Sustainable Tourism Archives - Page 2 of 5 - Jim Murty’s TravelTravelTravel

A real-life Kenyan souvenir

10th June 202510th June 2025 funtime65

I’ll soon need to move on from fridge magnets but I don’t know if even I have the ambition to bring home a real-life Kenyan souvenir.

For keepsakes of a destination nobody I’ve met comes close to Siobhan Byrne Learat.

Who fell in love with Kenya and a Kenyan, Maasai Mara warrior Kasao Learat, and took him home as a memento.

Now Siobhan, the caring, sharing woman that she is is a living testament to work at something you love.

Spread the faith

And she and Kasao spread the faith for Kenya and Africa through their high-end travel company Adams and Butler.

Now nights spent with Siobhan and Kasao and Ethiopian powerhouse Meserut in Dublin came flooding back.

After the Kenyan Tourist Board reconnected to update us on their delights.

They remind us, of course, what Kenya is best known for, its animals and safaris, while at the same time focusing on its people.

Through the Kenya Social Good Experience.

Which immerses travellers into the communities through traditional activities curated by the resident Maasai community.

Warrior people

The Saruni Mara lodge is nestled under the tutelage of the Moran (warrior).

And you will get to know, enjoy and understand the tribespeople.

Saruni Mara lodge, nestled in the heart of the exclusive, is a private Mara North conservancy.

So you will get all the rest you need after a day’s activities in the Bush.

Now if you want to explore further then there’s an Avatar on the site, Leo (naturally) there to help.

A real-life Maasai Mara

Of course, we prefer having a real-life Maasai Mara Moran to call on.

And in Kasao we are fortunate enough to be able to access the real thing.

And he and Siobhan have curated this sample 13-day Kenya experience which they will discuss with you, including.

Explore the Giraffe Centre and David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage
Spend a day with the Maasai Community Trust who are working to preserve wildlife and culture in Southern Kenya
Gain insights into the conservation model at Lewa Downs Conservancy
Spend time with the Africa Foundation representative in Maasai Communities, understanding the needs and successes in sustainable development.

Siobhan, of course, has her Maasai Mara man for keeps.

For the rest of us we have to get out there and find a real-life Kenyan souvenir for ourselves.

Countries, Europe, Sustainable Tourism

Get smart bikes and boats in Green Aveiro

23rd October 202423rd October 2024 funtime65

And because we know you, and our European travel commissars, love sustainability. Get smart bikes and boats in Green Aveiro.

Aveiro, the Venice of Portugal Centro, may be known best for its boats.

And its fishermen’s bawdy celebration of womenfolk on the side of their vessels.

But it’s got on its bike here to draw the attention of the European Commission.

Green for go

And it has only been shortlisted for the Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism.

Along with Baltics beauts Jurmala and Liepāja (Latvia) and Panevéžys (Lithuania), Bulgaria’s brightest Sliven and Greece’s epic Nea Propontida.

And Spanish hotspot Benidorm.

To succeed the Italian city of Grosseto.

Now all of these presentations are being made to the powers that be and we wish them all well.

As we do the candidates for the European Capital of Smart Tourism…

Brussels, Genoa, Konya (Turkiye), Lahti (Finland), Lviv (Ukraine) and another Portuguese pearl Porto.

All towns and regions which present a challenge to even the most travelled of us who visit.

The special one

The same, of course, could be said of Aveiro, until, of course, you come across super guide Jose Madomis.

With proud native of Portugal Centro Jose swearing that every major movement in the country’s history sprung from here.

He’s right about Aveiro too which we found out for ourselves while meandering through its canals, so it has a sustainable start on many of its rivals.

Of course our Portuguese pals don’t rest of their laurels and their burghers have caught the attention of the European sustainable overseers.

With the European Commission bigging them up with these observations.

The city has launched the BUGA shared bicycle system, which offers a wider network and new models of bikes with GPS for use around the city.

And boast Portugal’s first fully electric ferry, electric moliceiros (boats), and electric buses, all helping to reduce the city’s CO2 emissions.

