San Blas Islands are part of Panama and it is an archipelago with around 370 islands and small sandy islands part of coral reefs. Only 49 of them are inhabited and mostly by the local Kuna Indians.
It is easy to get to.
The San Blas Islands are located in the Northwest of Panama, which borders Colombia in the East and Costa Rica in the West. You can fly from Panama straight into the San Blas Islands or you can take a boat from either Cartagena or Capurganá.
The San Blas Islands are remote but don’t feel overwhelmed by getting here.
If you don’t want to cross the jungle or open waters of the Caribbean Sea you can use a plane to get to San Blas. You can book flights at Air Panama or Aeroperlas, but make sure you book in advance.
Discover the pristine and untouched archipelagos in the world
Most of these impressively pristine islands have few roads and even fewer people. Here you can discover many new species that are unknown to the science in some of those uninhabited islands. If you are searching for that desert island feel, San Blas is the perfect destination.
San Blas is also known to have some of the best spots for snorkeling in the Caribbean of Central America. Many of the islands are ringed by healthy coral reefs and gorgeous water. The coral reef attracts many stunning species. The best time to go snorkeling is from June to October because the water visibility is better and there are fewer currents.
Photo credit: Markus Leupold-Löwenthal / Wikipedia
The Kuna People
The real name of San Blas is Kuna Yala – Land of the Kuna. The Cuna are famous for their bright molas, a colorful textile art form made with the techniques of appliqué and reverse appliqué.
About 50.000 Kuna’s live on the 49 major islands of San Blas and are controlled by their own community leader called a Sahila.
The island is picture-perfect with lapping waves, swaying palm trees, and gentle breezes and no Wi-Fi or TVs. Evenings are leisurely, with everyone relaxing and enjoying the slow Caribbean pace.
San Blas is an indigenous territory located northeast of Panama. Discover the San Blas Islands and relax in a typical rustic bungalow over water, hosted by a native Guna family. The San Blas Islands are popular with eco-tourists due to their pristine natural state.
Featured image photo credit: Marc Veraart / Flickr
Slovenia was declared the winner of a World Legacy Award, awarded by National Geographic to companies, organizations or destinations encouraging sustainable tourism.
Half a century ago there were 25 million international tourists. Last year, they were more than one billion tourists exploring the world’s cultural and natural wonders. Keeping that in mind it is important responsible travel to safeguard our planet for future generations. As the United Nations heralds 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, one country rises above the rest: Slovenia.
Slovenia Became Leading Country In Sustainability
The country has made several notable and commendable efforts to promote eco-friendly practices, which deserve praise, including implementing a Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism in 2015.
Blessed with beauteous scenery of nature, no wonder why this country is a famous place for tourists to visit, especially those who love hiking activities. But what this country offer is not only wonderful nature, there’s something else that this country can offer to those tourists: sustainability.
It praised its forests, biotic diversity, well-protected natural and cultural heritage, the Slovenia Green certification scheme and highlighted that it became in 2016 the world’s first country to be declared a green destination.
Slovenia was thus awarded the prestigious title of the world’s first green country and WTM London Global Sport Tourism Impact award. Various rankings placed it among the most attractive and safe countries in the word, and numerous renowned media houses across the globe described it as an interesting tourist destination.
Why Slovenia?
Ljubljana, Bled, Komen, Podcetrtek and Rogaska Slatina have all achieved the highest attainable level
Ljubljana, the first destination to receive the SGD Gold Label, has been featured on the Sustainable Destinations Global Top 100 list since its inception in 2014. The city’s green achievements include the ban of cars in Ljubljana’s historic city center, an increase in the use of electric vehicles, reduction of noise pollution, installation of more public parks, an increase in the use of paper products made out of invasive plant species, and the construction of environmentally friendly buildings.
In size, Slovenia is smaller than many big cities in the world. But size doesn’t matter in the first place to make a country mentioned as the most sustainable one.
About 60% of Slovenia is covered in lush forests. In addition, there are more than 20,000 different animals and plants inhabiting the country’s 40 parks and reserves. Those are incredible numbers owned by a country not bigger than New York.
Sustainable tourism itself has been the main concern for the Slovenian Tourist Board (STO).
Slovenia is becoming known in the international tourism community as a small country which is taking big steps in sustainable tourism.
