“Love, respect and protect wildlife.” This simple, yet bold motto underpins everything that Jonathan Guillot, Founder, and the team of passionate guides at Salva Fauna do. Built on the “crazy idea of reconciling man with nature”, Salva Fauna believe in experiencing wildlife with the utmost ethics. Their wildlife photography tours focus on total immersion in nature with the greatest respect for wild animals – often changing how their guests see the world. Jonathan Guillot, Founder of Salva Fauna, shares what he’s learned about staying agile and flexible during COVID-19, and their plans to acq ..read more

“Live into your values. Hold yourself accountable. Measure what matters to you.” – Renee Kimball – Owner/Operator, Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge. Tranquilo Bay is an authentic, all-inclusive Eco Adventure Lodge resort in Bocas del Toro, Panama specializing in wildlife vacation experiences. Their 200-acre private conservation reserve is the perfect place to disconnect from the everyday, try new things and learn about nature – but it’s also built on an inspiring philosophy: take care of your immediate neighborhood. Renee Kimball, Owner/Operator of Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge, shares ..read more

Summer of 2021 has been intense, despite the current pandemic. While it’s still limiting our movements, it has actually led me to travel close to home in Spain, which is rather a good thing in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. We have had to face bad events, like the gigantic forest fires around the Mediterranean and the rest of the world. This has led people to auto-confine, as a way to survive the terrible smoke left by the fires. The heat waves in many cities in Spain have led people to stay home to try to escape from the heat.  Sometimes I wonder: with climate change, if we can’t go ..read more

Community-focussed tour operator Indigenous Kokoda Adventures (IKA) had just opened their doors to tourists on Papua New Guinea’s famous Kokoda Track, when COVID-19 put the travel industry on hold. But rather than stop at this obstacle, the company quickly pivoted to work with local coffee farmers, with proceeds helping local children to attend post primary school. And that’s just the start of much bigger plans – including a coffee mill employing local people who call the Track home. While IKA may be a new player on the Kokoda Track, they’re committed to doing things better, even if it’s ..read more

“Now, more than ever travellers are prepared to meld their own need for wellness with that of the planet. And this is inspiring.” – Dimiter Georgiev, Managing Director and Tour Leader, Neophron Tours. Neophron Tours offer specialized wildlife holidays in Bulgaria and beyond and actively support environment friendly tourism that raises awareness of wildlife and nature conservation. In the wake of Covid, they are seeing an even greater shift towards more meaningful and conscious travel – and are offering more thoughtful, private and flexible tours in response. Dimiter Georgiev, Managing Directo ..read more

At Terra Incognita we know that ecotourism can benefit some of the world’s most incredible places and the communities who call them home. And as travellers, we can help ensure that ecotourism is a powerful force for good by making informed travel choices. But it’s not always easy! Follow these ten tips to help ensure that your next adventure has the best possible benefit for the places and people you visit, and the planet as a whole. Consider conservation Ecotourism, as defined by The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), has three ‘pillars’: conservation, communities and education/interp ..read more

Becoming an ethical wildlife traveler does not have to be challenging. Now you can easily help protect animals within the tourism industry, helping to signal a shift within the industry that travelers are prioritizing animal friendly practices! Before you travel, follow these three tips to ensure your encounters are animal friendly! Credit: Milo Putnam / Milo’s Wildlife.   1.  Search for Photos Say you discovered a new animal experience online. Your first step for checking to see if it is an ethical option is to find more images. Looking at photos from a Google search, hashtag, or g ..read more

Despite the brief recovery that Covid-19 has allowed our environment, our planet is still in peril. Global warming remains a prominent issue, pollution levels continue to rise, and biodiversity levels have been reduced to an all-time low with 25% of all bird species, 24% of mammals, 11% of plants and 24% of coral reefs having already been lost. However, ecotourism has the potential to combat these issues. As we slowly emerge from a year of lockdowns and isolation periods, I think that it is safe to say that we are all unbelievably excited for a holiday, an adventure, a retreat to somewhere wh ..read more

If you’ve been following our journey at Terra Incognita, you’ll know how incredibly passionate we are about promoting ethical ecotourism – tourism that drives positive change for people and wildlife. We’ve worked hard to discover and promote ethical ecotourism providers worldwide, who continue to amaze us. We’ve also connected with a global network of bloggers and writers who share a commitment to sustainable tourism and advocate for responsible travel. Now we’re standing at on edge of one of the most important transitions the travel industry has ever seen. Besides the devastation that COVID ..read more

614, the total number of bird species that were counted in Kenya on Global Big Day, Saruni contemplated. On this day birders all over the world took part in counting birds. In a country home to an impressive 1,100 bird species, Saruni was glad to have made his participation count. As some of his friends took international and local tourists to Masai Mara and Amboseli National Parks, Saruni stayed in Nairobi to guide members of Nature Kenya in bird watching. Nature Kenya usually coordinates bird walks every third Sunday of the month and Wednesday. Consequently, he would be expected to share al ..read more