The Blue Yonder to support WTM World Responsible Tourism Day
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Published by GP
on Thursday, 13 August 2009
WTM World Responsible Tourism Day, the only global day of action of its kind, is being supported by the UNWTO and leading industry associations. The day is vital – for business, for profitability and for our planet. It means taking care of a world that we seek to promote, preserving our heritage and cultures and taking into account the views and needs of local communities.
The Blue Yonder has been supporting this initiative for the last three years and has once again shown our commitment to Responsible Tourism. Our role doesn't stop by celebrating the Responsible Tourism day, but in sustaining our initiatives to promote and build Responsible Tourism as the way to travel.
For more details visit the official website.
As in the last 4 years, The Blue Yonder will also be exhibiting at the WTM. Details of attendance are being finalised and we will announce the details at the earliest.
Labels: London, Responsible Tourism, Responsible Travel, The Blue Yonder, WTM
West Bengal, a state in eastern India, stretching from the Himalayas to the Bay Of Bengal in the south, is a popular tourist destination for its art, culture, history and natural beauty. West Bengal is an agricultural dependent state. Rice and fish are traditional favorite foods. West Bengal offers everything for a discerning tourist. From wild life tours, himalaya expeditions, exotic beach holidays to waterfalls, coffee and tea plantations.
The Kolkata city, also known as 'City of Joy' is well known for Howrah Bridge, local Bengali sweets and the world famous Shantiniketan (Visva-Bharati University) - set up by renowned poet and Nobel Laureate Shri Rabindranath Tagore.
Near the coastal region is the world's largest delta covered with 10,000 sq.km of mangrove forest, popularly known as Sunderbans. The wild life of of Sunderbans offers a fascinating diversity of terrain, flora and fauna.
On the eastern side, lies the Darjeeling, 'Queen of Hills, well known for Sandakfu, the highest peak of the state, Khangchendzonga hill ranges, Tiger Hills and heritage railway station. Kalimpong, Dooars valley and Siliguri are quite close by to Darjeeling city and make the visit a worthwhile experience for nature and adventure sport lovers.
With a combination of holidays in nearby Sikkim, we are now offering some unique and of course responsible holidays in West Bengal. Check it out here for more details.
Labels: Darjeeling, India, Responsible Tourism, Responsible Travel, Sikkim, Sunderbans, The Blue Yonder, West Bengal
Monsoon clouds setting above the valley en route to Wayanad
Day before yesterday some of us from The Blue Yonder (Arun, Sandra, Gopi) went to visit our friends at Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary in Wayanad to update them on our recent initiatives and leveraging on our common interest. It was Suprabha Seshan who inspired us to launch the concept of 'One Metre Forest' in the villages where we come from. Similarly we came back smiling as she gave us another beautiful term to define the work Botanical Sanctuary is involved in : "Gardening the bio-sphere back into life". We don't think there is no other way to express what they do!! How beautiful...
Entrance to Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary - Wayanad
TO read what we offer as part of our holiday in Wayanad, please check the following links:
Trekking Camping River Rafting River Trails Legend and Heritage Trails Wildlife safari Spice toursCraft Village Visit Rain forest Gardeners Alternative lifestyle
Trekking Camping River Rafting River Trails Legend and Heritage Trails Wildlife safari Spice toursCraft Village Visit Rain forest Gardeners Alternative lifestyle
Labels: Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary, Nila Foundation, Responsible Tourism, Responsible Travel, The Blue Yonder, Wayanad
sapling planted last year post monsoon.
7th July 2009, as part of eco-restoration initiative along Bharathapuzha (River Nila) in Kerala, we had an initiative where we invited friends, volunteers and our local community members to plant a tree. The event which is part of Traveller's Forest initiative we started last year, brought together people from various background and locations for the common cause. Musicians from Vayali, volunteers from Pravah, The Blue Yonder, Nila Foundation, Gandhiyan Prakrithi Chikilsalayam and Punarjeevani Trust celeberated the day planting about 120 indigenous saplings that constitute a typical sacred grove of Kerala. Another 100 saplings will be planted in the coming week and volunteers are also implementing what is known as "one metre forest".
The idea is to ensure that we don't just plant some saplings here and there, but replicate miniature sacred groves that were so plenty in our area even couple of decades back.
Dr M. S Swaminathan once said of Sacred Groves "Unlike, a botanical garden where a wide range of trees and plants are collected and cultivated for the purpose of education and enjoyment, the sacred groves are one method of expressing the gratitude of human families to the trees which sustain and support life under a given agro-ecological condition."
volunteers from Vayali on their way to traveller's forest
The idea is to ensure that we don't just plant some saplings here and there, but replicate miniature sacred groves that were so plenty in our area even couple of decades back.
