Responsible Tourism Archives

Responsible Tourism Archives - Poplar Travels

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Oct 21 2015

A Weekend On The Mall At Landmark Music Festival

Responsible Tourism

by Evanne

Thankfully, threats of constant rain proved to be idle, but the first ever Landmark Music Festival on The National Mall faced other challenges on Day One. Lines for the bar where festival goers could pick up beer, wine and nonalcoholic drinks were a hundred people long before 4 p.m. Since half the crowd spent entire sets in line, the crowds at the stages felt sparse (a plus if you wanted to squeeze up close) and attitudes turned negative before night fell. [gallery type="rectangular" ids="4949,4951"] The artists on Saturday were great; Daughter and...

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Sep 22 2015

Landmark Music Festival: Saving The National Mall

Inspiration, Responsible Tourism

by Evanne

Washington, D.C., is bringing its music scene to a new level by hosting a full-fledged summer music festival this weekend. Landmark Music Festival managed to snag an impressive lineup headlined by The Strokes and Drake (a pretty nice testament to the diversity of taste in the District). New sensation George Ezra will also make an appearance as well as a variety of other acts from several, possibly surprising, genres including the Eagle Rock Gospel Singers. The Cause Great acts aside, that’s not what this inspiring music festival is about. Landmark Music Festival will...

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Jan 05 2015

The Small World Festival: Volunteering In Mae Hong Son With Amigo Vision Thailand

Responsible Tourism

by Evanne

This year we didn’t spend Christmas with our families, but we were far from alone. We made the drive up to the northernmost province of Thailand, Mae Hong Son, to help at an eye clinic run by Amigo Vision Thailand in partnership with Toys for Thailand. Every year, Toys for Thailand organizes the Small World Festival to celebrate the rich local traditions in the area. Villagers convene in the city of Mae Hong Son for a two day celebration, some from remote hill tribes hours away. This was the first...

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Sep 29 2014

Volunteering in a Hilltribe Village with Amigo Vision Thailand

Responsible Tourism

by Eric and Evanne

Recently we had the amazing opportunity to volunteer with Amigo Vision Thailand, providing free eye exams and glasses to schoolchildren in a Karion hilltribe village in Northern Thailand. Our experience brought us outside the city to a place where no one spoke English and introduced us to a wonderful group of like-minded fellow travelers and expats. Our trip was a unique one, spurred by grassroots efforts, word of mouth and chance meetings of people who came together to support a common cause. One night while eating at Mammary Delicious restaurant, we...

6 Comments

Sep 13 2014

Elephant Nature Park: Chiang Mai

Responsible Tourism, Reviews

by Eric and Evanne

Long before we decided to travel to Chiang Mai, we had a strong desire to see and interact with elephants and always knew we wanted to do it in a responsible manner. Wildlife tourism is something that should always be approached with skepticism and plenty of caution. Elephants, especially, are mistreated in Thailand. Elephants in Thailand Historically, elephants in Thailand were used in the logging industry. When the Thai government banned all logging in protected areas in 1989, thousands of elephants were left homeless. Mahouts, the elephant handlers, resorted to using their...

9 Comments

Aug 27 2014

Massaged by Inmates: Chiang Mai’s Women’s Prison

Responsible Tourism, Reviews

by Evanne

What comes to mind when you imagine a traditional Thai massage? My imagination once created a scenario in which a Thai woman twisted me into an impossibly complicated pretzel and drop kicked my spine. Maybe that’s what you pictured too, but let me clear this up a little: it’s not that bad. During my first visit to Thailand in 2008, my mom and I were too intimidated to try the traditional method, so we opted for massages that were more on the tame side. This time, I knew I couldn’t chicken...

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Jun 10 2014

Turks and Caicos: Consider the Conch

Responsible Tourism

by Evanne

One day during our Turks and Caicos vacation, we decided to take a kayak tour of the mangroves near Leeward Marina. We opted for a group tour with a guide from Big Blue Unlimited instead of taking the kayaks out ourselves so we could learn more about the area.

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Mar 23 2014

Turks and Caicos: What’s a Potcake?

Responsible Tourism

by Evanne

I recently traveled to the amazingly beautiful Providenciales, one of 40 islands that makes up the nation of Turks and Caicos and home to Grace Bay, Trip Advisor‘s second best beach in world. But the poundcake-like sand wasn’t the only thing that caught my eye. As a currently dog-less animal lover I tend to get overly excited about puppies and vacation makes no exception. So it should come as no surprise that animal rescue and foster organization Potcake Place may have been my favorite place on the island.

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