I have travelled long and far, across many terrains from deserts to jungles, seen all kinds of museums and architectural feats of mankind, chased many a sunset and craved mind-blowing adventures.

My most memorable travel experiences were the ones where either I opened my hearts to the locals or let nature consume me utterly and in unimaginable ways.

The opportunity to interact with local communities is a privilege and an honour. To learn more about their culture, their traditions, their lives — knowing they are quite different, but also the same in so many regards. It is both fascinating and humbling.

Even in the busiest of cities, a sunset can paint the sky better than any artist can hope to recreate. Now imagine, the glory of nature devoid of any man-made interruptions. Every crashing wave singing softly to the tiniest grain of sand on the beach. Every firefly lighting up the disco in the jungle at night. Every roar of the lion sending shivers down your spine with excitement and fear all at once. Every starry night in the camp falling asleep to the soothing sounds of crickets. In moments like these, there is not much else that you need. Ah! Pure bliss.

No doubt, I have loved every bit of it but through these experiences, I also realised that we, as humans, have been less than kind and empathetic in return.

Like most of you, I too ask myself, how can I make an impact on the life of these local folks and the gifts of nature around them? And do I have to give up everything and become an activist or conservationist to hope to make any difference at all?

In my quest for some answers, I know one thing for sure that it is not too late to protect what we love. I have the perfect examples of such transformative experiences that I would like to share. Let’s see how sustainable tourism can, not only empower the local communities but also further the cause of wildlife conservation. This is the story of Africa’s Kenya — Land of the Lion King.

Nashulai Conservancy near Maasai Mara National Reserve

Wildlife Sightings: Lion, Cheetah, African Leopard, African Bush Elephant, Zebra, African Buffalo, Giraffe, Wildebeest, Gazelle, Black Rhino, Hippopotamus, among many other beautiful creatures of the sub-saharan grassland region.

The semi-nomadic warrior tribe of Maasai is a legend and visiting them in Kenya or Tanzania is an experience that I cannot recommend enough. The colonial powers, in the last century, stripped the tribe off their land and displaced them causing a lot of human-wildlife conflicts. In this century, however, the Maasai have made a major comeback — as warriors of the cause of conservation.

In the Maasai Mara National Reserve area, 15 conservancies protect over 450,000 acres of critical habitat for the great Serengeti-Mara wildebeest migration — one mad trip of migration by the wildebeest in crowds of millions at once which is on every wildlife enthusiast’s bucket list.

What stood out for me amongst all conservancies was the Nashulai Conservancy. I found Nashulai to be the most intriguing not for its size or revenue, but the conviction of the Maasai to protect what they love. The Nashulai Conservancy is run 100% by the Maasai tribe who are indigenous people of the land.

‘Nashulai’ means a place of harmony where community and wildlife live in balance and mutually benefit.

The Maasai are one of the few tribal groups in the region who continue to follow their traditional lifestyle but their incredibly friendly and open-minded nature has made both, tourism and conservation, in Kenya a tremendous success. To better protect their wildlife, their cattle, their traditions and their community, the Maasai are learning to integrate modern education and technology into their lives while staying true to their authentic ancestral values.

Their deep ethinc roots and connections to the sub-Saharan ecosystem has lent itself to a peaceful coexistence of the Maasai with the wildlife. Protecting these animals is like second nature to them, making them the rightful stewards of conservation in Kenya.

Ol Pejeta Conservancy near Nairobi

Wildlife Sightings: Black and White Rhino, Chimpanzee, African Elephant, African Wild Dogs, Zebra, Lion, Cheetah, Hyena, Leopard, Fox, among other happy visitors.

Ol Pejeta is home to all the Northern White Rhinos in the world. Unfortunately, you can count them all on your fingers as there are ONLY TWO females, Najin and Fatu, that have survived the entire species.

Originally, a grazing area for cattle in the 1940s, Ol Pejeta has come a long way, now becoming a critical abode for many breathtaking species of animals. A private ranch and sanctuary which supports conservation through wildlife tourism.

On one hand, you will come across happy Chimpanzees rescued from the black market and the White Rhinos from a Czech Zoo. On the other, you will see the wild elephants, lions and the whole Big Five extravaganza of Africa. Not just that, you might also come across cattle grazing the land here and there.

But how is it possible? Cattle cohabiting with rescued wild animals cohabiting with regular wild animals? Sounds unbelievable?

Believe it ‘coz it’s true. Ol Pejata is a well-oiled machine when it comes to managing the 90,000-acre land. All the different animals have their own space depending on their need — the cattle freely graze during the daytime while the rescued apes have a 300-acre sanctuary all to themselves and the other wild animals roam as they please. The unsung heroes protecting all animals are 140 well-trained rangers (all of them are amazing but Joseph Wachira, Jojo, is my favourite).

