Do we hear the ringing of the snow-covered bells, the rustling of the shiny paper used to pack gifts and some carols starting to spread cheer at a distance not too far away? You bet, as the festive season is all but on its way and while one might argue that there is a good month still to go, one can never get excited about all the joy too soon. With each festive season and holiday there also is the added bonus of making that trip to a place that you always wanted to visit or some special spot that you want to re-visit to capture some old magic and plenty of memories.

It is indeed time to get ready for packing stuff up, leaving your cozy nest and exploring a new destination which holds unknown delights and plenty of surprises for you. We all love traveling and as restless souls who have been bound by work, responsibility, office, stacks of files or even loads of books for the better part of the year, this is our time to spread our wings and fly with delight. But that flight should not cause a hindrance to the planet. Traveling is often a process that is far less eco-friendly than staying put and if you don’t believe me just look at all the tons have trash we left over on the moon and around the Earth in space after returning from our ‘expeditions’.

Yet, there are simple things that can actually make your journey a lot more pleasurable and also help reduce carbon emissions, enabling you to give a ‘green touch’ to your journey. Here are a few tips to help you go greener, and as always, you can improvise, add that individual touch and make it that bit extra special.

• Every green-revolution starts at home

If you wish to make your journey both safe and peaceful then the best way to start is by unplugging every gadget at your home and making sure nothing is left hanging from the sockets. This is going to help save energy as plugged gadgets can still consume 40Kwh of electricity each hour when idle and it also will rule out any chances of a fire accident. You do not want to keep that curling iron switched on and by the time you come back find out that in the place you had a home, you now have plenty of charcoal! Environmentally safe, psychologically peaceful and basically accident-free way to start the perfect holiday

• Reduce the use of hard copies and plastic wherever possible

A good and hassle-free way to make your journey a happy one is to study the routes you want to take beforehand. This is all the more true when you want to drive to a destination and for this one can avoid maps, brochures and others stuff by just using a bit of modern technology. Navigation systems are present with GPS technology and getting direction electronically is a lot easier than carrying tons of maps all put together. Carry as little as you can. This reduces littering and wastage along with making the trip less complicated for you.

• Be a part of the local community - Eat and drink what the holiday spot has to offer:

Unless you are going through the Saharan desert or the Amazon jungle, in all likeliness you will find good food and nice refreshing drinks wherever you go. Always indulge in local ecstasies and avoid carrying too much stuff with you. What is the point in going all the way and eating food from your home or the one that tastes just like the McDonald around the block back home? Carry re-usable containers and reduce your dependence on plastic. Refill bottles rather than buy one each time. Remember that when you throw away plastic, you pollute the planet for the next million years.

• Stay away from the luring cheap souvenir shops

I can already see the guys smiling and showing this to their special someone at home and saying, “Listen to the internet guy. It’s not about my pocket, it’s for the planet”. Of course, the gals are not too happy right now and asking, “How does that help the planet?” The thing is, the less you have to carry home, the less weight that needs to be transported. This pretty much means a reduced carbon-footprint. Also, cheap local stuff is often produced in methods that destroy the planet and pollute environment.

We are not against promoting local economic infrastructure by purchasing original handicrafts or items specially created by localized craftsman. This provides them with a livelihood and that little extra cash helps the planet and promotes some quality art!

• Avoid airways whenever you can

This is probably the best thing you can do unless you are left with no other option but to use the airways and travel across the continents. If you are going on a holiday in the same continent, then it is best to use more eco-friendly options and this also makes your holiday way more enjoyable. There is nothing like driving across a beautiful country side or taking the train watching the local changes in culture, architecture and even soil. This is a lot “greener” way to travel and way more fun than the airplane window!

• When visiting Rome, commute like a Roman

So we borrowed a bit from the ancient cliché, but this really is one of the best ways to travel without harming the planet. Many European cities offer tourists with options to go around the city on a bicycle and while this may not be easy to practice everywhere, use it wherever you can. Also use the public transportation instead of renting cabs. Cabs could both screw you out of some cash and also never allow you to get to know the city. A more public commuting option ensures that you get to understand people of the place and their culture better. They also might give you useful pointers and language tips!

One simple look at the above tips will tell you that we are not just taking care of the planet but also ensuring your own safety and comfort. That in essence is how eco-friendly measures and Mother Nature herself work. It is always about uncomplicated and simple measures that actually make the ‘once a year’ trips a lot more special. What better way to cap them off than by actually assuming the ‘moral high ground’ of eco-conscious travel. Enjoy nature and ensure that the generations coming after you also have the same delightful privilege!

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It would be hard to find a place akin to Fernando de Noronha, located 354 km offshore from the Brazilian coast, not just because of its tranquil turquoise-blue waters, white sandy beaches or amazing array of natural marine ecosystem that it sports, but simply because you will never find a heaven like this all to yourself anywhere else on the planet.

This tropical paradise is an archipelago of 21 beautiful islands, islets and rocks of volcanic origin and most of the area is isolated and abandoned making sure that you need not rush to the stunning beaches in the morning to get the best spot.