The future is green

They also highlight the town’s waste management scheme, where residents can earn points for correct waste disposal.

Redeemable for discounts or an exchange of items they no longer need.

While as the first Portuguese Capital of Culture in 2024.

Aveiro has had a year-round cultural programme promoting its local heritage.

And it’s not just for this year either with a Municipal Climate Action Plan planned, with a direct target of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

In addition, the city is focused on monitoring air quality, providing real-time data on air quality and noise levels through an Urban Platform.

Now, not wanting to influence our European commissars but we’d advise them to get smart bikes and boats in Green Aveiro.

Countries, Deals, Europe, Sustainable Tourism

Sauna like it hot in Estonia

27th September 202427th September 2024 funtime65

And here’s something for the record books, sauna like it hot in Estonia.

We all know our Baltic Buddies like little better than getting all steamed up in a sauna.

And to prove it Estonians and their Finn friends have forced their way into the record books.

With Guinness now endorsing their bid at ‘most photos of people in a sauna on Facebook in one hour’.

On June 8, International Sauna Day, 3,909 photos were uploaded to the Facebook group within an hour.

Of which 3,602 met the Guinness rules and were counted towards the record.

Pictures were posted from 47 countries and 6 continents: Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America.

Smokin’ saunas

All of which goes to prove how much we all love a sauna around the world.

Now we’ve shared here, and will again, the Finn and games you can have in a sauna in Suomi.

And are happy to show you what’s hot now in Estonia.

And their sauna rituals and experiences.

The Estonian experts have been especially keen to steer us in the direction of smoke saunas at Pilguse Residency.

Mirror, mirror on the wall: Cabin luxury

Pilguse Residency at the Pilguse Manor House sits on 90 hectares of land, an hour west of Tallinn, and dates back to 1558.

And boasts the ÖÖD Mirror Cabins from €322.

Bespoke for yourself

All bespoke and fitted with fireplaces, kitchen and private decking and bbq.

As well as the use of their wood burning heated green house by the sun deck and outdoor hot tub.

And, of course, the Iglu saunas.

While for equestrian fans Pilguse also offers horse-riding expeditions.

Now for those of a Celtic persuasion (guilty) the bogs are in our blood.

Bog high standard

And we are naturally drawn to the bog spa at Villa Pillapalu.

In Villa Pillapalu in the middle of abundant forests and beautiful bogs by the Piibe road.

Only 50kms away from Tallinn.

Villa Pillapalu guests will get pampered in the RabaSpa.

And depending on the number of guests, you can choose between several different villas.

Ten-person spacious villa, eight or ten-person Scandinavian-style log cabin.

Six-person log cabin for smaller groups, or 18-person cabin glass houses with log houses.

So if you want to just get away with two other couples then that’ll be €290 per night.

While snowshoeing and bicycle tours are also on offer.

As well as swamps and kayak tours on the Soodla reservoir.

So whether smoke or bog sauna like it hot in Estonia, and the hotter the better.

Our Finnair friends offer a best price round trip from London to Tallinn for £217.

Countries, Sustainable Tourism, UK

Edinburgh’s tourist taxing prospect

25th August 202425th August 2024 funtime65

She’s a constant during the International Festival, the Morningside woman who will complain about the disruption the visitors are causing to her daily life… so she’ll probably welcome Edinburgh’s tourist taxing prospect.

Only will the flat 5% charge per night of the accommodation cost.

Capped at seven consecutive nights for hotels, short-term lets, hostels and B&Bs work.

City of Edinburgh Council aims to have a final plan agreed by January, after which an 18-month implementation period is expected to begin.

But will the estimated £10m windfall to the local authorities be injected.

Into public services, city maintenance, affordable housing and preserving the capital’s cultural heritage?

And will it address the tourism sujet du jour… overtourism?

Act Responsible

Well our friends at Responsible Travel have done some of the heavy lifting for us (the way we like it).

And bullet-pointed what will really make the change.

