MORAL COMPASS: Great Places to Go Where the Going Does Good

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Adventure Travel, camping trips, ecotourism, hiking, National Parks, Nature Travel, US Travel

Natural Habitat Adventures Launches New “Safari America” Series in Iconic National Parks

March 22, 2016 MoralCompass

BOULDER, CO — The nature travel professionals at Natural Habitat Adventures have come up with a fresh way to explore America’s national parks and reserves. By choosing paths less traveled and incorporating deluxe catered camping, guests experience in solitude the wonder of the country’s most magnificent landscapes without compromising comfort.

Natural Habitat’s newest trip seeks to replicate a traditional African safari experience with large canvas tents, fine dining and a telescope for stargazing. The first offering in the Safari America series, Safari America: Under the Desert Sky, is a 9-day, 8-night adventure that combines moderate hiking with catered camping and classic lodge stays at four premier parks: Grand Canyon (the quieter North Rim that hosts just 10 percent of all visitors to the park), Bryce, Zion and rarely visited Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

Departures begin and end in St. George, UT. 2016 dates are Aug.7-15 and Aug. 25- Sept. 2. The per-person double rate is $3,995; single supplement $1,095. Guests spend four nights in walk-in canvas tents with real beds (two twins or a queen) and down comforters, a private toilet for each tent, and hot showers. Home-cooked meals are served at a table set with linens and porcelain dinnerware, complemented with fine wines. Three nights are spent in classic western lodges.

Evoking the concept of a mobile African safari, camps are secluded on private lands adjacent to national parks. An open-sided lounge tent provides a gathering space, with comfortable chairs for relaxing. A high-powered telescope is situated for shared use after dark. Camps are set in areas known for near-perfect conditions for stargazing, with low humidity, isolation from ambient light and the darkest skies in the West. While accommodations are not luxurious, they offer full-service, classic tented camping at its finest.

Interspersed during the week between safari camp stays are three nights at exclusive western lodges. Guests enjoy two nights in rustic luxury at Zion Mountain Ranch, a private spread with its own bison herd, perched atop a plateau under wide-open skies. From individual cabins with private decks, guests watch buffalo and wild deer graze in meadows before retreating inside to the warmth of a wood-burning fireplace. The ranch restaurant prepares acclaimed farm-to-table meals featuring seasonal dishes sourced from local growers. Guests also spend a night at Bryce Canyon Lodge, the venerable 1920s hostelry recently restored to its original splendor and that remains the only lodging on the rim inside Bryce Canyon National Park.

Two naturalist Expedition Leaders share with a maximum of 14 guests per departure the highlights and hidden corners of the Colorado Plateau’s dramatic topography, a trip that includes the little-visited Grand Staircase-Escalante, a geological wonderland of broad mesas, narrow slot canyons, stacked sandstone and arid washes. While tenting in Escalante and on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, guests may gaze at the heavens with a high-powered telescope under a canopy of stars. While traveling throughout this region, each guest has a window seat in one of two comfort-designed vans.

The canyon country of the American West has long held a storied place in the annals of travel adventure. From John Wesley Powell’s Colorado River explorations to Mary Colter, who influenced Southwest architecture, to Teddy Roosevelt, who fell in love with the Wild West, intrepid pioneers and everyday explorers alike have pursued the allure of these rustic landscapes. This trip’s focus in tandem with Nat Hab partner World Wildlife Fund is a classic journey into America’s high deserts, forests and canyonlands, shunning crowds by staying in secluded areas where quiet and solitude reign, just as they did for the early explorers.

For details, see http://www.nathab.com/us-national-parks-tours/southwest-national-parks-camping-tour/.

For information on all of Nat Hab’s trips, descriptive itineraries, date availability and reservations call 800.543.8917 or visit http://www.nathab.com/. Click HERE to order a copy of the 2016 catalog.

Natural Habitat Adventures is a world leader in responsible adventure travel and nature-based ecotourism. Since its founding in 1985, the company has offered eco-conscious expeditions and wildlife-focused small-group tours to the planet’s most remarkable nature destinations. Inspired and created from years of scouring the planet for the singular and extraordinary, Nat Hab’s itineraries are artfully crafted experiences that are far from “typical.” Trips are guided by professional naturalist Expedition Leaders, and Nat Hab enjoys a longstanding reputation for hiring some of the world’s best guides. Conservation is at the forefront of everything NHA does, and its philosophy is simple: tourism must work with and benefit local communities, which will in turn find value in protecting natural resources and wildlife.

