Guest Post

Travel has a way of bringing strangers into our lives, especially when we least expect them but at just the right time. During my travel journeys in the last few years, I met women who left an imprint on my heart and helped shift my perspective about a lot of things in life. These are women I had never expected to meet. 

They belong to the local community of the places I visited and I must say that they were all full of love and light. These women became storytellers, teachers and my travel companions in unexpected ways. Let me give you a glimpse of my encounters with some of these inspiring women on my travel journeys.

In a remote Himalayan village in Himachal Pradesh, I found myself sipping butter tea with an elderly woman who radiated warmth just like my grandmother did. She shared stories of her youth through gestures and laughter. Her freckles and fine lines reflected her experience and learning about life. Sitting with her, I learned that strength is about quiet endurance and that the best stories are often the ones that are told by the locals. She even invited me to her home the next time I visit the village. Isn’t her simplicity heart-warming? 

In 2021, I visited the Araku Tribal Museum in Andhra Pradesh and experienced a world that was so different from mine. Being a North Indian and belonging to a different culture, I knew I had lots to see and learn. When I reached the dance venue, I smiled at the women who were getting ready for the dance performance. I walked up to them and asked if I could take a picture with them. They agreed and invited me to join their dance performance. 

Their confidence and the intention to showcase their culture to the visitors was inspiring. Being a travel storyteller, I strongly believe that travel is an excellent medium to explore diverse cultures and showcase our own cultural heritage to others. 

In 2019, during the Pride Parade in Brighton, England, I met a group of young women who agreed to have a friendly arm wrestling game with me. They were jolly and fun to be with. At one point, I realized that the game was no more about winning or losing, but about all the smiles and cheerful conversations we had in the middle of the game. 

I don’t even know their names but all I have with me is their photograph and some incredible learnings for life! Winning is not always about making someone lose but it’s also about pushing yourself, celebrating your strength and having fun during the process.

In the Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh, I met a woman running a home along with her family. Her children helped her with organizing village tours and adventure activities in the mountains for their guests. She told me how she learned to open and operate a homestay with the help of young travellers who visited the village some time back. Inspired by their enthusiasm, she decided to run her own homestay.

She is a true example of defying societal norms and educating herself to build a wonderful life for not just herself but for the people around her. Her courage was contagious, reminding me that no dream is too big when pursued with determination.

Volunteering at RISE charity in Brighton, UK helped me connect with strong and determined women in the most profound ways. RISE, a charity dedicated to supporting those affected by domestic abuse, became a space where I witnessed the quiet strength of those rebuilding their lives and the unwavering dedication of those helping them do so. 

At first, I wondered how much of a difference I could make. But as I spent time working on community initiatives, fundraising events and awareness campaigns with other women, I realized that being one for a cause is all about showing up and offering whatever support is needed.

What struck me most was the sense of solidarity among volunteers and survivors alike. We came from different backgrounds, yet we were bound by a shared belief that everyone deserves safety and dignity. 

During the Jagannath Rath Yatra (the largest and oldest chariot festival in the world) in 2024 in the city of Puri in India, I met a woman selling vermilion. She had travelled to Puri to meet her Mahaprabhu, Lord Jagannath during the festival. While she was in Puri, she set up her small stall on the street to sell vermilion and make some living. According to her, it was the Lord who had called her to the city of Puri because he takes care of all his children.

Our brief chat turned into deep conversations about life, love and the struggles we face as women trying to carve our own paths. Even today, her words echo in my mind, reminding me that we need to look within before we look outside. 

I love animals, but since childhood, I used to feel that I might drop an animal or a pet if I held them in my hands. This was possibly because animals are quite squish. In 2021, when I visited Himachal Pradesh, I held a rabbit in my hands for the very first time in my life. I must admit that I was scared to hold it but it was fun, too. 

She told me that when we reach out to someone with love, be it a human or an animal, we often receive their warmth in return. This experience taught me to spread more love and light to the world around me, and interestingly, it has filled me with more love in everything I do. The more I give, the more I get!

