Blog Archives

How To Make Your Travels Deeper And More Meaningful.

Posted on April 22, 2019 by Bemused Backpacker — 2 Comments

Travel has changed drastically in the last decade, with the rise of social media and Instagram fuelling the shift to a ‘look at me’ and selfie focused way of travelling, as if travel itself is only real if it is…

Tagged with: gap year, how to make your travels meaningful, Instagram, meaningful travel, responsible travel, travel, what is meaningful travel
Posted in Travel Lists, Travel Talk

Gap Years, Overtourism, And How Travel Is Ruining The Destinations We Love.

Posted on March 18, 2019 by Bemused Backpacker — 8 Comments

Travel in general is a very positive thing, both for the traveller and for the destinations they visit, but what happens when the sheer level of tourism threatens the very places travellers love? What happens when overtourism becomes a burden to a destination? And what can travellers do to help solve the problem of overtourism?

Tagged with: Airbnb, backlash against tourism, mass tourism, Maya Bay, overtourism, package tourism, responsible gap year, responsible tourism, responsible travel, what is overtourism
Posted in Responsible Travel

Making Positive Tourism Count In Lalibela.

Posted on January 10, 2019 by Bemused Backpacker — 2 Comments

Lalibela is a small town in northern Ethiopia that despite being a significant pilgrimage site for Coptic Christians and a UNESCO world heritage site, has yet to be hit by mass tourism. But as travellers wake up to the beauty of this region and start arriving in larger numbers, the local population are already taking steps to make sure that any future influx of tourism has a balanced, positive impact on the local population.

Tagged with: ethical travel, Ethiopia, Lalibela, positive impact of travel, responsible gap year, responsible tourism, responsible travel, responsible travel tips, rock hewn churches of Lalibela
Posted in Responsible Travel

Plastic Free Travel, Taking The Single Use Plastic Water Bottle Challenge.

Posted on August 5, 2018 by Bemused Backpacker — 14 Comments

This past month I have taken a plastic free travel challenge with Better Places Travel to reduce the amount of single use plastic water bottles I use when travelling by using refillable water bottles as much as possible, with the ultimate aim of going completely single use plastic bottle free. But it wasn’t as easy as I first thought. Did I succeed?

Tagged with: ban the bottle, Better Places travel, Better Places Travel Water Bottle Challenge, drinking water, drinking water when travelling, Grayl, Grayl water bottle, plastic pollution, responsible travel, single use plastic water bottle, single use plastic water bottle challenge, travel health, travel health and drinking water, water, Water To Go
Posted in Responsible Travel

Why You Should Travel Slowly.

Posted on July 20, 2018 by Bemused Backpacker — 8 Comments

There is always the temptation on any gap year or backpacking trip to ty and fit as much in as humanely possible, but that isn’t always the best thing to do. Here’s why you should slow down, take your time and really soak in the culture, the atmosphere and the experience of the places you are visiting.

Tagged with: backpacking, best way to travel, don't fit too much into your gap year, don't rush your gap year, gap year, how to backpack around the world, how to make RTW travel more enjoyable, how to stay healthy on your gap year, independent travel, relaxing travel, responsible travel, round the world travel, slow travel, slow travel movement, travel slowly, what is slow travel
Posted in Travel Video

The Benefits Of Local Tourism On Your Gap Year.

Posted on November 6, 2017 by Bemused Backpacker — 12 Comments

Local tourism is more than just the latest buzzword, it is a very real and tangible way of travelling that has a positive impact on not only the wider environment, but also the local people in the destinations we visit.

Tagged with: Better Places travel, ethical travel, ethical travel companies, gap year voluntourism, how to make your gap year responsible, how to promote tourism in a small town, how to travel ethically, how to travel responsibly, how to travel sustainably, local tourism, orphanages in Cambodia, responsibilities of tourists, responsible gap year, responsible tourism, responsible tourism best practices, responsible tourist behaviour, responsible travel, responsible travel definition, responsible travel tips, sustainable travel, travel responsibly, volunteering on your gap year, ways to be a responsible tourist, what does local tourism mean, what is local tourism
Posted in Responsible Travel

10 Reasons Independent Sustainable Travel Should Be The New Normal.

Posted on July 17, 2017 by Bemused Backpacker — 16 Comments

Responsible and sustainable tourism is becoming increasingly accepted as the gold standard in travel as travellers are becoming increasingly independent,starting to question and demand more responsible tourism practices and less likely to turn to the traditional tourism industry. Here are ten reasons why that momentum should continue.

Tagged with: benefits of responsible travel, benefits of sustainable travel, Responsible and sustainable tourism is becoming increasingly accepted as the gold standard in travel as travellers are becoming increasingly independent, responsible gap year, responsible tourism, responsible tourism best practices, responsible tourist behaviour, responsible travel, responsible travel definition, responsible travel tips, responsible wildlife tourism, sustainable tourism, sustainable travel, volunteering, voluntourism, what is responsible travel, what is sustainable travel, wildlife tourism
Posted in Responsible Travel

Greenwashed Gap Years, How To Spot And Avoid Greenwashing On Your Travels.

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Bemused Backpacker — 12 Comments

With sustainable travel becoming increasingly popular, how do you know if the travel choices you make are truly responsible, or if they are just falling victim to a cynical marketing ploy by big business? Here is everything you need to know about making eco friendly travel choices before you set off on your gap year.

Tagged with: green travel, greenwashed gap years, greenwashing, how can I avoid greenwashing on my gap year, how can travellers avoid greenwahing, how do i spot greenwashing on my gap year, how to travel responsibly, responsible gap year, responsible tourism, responsible travel, responsible wildlife tourism, sustainable travel, what is greenwashing
Posted in Responsible Travel

The Good And The Bad Of Elephant Tourism In Sri Lanka.

Posted on September 12, 2016 by Bemused Backpacker — 60 Comments

Elephant Safaris are a major part of Sri Lanka’s eco tourism industry, but are they all as responsible as they claim to be?

Tagged with: #VisitSriLanka, backpacking, best time to visit Minneriya National Park, Elephant gathering, Elephant gathering at Minneriya National Park, Elephant Gathering Sri Lanka, elephant safari, elephant safari in Sri Lanka, elephant tours, elephant trekking, elephant trekking on your gap year, Gal Oya National Park Sri Lanka, gap year, irresponsible elephant safari Sri Lanka, Kaudulla National Park Sri Lanka, Minneriya Elephant safari, Minneriya national park, Minneriya National Park Sri Lanka, Minneriya safari cost, Pollanurawa, responsible travel, safari, Sri Lanka, wildlife conservation, wildlife exploitation in tourism, wildlife safari, wildlife tourism
Posted in Responsible Travel

The Horrible Truth About Animal Sanctuaries.

Posted on August 1, 2016 by Bemused Backpacker — 20 Comments

Animal and wildlife sanctuaries are a huge part of the gap year industry now, with countless travellers, backpackers and tourists alike all hoping to get up close and personal with some of their favourite wild animal. But not all of these sanctuaries are what they seem and many often do far more harm than good. Read on and learn the real truth behind many of these so called sanctuaries.