It’s just one of several new initiatives to reinvigorate Jordan’s flagging travel industry. The kingdom’s 15 dinar ($21) departure tax will also be waived for all flights from Aqaba and Amman, on condition that visitors buy a ticket to touristic site and spend a minimum of three consecutive nights in Jordan. (Details about how this exemption works are unclear – this tax is now factored into overall airplane ticket fees). The Jordan Tourism Board expects these changes to be in place by September.

Royal Jordanian, the national airline carrier, has announced discounts for flights bought as part of a package, and hotels in Amman, Aqaba, and along the Dead Sea are offering promotional room rates to attract guests.

The decision will benefit people travelling via tour operators who spend a minimum of two consecutive nights in country. Travelers must still get an airport entry visa, but it will be free. The deal for independent travelers is not yet clear, but they must prove a longer stay in country (three consecutive nights) and show receipts for a “unified tourist site ticket”.

Jordan’s tourism industry has been pummeled by world perception of terrorism and war. Security concerns arising from conflict in neighboring Syria, Iraq, Israel and Gaza spill across the Levant, painting the entire region with the same jittery brush. The murder of the Jordanian pilot Muath Al-Kassasbeh by ISIS jihadists – while not on Jordanian soil – also did little to assuage travel fears. Both the US State Department and British Foreign Office appraise Jordan as safe for tourism, advising only against travel to the Syrian border. Common sense advice like “don’t play with fire”.

Educated consumers could engage in basic due diligence and verify that Aqaba isn’t Aleppo and Gadara (modern Um Qays) isn’t Gaza.  But given limited time and money for holiday-making, many are apparently opting to spend their vacation in places devoid of hyped safety threats – think Cyprus or Lanzarote – deferring visits to Jordan’s holy sites, nature reserves and eco-adventures until its neighbors settle down.

The Jordanian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities reported that the numbers of foreign overnight and same-day visitors to Jordan dropped from 8.2 million in 2010 (before the Arab Spring) to 5.3 million last year.  Visitors to the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Petra have halved since 2010. The impact is felt across the kingdom’s economy.

Nayef Al-Fayez, Jordan’s minister of tourism and antiquities, said that the measures aimed to “encourage travelers to add Jordan to their next itinerary” and would help to promote the country as an accessible, safe, and inviting destination.”

Will this pull more visitors into the kingdom?  Those that do come are mostly motivated by the natural and cultural beauty. Many more travel here for the same reasons that keep recreational tourists away (aid agencies, NGO workers, media, diplomatic corps).  There is also a rigorous influx of medical tourists, and of course refugees.

I’m starting my fifth year in Jordan.  It’s beautiful.  It’s safe.  Come visit.

Images of Dead Sea, Jerash, Wadi Rum, Petra, and Aqaba’s Red Sea coral from Shutterstock.

The post If Jordan waives visa fees, will tourists come? appeared first on Green Prophet.

Most people blow past Wadi Rum in the race to Aqaba’s beaches or Petra’s ruins.  Got seventy bucks and a night to spare?  Hop off the Desert Highway for eye-popping scenery and a dose of ancient quietude.

The valley stretches to the Saudi border, cutting through sandstone and granite peaks, creating distinct “red” and “white” deserts.  Wadi Rum lies about 30 miles north of Aqaba and 200 miles south of Amman.

Local Bedouin have developed eco-adventure tourism, now their main source of income. Visitors can hike the massive rock formations. There are camel and horse safaris.  But most come to quietly absorb the scenery and observe an unobstructed night sky.

The valley’s been protected since 1998 and gained UNESCO world heritage status in 2011.  Working with the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, local people are pioneering ways to safeguard sensitive habitat while increasing tourism. (Check out a summary of the valley’s environmental challenges here.)

A single road from the Desert Highway leads to the visitors’ center where you pay for admission and in-village parking (about $28 for a car of four). Drive into Rum village to meet your camp’s driver at the main car park.