These encounters during my travel journeys are beautiful lessons that I’ve learnt in life. They taught me resilience, kindness and the unspoken bond that exists between women worldwide. They reminded me that while I might travel solo, I am never truly alone. Women’s stories carry the wisdom of the world, whether shared in a chai shop in a remote village or shared over a cup of coffee in a sophisticated cafe.

Travel has given me many gifts, but the most profound has been these encounters with extraordinary women. Strangers who, for a moment or a lifetime, became guides, friends and reminders of the limitless strength within all of us. 

Have you met such women on your travel journeys? If not, I hope you meet them very soon! Until then, cheers to us!

About the author:

Deeksha Sharma is a travel enthusiast, a passionate writer and a storyteller who loves sharing local stories about conscious travel, communities and culture. She’s a senior storyteller and editorial co-lead at Postcard Travel Club, a global media company fostering a community of conscious travellers. She was also recently nominated for the Regenerative Travel Impact Awards – Storyteller of the Year 2024 by Regenerative Travel.

With her new book launched at the New Delhi World Book Fair in 2025 by the National Book Trust of India (Ministry of Education), Deeksha is helping shape the narrative around tourism’s role in cultural preservation and sustainable development. In her award-winning blog, Story Happens (earlier known as YouInVerse – youinverse.org) – she aims to bring underrepresented voices and traditions to mainstream audiences. In addition, she loves to practice mindfulness, read and write poems, go for long walks, especially in the evenings and enjoy sunsets.

Responsible tourists aim to travel with as little harm as possible. This could mean reducing harm to the environment, local communities, natural habitats, or all three while exploring our planet. As tourism is responsible for roughly 8% of the world’s carbon emissions, it’s important that all of us who possess a spirit of wanderlust make an effort to travel more eco-consciously. 

Here, we explore three easy ways you can protect the planet and support local communities while travelling. 

Being a responsible tourist doesn’t mean you have to stay in hostels and avoid luxurious hotels, but it does mean considering the eco credentials of the places you choose to stay at throughout your travels. Many hotels pride themselves on being environmentally friendly, implementing eco-friendly practices such as water conservation and waste reduction, which can significantly lower the carbon footprint of your visit. 

To take it a step further, why not look into volunteering programmes? Whether focused on building schools, reforestation projects or any other honourable efforts, these allow you to both protect the environment and give back to local communities whilst exploring new places. Some such programmes offer free accommodation as part of your stay, while for others you could look to book sustainable rooms from local family-run businesses rather than big chain hotels.

Many parts of the world rely on tourism as a key pillar of their economy, so refusing to travel to disadvantaged or developing areas does not help support them. Even if you’re travelling to a popular destination, be sure to look a little deeper and explore surrounding areas that could benefit from your custom – whether it’s visiting a market or shopping in local artisan stores, this all helps to support the local people. 

One of the easiest ways to support local communities on your travels is by eating like a native – opting for locally owned eateries or street food stalls rather than dining at international chain restaurants. With so many delicious authentic dishes to sample, and new connections with locals to be made, these experiences are often far more fulfilling than having the same old burger you could enjoy back home. 

When it comes to enjoying the natural beauty of the new destinations you travel to, the Leave No Trace principles reign supreme for responsible tourists. Especially in protected areas such as national parks, exploring new vistas responsibly helps to preserve the landscapes, habitats and ecosystems that you’ve come so far to admire. 

The Leave No Trace movement includes seven key principles to help travellers enjoy their adventures responsibly. Two that are particularly relevant when seeking ways to protect the environment and local communities are planning ahead and disposing of waste properly.

Planning ahead: Knowing the regulations and special concerns for the area you’ll visit enables you to respect the local environment and any communities that may live there. This also means planning your route to avoid trespassing on delicate or at-risk terrain and being prepared for any emergencies when exploring remote areas.

Disposing of waste properly: Ensuring you take all rubbish and food remnants away with you is key to preserving and protecting the natural environment and the wildlife that calls it home. Food scraps can encourage animals to interact with humans and put them at risk, so be sure to pack everything up before you leave.

