This Year, Give the Gift of Sustainable Travel
Published: Wednesday, June 20, 2018
More and more people are seeking experiences instead of accumulating more things. What better way to close out the year than to give back to the environment and feed your soul. Travel experiences provide memories that will last a lifetime, as opposed to items that get tossed aside by the next holiday season. Bee + Hive, a not-for-profit global sustainable tourism association which unites hotels, restaurants and parks that embrace sustainable practices offers unique experiences to give as gifts this year:
1.) Moose calling in bear country at the Treehotel in Sweden – Guests will accompany a guide and get to summon moose by impersonating a range - An alluring adventure with the King of the Forest and the Elk Whisperer. Their guide has approximately 30 years of calling experience and is able to summon the elk really close by impersonating a range of elk. They call as they stealthily move through the forest or from a covered wooden spotting tower with a door and photo openings.
2) Visit to the a Pataxo Village at the Pousada Tutabel in Brazi – A unique opportunity to spend the day with an authentic indigenous Pataxo Tribe where descendants of a decimated tribe, live in a traditional way within a reserve of Atlantic Forest just 12 km from the town of Porto Seguro, Bahia. Through a partnership with an accredited agency, Bee + Hive offers a unique experience that ranges from a day trip to an overnight stay. Upon arrival, the tribe leader expounds on his people’s traditions – from the mythical communion with nature, to rituals and language.
3) Swim with Shark Whales at Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef in Australia - Each year between April and July these slow-moving, gentle, filter-feeding giants migrate past Ningaloo Reef. The world’s biggest fish can grow to lengths of 12 meters or more and has a healthy appetite in order to sustain its immense size. Fortunately for most sea-dwellers, they feed primarily on plankton and krill, taking in huge gulps of water and filtering out their microscopic meal.
4) Reflections dinner cruise on the Zambezi at the Masuwe Lodge in Zimbabwe –On an evening afloat the Zambezi River, guests will spot beautiful birds, pods of hippo, herds of elephant and other animals as they come down to drink after a hot day; enjoy drinks and dinner as the sun sinks slowly into the River; the call of the Fish Eagle will forever remind you of the Zambezi.
5) Nocturnal Spotlighting in the Pantanal at the Refugio Ecologic Caiman in Brazil – A different way to experience the abundant fauna of the Pantanal - During the night, the local fauna is more active. Their nocturnal spotlighting activity provides the opportunity to observe these nocturnal animals. One of the highlights is when the caimans are spotted, whose eyes present impressive red reflex.
Bee + Hive’s origins lie in Founder Bruno Correa’s first-hand knowledge developing sustainable experiences. Belonging to a successful hotelier family, for over a decade Correa has helped launch and run boutique hotels which have positively impacted their local areas. In one case, boutique hotel Pousada Literaria de Paraty in Brazil replanted 21,000 trees to regenerate a neglected environment, which in turn attracted a plethora of birdlife. This transformed the site into the country’s first private bird reserve, enhancing the local wildlife and the community. Such inspiring action, coupled with Correa’s experience witnessing other sustainable initiatives led by luxury boutique properties, has resulted in the launch of Bee + Hive.
For more information, visit http://beeplushive.com/.
tags: Beyond the Lakes, Environmental Impact, Travel
