The Icelandic volcano has both environmental and economic effects. Some Middle East passengers are stranded in Europe and wonder if it’s time to think about less polluting modes of travel. By ship? As a massive volcanic ash cloud hovers over most of Europe, Gulf-based airlines are increasingly concerned over the potential effects the Icelandic volcano […]
The scenic countryside in Hail, Saudi Arabia to become part of the largest eco-park in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia is probably not on your list of dream vacation spots – especially if you’re a woman traveller, or want to work on your tan, or get back to nature. However, seeking to boost its tourist […]
Tareq Emtairah built this eco-house to prove that energy efficient buildings aren’t always prohibitively expensive. Jordan’s Prince Hassan does not shoulder his environmental concerns alone, nor is the Red-Dead canal project the singular answer to Jordan’s worries. In 2005, Tareq Emtairah, a consultant with the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics at Lund University in […]
Want to tour Israel, Palestine and Jordan in the ultimate eco trip? [image via: Marcelo Ruiz] Now that the spring holidays are mostly behind us, you may be looking ahead to plan your winter holiday. If you’re an eco tourist, interested in becoming an eco tourist, a fan of cross cultural activity or just a […]
The Siwa Oasis is becoming a hot eco-tourism spot in Egypt, away from the glam of 5 star hotels. Alexander the Great loved the spot. While high-end, luxury travel continues to suffer somewhat, not all segments of Egypt’s tourism sector are declining. Eco-friendly destinations are continuing to burgeon. On the Red Sea coast are dozens […]
[image via: robert_hornung] Sharm el-Sheikh, in the Sinai region of Egypt, has been a thriving tourist location for decades due to its incredible beaches and vast coral reefs. Its great attraction to tourists has also been its downfall, however. The reefs are currently under threat due to the dust caused by erosion. With tourism accounting […]
From a heritage building in the historic region of Cappadocia, Turkey, this hotel works with local crafts and craftsmen. It is important to apply eco-friendly labeling carefully. This is especially true of the tourism industry that is often guilty of green-washing potential patrons to lure them to their site. We have written about eco-lodges such […]
Looking out the hotel window to the streets of Madaba, Jordan. As the average tourist I received my first impression of Jordan with glimpses through the car window. I passed the border from Israel to Jordan through the northern border at Beit Shean. The experience was very different from what I am used to: the […]
I am one of those people who has set up her life to spend as little of it as possible commuting. I grew up with a father who commuted two hours a day traveling to the car plant in Oshawa, Ontario, leaving the family back home with two hours less of our father each day. […]
Going on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land doesn’t mean you have to stay in a stable. Catering to the rich and famous, including celebrities like Sharon Stone and Donna Karan, Mizpe Hayamim (“Lake View” in English) is Israel’s most luxurious hotel, spa and organic restaurant located on Mount Canaan between the mystical city of […]
There are plenty of eco tourism options all over the Middle East. With the vast range of habitats present in this relatively small region, it’s no wonder that eco tourism is gaining popularity in Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Iran and Israel. But volunteer tourism? That’s something new. GoEco, a volunteer organization established in 2005 […]
In past Green Prophet articles, we’ve visted Kibbutzes in Israel’s Negev region — ones involved in environmental and renewable energy projects. Negev’s Arava- Arabah in Arabic – region north of Eilat) we take you on a journey visiting 5 of them. While some of these are specializing in one type of project, like solar energy, others […]
If until now you worried about carbon offsets for your international flights, you may want to add baby crocodiles to the list of concerns. On Friday, a foot-long croc was found scurrying down the aisles of an EgyptAir flight from Abu Dhabi to Cairo. The Emirati paper The National reports that EgyptAir has claimed the […]
In a previous article dealing with eco tourism, Green Prophet o whet your desire to do some “eco-touring” of the Middle East, where there is a lot to see – both from a positive as well as a negative standpoint. Today we feature 7 ‘must-see’ locations from an eco-tourism point of view. So let’s put […]
Feynan Eco Lodge, one of several eco tourist destinations in Jordan, has been rated by National Geographic as one of the top 50 eco lodges in the world and one of the top 10 eco lodges located in deserts, jungles, mountains, and savannas. Part of the reason that National Geographic considers Feynan to be so […]