NHA is proud to be the travel partner of World Wildlife Fund, sharing a mutual commitment to travel as a means of helping to protect the world’s wondrous natural places. Nat Hab has donated more than $2 million to WWF and will continue to donate 1% of gross sales plus $100,000 annual through 2018 in support of WWF’s mission.
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Africa, Responsible Travel, Voluntourism

African Travel Expands Safari with Voluntourism Opportunities

March 22, 2016 MoralCompass

African Travel, Inc. is supporting National Volunteer Week by providing numerous opportunities for travelers to donate their time, expertise and physical labor to a variety of projects in Cape Town, Livingstone, and Tanzania.

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – African Travel, Inc. is supporting National Volunteer Week by providing numerous opportunities for guests to invest in Africa’s future. Travelers can donate their time, expertise and physical labor to a variety of projects in Cape Town, Livingstone, and Tanzania while enjoying African Travel’s award-winning collection, named one of Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best.”

“It’s our ultimate goal to provide our guests with the safari of their dreams while making a meaningful difference in the world,” said Sherwin Banda, president of African Travel. “We love the fact that our travelers want to give back to the communities they visit and leave their own legacy. We are heralding the age of voluntourism.”

National Volunteer Week 2016 will be held from April 10 through 17. African Travel guests can add voluntourism options to many of the existing brochure tours. One day is the most frequently requested addition, but travelers with more time can extend their opportunities.

African Travel also encourages the sustainable development of tourism by partnering with the TreadRight Foundation and supporting projects that benefit the environment, heritage and community of Africa. Other partners include the Amy Biehl Foundation, which contributes to community building programs in Cape Town, and WildAid, whose mission is to end the illegal wildlife trade by shutting down global consumption of wildlife products.

African Travel, Inc. is a 40-year-old safari operator, with operations in Africa and the USA, offering customized and locally-hosted safaris to Africa at all price points. The company’s focus is solely on planning and operating safaris in Africa. We have dedicated, experienced teams in Africa, Safari Specialists in the USA, an extensive transportation fleet, numerous hotels, camps and lodges throughout The Travel Corporation‘s Africa-based associate companies. Refer to www.AfricanTravelInc.com for a wide variety of ideas and safaris.

Created as a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation’s family of brands, The TreadRight Foundation is a not-for-profit working to ensure the environment and communities we visit remain vibrant for generations to come. To date, TreadRight has more than 35 sustainable tourism projects worldwide. The foundation’s guiding principle is to encourage sustainable tourism development through conservation, leadership and support for communities.

TreadRight’s past project partners include WWF, Conservation International and The National Trust in the UK. Current initiatives include sponsoring the National Geographic Society’s inaugural “World Legacy Awards,” helping to combat wildlife crime with WildAid, and empowering individuals with the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise.

To learn more about our past and current work at TreadRight, visit TreadRight.org.

For more information and to book the safari, contact your Travel Professional, call African Travel, Inc. at 800-421-8907, or visit www.africantravelinc.com.

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Environmental Activism

10th Annual Earth Hour Will Shine Light On Climate Action March 19

March 13, 2016 MoralCompass

The Eiffel Tower Paris at Earth Hour, 2015. Just 3 months ago, leaders of 196 countries signed the Paris Climate Agreement (courtesy of EarthHour.org).

Much as people from far and wide are drawn to gaze in utter primeval fascination at a total eclipse, and the biennial Manhattanhenge, when the setting sun aligns with the city’s east-west streetscape, inspires contemplation of the man-nature synergy, Earth Hour is a sight to behold: when cities and towns customarily blazing in light go dark for an hour, one by one around the globe. It is also a demonstration of people power, rising up to support climate action against the forces that would darken the planet. This year’s event, March 19 on March 19, from 8:30-9:30 pm local time, is the tenth time that millions of people around the globe will take action and switch off the lights.

As the world steps into a new era of climate action, WWF’s Earth Hour is urging supporters to shine a light on climate action through the most powerful communication tool of our time – social media.

