From high in the Himalayas, to tea stalls in the Andes and at floating markets in Vietnam, you are never far from someone selling you bottled water – offering you convenience and a promise that it’s safe to drink. You may also not be far from a rubbish dump or a river bank that has plenty of evidence of discarded bottles, making the natural environment less than healthy.
Buying one bottle of water doesn’t seem like a big deal, but when multiplied by the millions, we have one dirty big problem…
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Fantastic news from our friends at Amnesty International. After twenty years of campaigning, millions of actions and thousands of hours speaking to politicians, at last we have an international Arms Trade Treaty. This treaty literally has the power to save millions of lives! Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International, shares news with us of this huge human rights victory…
“After decades of planning, strategizing, drafting treaty language, intensive research, advocacy and campaigning, Amnesty International is celebrating the adoption of a global Arms Trade Treaty by the UN General Assembly. 154 states voted in favour of the treaty; 3 states (Iran, North Korea and Syria) voted against and 23 states abstained. While many individuals and NGOs played an important role in ensuring its passage, I can also say proudly and unequivocally that the Arms Trade Treaty adopted on April 2, is a testament to Amnesty International’s singular global reach, tenacity, and ability to focus on making long-term, lasting change.
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At Intrepid, we ♥ travel. Especially RESPONSIBLE travel. And it seems we’re not the only ones! Those of you who recently completed our Responsible Travel and Sustainability survey noted that Intrepid’s approach to Responsible Travel is one of the top 3 reasons you travel with us. The survey also showed that over 90% of respondents want to travel with a company who practice Responsible Travel and agree the travel industry has a duty to reduce its environmental footprint.
Take climate change for example. The tourism industry is both impacted by climate change and is a sector that’s a growing contributor to the problem. So as a travel company that creates and promotes holidays, we see it as our responsibility to be part of the solution, not the problem. And the good news is we’re not alone – 98% of survey respondents believe climate change is an important issue that Intrepid should continue to tackle.
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Frogs in France. Tick. Grilled cockroaches in Thailand. Done. Guinea-pig in Peru. Just like rabbit. Well what about dog in Vietnam? No doubt we’ve all photographed the menu boards, gasped at the tales of inadvertent consumption, and possibly put our fork into unorthodox ‘delicacies’, but how far should our gastronomic limits be pushed? Intrepid’s Taz Liffman explains how the responsible traveller can avoid local food leaving a bitter taste…
“When it comes to opportunities for new sensations, experience and adventure, travel has few rivals. While overseas, the symptoms of FOMObia – that is the ‘Fear Of Missing Out’ – typically become more acute and pronounced as time and again we’re encouraged to be open to new ideas and try new things; to transcend the norm; enliven the senses; test the boundaries; awaken the taste buds. But when it comes to gastronomic novelty, would we be pushing these so readily if we knew the realities they entailed? What would we really missing out on?
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Recently Darrell Wade, Intrepid co-founder, posed the question, “Is it the end of the world as we know it?” Following on from that discussion, Darrell shares some insight into why Intrepid Travel has been determined to make changes and how we did it…
“Last week some readers thought I was taking an excessively depressing view on climate change – I hope they are right, but the reality of the science is looking very grim indeed. Other readers wanted to know why a travel company would get involved in the issue in the first place.
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Is it the end of the world as we know it? Darrell Wade, Intrepid co-founder, poses this serious question about climate change and considers the consequences of global inertia…
“Recently I read an alarming article in the New York Times. Global climate emissions are rising faster than predicted, temperatures are already increasing faster and the world is looking at a climate scenario that is significantly worse than the worst-case scenario of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Worse, there is no end in sight to the increase in carbon emissions.
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Macca Sherifi, gapyear.com travel editor, recently travelled in Vietnam with Intrepid. He enjoyed many great experiences, but there was a special local meal that left a lasting impression…
“KOTO is a beautiful Hanoi restaurant that has been around since 2000. Offering some of the best cuisine in the city, you’ll leave the restaurant with a warm fuzzy feeling that’s got nothing to do with the food.
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In our search for new Global Gift ideas for Christmas, The Intrepid Foundation has come up with great gifts to give to your friends and family that will help people in need in other parts of the world. From toilets and pigs to learning tools for children with disabilities, you’ll be amazed how you can make a difference. With a range of prices to suit everyone, our new Global Gifts are not only affordable – they’re matched dollar-for-dollar by Intrepid Travel!
And what about solving your Secret Santa dilemma in the office? We all know those silly gifts are the thoughts that don’t count, so for as little as what you’d spend on lunch you could be supporting one of these great new Global Gifts…
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Intrepid’s Responsible Business Assistant, Taz Liffman, is renowned for his laid-back temperament, but when it comes to sustainable travel he’s a man on a mission. We put Taz under the spotlight to find out a little more about his travel passions…
Q: How do you describe your occupation?
A: I’m primarily responsible for reporting and calculating the carbon offsets required for purchase to ensure that Intrepid’s trips are all operating as carbon neutral.
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