“We are used to thinking out-of-the-box,”, said Andrew Princz, ontheglobe.com cultural navigator. “With the support of international governments, we have brought the stories of disparate cultures of the world.”

“Given the global economic models of today, we are confident that corporations will acknowledge the need to more deeply understand the cultures in the countries in which they are all doing business.”

Global reach

For ten years, ontheglobe.com has spearheaded the concept of cultural navigation, whereby authors are encouraged to partner with and participate more closely and take an active interest in the realities faced by the peoples and cultures that they visit.

The site has conducted cross-cultural missions involving tourism promotion and cultural awareness campaigns taking its members to over two dozen nations including Angola, Kazakhstan, India, Peru, Cuba, or most recently, Samoa.

“Ontheglobe.com functions as a kind of hub for global cultural knowledge, bringing together tourism, the arts, and top-notch travel journalism from around the world,” wrote homeandabroad.com. “The site combines a bit of National Geographic with a bit of UNESCO and throws in a touch of Hollywood for good measure.”

The fundraising campaign looks to benevolent financial sponsorship for specific projects. Corporations and individuals are offered multi-tiered levels of support targeted at the implementation of website improvements, content production, the launch of branded products, the development of a charity arm, and a web-based TV series.

Contributor levels range from the Backpacker supporter for those contributing less than US$100, to the Royal Sponsor for backers of over US$25,000.

For more info, visit www.ontheglobe.com

Call it what you will - volunteer travel, volunteer vacations or voluntourism – it represents a diverse and “charitable” sect of responsible travel that is rapidly growing in popularity. Due largely in part to the need for volunteer work bundled with people’s desire to experience the world in new ways, volunteer travelers typically share a desire to “do something good” while also experiencing new places and challenges in locales they might not otherwise visit.

Blending wildlife with ancient culture

The types of volunteer vacations are diverse, from local wildlife restoration to providing high-skill medical aid in a foreign country, while others help to engage people with scientific research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. Participants cover a fee that would include expenses on the different sites worldwide, and engage in projects according to their interest or location.

For example, non-profit voluntourism leader Planeterra (www.planeterra.org) has just announced a new 14-day, China-based adventure that gives volunteer travelers the opportunity to directly participate in efforts to protect giant pandas – an amazing endangered species whose numbers have now dwindled to less than 1,000 remaining across the planet – while gaining an appreciation in ancient culture via a unique experiential travel itinerary.

Stationed at the Bifengxia Research Center, “voluntourists” will work with trained conservationists in meeting the day to day needs of its resident bears, many of which were relocated from Wolong Center, previously the world’s largest panda conservation center. Wolong was badly damaged by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake.

“This voluntour will give our travelers a chance to work in China at the largest panda reserve in the world, while also visiting many highlights of one of the most culturally rich nations in the world,” said Planeterra’s Director, Richard G. Edwards. “It’s an unparalleled reward, knowing our volunteer work is helping preserve these animals for the future.”

The 14-day adventure begins in Shanghai and ends in Beijing, with visits to the Great Wall, the Song Dynasty capital of Luoyang famous for its fighting monks and home of kung fu, the terracotta warriors of Xi’an, the cuisine of Chengdu and the Bifengxia Panda Centre. Volunteer duties include gathering bamboo and supplementary foods for the pandas and helping to keep the areas and enclosures clean.

New for 2010, this tour is just 1 of 11 new programs Planeterra has added to its range of over 20 voluntours throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Restoring treasures

Another side to volunteer travel is its ability to afford participants the unique opportunity to gain extensive insight into regional culture and geography while helping to protect some of the planet’s most iconic and treasured destinations.

REI Adventures (www.rei.com/adventures – an offshoot of the REI gear company) has recently unveiled a set of new destination/restoration packages to Patagonia and Machu Picchu.