Special guides can be arranged. Suliman (below) was incredibly generous with stories about the area, it’s people, and his own life in Rum. We’ll be back to see things through his eyes on our next extended visit.

Many camps offer the “Bedouin experience”, TripAdvisor  and Lonely Planet make comparisons simple. Fees include roundtrip transit in an open air 4×4, accommodation, a delicious supper of rice, hummus and “zarb” (meat and vegetables cooked in a large underground pit), and a simple breakfast. Vegetarian options can be arranged.

We’ve stayed in a few, and Mohammad Mutlak Camp is my current favorite: owners Saleh and Salim Zalabih charge about $42 a person per night, all inclusive.

This camp is intimate.  Fifteen compact cabins (each sleeps 2) are wrapped in classic black and white goathair and elevated, allowing air to circulate and keeping interiors sand-free.

The camp is tucked against a low rock outcropping. Soaring red dunes serve as sunset viewing stands.

The sinking sun revises the scenery.  Temperature and wind directions change. Colors transform and shadows lengthen across rock formations and windblown dunes.  Zoom back to where you’re sitting, spot tiny beetle tracks in sugar-fine sand. Sensory bombardment in a place with no television, internet or cell phone coverage.

This camp provides a few benches for kick-back viewing, fueled by eternal cups of sweetened sage tea.

Something’s happening everywhere, you don’t know where to look.

Are there names for these colors?

The sunset’s solemnity conjures up ritual.  Couples perch on flat rocks with bottles of wine.  Teenage girls climb high to a cave, toasting the sun with cans of ice tea. After a few snaps, cameras are forgotten. Everyone quietly watches the sky.

When the natural lights go out, there’s dinner intermission. A tower of zarb appears from an underground oven, everyone congregates in a central tent to dine.

Then out to a campfire encircled by cushions for singing and oud-playing, dancing and jokes.

The constellations appear. The sky’s alive with shooting stars, and as eyes adjust to darkness, layer on layer of faint twinklers can be picked out.

Plan your visit based on the lunar calendar. Camping’s excellent anytime, but for optimal star viewing, best to book near a new moon.

The cold night air ensures excellent sleep.  Our singing hosts rouse everyone for breakfast. Some campers opt for an extended stay and additional activities.  We’re back on the road.

The bumpy drive back to Rum takes about thirty minutes, and beats any Coney Island amusement ride. See the terrain from a new perspective, spot a natural pyramid in the distance.  Did it give a pharaoh ideas?

Color values change in morning mist, far off peaks look surreal.  Mountain or mirage, it’s a tough call.

There’s a lost sense of human scale until Rum village reappears.

Remarkable desert gardens and colorful details transform simple concrete buildings.

Manager Salem asks how his camp could be improved.  Some half-baked suggestions of a hot-tub, beer garden, desert masseuse – but the beauty of this place is in the absence of urban relaxations and the reminder of nature’s rejuvenative power.  Mohammad Mutlak Camp is perfect as is.

This tiny toddler has it right – thumbs up to Wadi Rum.

The post Jordan’s Wadi Rum in Pictures, a Green Prophet Journey appeared first on Green Prophet.

Highlights of the Atatürk Arboretum

Many of the arboretum’s most exotic species are located on the “lake trail”, which takes about 90 minutes to hike.

The trail passes through groves of Giant Sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum), Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens), Ginkgos (Ginkgo biloba), Western Red Cedars (Thuja plicata), Chinese Parasol Trees (Firmana simlex), Hungarian Oaks (Quercus frainetto), Silver Maples (Acer saccharinum), the endangered Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia  glyptostroboides), and, perhaps most unusually, swamp-dwelling Bald Cypresses (Taxodium distichum).

Native to the southern United States, Bald Cypresses can live to be more than 1,000 years old, and are remarkable for their elaborate, intertwining, underwater root systems.

