“People won’t protect what they don’t know and love,” goes the popular adage within conservation circles. Getting out and seeing the world can inspire a reverence for nature.
But as the hottest day ever recorded on earth was reported this July and the world grapples with how to mitigate the effects of climate change, travel faces increasing scrutiny for its carbon emissions.
While the travel industry seeks large-scale solutions—from using sustainable aviation fuels to making operations carbon-neutral—travelers can play a role by seeking more eco-conscious trips. These six journeys deliver awe-inspiring wildlife encounters and dramatic landscapes—and protect the ecosystem and support local communities.
Embark on a Regenerative Journey Through Zambia and Zimbabwe, Few & Far
Adventure through Zambia and Zimbabwe with Few & Far, a new sustainable travel company founded by the minds behind beloved U.S. glamping outfit Under Canvas. Travelers will traverse forests on foot, paddle down the iconic Zambezi River, and careen across the golden savanna on game drives.
The trip runs in partnership with community-oriented initiatives founded or supported by African Bush Camps (ABC). After a thrilling white rhino trek in Livingstone, Zambia, for instance, travelers will visit a health center and primary school. In Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools National Park, where ABC established an anti-poaching unit in 2021, travelers embark on a walking safari and game drive.
Trek Across East Greenland, Hinoki Travels
At a time when some travelers are debating whether visiting the fragile polar regions is a responsible choice, it’s crucial to be conscientious about how these areas are explored. Boutique company Hinoki Travels new Interdependence trip offers an immersive, climate-friendly way to visit the wild landscape of arctic East Greenland.
Beginning with two nights focused on Inuit culture—and how it is shifting with climate change—in the small island settlement of Kulusuk, travelers will set out for five nights of traversing the tundra and icy waters on foot and by kayak, ditching all emission-generating transport. Led by an Inuit guide, the trip winds through iridescent ice caves and across glaciers and blue fjords. Five percent of proceeds support a community-led conservation project.
Learn About the Monarch Migration in Mexico’s Central Highlands, Natural Habitat Adventures
Natural Habitat Adventures’ Kingdom of the Monarchs trip gives travelers a look at a small species on an epic scale. Climate change and habitat loss are threatening monarch butterflies, which were added to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s list of endangered species in 2022—only two steps from extinction.
On foot and on horseback, guests will cross Mexico’s Central Highlands, where forested hills are cradled by snow-capped mountains, and they will stay at idyllic eco-lodges along the way. While witnessing the magical natural phenomenon of millions of butterflies blanketing trees and fluttering through blue skies in flame-colored clouds, visitors will learn how Natural Habitat Adventures works with the World Wildlife Fund to monitor the species and protect key habitat areas.
Escape to a Secluded Island in Indonesia, Bawah Reserve
Set in the far-flung Anambas Islands, Bawah Reserve’s locale is worth the extra effort it takes to get there. Guests check in to one of the sustainable resort’s overwater bungalows or its new private residence before heading out to explore the gin-clear waters and technicolor coral reefs on snorkeling and sailing expeditions. Another day, travelers can tag turtles as part of the Anambas Foundation’s turtle conservation project or go on a conservation dive to help with reef restoration.
The resort is a pioneer in sustainability. Bawah boasts Indonesia’s largest solar energy farm and has a robust zero-waste policy that covers food waste, water, and refuse.
Discover Brazil Through a Conservation Lens, Journeysmiths
On this trip designed by U.K.-based travel company Journeysmiths, travelers will saddle up on horseback and ride across grasslands while exploring two of Brazil’s vital but threatened natural regions. The Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland, is a refuge for wildlife, including the highest density of jaguars on the planet. Guests explore a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve that preserves biodiversity while they stay at a ranch that focuses on regenerative farming. (Unfortunately, only 5 percent of the Pantanal region is currently protected.)
In eastern Brazil, the Cerrado savanna acts as a powerful carbon sink, but deforestation continues to threaten the biome. Here, travelers stay at a lodge that collaborates with the Onçafari Association, a conservation organization that works to protect the environment, also increasing wildlife sightings since their arrival in the region in 2018.
Connect With Indigenous Culture in Western Canada, Spirit Bear Lodge
Off the coast of central British Columbia in the Great Bear Rainforest, turquoise fjords teem with life: Schools of silver herring flit below the water’s surface, and whales move through its shadowy depths. Perched on the edge of the ocean on Swindle Island is Spirit Bear Lodge, a wilderness lodge owned and operated by the Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation. The property invites travelers to connect with the rugged landscape and coastal wildlife through an Indigenous lens.
On daily boat and land excursions—one of which includes searching for the elusive spirit bear, a rare, white-coated black bear native to the area—lodge guests learn why the region is so important to protect from both an ecological and cultural perspective. Visitors dive into how the Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation is leading much of the marine conservation here, including establishing the world’s first Indigenous-led blue park.