The worldwide leader in active adventure programs collaborated on the packages with Conservation Volunteers International Program (Conservation VIP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving iconic destinations and cultural sites around the world, to offer volunteer expeditions that blend adventure, service, cultural appreciation and unforgettable experiences for travelers.

“Collaborating with Conservation VIP is a natural fit for REI Adventures as we share the commitment to take care of the outdoors for the enjoyment of all outdoor enthusiasts,” said Cynthia Dunbar, REI Adventures manager. “Offering Volunteer Expeditions aligns with REI’s core purpose of stewardship, and provides an option for people to travel while making a difference in restoring and protecting these amazing destinations.”

The first of two itineraries includes the Machu Picchu Volunteer Expedition – a 13-day trip that focuses volunteer efforts in Peru’s Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary and the Sacred City of the Incas, its main archaeological complex.

Volunteers with Conservation VIP, currently the only group authorized to conduct volunteer work in the Sacred City, work closely alongside park rangers to help restore architectural integrity by removing exotic or unwanted vegetation along the trails or the stone walls of buildings and agricultural terraces, maintain ancient Inca trails, restore areas impacted by visitor use or fire, plant trees, collect native plant seeds to be used in restoration projects, or monitor restoration study plots.

The Torres del Paine Volunteer Expedition to Patagonia is a 14-day trip where volunteer travelers get a unique opportunity to work alongside local park rangers in Chile’s stunning Torres del Paine National Park to help restore trails, clear overgrown vegetation, angle trails to help shed excess water, remove rocks and widen trailheads, as well as restore wildlife habitat in areas that have experienced over use.

Travelers may also use their rest days to hike along the shores of Lago Grey en route to the massive Grey Glacier, the southernmost tip of the giant Southern Icefield, or to watch for the Andean condor or the elusive huemul deer.

“We are proud to team with REI Adventures on this endeavor,” said Rich Tobin, president and CEO of Conservation VIP. “Blending our conservation and service values allows like-minded people an invaluable opportunity to experience or return to some of the most incredible destinations around the world while simultaneously helping to preserve them.”

Better world, brighter future

The world is changing. Highly unpredictable and often unstable, communities, cultures and ecosystems that we have grown to love often need certain forms of assistance in order to survive such a tumultuous landscape.

Voluntourism is an opportunity to provide more resources to these communities while encouraging a strong volunteer ethic in people.

As more and more interest grows for these type of travel initiatives and travelers continue to take away so much from their individual travel experiences, voluntourism companies will need to continue to provide unique opportunities for travelers wanting to “give back” to the destinations they visit.

So far, over 12,000 people have been uprooted and/or severely impacted by the flooding in Peru’s Sacred Valley between Cusco and Machu Picchu.

While the government is working tirelessly to send supplies to the those that are most affected, however many communities have still not received outside support.

Answering the call to action, geotourism group Planeterra is mobilizing an onsite team to bring immediate aid to the Peruvian people, while asking concerned groups and individuals to make online donations at its Peru Flood Relief online help site.

Planeterra, a global non-profit dedicated to sustainable community development through travel, was founded in 2003 by Gap Adventures as a means of helping travelers committed to finding ways to give back to the people and places they visit.

Life interrupted

One of the communities severely impacted by the flooding is Ccaccaccollo, home to Planeterra’s women’s weaving cooperative, a community travelers visit as part of the organization’s Project Peru voluntourism adventure.

“Because indigenous communities such as Ccaccaccollo maintain a traditional way of life and are dedicated mainly to pastoral and agricultural activities, they are especially vulnerable to heavy rains and flooding,” said Richard G. Edwards, Director of Planeterra.

A company blog describes Ccaccaccollo’s main plaza, an area usually bustling with women demonstrating their craft and selling colorful textiles, as flooded out and empty. Market stalls, usually overflowing with locally produced hats, change purses, shawls and scarves, are instead filled with mud and rocks.

Making headway

Planeterra has already donated the funds necessary to fuel the equipment required to fix a main road and clear landslides. In addition, the organization is looking at ways tourism dollars might help by reworking itineraries to include some of the most impacted communities in future tour itineraries.

