When travel to a destination hire the locals by STI

Enrich your travel experiences and make sure your travel dollars stay in the host community by hiring a local guide to show you around. Local guides know the area better than any other guides. Whether you are looking for someone to guide you every step of the way or just show you around a sight or two – a good local guide can be the highlight of your trip.

By choosing a local guide, the needs of the local economy can be better met and you are creating cross-cultural relationships. However, when choosing any guide, local or foreign, it is important to consider the environmental impact of your guide’s actions. Keep these questions in mind as you choose a tour operation: Do their guides foster a respect for the environment, particularly in the areas visited, and encourage their guests to do the same? Do guides ever intentionally disturb or encourage the disturbance of wildlife or wildlife habitats? Do they keep vehicles on designated roads and trails and abide by the rules and regulations of the natural areas they visit?

Once you’ve found some local guides, here are some additional questions to ask to make sure that you and your guide are well matched, as well as to make sure you will be safe:

• How many people will be taking this tour?
• How much control do I get over what we do, when we eat, and when we take breaks?  How strenuous is the tour?
• What happens if we have bad weather?
• What happens if someone in the party gets injured?
• Are there any special safety precautions I need to take?

The key to an excellent eco tour experience is finding a guide that you are comfortable with. If the answers to your inquiries are unsatisfactory, keep looking until you find a tour that is compatible with your needs. Your efforts will be rewarded with an excellent tour guide that is excited to show you around because he or she cares about the destination and your experiences there.

To read complete article from Sustinable Travel International click here

EcoCircuitos Slow Adventure Tours

The independent traveler defined slow travel as an offshoot of the slow food movement, which began in Italy in the 1980’s. The slow food movement purposes are to preserve local cuisine, local farming and traditional food preparation methods. This cultural initiative has since multiplied into a whole way of life known as the Slow Movement, which emphasizes connection — connection to food, and, in the case of travel and tourism, connection to the local’s, culture, gastronomy and history. Slow travel then is the opportunity to become part of the local way of life and thinking.

Picture by Cubita, Chitré.

In today’s world we live a fast culture of stressful work, traffic and abuse of technology, that become sometimes the way of our travels. Rushing from one destination to another and not enjoying fully the landscape, a beautiful small town, a local bakery, tasting the local flavors or discovering the real people. The slow travel could be an interesting way to experience Panama for tourists that are burned out from their daily routines and the constant use of technology.

Our tailored slow experiences will allow you to truly connect with the place you are visiting, spend more time in fewer places. Immerse yourself with the local culture and connect with the community. Visit local markets, sit in a local restaurant and drink a coffee or read the paper in the plaza, while watching the community that surrounds you. EcoCircuitos´ Slow Experiences have been uniquely designed in places where visitors can interact with local people, carry out daily adventures and relax just as the locals do. Some slow destinations include Boquete and Volcan located in the Chiriqui Highlands, Pedasi and Chitré in the Azuero Peninsula and some other beautiful towns and communities. Make traveling special again with a slow adventure tour. Contact us today to find out more about these experiential slow travel options! http://www.ecocircuitos.com