The lodges provided by Ol Pejeta allow you to have a quiet meal with a view of the wild beauties in their natural habitat. They organise fun adventures for travellers such as running with the rangers, lion tracking for research and of course, meeting Najin and Fatu, the Northern Rhinos.

One of the many successes of this conservancy is its reputation as the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa with a population of 130 here (only 5,000 black rhinos are known to be in the wild).

None of the conservation efforts are possible without the involvement and love of the rangers and local communities who understand that these creatures are worth so much more alive.

Umoja Women’s Village at Samburu County

The tribe women of Samburu (a close cousin of the Maasai) at Umoja will approach you dancing like flamingos, dressed in striking red wraps, adorned with colourful beaded jewellery, singing songs like “My cow is better than yours” — like any other Samburu women. But the nerves of steel, that the residents of this women-only village display, are like no other.

Umoja is often used as an example for women empowerment and rightly so, the name itself means “unity” in Swahili.

Running away from the atrocities of domestic violence, rape, young girls being married to elderly men, female genital mutilation — some Samburu women in 1990 were tired of the lack of rights and downright abuse they were being subjected to.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned! Founded by the inspiring Rebecca Lolisoli, 15 women moved out of their village into Umoja, leaving their husbands and tribe behind to create a safer world of their own. A world where men are not allowed until they accept that women are their equals.

Now home to 48 women and 200 children, Umoja has no wildlife (or men😅). Their livelihood completely depends on tourists who come to visit them or the closeby Samburu National Reserve. The only source of income for Umoja is the money they gather from charging an entrance fee to visit their village, selling their beautifully handcrafted glass bead accessories and a lodge accommodation to stay in a Samburu style hut (manyatta). Having no tourists this season has made them vulnerable.

With great biodiversity comes greater risk.

In 2020, given the COVID-19 situation at hand, the impeccable strides taken in sustainability across Kenya could easily be diminished. These fragile ecosystems, currently protected from poaching and abuse only from funds brought in by travellers like you and me, are in danger.

The next time we travel, let’s travel responsibly.

Next up: Read about My two cents on Black Lives Matter ✊🏿

Responsible Travel minimizes the impact of tourism on the environment and enhances the well-being of the immediate local communities.

Follow my Travel Tales on IG: https://www.instagram.com/riviblog/

Would love to know how you are planning to travel next, your thoughts on responsible travel and this blog of mine.

With Love, Rivi. 💙

Get the app and personalise your travel planning with AI.

Love is not extinct was originally published in Rivi Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The waves of eco-tourism are here and the dolphins are loving it.

There is dolphin-ately an orca-stra playing in the background, or maybe, nature just loves to dance on its own tuna. 🐬

In gloomy times like these, stuck at home in our four walls, we are all desperate to welcome any good news that comes our way.

The Sardinia dolphins, chilling near the port, recently made news as ‘Venetian dolphins returning to the canals amidst the pandemic’. I wonder how many of us, well-meaning folks cheering on the epic comeback of nature, are aware of our capability to make a difference when we travel next.

The Majestic Guardians of the Sea.

Spinning in the water, flipping in the air and diving back into the deep blue sea — meet the humans of the ocean, ‘the dolphins’. The wild and free oceans of the earth are a magnificent home to about 40 species of these curious ‘beauties with big brains’ (I mean that quite literally — dolphins have the body to brain ratio, second only to humans) and their evolution is a fascinating journey of 50 million years or so.

Maybe, size does matter. 😉

Each dolphin possesses a distinct personality and identity. They are highly intelligent and self-aware creatures. Dolphins portray a sense of belongingness towards their community and develop cultures that vary from one pod of dolphins to the other. The relationships they build with their immediate family and the larger pod (which may include upto a 1000 dolphins) are quite similar to us humans, except that their society is predominantly a matriarchal one.

They even babysit each other’s calves.

Dolphins communicate with one another through body language and echo location-based whistles and clicks. Their language has a range of vocalisations to call for hunting, for arguing, for establishing dominance, for mating, for being playful and a lot more.

Having studied their behaviour for decades, some scientists believe that dolphins must be treated as ‘non-human persons’.

However, in our pursuit for commercial gains and short-sighted entertainment, sustainability has been put on the back burner — to the extent that one of the most admirable beings that rule the oceans are enslaved for our entertainment. 😓

Empathy costs nothing.