By following these tips, you can continue to explore the wonders of the world while minimizing your impact on the environment and demonstrating your support for local communities. 

About the author:

With a passion for both travel and conservation, Halley seeks to educate and inspire others who share the same wanderlust. She enjoys volunteering in developing countries and aspires to help local communities build long-lasting businesses that can thrive with the advancements of eco-tourism. out CHN’s work.

Culinary tourism offers an authentic glimpse into the culture and customs of communities around the world. You’re almost certain to experience new flavours when dining at a farm-to-table restaurant and should expect to have your expectations tested when breaking bread with folks from a different culinary tradition. 

Engaging in authentic culinary tourism is particularly important today, as the globalization of the food industry has made it harder for small restaurants and traditional dishes to survive. There are now over 40,000 McDonald’s and nearly 45,000 Starbucks worldwide, as many folks now automatically opt for the familiarity of burgers and mass-produced coffee when travelling abroad. 

Fighting back against globalized dining can support local food cultures and increase economic independence for at-risk communities. This is crucial, as smaller farm-to-table restaurants are innately sustainable and have a dramatically lower carbon footprint than global brands. 

Globalization is a multi-faceted issue that divides opinions. On the one hand, globalization can usher in a new era of equity and end global hunger. This sentiment is echoed by the World Economic Forum, which posits that global trade can improve resilience and make trade more secure. The WEF points towards a reduction in poverty rates following periods of globalized growth and maintains that the rate of “undernourished” people fell by nearly 170 million from 2009 to 2017 thanks to global trade networks. 

However, globalization shouldn’t be seen as an innately fair or sustainable system. While globalized food markets may protect nations against invasion or famine, an overreliance on globalization may result in the end of authentic world cuisines, as globalization has a homogenizing impact on all aspects of the cultures it affects. 

Similarly, globalization isn’t necessarily sustainable. Foods sourced from overseas typically have a higher carbon cost and may dilute the authenticity of the dishes you experience during your travels. Overfarming in search of higher profits may reduce biodiversity and lead to the loss of natural resources. This is a serious issue in areas with low economic agency, where entire communities are at risk of being dominated by a few major corporations. This creates a mechanism of debt and exploitation that is explored succinctly in documentaries like Life and Debt. 

Ultimately, self-supporting communities are becoming increasingly important because they are more sustainable and environmentally friendly. They allow individuals to be economically independent, meaning they won’t fall prey to the exploitation that plagues large-scale agriculture. 

Supporting local cuisines can bolster the resilience of the community and increase food sovereignty.

As a tourist, you can do your part to combat globalization and support community groups by exploring local food cultures in the area.

As well as being more sustainable, any of these community-led organizations also serve an important social purpose, as farm-to-table restaurants like Beit Khayrat Souf are run entirely by women and aim to combat gender discrimination in the area.

Visiting areas like the Huchuy Qosco community and the Parwa Community Restaurant can support sustainable development and provide young people in the area with a pathway to success.

Community-oriented restaurants like Parwa reinvest their profits, too, meaning local people benefit from every dish served and sale made. 

Similarly, Safi Kitchen in Jordan provides an authentic dining experience for travellers while relying on community agriculture to create an experience that is profitable, environmentally sustainable, and helps rebuild economic independence in the area.

Culinary tourism is crucial for the future of sustainable dining and farm-to-table experiences. As a tourist, you can support efforts to preserve traditional dishes and increase food sovereignty by switching Big Macs for local cuisines that use produce from nearby farms and fields. This rebuffs the advance of globalization and ensures that everyone has equitable access to great food and gainful employment. 

About the author:

Ainsley Lawrence is a freelance writer who lives in the Northwest region of the United States. She has a particular interest in covering topics related to travel, sustainability, tech, and accessibility. When not writing, her free time is spent reading and researching to learn more about her cultural and environmental surroundings.

The thought of arriving at a final destination without your bags sends most travellers into a cold sweat. It’s simply undeniable that the stuff we travel with plays a critical role in shaping trip experiences. 

