Sustainable Tourism for the Graduate

The day you and your graduate have been working toward for so long has finally arrived…. and likely departed by now. So what is the next step? VACATION!

Seriously, we suspect that you want to make this summer special. After all, this heralds a time of transition – of coming of age when our children quite naturally start moving away from the family and into the larger world to claim his or her own place in it. You want to give them a grand sendoff, an unforgettable journey that everyone will enjoy and remember. Many parents opt for a journey for the entire family. Here are a few sustainable tourism destination ideas for you and your grad.

Racing Formula Challenge
New Zealand
The city of Taupo on New Zealand’s North Island offer a rich variety of activities, including tours via helicopter and 4×4 vehicle, fly fishing, golf at Wairakei or Kinloch International course, horseback riding, nature walks, kayak or boat trip to sacred Maori rock carvings, a visit to Orakei Korako Cave and Thermal Park, and a walk along spectacular nature trails to Huka Falls. But one of the most thrilling challenges is found at Taupo’s Motorsport Park, which has a state-of-the-art race track facility and hosts a driver formula challenge. The course is tailored to suit the complete novice or the experienced road car driver who wants a taste of what it is like to drive a Formula Challenge single-seat race car. Before you get behind the wheel, your Motorsport New Zealand qualified driving instructor will take you around the track to reinforce your earlier classroom tuition and familiarize you with the racetrack. No experience is required. Choose from a single-seat race car or Holden or Ford V8 race car. Our New Zealand Tours have adventures enough for the entire family.

Overnight in a Bedouin Camp
Jordan
Wadi Rum is home to several Bedouin tribes who live in scattered camps throughout the area. The main route to Wadi Rum branches east off the Desert Highway about five kilometers south of Quweira and 25 kilometers north of Aqaba. From there, the road extends about 35 kilometers through the desert to end at Rum. The village is home to several hundred Bedouins with their goat-hair tents and concrete houses, a school, and a few shops. It is also the headquarters of the famous Desert Patrol. The desert tribes, Huweitat and Mzanah, inhabiting Wadi Rum maintain the warm hospitality that characterizes genuine Arab culture. It is difficult to resist their friendly invitation to share mint tea or cardamom-flavored coffee in their black tents. Overnight Bedouin Camp in a deluxe, nicely decorated tent with private bathroom. There is another bigger tent that serves as the dining room. Enjoy the hospitality of the Bedouins as you sit by the fire under a starry desert sky and watch traditional Arabian entertainment. Explore Jordan – A journey back in time.

In the company of Orangutans
Indonesia
For animal lovers and would-be zoologists, Tanjung Putting National Park is famous for orangutan conservation. It is also home to four research centers such as Camp Leakey, which serves as a rehabilitation center for orphaned orangutans. Camp Leakey, established in 1971 by Dr. Biruté Galdikas, was named after the legendary anthropologist, Louis Leakey. Here, the young orangutans are taught to fend for themselves in the jungle. Your family will trek along jungle trails, learning about the legendary orangutans. During our Indonesia in Depth, you also explore Indonesia, a country of more than 17,000 islands that encompass a world of cultures, pristine islands, unique and rare wildlife, and adventure activities from exploring cave systems to spectacular diving.

Kayaking
Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
These fabled islands offer great opportunities for families to explore the unique ecosystems together. You can explore the bay off lovely Garrapatero Beach by sea kayak, spotting marine iguanas, blue footed boobies diving into the depths and countless shore birds. There is also an extensive mangrove system and a fresh water lagoon often inhabited by pink flamingos and Bahama ducks. There are a host of other water-based activities that encompass snorkeling with sea lions or shallow waters full of harmless white-tipped reef sharks. You will find more adventures await in our Precious Journeys The Galapagos Islands: Of Fish & Fishermen

Fly Camping
Botswana
In the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans are the legacy of a great lake, larger than Lake Victoria, which once covered most of Southern Botswana about two million years ago.  Vast shallow white pans create an extraordinary landscape. Jack’s Camp is an authentic evocation of a classic 1940’s safari camp on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Pans.  This stylish camp offers a classic safari experience with a holistic understanding of Botswana’s wildlife, geology, geography and its people, both past and present.  In the dry winter months all-purpose ATV vehicles (quad-bikes) are available, allowing guests to visit the saltpans. For those who want to get back to basics and really get to know the African bush, the camp can arrange a five-day fly camp option to Kubu Island (weather permitting) with quad bikes for parties with at least four guests. You gain a unique appreciation of the Kalahari and an insight into the traditions and culture of the nomadic Bushmen. Discover a different Africa in our  Zambia & Botswana: Uncharted Footsteps.