A donation goal of $25,000 has been set of which to date nearly $9,000 has been raised. Through a partnership with Gap Adventures that covers all of Planeterra’s administration costs, 100% of all donations will go directly to those in need.

An appeal has also gone out to anyone now in or planning to visit Cuzco. Donations of blankets, sleeping bags, warm clothes for children & adults, jackets, raincoats, tents & mattresses, dried food (rice, pasta, oatmeal, cans of tuna, sugar, salt, evaporated milk etc) and matches can be dropped off at: Hotel Tupac Yupanqui (Calle 236 San Agustin) in Cusco.

“Planeterra has committed to immediately provide the funds needed to help fix the road and clear the landslide. We will continue to help the recovery effort and are relying on support from our travelers, which will not only benefit Ccaccaccollo but many of the outlying communities as well,” explains Edwards.

For more information, visit www.planeterra.org.

The five new walking vacations visit European and South American destinations, and start at $2595 for 10 days; including roundtrip international airfare and all air fuel surcharges.

VBT was recently named among the “Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth” by National Geographic Adventure magazine.

“VBT has always been about the overall travel experience,” says VBT President Gregg Marston. “Walking, like biking, is an excellent means for discovery, because it connects you to your surroundings with all your senses. Our customers have been asking for us to include this exciting activity in our repertoire, so it was a natural fit.”

VBT was founded in 1971 as America’s original bicycle tour company, and is now the leader in active family adventure vacations. Started by a Middlebury College professor with a love of the open road, the fledgling company quickly grew beyond its home turf to offer bicycle tours of Europe.

Now 39 years young, VBT offers active biking and walking vacations in 22 countries around the world, from the US to Asia to Europe and beyond. With headquarters in an eighteenth-century dairy farm in Bristol, Vermont, VBT has stayed true to its small town roots and values, which include a reverence for the great outdoors, a tradition of neighborliness (extended around the world), and a commitment to responsible tourism and community service.

In recent National Geographic Adventure polls, VBT was ranked among the top three “Best Bicycle Outfitters on Earth” two years in a row, and received client satisfaction ratings of 98.33/100 (the highest score of all top five competitors), and a quality service score of 94/100.

“We’ve had long experience and great success at delivering high-quality travel experiences, while still providing exceptional value,” continued Marston. “Our walking tours will benefit from the same longstanding relationships we have with major international airlines and overseas suppliers, and the regional expertise and outstanding trip leadership that our biking tours are known for.”

The newest collection of walking vacations showcase five destinations that have been most requested by VBT travelers:

• Quiet Pathways of Tuscany
• The Amalfi Coast & Capri
• Ireland: Walking the West Country
• Slow Road Through Provence
• Peru: Machu Picchu & the Sacred Valley (11 days)

All programs include round-trip international airfare, distinctive accommodations, most meals, guided sightseeing and activities, the services of two bilingual local VBT Trip Leaders, support vehicles and other transport, transfers, use of VBT walking poles, and more. Daily route choices and continuous road support give travelers the opportunity to tailor the pace to their individual tastes. Groups are limited to 14-20 travelers, with two dedicated local VBT Trip Leaders offering continuous support.

For more information on family adventure vacations and walking tours, visit walking.vbt.com.

Launched in July 2009, this hands-on initiative is the latest of innovative ventures by the Planeterra community development project.

As with most Planeterra international voluntours, travelers split their time between helping the community and making cultural immersion excursions into the countryside.

Planeterra Foundation is a global non-profit dedicated to sustainable community development through travel. It was founded in 2003 by Gap Adventures, the largest independent adventure travel company in the world. Edwards is also a member of Gap Adventures’ executive management team, where he helps oversee the company’s rapid growth. Planeterra evolved out of a long history of travelers committed to finding ways to give back to the people and places they visit. Planeterra selects the projects and works with Gap Adventures to arrange voluntour travel programs.