The arboretum also boasts flowers you likely can’t find anywhere else in the area, such as Bieberstein’s crocus (Crocus speciosus) and bird of paradise flowers (Strelitzia speciosus). There are also a variety of edible berry and nut trees, including  the Oriental Beech (Fagus orientalis), an endemic Turkish sweetgum tree (Liquidambar orientalis) and strawberry trees (Arbutus unedo).

The Atatürk Arboretum was an expansion of the first nursery ever founded in Turkey, in 1916, and some of the first trees planted in that nursery still remain today: the Atlas Cedar  (Cedrus atlantica), Black pine (Pinus nigra) and Plain Elm (Ulmus minor). 

Background on the Belgrade Forest

The rest of the Belgrade Forest, which can be accessed via trails from the Atatürk Arboretum, extends over an additional 5,000 hectares, and contains mostly deciduous oak trees interspersed with recreational areas and historical monuments.

In Ottoman times, royalty used the forest as a hunting ground and water supply. Visitors to the forest are likely to stumble upon one of 7 impressive dams that were built by the Ottomans 500 years ago. The dams are still used to supply 25 million cubic meters of water to Istanbul each year.

Although water storage is still the primary use of the forest, it is now a popular recreational area for picnickers, hikers, runners, and cyclists. The forest is also the living laboratory for research carried out by the Forestry Department at Istanbul University.

How to visit

The arboretum is free to the public on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but interested visitors can also arrange guided tours through companies such as Fest Travel.

A knowledgeable guide can make a visit to the arboretum far more rewarding. Necmi Aksoy, Associate Professor of Forestry at Duzce University, has spent much of his career researching the flora,  rare and endemic plants in the Belgrade Forest, the Atatürk Arboretum and Istanbul.

“Atatürk Arboretum and the Belgrade Forest are the most popular and important nature areas of Istanbul, in terms of nature education,” says Aksoy.

“You can see people bird-watching with binoculars during the spring and autumn migrations, or local people collecting edible mushrooms and herbs to make traditional food.”

Read more about nature conservation in Turkey:
Star Wars Fairy Chimneys Threatened By Power Plants and Discos!
Hydroelectric Dam Threatens “Ecological Massacre” In Turkey
In Remotest Anatolia, Lone NGO Speaks Up On Nature’s Behalf

Images by Julia Harte

The post Istanbul’s Natural Oases: The Atatürk Arboretum and Belgrade Forest appeared first on Green Prophet.

Think Wem Wenders meets Knots Landing at this natural cliff top resort on Koh Samui, Thailand. 

As I get older and find myself with the itch to get away, I am turning more and more to all inclusive holidays, especially the last minute deal sites to help me find a cheap, and simple holidays not far from home. But once and a while I like to journey a little longer, a little farther. To take my laptop and family on the road and travel for a month or more to laid back destinations – places where it’s not hard to find the sun, good food, and affordable and ecological minded hotels. While eco is definitely on my mind, it’s not the defining factor in where I stay. But when I travel to places like Thailand, I like a little bit of pampering. Because Thailand is the place to go to get knee deep in nature, and get spoiled at the same time on a reasonable budget. This past February I travelled to Koh Samui, an island in Thailand.

About halfway through our journey we found the Baan Hin Sai Resort and Spa. Easy to reach from one of the east island’s beaches, Chewang and Lamai, this place is a sea and nature lover’s dream.

While the island of Samui is expanding at a rapid rate, faster than rooms are filling up due to limited flights in, this particular resort was built with nature in mind. Builders and architects were probably scratching their heads on how to work around all the natural black boulders covered in lush greenery. And the trees that weren’t to be cut down by order of thr owner. In the arrangement of buildings, you’ll see the seemingly haphazardness of nature.

A breathy walk from the top reception down to the sea, electric golf carts are at your beck and call should you need assistance and no more exercise for the day.

The Baan Hin Sai is a little bit of an alternative to the debauchery over on Koh Samui’s Lamai and Chewang beaches. Comfortably away from the ruckus (but close enough to visit when you want company), the hotel offers reasonable rates for a very good standard of luxury. If you book, try to score one of the bungalows down close to the beach so you can watch and smell the water smashing onto the rocks below.