This Earth Hour, Saturday, 19 March 2016 8:30 p.m. local time, as the world’s most iconic landmarks prepare to switch off their lights, supporters will be invited to take a stand for climate action on their own personal landmarks – their Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Social media users can promote their commitment to the planet by donating their Facebook feeds to spread climate awareness and action in a few clicks on www.earthhour.org/climateaction. Users can also add a custom-made Earth Hour filter to their profile pictures on Facebook and Twitter to show they believe this is our time to change climate change.

“Social media knows no physical boundaries and neither does climate change,” said Siddarth Das, Executive Director, Earth Hour Global. “A simple action on social media is the kind of powerful statement that can excite friends and communities to be a part of the climate action we need to take on this global challenge.”

With the innovative ‘Donate Your Social Power’ Facebook app, created by Earth Hour in collaboration with creative agency iris Worldwide, supporters around the world can share climate information that matters most to them.

By donating their timelines, users can invite friends and followers to discover how people and communities are helping protect #PlacesWeLove in Australia such as the World Heritage Forests in Tasmania and the Great Barrier Reef or how they can be a part of India’s ambition to #GoSolar. They can also collectively shine a light on the most pressing climate issues facing countries, people and wildlife in Latin America and be a part of Africa’s efforts to change climate change by helping protect forests and promoting access to climate education and renewable energy.

“Climate action today will decide the future of our planet for generations to come. As more people sign up, an increasing number of individuals will be able to see how climate action starts with each of us, here and now,” said Das. “Earth Hour empowers each individual — through a social event, interactive campaigns or through social networks — to be a part of making climate change history.”

This year marks Earth Hour’s tenth lights out event. In the past nine years, WWF and Earth Hour teams worldwide have harnessed the power of the movement to raise support and funds for access to renewable energy, protection of wildlife and their habitats, building sustainable livelihoods and driving climate-friendly legislation and policy.

In 2016, Earth Hour will continue to power grassroots efforts to change climate change including driving a petition for 100 per cent renewable energy in Spain, protecting forests and biodiversity in Africa and helping devise a comprehensive solution to Southeast Asia’s persistent haze crisis by working with governments, businesses and civil society simultaneously on peatland protection and sustainable palm oil.

“Less than three months ago, leaders from 196 nations signed a historic agreement in Paris to take collective action on climate change, clearly showing that we are at a turning point in our fight to cut carbon pollution,” Sara Thomas, Manager, Online Advocacy, World Wildlife Fund, writes.

“I’ll be turning out my lights and hope you’ll join me. Sign up for Mobile Action Team updates and get a text message reminder from me to turn off your lights on Earth Hour day.

Text HOUR to 69866 to sign up.

“You’ll join our list of engaged mobile activists and opt in to receive text messages on the latest opportunities to help World Wildlife Fund protect wildlife and conserve nature.”

Earth Hour 2016 will be celebrated on Saturday, 19 March 2016 between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. in your local time zone. Log on to www.earthhour.org for more stories and articles on teams using the Earth Hour movement to shine a light on climate action.

“This is our time to change climate change.”

Link to Earth Hour’s ‘The Future Starts Today’ video: http://ehour.me/FutureStartsToday

Link to the official Earth Hour 2016 music video: http://ehour.me/EH2016-MusicVideo

Link to photos on Earth Hour activities around the world: http://www.earthhour.org/photo-galleries

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Africa, ecotourism, experiential travel, Nature Travel, Sustainable Hotels, Sustainable Travel, Wildlife travel

andBeyond Returns to Zimbabwe with reopening of Matetsi River Lodge

March 10, 2016 MoralCompass

The experiential travel company andBeyond is thrilled to announce that Matetsi River Lodge in Zimbabwe, on the Zambezi River and only 25 miles upstream from Victoria Falls, will rejoin its portfolio in July 2016, following a $10 million rebuild and renovation.

Located on one of the largest wildlife concessions in the area (123,500 acres) and boasting a prime river-front setting, andBeyond Matetsi will offer some of the richest and most exclusive game viewing experiences near Victoria Falls, with sizeable elephant herds and the rare sable antelope as some of the highlights. It is opening just as Zimbabwe grows as a safari destination.

andBeyond Matetsi River Lodge consists of two camps of nine suites each, including a family suite at each camp. The main lodge will house a generous Safari Shop and state-of-the-art gym, as well as a massage sala and conference facility. An 82-foot-long rim flow swimming pool will stretch along the river bank and a wine cellar that is ¾ submerged underground will look out onto the Zambezi at eye level. A private, four-bedroom villa, andBeyond Matetsi River House, will accommodate groups of up to eight. The villa has its own kitchen, indoor and outdoor dining areas, a veranda overlooking the Zambezi, a swimming pool, and fire pit. It comes with a dedicated guide, private vehicle, chef, and butler. In addition to twice daily game drives, andBeyond Matetsi will also offer interpretive bush walks, riverboat cruises, and canoeing.