Building lasting memories

The Ccaccaccollo project high in the Andes gives voluntourists the opportunity to not only help the community, but also participate in Project Machu Picchu, a 13-day Lima-to-Cuzco tour that includes visits to various archeological sites in the Sacred Valley.

A recent field trip brought 18 men and women to visit the Huallyabamba community, which has already begun using the adobe stoves. Experiences were shared, and the people of Ccaccollo had an opportunity to see the stoves in use. The first demonstration stoves were built in Ccaccaccollo in early August.

Workshops will then train 10 community members who will have the responsibility of overseeing construction and implementation with the help of Planeterra and Gap Adventures volunteers. Members of the health committee will act as representatives of the program and will help educate families and our volunteers on the benefits of these stoves.

Monthly departures year-round are $1,820 per person (double) for most land arrangements.

To learn more about the Stove-Building Project and how you can support it, please visit http://www.planeterra.org/pages/projects/19.php?id=25

A new coalition of five non-profit groups, spearheaded by Berkeley-based Ethical Traveler, has launched the campaign. Highlighting the horrible plight of children trapped in the cluthces of Peru’s sex trade, the coalition is sending hundreds of letters from concerned travelers to Peru’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Mercedes Aráoz.

The letters are all urging Ms. Aráoz to use her influence to end child sex slavery in her country.

“Child sex tourism is a threat to Peru’s status as a world-class travel destination,” says Jeff Greenwald, Ethical Traveler’s Executive Director. “If the practice is allowed to continue, travelers of conscience may be reluctant to support the government with their travel dollars.”

Peru, known mostly in the travel industry for its spectacular Machu Picchu, is chock full of fascinating cultural heritage and Incan history. However, these elements are being increasingly overshadowed by a more sinister attraction. Young women and girls, as well as boys, are being exploited by a commercial sex industry fueled by increasing numbers of tourists who visit Peru to engage in sex with children.

Sex tourism is a flourishing industry in Peru, where tourists have easy access to vulnerable children. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child estimated that there are up to 500,000 child victims of sexual exploitation and violence in Peru. But the Peruvian government’s efforts to eradicate the sex slave trade have been stalled by corruption, insufficient law enforcement, and apathy.

Peru is a participant in international organizations such as the Organization of American States and the United Nations.

“Tourism is a major economic force in Peru, and inbound tourism is increasing by 10% every year,” says Greenwald. “This means that more children will fall victim to sex slavery, unless we take action now. By joining our voices, travelers can convince Peru to protect these children.”

Child sex tourism, or trafficking, is a criminal multi-billion-dollar industry that effects and victimizes around 2 million across the globe. More and more, governments are establishing heavy-handed laws to prosecute citizens for child abuse that occurs outside their home country, even if it is not against the law in the country where the child abuse took place.

Ethical Traveler’s campaign against child sex trafficking in Peru is being waged in partnership with Global Exchange, Not for Sale–Peru, Generación and Peruvian Net Against Child Pornography.

For more on this campaign, or to sign and send a letter to the Peruvian Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, please visit www.ethicaltraveler.org.

ECOCLUB member Judy Karwacki of Small Planet Consulting submitted the proposal for Yupukari’s From Wild to Web project in conjunction with Rupununi Learners Incorporated (RLI), a Guyanese nonprofit corporation whose Board and membership are entirely composed of Rupununi village residents. The project seeks to enhance the wildlife monitoring activities of Yupukari’s Wildlife Club by providing them with dedicated laptops and cameras. Village youth will learn to digitally document field projects, make web pages, and then upload them to the existing RLI website.

The ECOCLUB Ecotourism Awards fund community and environment-supporting projects proposed and implemented by ECOCLUB members from around the world. Submissions were posted online in a public forum and voted on by members. The field was then narrowed to six finalists and three winners were democratically chosen in late June. In addition to the project in Guyana, the other winning projects are based in Honduras and Peru. Each winning proposal will receive a micro-grant for €1,000 (approximately US$1,400) to implement the project.