While there are no green hotel standards bodies to certify who is ecological or not on Samui, the 11-year-old Baan Hin Sai gets some green creds for going out of the way to set its own green standards. Meeting with the manager, I learned this:

The resort composts food and gardening waste.
They decidedly use no chemicals or sprays in the garden.
Wild vegetation and trees are part of the charm and they try as little as possible to cut them –– you’ll see a much different story at the beach resorts closer to the popular beaches. All existing trees and plants were clearcut to make way for large buildings.
Baan Hin Said has installed septic tanks so sewage doesn’t run into the sea. That’s considered exceptional for the island.

While some of these points might seem basic for westerners, these are big steps for Thai hotel operators.

Baan Hin Sai caters to a middle class crowd, and likely the upper middle class who book the view to the sea rooms at the bottom of the resort with the million dollar views.

I was a bit confused by the artificial concrete beach deck down below. It reminded me of scene from a Wem Wenders black and white film. But I am not holding it against them. I don’t mind seeing chinks in the armour of places where I stay.

Stay there if you want to get lost in green and the dreamy sea.

They also have a gorgeous spa seaside where natural waves waft with the smell of orchids. Divine pleasure.

::Baan Hin Sai

The post Holiday on Samui’s Rocky Shores at Baan Hin Sai appeared first on Green Prophet.

Like other Middle Eastern countries, Israel continuously suffers from a chronic water shortage, which is most often seen in the water level in it’s historic water supplier, the Kinneret or Sea of Galilee. But due to above average rainfall this past winter (the Sea rose 2 meters!), Israel’s green areas, including the Galilee region and Golan Heights, are decked out in Mother Nature’s annual spring greenery and floral displays.

This lush beauty was revealed to us during a day long spring foliage tour to these areas this week.

Ancient Katzrin Ruins: synagogue is in the rear

We began our tour by traveling through Wadi Ara, passing communities like Umm al Fahm, continuing into the Lower Galilee through some of Israel’s lushest agricultural regions, and past  588 meter high Mt.Tabor , which is often used as a “launch pad” by paragliding enthusiasts.

Upon reaching the Sea of Galilee, we were happy to see how high the lake had risen; former green areas and “islands” had again disappeared under the rising waters. We began our ascent onto the Golan Heights at the northeast end of the lake and continued on highway 87 toward what was to be our first stop on the Heights, the ancient archeological site of Katzrin which is now a regional park. The archeological excavations reveal an ancient settlement of Jewish scholars who lived there from the 4th to 7th centuries CE and whose inhabitants’ lifestyles have been recreated for park visitors.

Katzrin synagogue, from within

These include a house with furnishings, kitchen utensils and food storage, wine and olive presses, and a partial restoration of the community’s synagogue which also served as the community’s educational and social center.

Ancient Katzrin was inhabited by this community for 300 years and  the inhabitants are said to have contributed to the compilation of the Talmud, the commentaries on Jewish Law that instructs Jews not only on how to observe their faith but which occupations to be involved in as well.

Golan cherry trees in full bloom

We continued our journey through some of the Golan Heights’ pastoral regions where numerous herds of cattle could be seen as well as vineyards and orchards of fruit trees, whose pink and white flowers added a lovely touch to an already picturesque landscape.

Off in the distance, Israel’s highest mountain, 2,814 meter high Mt. Hermoncould be clearly seen, complete with remaining snow. Mt. Hermon, which is “shared” by both Israel and Syria, is actually a series of peaks of which the highest in Israel’s section reaches a height of 2,236 meters. As we neared Mt. Hermon, we passed numerous orchards owned by local Druze inhabitants, and stopped for lunch in the Druze town of Mas’ade.

Mt. Hermon view from Druze village of Mas’ade.  Some snow is still visible

The Druze (read about Gamila and her soap)rely mainly on agriculture for their livelihood; but due to the growing number of restaurants and other business that have signs posted in at least three languages, Golan Druze appear to be interested in  making money from outsiders. These include foreign tourists, Israeli day trippers and UN personnel.