Dolphins are meant to roam for hundreds of miles in the depths of the ocean but get stuck swimming in the shallowness of our cheap thrills. We are the tourists who pay for these dolphins to be kept in captivity, keeping them bereft of life in the ocean where they belong — wild and free.

Bottlenose dolphins and Orcas (Killer Whales) are the two dolphins most popularly found in captivity and gain a high price when traded. From dolphinariums to museums, from circus shows to ‘abusement’ parks — these seemingly smiling dolphins are not happy. 😔

There are no tanks deep or wide enough to replace a dolphin’s home in the ocean. Often deprived of food and trained to perform tricks, their lives in the tank are full of boredom, loneliness and depression breaking their spirits and leading to premature death.

Dolphins, like humans, have strong family values and are fond of playing with their dolphin buddies. There is no amount of unnatural tricks and theatrics that will ever keep the curious mind of a dolphin sane.

Let’s, for example, talk about the cruelty endured by dolphins in travelling circuses — where they are stuffed in trucks without water and expected to entertain at shows. They are then slid into kiddie size pools and made to jump over fire hoops among other atrocities.

Earlier a norm in Indonesia, these travelling circuses have recently been banned in Feb 2020 after efforts and requests from activists and tourists alike. Every drop in the ocean counts and while this is some fintastic news, we have a long way to go to protect these incredibly intelligent and social beings.

During this pandemic, we too have been restricted to four walls. Though the comparison is not even fair, it has given me a perspective nonetheless.

How can we be the voice of the voiceless?

1. Simply stay away: If nothing else, the very least we can do is to not buy tickets or visit places that keep dolphins in captivity — dolphinariums, museums or circuses.
2. Encourage retirement of dolphins: The dolphins in captivity may never be able to return to the ocean having lost their families and instincts to survive. However, now there is a ray of hope for such dolphins to be moved to a more natural sanctuary where they can live a life of dignity.
3. Do it right: If you enjoy watching dolphins, say hello to them in their natural habitat. Always play by their rules by finding more sustainable and dolphin-friendly alternatives.

Remember that you don’t find the dolphins, the dolphins find you. 🐬

Responsible Travel minimizes the impact of tourism on the environment and enhances the well-being of the immediate local communities.

Follow my Travel Tales on IG: https://www.instagram.com/riviblog/

Would love to know how you are planning to travel next, your thoughts on responsible travel and this blog of mine.

With Love, Rivi. 💙

Get the app and personalise your travel planning with AI.

Waking up to the reality of life in captivity — amused or abused? was originally published in Rivi Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Wildlife tourism can never be enjoyed with animals in captivity. Here’s how your next adventures can bring you truly closer to them.

I was ecstatic and completely in awe when news came pouring from all around the world that nature is reclaiming every inch of our earth. I’m sure many of you were too.

Oh deer! From the sika deer in the streets of Japan to the pig time take over by the wild boars in Barcelona — I just couldn’t stop cheering them on.

Even the glorious Venitian canals are now clear and calm. So much so that the swans and fishes could be seen frequenting the waterways instead of the gondolas.

The silver linings were in abundance.

Every such recent WOW moment made it impossible to ignore how much nature has rebooted since COVID-19 induced a pause in human activity.

I wonder, will we continue letting nature thrive once this pandemic dissipates?

More specifically, how can our holidays become more about experiencing wildlife in its natural element and less about ‘doing it for the gram’?

Let’s explore how to balance our adventures with the needs of the wild.

Tip No. 1: If you can touch it, skip it.

Today, as I sit trapped in my home environs, I can relate to the predicament of wild beasts being held hostage solely for human entertainment. Only that our captivity is temporary, theirs isn’t.

The heartbreaking reality is that wildlife handlers ‘crush the spirit’ of exotic animals (through regular abuse) to make them tourist-friendly. All for what, a few selfies?

They deserve to run free in the wild. Period.

So, as a ground-rule, if the brochures talk about petting or selfies with a wild beast — steer clear! Let there never be another ‘Tiger King’.

Tip No. 2: Separate the authentic from the lies.

Once I realized just how inhumane wildlife tourism practices are, I vowed to never fall for these heavily-advertised animal encounters.

But the question that kept bugging me is — what is the real deal? How do I know if one is a better way to experience the wild than the other?

Here are some basic checks that I like to follow when scouting for animal-friendly wildlife experiences:

1. Research. Research. Research. Ethically managed game reserves or animal sanctuaries are a great place to start your holiday planning. Check out Gorilla Trekking in Uganda and Elephant Watching in Thailand.
2. Ask hard-hitting questions to your travel provider. Start with finding out how the animals are treated? What’s their breeding programme? What kind of human interactions are allowed? Are the animals there chained or drugged?
3. Post online reviews about the ethical-nature of these experiences, so that other travellers like you can make informed decisions.