Can I be trusted on a bike? In Amsterdam

Identifying the type of tourist that suits a destination best rather than trying to attract everyone
Effective visitor management, such as with pre-booked tickets, timed entry and seasonal pricing
Control of visitor numbers by reducing cruise ship and flight arrivals, cutting back on destination marketing, and tightening restrictions on the number of hotel rooms and Airbnb rentals
Diversifying tourism in the wider area, to take the strain of over-popular destinations. Critically, this must not simply be a case of moving the problem elsewhere.

Now obviously some of these apply more than others with the cruise market not as pressing in Edinburgh as in other cities who have gone the tourist tax path.

Like Barcelona and Venice, Amsterdam and New York.

On the bill

Apart, of course, from the slightly gnawing feeling when you get an extra on your bill.

Rather than have it included in the overall price we come to expect the tourist tax on our travels.

When we aren’t being looked after by our friendly travel providers, that is.

So, we’ll be happy to give it a go in our home city which maybe it’s nostalgia kicking in but does seem busier.

Than the first time we lived in these parts 25 odd years ago.

International welcome: And when the Swiss were in Edinburgh

What has come on the scene since then and also applies in our new stomping ground 15 miles east of the Scottish capital.

In the best place to live in Britain, North Berwick is the Airbnb.

With Home Sweet Home estimating that there are between 6,000-10,000 rental properties in the city.

Using online services such as Airbnb to let flats and apartments.

House proud

Now with so much going wrong in Scotland and the greater island the public is yet to turn its attentions to overtourism to protest about.

But now that we’ve got the hang of this protesting lark, and remember that Scots used to have a history of this, it’s worth considering.

That the overtourism protests on the continent are mainly targeted against the properties taken out of public access.

Denying locals, and particularly the young, the chance to get on the housing market.

And having spent a decade Edinburgh

Culture, Ireland, Sustainable Tourism, UK

Heady World Heritage days for County Antrim

27th July 202427th July 2024 funtime65

These are heady World Heritage days for County Antrim with its Game of Thrones iconography, the return of the Open Golf to Royal Portrush and a WH site in Gracehill.

All bested, of course, by the Giant’s Causeway which should always be accompanied by a wobbly walk over the Carrick-a-Rede Bridge.

It is, of course, refreshing to see sectarian Northern Ireland celebrated by UNESCO for religion.

And that is just what’s happened with the extension of the Moravian Church Settlements to include Gracehill, near Portrush.

Raving about the Moravians

All of which was lauded to the high heavens along with The Flow Land peat grounds of north Scotland, and more of which later.

Moravians have, of course, gone under the radar in a Northern Ireland defined by Protestantism and Roman Catholicism.

And we’re reminded of the Billy Connolly joke here when a Jew in Belfast explains he is neither religion.

To which his interrogator asked: ‘But are you a Catholic Jew or a Protestant Jew?’

Well, the Moravian Church Settlement you’ll find in sleepy Gracehill is Protestant.

And emanates from modern-day Southern Czechia around that country’s second city Brno.

That Protestantism is used as a catch-all term is misleading as there were myriad breakaways from the Catholic Church.

Check out the Czech churches

And in Prague, the wonderfully cultural capital of Czechia, I fell in one such church,

And despite the organist on the altar having his back to the congregation I wasn’t deterred.

Where I learned that this was the original Protestant parish in these parts.

The Moravian emigrees who washed up on this northern coast of Europe’s outpost in 1758 were we are told a tolerant people.

And that they even supported pan-Irish nationalism.

And as far back as 1798 Gracehill ‘a place of refuge’ for all sides during the United Irishmen’s Rebellion.

Hail Moravia full of Gracehill

Gracehill and its schoolhouse and church are marked out as an example of a socio-religious system of its time.

And it has been the Irish village’s good fortune here to be able to piggyback on the Danish Christiansfeld Initiative.

Gracehill’s newly elevated status will it is hoped attract visitors.

Which, of course, sparked the conversation in our household around potential overtourism.

And were it to happen it would more likely rear its head in Antrim than the open areas of The Flow Land in Caithness and Sutherland.

And preserve the locals’ lifestyle

Of course, we’ll inevitably return to the challenges of overtourism and it might seem oversimplistic.

But to any community that boasts a special heritage site or achieves one then a word of advice.