The largest Golan Druze community, Majdal Shams, while continuing to attest their loyalty to the government of Syria, are interested making a Shekel off Israelis and other visitors. The town has a number of hotels and pensions, including the three star boutique hotel The Narkis that offers free Wi-Fi hookups,  LCD cable TVs and even Jacuzzis.

The town also has a number of medical and dental clinics which appear interested in serving visitors as well. The road leading into Majdal Shams is now literally abloom with fruit tree blossoms, especially cherry and apple trees. And one cannot visit Majdal Shams without seeing the famous monument to its folk hero, Sultan al-Atrash, who led the Syrian rebellion against the French in 1925.

Majdal Shams monument to Druze folk hero Sultan El al-Atrash

Our last stop was the impressive Sa’ar Stream waterfall, located just east of the Banias nature park. The waterfall attracts visitors year round and Local Druze farmers take advantage of this beauty spot by offering local produce and Druze culinary specialties in a number of stands outside the entrance to the waterfall observation site.

Those more adventurous can descend a steep pathway to the bottom of the falls located in a narrow gorge some 200 meters below. The Sa’ar Stream is one of the tributaries of  the Jordan River and most of its water comes from springs and melting snow on Mt. Hermon.

Druze local produce for sale at Sa’ar Stream waterfall

After leaving the Golan we passed through the entrance to the Hulah Valley, through which run other Jordan River tributaries, including the Dan and Snir streams. The Hulah Valley runs parallel to the entire length of the Galilee “panhandle” and  is Israel’s major migratory bird flyway, through which thousands of migratory birds including ducks, pelicans and storks pass annually.

While these areas are still green a visit to them is well recommended before they change color to gold and brown during the hot and dry summer months.

Read more about natural wonders in the Galilee and Golan Heights:

Sea of Galilee Rises Two Meters, But Still Runs Short of Water
Multimatrix Invests Millions in Israel’s Small wind Market
Enjoy Ecological Activities in Israel During Passover
The Hula Valley Gets Stocked as Birds Prepare for “Pelican Restaurant”

The post How to Road Trip in the Galilee and Golan Heights in the Spring appeared first on Green Prophet.

We travelled to Zazen Boutique Resort on Koh Samui, Thailand and were pleasantly surprised at their pioneering eco initiatives on an island without much awareness.

I just read a New York Times article: Billionaire, If Only for a Day, where a middle class writer slipped on the shoes, and lifestyle of the very rich for 24 hours. I am a middle class writer who not long ago had the chance to tour some luxurious hotels in Koh Samui, Thailand as a guest and I felt some parallels in the experiences of the NY Times writer.

On the hunt for sustainable initiatives to share with other eco-conscious travelers, I hit the Internet and Googled for “green hotels in Thailand” and came across Zazen on Koh Samui, a boutique hotel that was not only happy to announce its involvement in a local green council, but advertised other local hotels that were a part of the initiative. After some emails and an invitation, I was lucky to be for two nights at Zazen, on the northeast side of Samui Island, a good distance above the crazy beach parties.

Affordable luxury, if only for a couple of nights, is not hard to find on Samui Island; but what made me want to stay at Zazen is the management’s interest and early beginnings at environmental awareness and action.

I am not sure if billionaires stay there regularly, but millionaires for sure.  At a few hundred dollars a night, it’s very expensive for Thailand. And Thailand is certainly not lacking luxury. It is the destination to get spoiled, if that’s what you are looking for.

The hotel started out as did many of the hotels on the island, as simple wooden beach huts built by the locals. A charming francophone Swiss man who looks like he’s from a Hemingway novel married into the family, and along with his Thai wife they transformed the family huts into a 5-star resort with all the local and European trimmings.

A cabin facing the beach. 