For this reason, intentionality is key when it comes to packing and storing your travel gear—regardless of whether you’re travelling across the globe or around the block. But what if this natural packing intentionality could go beyond having a smooth trip and serve to promote and preserve the world’s resources as well? 

Many travellers are looking for ways to do just that by supporting sustainable tourism initiatives such as: 

• Reducing environmental waste and damage 
• Promoting local economies 
• Preserving global cultures 

Let’s examine several practical ways eco-conscious travellers can prioritize responsible tourism by adopting sustainable habits while planning and packing for trips. (Looking for ideas on a sustainable family adventure? Click here)

Sustainable travel habits start long before you walk out the door on your journey. Consider what resources you use in your daily life and how they will be attended to while you’re away. For most, the focal point of our natural resource consumption revolves around our housing. Everything from water or electricity usage to food waste and transportation is linked to your place of residence, which is why it’s important to establish a plan for these things while you are away. 

For frequent travellers, consider selecting a home or residence tailored to your travel needs that keeps sustainability at the forefront. For instance, if you are choosing a place to live for remote work and travel, you should take into account the local transportation and entertainment options as well as your proximity to family and friends. Selecting a home near the things you prioritize will greatly reduce your environmental impact in fuel and transportation while also saving you time and money. 

If you are planning to travel less frequently, create a plan for repurposing your current home and resources while you are away. Consider having a friend or professional house sit or try renting out your space to a tenant. There are many simple home storage ideas, such as decluttering and utilizing vertical space, that can create more space in your home for a guest or renter. Repurposing your residence and its resources in this way will ensure they won’t be wasted or unused for long periods and can save you on maintenance costs. 

Packing for a trip is a largely personal undertaking. A great deal of personality and security is attached to the things we own and use—especially in a foreign environment—which makes packing for a trip a fairly intentional process. Luckily, this intentionality can be easily linked with several, simple sustainable habits that allow eco-conscious travellers to make a big difference in small ways while packing. 

For example, one practical habit is to resist the urge to purchase lots of new things for a trip. The reality is you will probably feel more comfortable and confident wearing and using items that you are familiar with than purchasing all new things, and reusing and repurposing goods is more sustainable for the environment. If there are items you need for an upcoming trip, consider purchasing durable, fair-trade goods from conscientious business brands. The Planeterra Partner Shop and others like it are great options for using your purchasing power to promote sustainability. 

Another eco-friendly packing habit is to avoid purchasing and using single-use items while travelling. Single-use goods like disposable razors, water bottles, utensils, wipes, and more result in unnecessary waste. Instead, consider packing zero-waste travel essentials such as reusable water bottles, soap bars, and snack bags. Though it may seem insignificant, these small choices can add to a tremendous reduction in global landfill waste.

Packing sustainably can be tricky when you’re trying to prepare for a variety of weather conditions. The more types of weather you’re prepping for, the more clothes and other items you’re going to be packing, which obliterates attempts at packing light. Additionally, if you want to support a cause such as Pack for a Purpose, you want to save space in your luggage for supplies that will benefit those in need. Weather worries and the resulting excess of caution don’t exactly leave extra philanthropic space.

Therefore, keep a careful eye on your destination’s forecast. Try to pack items suited to the predictions from sources such as The Weather Channel and Weather Underground. One great option is to pack a light windbreaker and wear your heavier coat with you on the plane. That way, you’ll be prepared for colder temperatures and rain without using a ton of luggage space. Or, you could pack a backpacking rain poncho, which hardly takes up any space. Additionally, wear a pair of waterproof, comfortable boots. Sandals will take up minimal space in your bag. 

For sunny weather, it’s best to buy sunscreen at your destination. Overall, remember that you can buy weather-specific supplies in most cities, and you could donate things like umbrellas and clothing instead of trying to tote them back home.  

Being mindful of your final destination and where you will stay is another valuable habit for sustainable travel. Planning and packing for a trip isn’t a one-size-fits-all process. Having a full picture of what you will be doing and where you will be staying, whether it’s with a host family, at a hotel, or a rental property, will help you prepare to use your travel resources to their fullest potential. 