Rupununi Learners Inc. were thrilled to hear that the Yupukari Village From Wild to Web project had been chosen by ECOCLUB members, saying, “This award means that the Wildlife Club will be able to share what we are seeing and learning with our village, our region, and the world!”

By adding digital documentation training, resources and implementation to Yupukari Wildlife Club field projects recently funded by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the From Wild to Web project will enhance the capacity of village youth to participate in developing local, regional, national and international conversation about the future of threatened Rupununi lands and waters. The Yupukari Village Wildlife Club connects village youth to a synergistic group of learning, scientific inquiry and enterprise activities, all of which are documented in words and pictures at www.rupununilearners.org.

Since September 2005 the villagers of Yupukari and its satellite communities have been participating in and driving a long-term ecological monitoring program for Black Caiman (Melanosuchus niger), the first study of its kind in Guyana. The initial project quickly seeded a local crew of trained caiman field researchers and an ecotourism venture based on the caiman catch-and-release attraction.

Both full- and part-time livelihoods have grown from the new inputs, which have included a four-bedroom guesthouse; the Internet-enabled, computer-equipped Yupukari Public Library; a home furnishings enterprise, Yupukari Crafters; and independent housing for up to four visiting volunteers at one time.

The caiman research has for safety reasons been necessarily closed to participation by youth, but thanks to a herpetologist volunteer and recent funding, a monitoring program for herps and amphibians is underway as a collaboration of the village Wildlife Club and the afterschool program in the Yupukari Public Library. Birdwatching is another area of Wildlife Club activity. Accompanied by an experienced local surveyor, Club members practice and build skills in wetland bird survey while contributing to an ongoing National Important Bird Areas survey undertaken by Guyana Amazon Tropical Bird Society.

The addition of a laptop, cameras and training in digital documentation by Wildlife Club members will build the capacity of these future decision makers to investigate, understand, present and advocate for their resources and their future. RLI representatives will implement the project and Ms. Karwacki of Small Planet Consulting will act as project manager. Ms. Karwacki is also the Tourism Director for the Guyana Sustainable Tourism Initiative (GSTI), a joint project of the Government of Guyana and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Guyana Trade and Investment Support (GTIS) project.

Training and support for the technology is already available at the Yupukari Public Library, and the dedicated equipment that will be purchased with the award money will allow the Wildlife Club to undertake a group project in photographing and publishing Club activities and discoveries.

Yupukari village sits atop a hill located along the Rupununi River and thanks to the relatively new Caiman House Field Station the village has been enjoying growth in development projects, new jobs, ecotourism, and conservation ethic. The area around Yupukari is rich in many bird and mammal species and nature hikes and dugout canoe voyages along the Rupununi provide excellent ways to enjoy it.

Visitors are also invited to accompany the caiman-catching crew, which now consists largely of Yupukari locals, and observe caiman capture from a separate boat. Guests are then offered the opportunity to assist in data collection once the caiman is pulled to shore and secured. Caiman are weighed, measured, sexed, and tagged, and depending on the season, caiman nests, eggs and hatchlings are also studied.

For more information about Yupukari village and Rupununi Learners, visit www.rupununilearners.org. For more on tourism in Guyana, visit www.guyanabirding.com and www.guyana-tourism.com.

For ten years, ECOCLUB – International Ecotourism Club has been promoting social and ecological change through and within tourism. Based in Athens, Greece, ECOCLUB supports the philosophy and practice of Social Ecotourism worldwide by participating in tourism policy and decision-making processes, conferences, and movements.

To learn more, visit www.ecoclub.com.

“Surfing provides accomplished swimmers a healthy outlet and connection to nature; the skills developed while surfing can be applied to other areas of their lives” states Dave Aabo, founder and executive director of WAVES for Development International. This effort is put forth by WAVES to continue their commitment of using surfing as a vehicle for education for underprivileged youth in South America. WAVES for Development helps communities connect surfing and sustainable community development through Educational Surf programs for local youth and Adventure Voluntourism for travelers.