The boutique hotel, which sits on the beach and inland, has only 26 cabins, and several staff assigned to service each one. Walk in and you’ll feel like you’ve arrived. But the best part of your day at Zazen might be the night as the pillows define heaven: I simply have not laid my head on anything quite like them before, and since.

Like in the NY Times piece, the upper class or at least the upper middle class who travel to Zazen, can expect a parade of service staff to treat you, from the second you enter the parking lot where you are greeted with smiles, down to the daily newspaper and weather reports placed on your bed, which is turned down for you before you go to sleep.

Me, my baby and our friend Nok.

It’s as though the staff at Zazen are able to read your mind, but after a few hours you’ll notice the entourage equipped with walkie talkies, keeping track of guests so your room will be ready, morning, noon and night, without any embarrassing overlap of cleaning staff. Some people might find the attention a bit unnerving if you like privacy, but as I am used to staying at hotels in the Middle East where the service is much inferior to the Far East, I welcomed the chance to experience what the good life offered.

Some of the basics at Zazen can be found in many hotels in Thailand: the use of refillable ceramic dispensers for shampoo and shower soaps. I love that approach over small packages of stuff. There is also the use of local fabrics, materials and artisans, in the building structures themselves and in the décor. They provide beach bags for taking out of the hotel, as well as bathrobes, slippers, flip flops, and umbrellas should it rain.

Local foods and jams prepared with love, and an expert chef, will meet you at your meals.

Zazen is a specialist at catering to small, intimate weddings, which without all the excess of hundreds of guests you don’t know, would certainly fulfill the criteria for a green wedding in my eyes, except for the carbon footprint of flying into the island.

But when you go behind the scenes, as I did, and see the underbelly of Zazen from an employee’s point of view, you’ll appreciate Zazen, and I don’t think they boast enough about this on their website.

Maria who was a day manager at the time I was there in February, took me through the kitchen and showed me where the staff separate wet waste into compostable piles, sent to special areas in landfill sites on the island. While this might seem generations behind city restaurants like in Toronto, it is light years ahead for Thailand where little environmental awareness and practice (in the western sense) exists.

Recyclable materials sorted in bins waiting for pick up

She then took me to the staff quarters, past their canteen where all kinds of waste items were sorted for pickup (above), from cardboard to plastics, and glass which are shipped out to public bins in Thailand, which can be used voluntarily. Education of the staff on how to separate the waste, and on how use the bins, has been part of their activities at Zazen, and no doubt the effects will pass on to locals living in nearby communities.

While not done at the expense of a guest (that’s up to the individual I suppose on how to use and conserve energy), there are a number of unique energy saving tactics Zazen management is using with their staff:

Air conditioning is very expensive, so instead of turning it on at 8 am when the staff arrives in the cooler mornings, it is programmed to turn on at 9. It goes off again at lunch, and before the administration leaves at night saving 4.5 hours a day of air con power. Smart!

The water at the beach

Other points worth noting, is the use of EM Balls to clean the local river which can turn into stinking and stagnant water in the holiday times before the rains. Not able to control the pollution that runs into the river upstream, downstream before it hits the sea, Zazen uses these biological and natural aids, that cost about 1 baht a ball, to rehabilitate their end of the river.

They’ve also hosted beach cleanup days and have had their staff and some guests trek down to Chewang Beach to do some much-needed cleanup of bottles and trash.

Guests stay an average of 7 to 10 days at Zazen, with the hotel’s busiest time being December and January when Europeans and northern hemisphere people need a warm escape. Clientele look interesting – and this is just in my imagination – they are everything from well-to-do industrialists, to oil barons from Russia to nouveau riche and young high-tech entrepreneurs.

A beach bag at Zazen is fun for my daughter Oryan

And if you’re passing by Zazen on the beach and can’t find room at the inn to fit your budget, the 800 baht breakfast will be the best bucks you’ll spend in Thailand. But if you can, if only for two nights, stay at Zazen for a little bit of luxury and to meet management with a growing ecological awareness for this Thai island paradise.