Preserve first the ability of local people to afford and have the homes around them to live in.

Rather than sell them off for AirBnBs and in the same time deprive the hotel and hospitality sector of a living.

And ensure that yes, it’s heady World Heritage Days for County Antrim and The Flow Land of North Scotland.

And all sites for sore eyes.

America, Countries, Sport, Sustainable Tourism

Mais oui, the biggest bike museum is where?

15th July 202415th July 2024 funtime65

Mais oui, the biggest bike museum is where? Well, Steeltown, Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.

Not that you’d want to parler that around France where the biggest cycling competition, Le Tour, is currently raging.

But the sports-mad blue-collar East Coast American city might just have stolen a wheel on you here.

Morrow belongs to me: Craig in his museum

Especially Craig Morrow, who opened Bicycle Heaven in 2011, and has filled it with more than 3,000 bikes.

All of which I ferreted out from a nugget of knowledge from the Visit Pittsburgh team.

And who visited and sponsored the American Soiree travel symposium in Dublin last week.

And showcased their route from Pittsburgh to Washington DC, the Great Allegheny Passage.

Tour de Pittsburgh

Off on a tandem: The Monkees contraption

The 333.3-mile week-long track that adjoins C&O Canal Towpath… or maybe 45- to 60-mile bicycling days.

All of which requires the back-up of a Tour de France support team… or in the absence of that then Craig Morrow.

The thing is that you probably know about Cycling Heaven without realising it.

From Russell Crowe movies (A Beautiful Mind) or Viola Davies (Fences) to The Monkees and The Beatles.

To tread through Cycling Heaven is a ride through cycling history.

From the early wooden bikes, with the oldest in the shop, built in 1863, termed the ‘boneshaker’.

To the carbon-based frames of today.

With the novelty contraptions such as the ‘Hercules’ where you bounce on the seat to get going.

And I reckon I’d be a natural having pedalled my own Margaritas in San Antonio in Texas.

Now if you’ve got a spare $18,000 to $50,000 then you could leave with a 1940s fibreglass Bowden Spacelander.

That it’s Pittsburgh that boasts the biggest cycling museum in the world shouldn’t really surprise us.

Because the Penn city combines its industrial heritage and the eclectic vision of its favourite son Andy Warhol to draw the world.

How to get there

Fun and Games: With a Paralympian champ Mark Rohan in Quinta do Lago

And Aer Lingus will fly you there through Ireland with pre-clearance and JetBlue get you back.

So that if, as is my case, that means starting in Edinburgh, until my Scary One relents and allows us to return full time to Wicklow.

For now though I’ve dug out my own return flight Edinburgh to Pittsburgh knowing your departure point may be different.

From under a grand £957 round trip for the sample month of September.

Countries, Sustainable Tourism

Save our seas (and travel) on World Oceans Day

8th June 20248th June 2024 funtime65

Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside, which is why I want to save our seas (and travel) on World Oceans Day.

Living on these northern European islands, Britain and Ireland, all my life global warming always seemed to be happening somewhere else.

Until that somewhere else became somewhere I came up close and personal to, when I made travel my life’s mission.

Barbados beaches

My old uni pal, party animal, conversationist and conservationist, Jevan first flagged up to me its threat to the Caribbean.

With ocean warming a real and present threat to the sea-life and island life.

Of course, at the height of the Barbados Crop Over carnival, the message perhaps didn’t land as it should have.

But it did eight years later, on my return to Bim, when I looked out of the plane and witnessed the seaweed on the coast.

An eye-opener, of course, but worse still when denied the chance to swim on some stretches.

Unless you want to try to wade through the reeds, as I did, and ended up with it in my mouth.

Now the larger hotel chains have the wherewithal to clear the coastlines in a way smaller businesses have not.

The seahorse has bolted

Of course, any cleaning and clearing up exercise feels very much after the seahorse has bolted.

Because these smaller islands, atolls and countries around the world are being hung out to dry by the richer stronger states.

Who give lip service and pledges at COP summits before rowing back on them.

Atoll order

For every Barbados though there are those for whom the clock is ticking even louder.