Tip No. 3: But, don’t post everything you see.

This one is rather straightforward, but perhaps the toughest to adhere to.

Once you find a sustainable wildlife destination, keep your social media shares of the experience to a minimum. You don’t want over-tourism to ruin yet another good thing.

Have more fun than a barrel of monkeys

Finally, if you are thinking any of this will “compromise” the fun you will have, think again.

We all want to see animals on our trips. But, I promise that even a glimpse of these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat will be well worth the wait.

Imagine watching a tiger-mom sitting carefree under a tree while her cubs play in a distance. Or coming across a herd of elephants headed for a shower in the summer heat. These magical moments are much better than any forced interaction under the glare of camera flashes.

What are you waiting for? Go all-out for an elephant-tastic adventure and be a chimp-ion of sustainability.

Responsible Travel minimizes the impact of tourism on the environment and enhances the well-being of the immediate local communities.

Follow my Travel Tales on IG: https://www.instagram.com/riviblog/

Would love to know how you are planning to travel next, your thoughts on responsible travel and this blog of mine.

With Love, Rivi. 💙

Get the app and personalise your travel planning with AI.

Social distancing in the wild. was originally published in Rivi Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

I am turtley looking forward to travelling again once this pandemic simmers down. But when you come out of your shell, there is a different world that awaits you. A world where nature has been recovering from years of exploitation and dammit, it’s beautiful. 😍

Looking at the thousands of sea turtles returning to beaches around the world — from Thailand to Brazil, from India to Florida, nature seems to have taken back its reigns and created its magic yet again. Taking humans out of the equation gave back a safe haven for these endangered sea turtles.

‘The earth is healing’, we rejoiced.

Sea Turtles were ‘best buddies’ with Dinosaurs back in the Late Jurassic Period and they have been chilling on earth ever since. Fast forward to 2020, 6 out of the 7 species of turtles are threatened by extinction — no thanks to us humans (*ahem* Karma). 🙄

Only 1 out of every 1000 eggs laid get a chance for survival. And that one trooper has a long battle ahead to stay alive. There is a danger of illegal harvesting of eggs, both by locals and poachers. Even if they are able to make a break for the ocean, they struggle to channel their sense of direction as the artificial lights and trash on the beach completely throw them off track.

Somehow, we have managed to invade and ruin their beautiful homes too. As if being choked by abandoned ghost fishnets and captured accidentally as ‘bycatch’ weren’t bad enough, we have made plastic bags float around in the middle of the ocean that look a lot like their favourite food — the jellyfish.

How can I, an ordinary traveller, help the turtles?

Small acts of kindness and awareness can go a long way. 😇

A. Do not litter the beach, ever — no bottles, cans, cigarettes, slippers.

B. Ditch the mineral water bottles — carry a bottle to refill or filter it on the go.

C. Upgrade your beach jogging to plogging — save the ocean one piece of trash at a time.

D. Say no to souvenirs made from turtle shells and corals.

E. Lend a helping hand to local conservation efforts and spread the word.

Leave only footprints, take only memories!

We all smiled and cheered despite being stuck at home when we saw nature resuming its former beauty. We travel near and far looking for experiences that will become lifelong memories for us. Then shouldn’t we as people, as travellers, do our bit to help out these little guys in becoming big guys and making memories of their own?

A ‘happily ever after’ awaits us and going back to being our usual careless ‘Pre-COVID’ selves isn’t an option anymore. To deserve these gifts from nature, we must be responsible. No matter where you are from or where you are going to, you will always have the power to vote with your money.

In this Responsible Travel Series of posts and blogs, I hope to bring you out of your shells and open your mind to more meaningful experiences.

P.S. Coexist with nature and all will be well.

The novel Coronavirus or Covid-19 emerged at a wet market in Wuhan, China and has managed to shake up the entire world like never before. This has made it impossible for any of us to ignore the consequences we will face if we continue to disrespect and exploit nature.

When we return to making new travel plans again, let’s take this as our second chance at making things right and be conscious of the impact we can make.

After all, the world is our oyster and its turtley precious! 🐢🐢

Responsible Travel minimizes the impact of tourism on the environment and enhances the well-being of the immediate local communities.

Follow my Travel Tales on IG: https://www.instagram.com/riviblog/

Would love to know how you are planning to travel next, your thoughts on responsible travel and this blog of mine.

With Love, Rivi. 💙

Get the app and personalise your travel planning with AI.

Travel to the future: The world is changing post-COVID, why don’t we? was originally published in Rivi Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.