In Zen Buddhism zazen means seated meditation. Grab a beach chair, and a Zazen fruit juice and practice what they preach.

::Zazen Boutique Resort & Spa website

The post Zazen for Feeling Some Eco-Zen-Chic on Samui Island, Thailand appeared first on Green Prophet.

In an attempt to maintain Israel’s forests and prevent forest fires in the future, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael and the Jewish National Fund enlist tourists to become “Foresters for a Day.”

About a year ago, the Carmel forest in northern Israel suffered the worst fire in the nation’s modern history and 5,000 hectares of forest land were destroyed.  Several Jewish organizations around the world have made efforts to rehabilitate the damaged forest (despite the theories of some ecologists that replanting too soon could disturb the forest’s natural healing process).  Joining their efforts now is the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) with a “Forester for a Day” program that will educate eco-tourists about the fire and take steps to prevent forest fires in the future.

During the 2-3 hour program, volunteers work alongside KKL-JNF foresters to take preventative measures against future fires such as clearing underbrush, pruning trees, and preparing fire breaks and forest paths.

Available Sunday through Friday during daylight hours, the “Forester for a Day” program is intended for groups and the group size can vary between 15-150 people.  As it wishes to appeal to a variety of eco-tourists, the program is available in English, French, German and Spanish.

The cost of the program is low (only $18), and after their volunteer work the honorary foresters receive Certificates of Appreciation from the KKL-JNF (in addition to a KKL-JNF hat and pin).

:: Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund

Read more about the Carmel forest fire in Israel:
Worst Fire in Israel’s Modern History Continues to Rage Out of Control
Jewish World to Rehabilitate Damaged Carmel Forest
After the Fire: Israel’s Carmel Forest Doesn’t Need Our Help

The post Eco-Tourists to Israel Can Now Be a “Forester For a Day” appeared first on Green Prophet.

Ancient Babylonia is now modern day Iraq

Fadhil Al-Saaegh, of Al-Rafidian Travel, says that his country has much to offer, including numerous historical sites, waterfalls (in northern Iraq) and great Islamic architecture (what hasn’t been destroyed by the 2003 invasion and almost constant warfare afterwards).

True, some of the world’s greatest civilizations had their origins in Iraq, including the Babylonians and Chaldeans, as well as the Assyrians.

Iraq’s southern city of Basra is also the location of the Ancient Sumarian city of Ur, where the Hebrew Patriarch Abraham, the father of both the Jewish and Muslim religions, embraced monotheism over belief in a number of deities.  Babylon’s hanging gardens was one of the Seven Wonders of  the Ancient World.

But despite the country’s rich archeological heritage, and various natural beauty spots, it might to wise to heed government travel advisories, until conditions begin to stabilize there – if and when this finally happens.

Libyan historical sites face uncertain future

As for Libya, the overthrow and elimination of Muamar Gaddafi’s 42 year reign there has left the country in a state of gross uncertainty.

True, it wasn’t an easy place to visit even during Gaddafi’s rule; but at least there was a measure of stability. It was possible to visit Roman, Greece and Phoenician archeological sites in places like Sabratha, Leptus Macna (both near Tripoli) and Appolonia, east of Benghazi. It was also possible to journey into Libya’s vast desert heartland to see ancient “rock art” paintings, some dating back to prehistoric times. Now these sites, as well as  Libya’s environmental projects such as the Great Man Made River and desert pivot irrigation circular farms, face a very uncertain future.

With all these factors in mind, it might be better to look for more serene places to visit if one has plans to have a holiday in this part of the world.

Read more on Middle Eastern  tourism sites:

Five Star Eco-Tourism in the Cool but Hot Middle East

UK Hiking Holiday Specialist Heads for Lebanon

Will Libyan Unrest Trash Their Historical Sites?

A Quick Guide to Traveling by Bike in the Middle East

Images via Iraqimages.com

The post Iraq and Libya For Eco-Seeking Bravehearts appeared first on Green Prophet.