With Educational Surf programming in Peru, this marks the first US based event available for any participants ages 12-17 who are strong swimmers.

The event takes place on Sunday April 19th at St. Sebastian Parish Center from 7:45am to 11:00 am. The cost to get involved is $25 and participants can sign up by emailing Shawn Slevin, Chair of The Swim Strong Foundation, at shawn.slevin@theswimstrongfoundation.org.

“Swim Strong’s mission is to save and change children’s lives through competitive swimming,” says Slevin. “Our Spring Clinic in collaboration with WAVES for Development educates and inspires children to explore new and different water sports leading to life changing experiences for them. The fun they have working with the athletes and the possibilities of college scholarships don’t hurt either!”

WAVES for Development is an affiliation of not-for-profit organizations that uses surfing to make the world a better place by combing Educational Surf programs that develop youth into healthy and empowered adults with Adventure Voluntourism programs that engage travelers and transform their world view. The community-based educational programs promote healthy living, environmental conservation, social entrepreneurship and sustainable tourism. WAVES for Development Peru has signed an agreement with the Peruvian Sports Institute and the Peruvian Surfing Federation to bring Educational Surf and Adventure Voluntourism programming to communities throughout Peru.

For more information about WAVES for Development, visit WAVESfordevelopment.org.

“This is the result of our business strategy which from the beginning included the involvement of local communities and the use of environmentally sound practices”, Enrique Umbert Jr, General Manager of MLP is glad to point out.

The rationale for the award says: “MLP offers unusual trekking tours that satisfy the highest expectations regarding comfort and quality.”….”The company combines an economically promising strategy with comprehensive social and ecological responsibility in a plausible manner and helps to strengthen cultural identity.”

In Peru, the MLP tourism concept is innovative and unique, as it is not focused exclusively on operating trips. To address environmental issues, they have set up a professional eco-team that surveys the trek, provides trail maintenance and clean-up, and assists with reforestation and wildlife conservation. Clean energy for the lodges will be obtained by micro-hydro projects that will also benefit the communities.

The social responsibility component of MLP is handled by a non-profit organization called “Yanapana” (“Help” in Quechua language; www.yanapana.org) which serves the people who live in the region. Members of the local communities have been trained to work in the lodges; they are given micro loans and technical assistance to improve the quality and sale of regional products such as preserves, weavings and vegetables. Medical care and education support for more than 1,700 children in the region is provided as well.

“During the building of the four first-class lodges in the Andes we strictly followed a concept that served the people and preserves the environment”, explains Enrique Umbert Sr, CEO of MLP. The lodges were designed by a local architect who incorporated the traditional Inca style of stone and adobe houses with straw roofs with more modern concepts of comfort and energy efficiency in such a way that the buildings completely blend into the Andean landscape; moreover, all the lodges fit well and deep into Inca mythology, architecturally and conceptually. The lodges feature rustic-elegant double bedrooms with private facilities, hot showers, heaters and Jacuzzis. Unique “Andean energetic cuisine” provides excellent and innovative meals in both lodges and along the trail, using local produce and organic food.

The travellers experience all this during the fully guided round trip from Cusco on the Salkantay lodge-to-lodge trek to Machu Picchu and back to the famous Inca capital. Over two thousand international hikers so far enjoyed this unique combination of first class accommodation and contact with people and nature.

For more information, visit www.mountainlodgesofperu.com.

According to Jorge Villalobos, CEO of these travel companies operating Galapagos Tours, “The success of our operation is not only offering a high-end experience, it is also to help preserve the Galapagos Islands for future generations and that is what makes us different from our competitors.”

“Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands and its beautiful ecosystems need to be preserved. We start by educating our upcoming generations about this conservation and our valuable clients are a big part of this priceless contribution,” Mr. Villalobos said.