CEO Joss Kent cites the expansion of the Victoria Falls airport – Including a new 2.5 mile runway, a new international terminal, and the construction of a new fire station and new control tower – as a major reason for the change in the travel dynamics, making it a perfect moment to revitalize an old safari favorite of the brand (andBeyond managed the lodge from 1996 to 2011).

“The lodge’s owner is totally passionate about the project and has worked incredibly hard to resuscitate the concession, focusing both on wildlife and habitat. This matches andBeyond’s core ethos of Care of the Land, Care of the Wildlife, Care of the People,” explains Kent. “Having originally been involved in the conversion of the Matetsi concession from wildlife hunting to photographic safaris, we are really excited to once again be helping to protect and nurture this beautiful and unique wilderness area back to pristine condition. The game experience that we will create at andBeyond Matetsi will provide an element that has been missing in the Victoria Falls area for far too long.”

Thanks to its years of involvement with the staff of Matetsi and its model of promoting conservation through involving the people who live near wildlife areas, andBeyond will be working with its community development partner, Africa Foundation, to engage with the local communities. andBeyond will follow its usual principles of employing from the local community as much as possible and purchasing as much as possible locally, contributing to the economy of both Matetsi and Zimbabwe.

The lodge is ideal for multigenerational travel. andBeyond’s specially designed children’s program, WILDchild, will keep young guests busy with activities such as making and using their own fishing rods, and making plaster casts of animal tracks.

Sitting areas and dining spaces will make the most of the river views, with an interactive kitchen. Pre-dinner drinks will be served in an open bar area looking out onto the river or in a cozy lounge complete with fireplace. An open area with a blazing fire-bowl centerpiece will provide the perfect setting for sundowners.

While the area’s cultural heritage will be highlighted with traditional abstract carvings of wood and stone throughout, a more contemporary touch will be brought in with recent art by Zimbabwean artist Helen Teede. Splashes of bright blue will mimic the waters of the Zambezi River. A strong copper theme will run throughout the lodge in homage to the mineral riches of the region, from copper drums in the open-air outdoor enclosure known as a boma, to copper pots and pans in the kitchen and copper details on the bathroom taps. Simple glass coffee tables will showcase objects found along the banks of the Zambezi, such as driftwood, nests, and rocks.

andBeyond is one of the world’s leading luxury experiential travel companies, designing personalized luxury tours in 15 African countries, India, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Chile and Argentina. The company also owns and operates 33 safari lodges and camps in Africa and India, as well as privately guided expeditions in Botswana, which positively impact more than 9 million acres of wildlife land. Established in 1991, &Beyond takes exceptional care of its guests in order to make a difference; its commitment to sustainable responsible travel, conservation and community empowerment has been globally recognized with multiple awards over the years.

Visit www.andBeyond.com for more information.

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Hotels, Responsible Travel

Inbal Jerusalem Hotel Launches Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative Showcasing Local Charities

March 10, 2016 MoralCompass

JERUSALEM– The Inbal Jerusalem Hotel, one of the city’s leading deluxe hotels and a destination for many major conference and solidarity missions, has launched a new corporate social responsibility initiative that promotes the good works of local charities. As part of the initiative, the hotel is dedicating its lobby showcases, strategically located between the entrance and the hotel’s restaurants, to displaying the works of local charities.

The first organization to be given the space is Susan’s House, a non-profit organization that empowers teens at risk to find their place in society through artistic expression, personal investment and creative initiative. The showcases feature the beautiful pieces of artwork created by the Susan’s House youth, including delicate glass jewelry and giftware.

“For many years we have rented these showcases to local businesses to sell their wares, but we felt more could be done with the space. This is an exciting opportunity for us to help our local community and to engage our guests in some of the great charitable work that goes on in our city,” said Inbal Jerusalem Hotel Vice-President of Sales and Marketing Alex Herman.