Start by creating an accurate picture of the residence that best suits your needs and objectives while travelling. For example, if you are choosing a place to live for remote work, consider what you need to do your job, such as the internet or private workspace, and what timezone your working hours will be in. Or if you are choosing a place to stay to recreate and sight-see consider selecting a residence that is centrally located with good transportation to the places and things you wish to see. These types of lodging plans naturally support sustainability by eliminating unnecessary transport or purchases that would otherwise be needed to meet your trip objectives. 

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, be mindful of how where you will stay will impact those around you. Believing that sustainable tourism is only about protecting the environment is one myth of sustainable travel. While the environment should always be prioritized, sustainability in travel goes beyond this and also focuses on celebrating and supporting local cultures. In this way, whether you are working or playing, be intentional to spend your travel dollars and time within a community that is genuinely empowered and enriched by your visit. 

To conclude, the stuff that we pack and travel with matters when it comes to shaping overall trip experiences. For this reason, travellers tend to prioritize intentionality in their packing. This is why eco-conscious travellers who want to support sustainable tourism have a great opportunity to adopt more sustainable habits in their trip planning and packing processes. 

Simple sustainable travel habits like being mindful to repurpose current resources, reduce waste in packing, and accurately plan to meet your trip needs and objectives will help save the world’s resources and better support local communities. So next time, you’re ready to see a new piece of the world, remember to plan and pack with sustainability in mind. 

About the author:

Ainsley Lawrence is a freelance writer who lives in the Northwest region of the United States. She has a particular interest in covering topics related to travel, sustainability, tech, and accessibility. When not writing, her free time is spent reading and researching to learn more about her cultural and environmental surroundings.

Just a short two-hour drive from the well-known Uyuni town, you’ll find the peaceful village of Santiago de Agencha. It’s a place where time seems to slow down, offering a break from the rush of everyday life. But underneath this calm surface, the village faced some big challenges.

With only about 280 people living here, Santiago de Agencha deals with issues similar to many small towns. Younger people often leave for cities in search of better jobs, leaving behind mostly older folks and kids. This makes it tough for the village to keep up its traditions and culture.

Living here is also pricey because the village is far from big cities, even though most people don’t earn much. And on top of that, there are often droughts that threaten the crops they rely on, like quinoa, which makes life even harder.

Despite challenges,  the people of Santiago de Agencha are dedicated to keeping their way of life alive. Through things like sustainable farming and eco-tourism, they’re working toward a better future while honouring their heritage.

Tourism, especially at places like Jukil Lodge, plays a big part in this. It brings in money for the village and helps people from different places learn about their way of life. It’s a way for visitors to really connect with Santiago de Agencha and its people.

Thanks to travellers passing through from Uyuni to the Atacama Desert in Chile, places like Jukil Lodge (a homestay located in Santiago de Agencha) have popped up, offering a cozy place to stay in the mountains.

Before Jukil Lodge teamed up with Planeterra, things were tough. Not many tourists came, and it was hard for the locals to make a living. But now, with about 300 visitors every month, the lodge has become more than just a place to stay—it’s a way for six local families to earn a living.

My own trip to Jukil Lodge was amazing. As we drove through the winding roads, surrounded by stunning views, I knew I was in for something special. The staff were so friendly, and the cabins were cozy and welcoming. Waking up to the sounds of nature outside my window was pure joy.

As travellers, it’s important for us to be respectful and mindful of the impact we have on places we visit. By supporting places like Jukil Lodge and embracing the culture of places like Santiago de Agencha, we can help make the world a better and more connected place.

So, if you’re looking for an adventure that’s exciting and peaceful at the same time, I highly recommend visiting Jukil Lodge in Bolivia. It’s an experience you’ll remember for years to come.

About the author:

Serena Hejazi is a passionate traveler and the author of Sere Travels, a blog that focuses on sustainable tourism. Visit http://seretravels.com/ to learn more about Serena’s travels.