The Galapagos Islands are known throughout the world for their scientific importance-for the giant tortoises and tiny finches that suggest the mechanism of evolution of life on Earth, attracting more than 100,000 visitors every year who come to experience the distinctive biodiversity and dramatic scenery. Galapagos has also drawn thousands of new residents attracted by the promise of lucrative opportunities linked to the islands’ marine and terrestrial wildlife.

Exclusive Galapagos Cruises LLC and EQ TOURING

Exclusive Galapagos Cruises LLC offices are located in the United States offering convenient services to communicate with a travel consultant and plan a tour or cruise in the Galapagos Islands. EQ TOURING is its sister travel agency in Ecuador which will coordinate the logistics needed for a vacation to run well. In other words, this is a perfect combination of efforts to guarantee satisfaction to their clients when traveling in such a unique destination.

These two Galapagos Tour Agencies are very confident that their services provided in Ecuador will exceed their client’s expectations by always giving a high-end experience. Their clients will be able to visit the Galapagos Islands in a hand-picked fleet of yachts and vessels like the Galapagos Explorer II, the M/V Santa Cruz, the Galapagos Legend, M/Y Eclipse, Yacht La Pinta, Evolution and luxury yachts like The Integrity, The Queen of Galapagos, The Seaman II, the New luxury Motor Catamaran Nina, The Galaxy and many more that will accommodate passengers in luxurious and first class facilities, spacious cabins with private balconies or picture windows to admire the beauty of the Enchanted Islands. All destination specialists in Exclusive Galapagos Cruises know that most clients discover the nature lover inside of each one by taking this Darwinian exploration in such a unique wildlife sanctuary.

Any of these yachts besides providing a very first class service, will also help our clients explore the beauty and uniqueness of the Islands, where they will see thousands of blue footed boobies, the great frigate bird, albatross madding, giant tortoises, endemic vegetation, red sand beaches, green sand beaches, volcanic formations in the islands where a human being can be a witness of the evolution that Charles Darwin saw hundreds of years ago.

As tour Operators for the Galapagos Islands and travel specialists for Ecuador and South America, the stuff is devoted to providing the finest personal service when it comes to booking a Galapagos Islands Cruise and both companies are extremely committed to the preservation of this pristine ecosystem, all ecosystems Ecuador and its peoples involved.

One of the most delicate jobs these companies have is to send a travel specialist to personally inspect every single yacht and vessels cruising in the Galapagos Islands at least every four months making sure that all standards needed are met and accomplished, in this way their main goal is to provide their clients with the proper recommendation either for an individual vacation in Ecuador or a charter in the Galapagos Islands. The website www.eqtouring.com provides information on many tours in Galapagos, Ecuador, Peru and South America.

www.exclusivegalapagoscruises.com and www.galapagosislandstours.net are main tools used by the company to inform and describe everything in regards to the Galapagos Islands like Galapagos Cruises and Galapagos Islands Tours, conservation of the islands, details in they Galapagos fleet, accommodation in Galapagos, and detailed information in every Island.

Inkaterra has meticulously created an 11-suite hotel, preserving the original design and architecture around two open patios. “When we restored the mansion in order to convert it into La Casona, we set out to ensure that we would end up with an elegant fusion of colonial and Inca culture,” says Jose Koechlin, chairman of Inkaterra, “one in which that we could create opulent yet tasteful suites where travelers would experience utter bliss and repose.”

La Casona’s 11 suites overlook either cobblestone city lanes or the interior patios. “In order to celebrate Cusco’s hybrid history and tradition, Incan artifacts, antique murals and
colonial furnishings blend with contemporary comforts and impeccable service,” continued Koechlin. Each suite has a sitting and private dining area, open fireplace and heated floors,
mini bar, flat screen TV, DVD player and iPod dock, and spacious private bathrooms are appointed with rain showers, massive tubs, twin sinks and eco-friendly amenities. Public spaces in the manor include sitting and dining rooms, reading lounge and outdoor terraces.