The Inbal Jerusalem Hotel is an award-winning, deluxe hotel situated in the heart of Jerusalem overlooking the Old City walls, and minutes away from all the major cultural and historical sites. With its Jerusalem stone exterior, the 283-room hotel is known for its intimate authentic Jerusalem character and impeccable world-class service. The hotel was recently voted the most luxurious hotel in the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards, as well as the best hotel in Israel and fourth best hotel in the entire Middle East by readers of the influential Conde Nast Traveler magazine.

The Inbal Jerusalem Hotel, 3 Jabotinsky Street, Liberty Bell Park, Jerusalem, 92145, www.inbalhotel.com.

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ecotourism, Sustainable Travel

Natural Habitat Ventures ‘Round Iceland’ On New Circumnavigation by Land and Sea

March 10, 2016 MoralCompass

Natural Habitat Adventures’ new Round Iceland adventure explores this curious island of glaciers and geysers, hot springs and waterfalls, frigid fjords, flowing lava, puffins and whales.

BOULDER, CO – The word has gotten out about Iceland’s astonishing natural wonders. This curious island of glaciers and geysers, hot springs and waterfalls, frigid fjords, flowing lava, puffins and whales is now a hot destination for adventure travelers. Avoiding the crowds is the emphasis on Natural Habitat Adventures’ new ‘Round Iceland’ adventure, a comprehensive 11-day exploratory journey circling this small Nordic nation lying between the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean.

Trip dates in 2016 are July 9-19 and July 23-Aug. 2, and in 2017, July 9-July 19 and July 23-Aug. 2. Each departure is limited to no more than 12 travelers.

Nat Hab’s newest nature immersion introduces Iceland with a complete loop around the island, exploring the fjord-indented coast and penetrating the wild interior where people are few and elements of traditional culture endure.

“While there are some small-ship cruises that circumnavigate Iceland, to our knowledge, no one else offers such an extensive and multifaceted exploration as this,” said Ben Bressler, Natural Habitat Adventures’ founder and president.

Nat Hab utilizes different modes of transportation to add variety and adventure, including excursion boats, a private mini bus with a window seat for all guests, 4×4 vehicles including a “Super Jeep” for rugged overland travel, and two short flights — one privately chartered — to maximize efficiency and give more time on the ground to explore.

A Nat Hab trademark is a focus on less-explored, less-touristed areas. Guests will experience places far off the heavily traveled track, including the remote Westfjords. Here, two private boat excursions offer opportunities for whale watching and viewing puffin and seal colonies, while a 4×4 excursion inland may reveal Arctic fox. The little-visited east coast showcases a tranquil region of mountains, forests, fjords and fishing villages.

Other itinerary highlights include a Super Jeep tour to Askja Volcano crater; a private Zodiac cruise among bobbing blue icebergs in Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon; hiking or an optional glacier walk in Skaftafell National Park; an overnight stay in Hveragerdi, Iceland’s hot springs capital; a tour of an Icelandic horse farm; and visits to several dramatic waterfalls including Mongufoss, Skogafoss and Dettifoss, Iceland’s largest cataract by volume.

On display throughout the itinerary are waterfalls, volcanoes, lava fields, geothermal features such as bubbling mud pots and steaming geysers, grazing Icelandic sheep famed for the warmest wool in the world, and the hospitality of a hardy, welcoming people whose lineage traces back to the arrival of the Vikings in the 9th century.

Meals are a highlight, featuring abundant fresh seafood, local lamb and greenhouse-grow Icelandic produce, among varied options. In the less-traveled locations, accommodations are selected for their proximity to natural areas and a high standard of hospitality that is genuine and authentic.

The per-person double occupancy rate is from $11,995 and includes accommodations, meals, transportation, and the services of a dedicated Nat Hab naturalist Expedition Leader plus local guides.

The trip begins and ends in the capital city of Reykjavik, the heart of Iceland’s cultural, economic and governmental activity. It is among the cleanest and greenest cities in the world and the site of the first permanent Norse settlement in Iceland in the 9th century.

For more details on Nat Hab’s Iceland adventure, see: http://www.nathab.com/alaska-northern-adventures/iceland-nature-adventure/

For information on all of Nat Hab’s trips, descriptive itineraries, date availability and reservations, call 800.543.8917 or visit http://www.nathab.com/. Click HERE to order a copy of the 2016 catalog.

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