India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [65]
• Responsible Travel (www.responsibletravel.com) is a great source of sustainable travel ideas; essentially a travel agency that focuses on sustainable vacation planning, it’s run by a spokesperson for ethical tourism in the travel industry. Sustainable Travel International (www.sustainabletravelinternational.org) promotes ethical tourism practices, and manages an extensive directory of sustainable properties and tour operators around the world.
• In the U.K., outspoken Tourism Concern (www.tourismconcern.org.uk) works to reduce social and environmental problems connected to tourism. The Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO;www.aito.co.uk) is a group of specialist operators leading the field in making vacations sustainable; click on their “Responsible Tourism” section for links to responsible tour operators.
• Green Living (www.greenlivingonline.com) is a Canadian enterprise with extensive content on sustainable living, including travel and transport ideas.
• In Australia, the national body that sets guidelines and standards for ecotourism is Ecotourism Australia (www.ecotourism.org.au); it’s largely focused on tourism within Australia but will give you ideas for your India trip. The Green Directory (www.thegreendirectory.com.au), Green Pages (www.thegreenpages.com.au), and Eco Directory (www.ecodirectory.com.au) offer sustainable travel tips and links to green businesses that will help you better understand the possibilities for more responsible living.
• Greenhotels (www.greenhotels.com) recommends green-rated member hotels around the world that fulfill the company’s stringent environmental requirements. Environmentally Friendly Hotels (www.environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com) offers more green accommodation ratings.
• For information on responsible outdoor recreation activities throughout the world, visit Tread Lightly (www.treadlightly.org).
9 Special-Interest Trips & Escorted Tours
ACADEMIC TRIPS & LANGUAGE CLASSES
Ekno Experience (www.eknoexperience.com) is based in the Himalayan region of northern India and has a number of learning packages for travelers interested in spirituality, Buddhism, Tibetan culture, and more esoteric activities such as reiki, tarot card reading, meditation, and yoga
ADVENTURE & WELLNESS TRIPS
With huge swaths of Himalayan mountains; a massive coastline; an age-old traditional health system that has massage as one of its keys components; a wealth of spiritual and mystical knowledge systems; wildlife reserves sheltering tigers, elephant and unbelievable birdlife; and an ever-expanding market for daring and adventurous fun, India is a formidable destination for anyone looking to combine their vacation with a more rigorous and intense experience. Whether you’re looking to sweat from exertion or rejuvenate mind, body, and soul, you’ll find your fix somewhere in this diverse destination.
Innovative U.K.-based travel agency Black Tomato (www.blacktomato.co.uk) will put together just about any sort of trip you care to imagine, and they’re always up for a challenge. They do off-the-beaten-track tours quite well, and are good at combining luxury with adventure activities and more daring travel experiences. Their website is a good place to start if you’re looking for ways of injecting your trip with some added adrenaline: Their 10-day “India + Extreme Thrills” itinerary, for example, includes hot-air ballooning, zip-lining over an ancient fortress city, tiger tracking on elephant back, and an Enfield motorbike safari.
HIKING & ADVENTURE Start off by looking at what Shakti (www.shaktihimalaya.com) is offering, especially for its admirable approach to responsible tourism. If none of its programs suit you, try Mountain Kingdoms (www.mountainkingdoms.com) or TransIndus (www.transindus.co.uk), although the latter’s itineraries are not limited to outdoor excursions.