If the thought of walking around a bustling city doesn’t feel like eco-tourism to you, maybe it’s time to think again and implement ‘The Art of Mindful Walking’.

The term ecotourism often conjures images of mud brick eco lodges in the desert or visiting rare endangered plants on a nature reserve, but it can and should be broadened to include enjoying less than natural sites with more eco-friendly forms of tourism (such as walking and biking).  As far as carbon footprints go, it may even be more eco-friendly to stay put in whatever city or town you’re already in and taking in the sites without the aid of fossil fuels rather than hopping on a highly polluting airplane to visit the aforementioned plants and eco lodges.  If you’re unconvinced of the poetry of walking a city’s streets, though, take a cue from Londoner Adam Ford’s ‘The Art of Mindful Walking’.

“The pavements can be hard and tiring,” Ford says, “but walking in a city has more to offer than we imagine.  The city is not all streets and pavements; there are parks and public gardens, river walks and canal banks.”

“The richness and variety of experiences per mile in a city can challenge even the most beautiful walk through countryside; and the density of bird life, flowers and trees is a continual surprise.”

Middle Eastern cities may be taking notice of the advantages of this most ancient form of eco-tourism.  There is already a tourism company in Beirut devoted to walking tours, and various areas of Israel offer walking tours as well.

Yet there are other parts of the region that have some catching up to do.  Amman is a notoriously miserable city to walk, with a serious lack of functional sidewalks and a general feeling of chaos.  In the United Arab Emirates there is the reverse problem.  The streets may have comfortable sidewalks, but the Emirati prefer their convenient cars and so only 4% of people living in the UAE walk on a weekly basis.

Ford insists, however, that our cities are the best place to enjoy a good walk and that, conversely, cities are best enjoyed through walking.  “For many people,” he says, “the thought never seems to occur that the city is a great place for walking. They imagine that you have to get out of the city, away from the noise, the traffic and the fumes and head for the countryside where birds sing and brooks sparkle. They could not be more wrong.”

: The Ecologist

Read more about walking in the Middle East::
BeBeirut Offers Eco-Friendly Tours in Lebanon’s Capital
A Miserable Walk Through Amman
Only 1 in 25 Emiratis Use Their Legs to Walk
Take an Eco-Friendly Tour with Israel Travel Company

Image via: DavidSpinks

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HooHa Cyclists’ House in northern Israel gives traveling cyclists a bike-oriented place to stay.

Eco tourism has been spreading all over the Middle East, with more and more professionals in the hospitality industry becoming aware of the demand for more sustainable travel.  Generally eco touristic options involve sustainable facilities, seeing wildlife, or staying at accommodations situated in a remote natural location (such as a nature reserve).  But sometimes eco tourism destinations mean that they encourage greener forms of transportation, such as cycling.  Such is the case with HooHa Cyclists’ House in northern Israel, a hotel that specializes in catering to bikers.

Situated in Kfar Tavor, a picturesque village surrounded by beautiful landscapes, HooHa is in the center of an ideal area for undertaking some cycling outings.

HooHa really takes the needs of cyclists into consideration, and offers a variety of services that is unique.  This is probably due to the fact that Hadas and Dror, the founders of the hotel, are avid cyclists themselves who personally pedaled over 2500 kilometers together in New Zealand.

Starting from the morning buffet (which is stocked with a special early breakfast for cyclists), the services also include special massages given by a professional team, a bike shed, road and off-road bikes for rental, and transport to and from course starting and end points.

The hotel offers a variety of biking/accommodation packages, based on how much cycling a guest wishes to do.

::HooHa Cyclists’ House

Read more about cycling in Israel::
Israel Becomes a Nation of Pedalers (Cycling Freaks)
On Cycling and Two-Wheeler Tourism in Israel, from EcoBike’s Tomer Zaksenberg
Cycling for Peace as Israeli Arabs, Jews and Bedouins Kids Get Free Bikes and Clubs

Image via: leah jones

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