Save the world - and your conscience - by planning a holiday to one of these eco-friendly locations.
Climate change, mass extinctions and the devastating effects of plastics on our planet - these are all topics dominating not only headlines but also our collective eco-conscience.
Nature travel is undoubtedly one of the fastest growing sectors in the tourism industry, but the process of actually visiting these fragile environments can actually do more harm than good.
Fortunately, there are ways in which travel can help safeguard the future of our flora and fauna; by spending money appropriately, tourists can lend financial support to worthwhile conservation efforts.
If you want to be a savvy, sustainable traveller in 2019, here's where to go...
1. Borneo, Malaysia
An orangutan sheltering from the rain with an 'umbrella' made from leaves at the Sepilok Rehabilitation Center in Borneo (Renato Granieri/PA)
Teeming with wildlife, Borneo is one of the world's most bio-diverse regions, yet its flagship species, the orangutan, is under threat due to controversial deforestation. Sabah, located in the Malaysian portion of the island, champions a number of eco-tourism outfits, mainly located along the Kinabatangan River.
Recommended activities in the area include snorkelling at Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, seeing orangutans at Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and setting foot in the unexplored Maliau Basin (one of the few places on earth free from human activity).
How: Explore (explore.co.uk) offer the 10-day Photographing Borneo's Wildlife With Renato Granieri tour from £2,575pp, including flights. Departs July 12, 2019.
2. Palau, Oceania
Made up of more than 300 islands in the Micronesia region of the western Pacific, the Palau archipelago is renowned for its marvellous marine life. The nation is dedicated to preserving its environment: Many of its reefs have been declared no-fishing zones, and harmful sun screen has recently been banned to protect the oceans. What's more, Palau has changed its immigration laws to help safeguard the environment (the first nation to do so). Visitors must sign the Palau Pledge upon entry, promising to preserve and protect the island.
How: Dive Worldwide (diveworldwide.com) offer a tailor-made 19-day Palau & Yap diving holiday from £4,895pp, including flights.
3. The Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
A collection of volcanic islands more than 500 miles offshore from continental Ecuador, the Galapagos is a wildlife paradise where animals appear to have no fear of humans. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Centre, 97% of the archipelago is protected as a national park. Tourism - by land or cruise - is regulated and plastic straws were recently banned. The Charles Darwin Foundation, which celebrates its 60th anniversary next year, conducts important research into the different sub-species of giant tortoise endemic to the islands.
How: Ecoventura (ecoventura.com) operate some of the most sustainable vessels in the Galapagos. Prices for a seven-night cruise start from £3,728. Flights extra. Departures throughout the year.
4. The Maasai Mara Conservancies, Kenya
Successful eco-tourism doesn't just hinge on the protection of wildlife - taking care of communities is important too. Large areas of community-owned land bordering the Maasai Mara National Reserve, conservancies such as Naboisho and Mara North have proven people and wildlife can comfortably co-exist - especially when tourism is involved.
The Maasai lease their land to lodges, who pay a bed night fee for every tourist they host. Additionally, companies invest in local schools and hospitals. By understanding wildlife is of financial worth, the community is incentivised to protect animals otherwise seen as a threat to their livestock.
How: Kicheche (kicheche.com) operate camps in three Mara conservancies. A five-night package costs from £2,430pp (two sharing). Dates flexible. Flights extra.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here