The Maldives are a dream destination for couples and globetrotters.

But as the flattest country in the world at just 3ft elevation they are more susceptible than anywhere to rising sea levels.

The Union of Concerned Scientists report that the teardrop isles, made up of 1,200 atolls and home to around 540,000 people will dwindle if we don’t act now.

Because a rise of just 1.5 feet will see them lose around 77% of their land area by 2100.

All worth reflecting on as we buggy, around the Maldives and swim, snorkel and scuba dive in the Indian Ocean.

That we might not be affording that luxury to our great-grandchildren.

Now we may feel powerless to effect our favourite coastal destinations’ future.

And these countries do rely on our visits to sustain their economies and their future.

We trust then in our cruise companies and airlines to prioritise sustainability and cleaner fuel.

What we can do though in this biggest election year in history.

With four billion people, half the population of the planet, going to the polls… is VOTE.

Because if we don’t exercise our democratic rights in this cycle we only have ourselves to blame.

Motion of the ocean

My home: And keep it cool for the turtles

Countries, Sustainable Tourism

The Big Reveal… the passports to access

2nd January 20242nd January 2024 funtime65

And as we plan our destinations for the year I’m reminded of my globetrotting Bangladeshi pal Asmery.As we post Big Reveal… the passports to access.

We met, where else, than at a Caribbean night in Barbados.

Where impressed by my Dad dancing (it’s all from the bum I was told in Soca class years earlier) we got talking.

And she told me how she had sold all her jewellery years earlier to begin her global odyssey.

But that possessing a Bangladeshi passport had proved a major obstacle along the way.

Which only made me think of the benefits of our own UK passport although that has been diminished by Brexit.

Meaning an Irish one, something I could apply for through my Dear Old Mum is a New Year Resolution I must finally follow through on.

Particularly as new travel friends have first-footed us with advice on the best passports to have.

Quality street

Global Citizen Solutions, a data-driven immigration advisor has unveiled its Quality of Life Index 2024.

Which they say is a tool guiding those seeking not just a change of scenery, but an elevation in the quality of their lives.

Of course, as with everything, Finland tops the list, and the Nordic countries take the first three places.

The Finns, due to their low-income inequality, social support and infrastructure, freedom to make decisions, and low levels of corruption.

With the Swedes on the same page and the Danes especially noted for their work/life balance.

All of which translates into the hygge which is so attractive to visitors.

Index finger

As for the UK, it holds its own in fourth, followed by Germany, neighbours the Netherlands.

Then Ireland, Austria, Spain and New Zealand.

The Index, as you’d imagine, highlights social well-being, but also sustainability.

In all there are six main weights of indicators:

Sustainable Development Goals, Cost of Living, Level of Freedom, Happiness, Environmental Performance and Migrant Acceptance.

With The World Bank, the World Economic Forum and the Sustainable Development Report weighing in with their knowledge.

From the horse’s mouth

‘We believe that a passport is not merely a document; it is a vessel of potential, a gateway to a life well-lived,’ says Patricia Casaburi, Managing Director for Global Citizen Solutions.

‘The Quality of Life index encourages users to explore the boundless possibilities that a passport can offer if you are looking to relocate.

‘But it is also a fantastic tool if you just want to plan your next travel destination.’

All of which is good to know as we plan our next trip this year. The Big Reveal… the passports to access.

Countries, Europe, Sustainable Tourism

Electra dream for Astypalea

15th November 202315th November 2023 funtime65

And it’s no surprise who the bright sparks were who came up with the electra dream for Astypalea.

Electra, as if I even need to tell you, is Greek for ‘The Bright One’.

And, of course, we’re all familiar with her story.

Electra, the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, saved the life of her brother Orestes by sending him away when their father was murdered.

And, of course, when he later returned, she helped him to slay their mother and Mum’s lover, Aegisthus.

Now as was the way of the Classicist-loving English Victorians it was to Ancient Greece that they turned for inspiration.

When Michael Faraday was looking for a name for his new magic fuel.

