingly incredible chance to get in the cage and take a selfie with them. Any alternatives? Of course! Again, ask around for a responsible sanctuary. Or visit a big cat rehabilitation center back in the States! Just be sure you can leave these facilities with a conscience as intact as when you arrived.
P.S. As to the tiger farms, you don’t have to believe me. I’ll let Nat Geo do the talking: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/02/wildlife-watch-tigers-chase-drone-farm-china/
18. Love sushi as much as I do? Make sure the seafood’s sustainable!
Let’s get real for a second here, folks. (Me? Getting real? Never saw that coming!) We’ve left much of the vast ocean’s fisheries on the brink of collapse because of reckless, money hungry fishing practices and gluttonous appetites. Remember, supply satisfies demand. This is one of my go-to sustainable seafood guides: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/smart-seafood-buying-guide. My personal favorite being Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch, which can be conveniently downloaded as an app! (Unless you’re still the proud owner of a flip phone, there are, literally, no excuses)
19. Are you sure you want to ride that pachyderm?
This is a tough subject to swallow, but a practice that does need to be brought to light. I follow an incredible animal lover and his lovely journalist fiance’s work on the gram and highly encourage you to check out Dr. Evan Antin’s post on the unorthodox practice of “phajaan.” You can find a brief breakdown of it @dr.evanantin. Matthew Karsten also speaks on reasons to reconsider elephant rides overseas here: https://expertvagabond.com/elephants-in-thailand/
20. And, remember, always tip your bellboy!
Wherever you go.
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then, once you know better, do better.”
- Maya Angelou