STO director Maja Pak
The city collected 63% of separated waste and Ljubljana Regional Waste Management Centre is the largest in the country. This waste management center collects and processes a third of Slovenia’s waste and prioritizes separation over incineration. Not only that, the city center is prioritizing pedestrians and cyclists over cars and traffic which once covered the whole city. Only economically accessible city buses, which run on natural gas, are allowed to access the city center. Natural gas is not only used to power the economically accessible buses in the city. About 74% of houses in Ljubljana are heated by natural gas, which is centralized by district heating. It reduces the consumption of fossil fuels which we know contribute the most to global carbon emission. The city also progressively builds more and more green spaces. A data showed that there are more than 500 square meters of public green space per resident in the city, and the number keeps on growing amid the growth of population. Imagine if every city in this world apply it, this world would be a greener planet.
Jackson Hole is a valley between the Teton Mountain Range and the Gros Ventre Range in Wyoming sitting near the border of Idaho.
Mammoth Hot Springs
Mammoth Hot Springs are a must-see feature of Yellowstone National Park. The limestone is a relatively soft type of rock and it is allowing the travertine formations to grow much faster than other sinter formations.
Mammoth Hot Springs has two terrace boardwalks, the Upper and Lower. Approximately 50 hot springs lie within the area.
Mud Volcano is created by the eruption of mud or slurries, water and gases. Mud volcanoes do not produce lava.
It was first discovered in the 19th century when the rumbling eruptions could be heard half a mile away. After an earthquake in Yellowstone in 1978, the soil temperatures increased to nearly 200 °F and the slope between Sizzling Basin and Mud Geyser, once covered with green grass and trees, became a barren landscape of fallen trees known as “the cooking hillside.”
Norris Geyser Basin is home to the largest active geyser in the world, Steamboat Geyser. It hosts 550 geothermal features including Yellowstone’s tallest active geyser, Steamboat Geyser, which spouts water more than 300 feet in the air. A 2-mile trail winds through Norris Geyser Basin leads you to Black Growler Steam Vent, Ledge Geyser, the basin’s second-highest geyser.
The Fountain Paint Pot is a mud pot located in Lower Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park. The Fountain Paint Pot is named for the reds, yellows and browns of the mud in this area. The differing colors are derived from oxidation states of the iron in the mud.
The National Museum of Wildlife Art (NMWA) is located in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. In addition to 14 galleries, the museum has a sculpture trail, museum shop, restaurant, children’s discovery gallery, and library.
The Museum is a nonprofit, with a mission to collect, display, interpret, and preserve the highest quality North American wildlife art, supplemented by wildlife art found throughout the world.
There are more than 5,000 cataloged artworks and 550 artists represented in the museum’s permanent collection.
The museum’s Sculpture Trail, designed by award-winning landscape architect Walter J. Hood, opened in fall 2011. The three-quarter-mile long trail extends to the north and south of the museum and host 30 permanent and temporary works of art.
There are always fun activities that everyone will love – from the world-class ski and snowboard terrain at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in the winter, to exploring the parks through the Wild West in the summer.
Snow King Mountain or Jackson Hole Mountain Resort ski resorts have invested in turning their bases into exciting summer destinations that the entire family can enjoy. Skiers and snowboarders come from all over the world to test their skills on the world-class mountains of Jackson Hole.
Canyon Rim South Trail to Artist Point is a 2.5-mile trail located near Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, primarily used for hiking and walking, that features a river and is good for all skill levels.
Yellowstone National Park has the largest concentration of wildlife in the lower 48 states. The wildlife that visitors want to see the most in Yellowstone are Bears, Wolves, Moose, Elk, Bison, Badgers, Otters, Fox and others.
Wild animals, especially females with young, are unpredictable. Keep a safe distance from all wildlife. Each year a number of park visitors are injured by wildlife when approaching too closely.
Yellowstone also has a wide variety of plant life. In the spring and early summer, wildflowers appear in abundance. They are well worth viewing, and it is usually safer to approach them.
Do not approach bears! Bears are unpredictable and may attack people without warning. Never leave food or garbage unattended and do not feed wildlife.
Jackson Lake Kayaking and Snake River Rafting
Incredible sea kayaking on Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park combined with a Scenic Raft Trip down the Snake River are some of the most popular activities. You can raft a beautiful and scenic few miles section of the river inside Grand Teton National Park where wildlife sightings are common.
Grand Prismatic Spring
The Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park is the largest hot spring in the United Statesand it is the most photographed thermal feature in Yellowstone.
The hot spring has bright bands of orange, yellow, and green ring the deep blue waters in the spring. The reason for the multicolored layers are different species of thermophile (heat-loving) bacteria living in the progressively cooler water around the spring.
Featured image photo credit: Tim Lumley / Flickr
Want to learn more about other sustainable destination? Check out section sustainable travel destinations.