Green Greece

It is apt then that it is a Greek island which is at the centre of a bold experiment to prove that we can live entirely fossil-free and electric-full.

The Dodecanese isle of Astypalea is crossing over entirely to green sustainable energy using too the power of wave, air and sun.

Much like its esteemed antecedents did.

VW is removing gas vehicles from the island and replacing them with its e-up, ID.3, ID.4 and Seat Mó e-Scooter electric vehicles.

And has installed an electric ride-sharing program on the island.

The smart isle

All of which I learned on my odyssey around the Greek islands, the myriad of stands at the World Travel Market at the Excel in London.

About the Butterfly Island, so called because it resembles a flutterby split into two parts.

The starting point, as it must be, is that the locals are on board.

With the islanders given substantial grants, more than two-thirds of the cost, to buy EVs.

And it doesn’t stop there with ride-sharing, public transport schemes and a handy app complementing the initiative.

Leccy heaven by 2027

The target is that by 2027 all cars will be electric and all chargers on the island will be up and running.

While the culinary that the Greeks are famous for puts sustainability and local produce to the fore.

Now Astypalea is a seven and a half hour sail from Piraeus.

And that will allow you a much gentler voyage on the wind than our old pal Homer.

Before you go native and live and endorse the Electra dream for Astypalea.

Countries, Europe, Sustainable Tourism

Fjords to the world

17th August 202317th August 2023 funtime65

We’ve all been left open-mouthed, like Munch’s Scream, at the beauty of Norway but today we celebrate the man who brought the fjords to the world.

It’s no exaggeration to credit JC Dahl with bringing tourism to Norway through his landscape paintings.

But I only stumbled across JC (and it was not the only thing I fell upon that day) on an MSC cruise lay-off in the fjords in Bergen.

When we took in the troll caricatures and Munch retrospective on the walls and Dahl’s panoramas at the Kode gallery.

And was tripped up by one of those shape-shifting trolls when I tumbled over a stone on our cliffside walk above Bergen.

The good news then is that the first of two Havila Polaris ships has arrived in Bergen.

Before it will head directly to Tromsø in a few days and put into service on August 21.

While the sister ship Havila Pollux will enter service from August 23.

Fjords game-changer

And this is a fjords game-changer.

Your ship accommodates 468 beds and passengers can choose whether to sail from port to port.

Or embark on a comprehensive journey along the Norwegian coast.

And here’s where things have changed with sustainability at the heart of fjords sailing.

Havila operates on a combination of liquefied natural gas and battery packs.

And that allows them to sail emissions-free for up to four hours at a time on battery power.

This means that Havila sails emissions-free in Geirangerfjorden and Hjørundfjorden.

Watch the waste

Now Havila are clearly committed to cleaning up the seas.

And cutting down on waste and, of course, leftover food is high up on that menu.

Theirs is a food concept where everything is served à la carte.

That will reduce food waste by a whopping 60 tons with four fully operational ships, compared to ships with buffet.

With the two new ships in operation, the number of departures from Bergen will double from six to 12 departures per month.

The ships dock in Bergen at 14:45 before embarking on a new journey northwards at 20:30.

Now, of course, since Thomas Cook first clapped eyes on Dahl and introduced Norway to British adventurers we’ve been capturing its beauties ourselves.

And that was always going to be a bigger draw to the award-winning photographer Mrs M was always going to pick that.

Ahead of the Med or the Gulf states.

Which is why we have our own photo homage to Dahl hanging in our wall.. bringing the fjords to the world, our world.

Spread the faith

Warrior people

A real-life Maasai Mara

Green for go

The special one

The future is green

Smokin’ saunas

Bespoke for yourself

Bog high standard

Act Responsible

On the bill

House proud

Raving about the Moravians

Check out the Czech churches

Hail Moravia full of Gracehill

And preserve the locals’ lifestyle

Tour de Pittsburgh

How to get there

Barbados beaches

The seahorse has bolted

Atoll order

Poll in our hands

Motion of the ocean

Quality street

Index finger

From the horse’s mouth

Green Greece

The smart isle

Leccy heaven by 2027

Fjords game-changer

Watch the waste