Officially designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Fernando de Noronha has had a long history of struggle, foreign dominance on the soil and destruction of the natural and indigenous tropical rainforests that once were abundant here. It was used as a prison during the World War II and to prevent prisoners from escaping and using rafts, the entire tropical forest was cleared and is today covered by covered by shrub-lands, with some areas of secondary forest.

The island was discovered way back in 1501-1502 expedition led by Fernão de Noronha and ever since, it has been controlled by many European nations for the last centuries.

Despite the damage done to the delicate local ecosystem, the incredible blue waters of Fernando de Noronha still attract a wide range of charming sea creatures such as sea tortoises, dolphins, albatrosses, all adding to the beautiful island.

One can easily spot them because of the shallow waters with their clear, turquoise-blue nature, that also make it one of the best scuba diving spots you would ever find. Calm warm water and exuberant sub-aquatic fauna and flora can be found in dives from 25 to 40 meters deep and if you wish to go deeper then you can find the wreck of a Brazilian warship at a depth of 190 meters.

Fernando de Noronha is one of the best holiday spots you will find on the planet because of the unique elements it brings together. It’s an isolated location with beautiful beaches that makes it a perfect romantic destination, has a vibrant marine life - a perfect spot for a family holiday with kids, and also has great scuba diving options for the adventure enthusiasts.

If you ever happen to be in Brazil, do not miss a trip to Fernando de Noronha, an understated tropical dreamland.

South America is filled with the exotic and the delightful diversity that nature has to offer in full view. The continent is blessed with thick rain forests that are still undisturbed by human activity, tall mountain ranges that present a challenge to the best climbers in the world and ancient structures like the Machu Picchu that still leave you in a mystic haze. Yet the continent holds close to its heart, delights that are still less popular, yet equally enthralling.

Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flat in the world, is one such wonder that is well and truly a photographer’s delight.

Located in Southwest Bolivia, the scenic Salar de Uyuni spans an area of 10,582 square kilometers and resides in the heart of the mighty Andes, at an altitude of 3,650 meters above sea level. Salar looks stunning, with its large and never-ending flats that make the place perfect for transportation and tourism. The flats produce around 25,000 tons of salt annually from its store of 10 billion tons.

The Salar owes its present scenic beauty and its origin to a prehistoric lake called Lake Minchin that dried up to bring Salar into its present state of existence. With shallow waters, high reflective ability of the surface and the clear skies make this an ideal testing ground for Remote Sensing satellites as they are calibrated using the Salts of Salar as testing grounds. Salar though is not just a testing ground for big boys like NASA as one look at the salt flats will tell you that it is a photographer’s nirvana. The clear skies, the highly reflective surface and the perfect scenic background allow you to send home the ‘picture perfect’ postcard from your trip in South America.

Despite its commercial salt production, much of Salar de Uyuni is still untouched by modern mechanized mayhem and hence is a perfect retreat away from the hassles of civilization in nature’s beautiful abode. The vast emptiness, soothing salt water springs that rejuvenate your senses, the scenic panorama and beautiful clear skies make this ‘once in a lifetime’ holiday. If all that does not impress you, then surely the vibrant view of hundreds of South American Flamingos to light up your holiday in Salar should surely tip the scales over for any nature lover!

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Matsuo Basho once wrote, “Each day is a journey, and the journey itself home.” He was a master poet and this his first entry among many in his masterpiece Oku no Hosomichi, or Narrow Road to a Far Province.

He is perhaps Japan’s most revered poet and these words echo along the 1,200 mile route he followed through his homeland in 1689. Joined by his friend and disciple Sora, carrying nothing more than a backpack, writing materials, and extra clothing, Basho conquered the extensive trail, a man moving without direction.

His journey lasted a total of five months, moving through uplands and lowlands and along the shore of the Sea of Japan. Basho was a Buddhist and this journey a spiritual one. Leaving behind all his worldly possessions, he cast his fate to the winds and provided the world with a vivid portrait of Japan through his masterwork, Narrow Road to a Far Province.

Though time has changed many of the stops along Basho’s 1,200 mile journey, the natural wonders encompassing them remain pure. Sharing a trail with the master of the haiku and walking amongst the numerous Buddhist temples which line its extensive length would be an epic journey, a pilgrimage. Basho was the hyohakusha–”one who moves without direction.”

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There we did begin,

Cloistered in the waterfall,

Our summer discipline.

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Sadly, I part from you;

Like a clam torn from its shell,

I go, and autumn too.

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Listen! a frog

Jumping into the stillness

Of an ancient pond!

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Lonely silence,

a single cicada’s cry

sinking into stone.

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This ruined temple

Should have its sad tale told only

By a clam digger.

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Crossing half the sky,

On my way to the capital,

Big clouds promise snow

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African cuisine has never been very popular worldwide and after seeing what some people consider delicacies there, I can understand why. Poverty and drought push people to find new ways of sustaining themselves and in some places insects are the most nutritious meal available. After discovering Asian “delicacies”, here are 7 African foods that can easily turn your stomach inside out:

7. Mopane Caterpillar

Cooked Mopane Worms

The Mopane is a species of moth found in Southern Africa, whose caterpillars are considered a delicacy. They are handpicked by women and children in the wild and either dried in the sun or smoked to give them extra flavor. After they are picked, the worms are pinched at the back and squeezed to get rid of the slimy insides.