“Our goal is to indulge our guests’ every whim,” Koechlin explains, “which is why we set out to create an environment akin to the most luxurious private country house, with constant housekeeping visits throughout the day, 24-hour room service and complimentary wireless Internet access.”

As at other Inkaterra properties at Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca and in the Amazon, interactive conservation & social responsibility programs are available, and stays at La Casona are 100% carbon neutral.

“At La Casona, the food is fresh, natural and nutritious, making creative use of local ingredients and indigenous culinary secrets,” Koechlin observes, “and our ‘Experience Concierge,’ guides and drivers are trained to prioritize the needs of each visitor by offering an array of experiences, services and excursions in order to best explore Cusco and its surroundings”.

La Casona offers double suites with breakfast from US$ 600 per night, as well as all inclusive programs with excursions, transfers, meals and bar service from US$ 480 per person, per night. Cusco Airport, 10 minutes from the hotel, is served by hourly flights from Lima or daily flights from Puno, Arequipa, Puerto Maldonado and La Paz. Inkaterra is Peru ́s pioneer sustainable tourism operator and hotel developer. In addition to its boutique hotel in Cusco, it owns and operates the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Hotel at Machu Picchu; the Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica in the rainforest near Puerto Maldonado; the new Titilaka Inkaterra near Puno on the shore of Lake Titicaca; luxury villas at Urubamba in the Sacred Valley and it will soon be opening a luxury boutique hotel in Lima.

To know more, visit www.inkaterra.com.

Upcoming social-spotlight series, 4Real, by MTV Canada, is set to shed some celebrity light on global community and environment issues, aiming to develop cultural and sociological awareness. Joaquin Phoenix, who also serves as Executive Producer of the upcoming program, met up with the indigenous Yawanawa tribe of the Brazilian Amazon in an effort to call attention to the plight of the Rainforest’s inhabitants.

The eight-part original Canadian series premiered Monday, April 14 at 8 p.m. ET. Other celebrities slated to take part in these specials are celebrities like Cameron Diaz, Eva Mendes, Casey Affleck, and Mos Def. The celebs embark on epic journeys to some of the most heartbreaking places on earth, including Haiti (with Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Liberia (with M.I.A.) to connect with inspiring leaders who are affecting positive change in their local communities.

For more info or to watch past episodes, go to www.mtv.ca/tvshows/4real/.

Tourist entries at Lima’s Jorge Chavez International Airport increased from 998,000 in 2002 to more than 1.8 million last year. Some 160,000 of them spent at least $1,000 a day, said Tibisay Monsalve, general manager of the Hotel Association of Peru. Visits to Machu Picchu, Peru’s top tourist destination, have more than doubled in the last decade to 800,000 people.

Peru’s picturesque highlands were the once the locale of a grizzly war between the military and leftist guerrillas that killed almost 70,000 people between 1980 and 2000. Yet, strong economic growth is forecasted to continue in Peru this year; and as many as 200,000 high-end tourists are expected, according to industry officials. Starwood Hotels has made official plans to build three luxury hotels by 2011, including a 192-room hotel in Cuzco. Hilton also has a similar development plan.

Alongside the ancient ruins of Cuzco’s Sacred Valley, tourists can “soothe their sore muscles after a hike with hot rock massages or twilight yoga sessions”. Cuzco residents say that international developers will find ways to build wherever they please, given the bureaucratic loopholes and vague phrasing in the laws.

Earlier this year, demonstrators protested two new tourism laws that would ease restrictions on construction — mostly hotels — near archaeological sites and historic zones. As a result, the congress modified the laws in February to allow regional and local governments more power in determining private development around cultural treasures, including Machu Picchu.

“The only thing these (protests) do is endanger Cuzco,” Economy Minister Luis Carranza said during the demonstrations. “It cuts down the income flow because tourists aren’t coming in.”