The dried Mopane caterpillars are either eaten raw as a nice, crispy snack, or rehydrated and cooked with vegetables and spices. The caterpillars have a yellow color and a taste similar to green tea leaves.

6. Weevil Larvae

Weevil Beetle

The Weevil is a family of African beetles found in many areas of the Black Continent. In countries like Nigeria Weevil larvae are a popular delicacy also known as sago grubs. These disgusting critters grow to be four inches long and 2 inches wide and they are high in fat.

The locals will tell you are the most delicious thing you’ll ever try but before putting one in your mouth, make sure it was picked from a Sago palm-tree. Sago grubs are sometimes collected from compost pits, gutted, washed and fried, but I still wouldn’t eat them.

Some Nigerians eat Weevil Larvae raw.

5. Fried Locusts

Fried Locusts

The swarms of locusts that frequently destroy vast crops are seen as a curse and blessing at the same time. They may compromise hundreds of thousand hectares of fertile land but they sure are crunchy. That’s what Nigerians say, anyway.

Every time a swarm of locusts hits Niger, you can see people everywhere munching on fried locusts like popcorn. Some say that when you see people eating fried locusts, it’s not a sign of famine, for them it’s like eating caviar. The wings are removed, sautéed in a pan, sprinkled with spices and left in the sun, to make them crunchy.

4. Bushmeat

Bushmeat

What started as a way to fight famine, has slowly become a new cuisine in countries like Kenya, The Ivory Coast or Guinea. Bushmeat is basically fried, grilled or boiled wild animal meat served both in established restaurants and households.

You can find crocodiles, snakes, rodents, great apes and even cats and dogs on the Bushmeat menu. The situation is becoming truly desperate for many wild animals in the countries where Bushmeat is popular, as poaching becomes a very profitable business.

3. Termites

Termites

There are many ways of trapping and cooking termites in Africa. In Uganda, they are collected by playing a weird drum song that attracts them out of their lair and in other areas a tent made out of twigs and leaves is placed on the main termite mound-hole and the other holes plugged.

Termites are cooked in different ways across Africa; in Maragoli they are fried in their own fat and seasoned with salt, in Nigeria they are roasted on a grill of hot coals or fried, roasted salted and grounded into flour.

2. Cow Blood

Cow Blood

A popular meal in the Masai tribe, cow blood is often mixed with milk, as it is believed that it makes the men stronger. The blood is collected by puncturing the cow’s jugular with an arrow and the hole plugged after enough blood has poured. This can be done once every month, without harming the animal.

The blood clots are separated and the pure blood is mixed with fresh milk and consumed raw. Other cultures mix the cow blood with fresh or sour milk and cook it on an open flame until it thickens, resembling scrambled eggs.

1. Goat Head

Goat Head

Goat head is served in many upscale restaurants in Nigeria, Southern Africa. After the goat is beheaded, its head is shaved and burned to remove any stray hairs. It is then chopped in fragmented pieces with an ax and boiled with onions, garlic, tomatoes, ginger, chilies and other seasoning.

People brave enough to try this dish can enjoy traditionally cooked brains, tongue, ears and eyes. The goat’s eyes are usually reserved for the guests of honor, so if you’re lucky enough to find them on your plate…enjoy!

Photo Credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Cappadocia a natural wonder characterized by fairy chimneys, is a magical mountainous landscape in the center of modern Turkey, that was created from a series of volcanic eruptions 9 to 3 million years ago. A famous and popular tourist destination, Cappadocia is also home for a very special hotel, the Yunak Evleri Hotel.

Carved into a mountain cliff in the ancient village of Urgup, the luxurious Yunak Evleri Hotel is famous for its six cave houses with a total of 30 rooms all dating back from the 5th and the 6th century. Renovated to keep the original style, packed with antiques and some beautiful hand-crafted furnishings, the hotel has the elegance of a Mediterranean Villa, offering both exotic luxury caves and multi-chamber deluxe suites for the pickiest of their customers. Oh and I almost forgot, those that need something really special and sleeping in a “simple cave room” isn’t enough, they can spend the night in a 19th century Greek Mansion.

An ideal place to start your explorations in Cappadocia for underground cities, hidden cavernous roman churches or the stunning rock terrain, with a mix of Greek, Turkish and Roman cultures, the intimate Yunak Evleri Hotel and the whole region, can also serve as great inspiration to those that need it.

Located in Urgup, the cave hotel is accessible from the Nevsehir Tuzkoy Airport (55km away) or the Kayseri Erkilet Airport (65 km away), offering accommodation starting from 85 euro for the single room, 110 euro for the double room, 130 euro for the deluxe and 170 euro for the cave suite. I’d certainly pay it a visit if I had the time (and money).

All images via Yunak.com