Dr M. S Swaminathan once said of Sacred Groves "Unlike, a botanical garden where a wide range of trees and plants are collected and cultivated for the purpose of education and enjoyment, the sacred groves are one method of expressing the gratitude of human families to the trees which sustain and support life under a given agro-ecological condition."
volunteers from Vayali on their way to traveller's forest
Arun our colleague at The Blue Yonder and Nila Foundation, who is leading the Nila Foundation's initiative on 'one-metre-forest', explained "We were inspired by the concept of One-metre-forest during a discussion at Gurukula Botanical Garden in Wayanad where Suprabha Seshan that we try to get friends plant 'forest' or let it grow naturally with no human intervention. Even at a time when the real-estate prices are sky-rocketing in places like Kerala, not many people wouldn't have hesitation to maintain a one metre forest in their plot if it's looked up on as an investment for clean drinking water for the future. Preaching about the impacts of global warming, or future war for water wouldn't stop people from leading the un-sustainable life style we all lead. However, if we can link this to a day to day reality, a reality where one ends up drinking the 'chlorine treated pipe water' instead of the clean water source from a well or a pond in villages, we are certain that people will become proactive to plant more trees."
Trustees of "punjarjeevani' who are implementing partners of The Blue Yonder and Nila Foundation
Of the 120 saplings we planted, many of them were special as we planted it on behalf of many people we knew. Listing some of them here.
** May I have a "I love my son" tree?
** Could you please plant a tree for our wedding date
** For my family
** One for the spirits of the past, present and future?)
** For a life that is full of adventures
** One for the decriminalisation of gay sex in India (which for me is a big step in a democracy),
** Another one for the strife in Iran (whatever, the outcome, it makes me happy to see that people come together to fight for their freedom. It gives me hope)
** A tree for a marriage I witnessed
** A tree just to celebrate life (and lots of thoughts and wishes).
** "THANK YOU for a good life" tree
"if its not too late, could I have one more tree for my Uncle Johnny? He loved them, would never even accept cut flowers until the end of his life - scolding people who "killed plants":) And he always wished to be remembered in this way, actually..."Plant a tree for me!" he used to smile.."And I'll be with you always.." Could you - please? "
Volunteers from Vayali and Pravah at the "traveller's forest"
While we planted for our friends around the world, we had few things to look at. We planted trees for /to
** our team at Vayali who won the Change Loom Awards last week,
** to celebrate the naming ceremony of one of our colleague's son,
** to make up for a bird that one of us killed when he was 7 years old ( yeah, now don't think this is like a carbon-offset program! ;)),
** a plant for our friends and families,
** for an uncle who died,
** for a friend who lost her son in an accident,
** for a colleague who completed an amazing book on rivers in Kerala,
** for our teachers and more than anything
Trustees of "punjarjeevani' who are implementing partners of The Blue Yonder and Nila Foundation
Of the 120 saplings we planted, many of them were special as we planted it on behalf of many people we knew. Listing some of them here.
** May I have a "I love my son" tree?
** Could you please plant a tree for our wedding date
** For my family
** One for the spirits of the past, present and future?)
** For a life that is full of adventures
** One for the decriminalisation of gay sex in India (which for me is a big step in a democracy),
** Another one for the strife in Iran (whatever, the outcome, it makes me happy to see that people come together to fight for their freedom. It gives me hope)
** A tree for a marriage I witnessed
** A tree just to celebrate life (and lots of thoughts and wishes).
** "THANK YOU for a good life" tree
"if its not too late, could I have one more tree for my Uncle Johnny? He loved them, would never even accept cut flowers until the end of his life - scolding people who "killed plants":) And he always wished to be remembered in this way, actually..."Plant a tree for me!" he used to smile.."And I'll be with you always.." Could you - please? "
Volunteers from Vayali and Pravah at the "traveller's forest"
While we planted for our friends around the world, we had few things to look at. We planted trees for /to
** our team at Vayali who won the Change Loom Awards last week,
** to celebrate the naming ceremony of one of our colleague's son,
** to make up for a bird that one of us killed when he was 7 years old ( yeah, now don't think this is like a carbon-offset program! ;)),
** a plant for our friends and families,
** for an uncle who died,
** for a friend who lost her son in an accident,
** for a colleague who completed an amazing book on rivers in Kerala,
** for our teachers and more than anything
** for a river that we destroyed,
** for a river that we have pledged to bring back life into it.
** for a river that brought many of us together to understand the meaning of life!
Why don't we all start planting trees to celebrate? Why gift useless presents for your friend's wedding, when giving a plant could bring cheer for many generations to come?
** for a river that we have pledged to bring back life into it.
** for a river that brought many of us together to understand the meaning of life!
Why don't we all start planting trees to celebrate? Why gift useless presents for your friend's wedding, when giving a plant could bring cheer for many generations to come?
More pictures from the planting can be seen here
Labels: Kerala, Nila Foundation, Responsible Tourism, Responsible Travel, River Nila, Sustainability, The Blue Yonder, Travellers Forest, Water
TBY featured twice among '500 new ways to see the world'
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Published by GP
on Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Cover page: edited by Jeremy Smith and Richard Hammond
Discusses 500 experiences and different ways to travel. This book lets you discover various adventures from sleeping in houseboats in Kerala and witnessing the zebra migration in Botswana to taking the train-hotel from Paris to Madrid. It offers information on the best hotels, resorts, and tours run by people who are passionate about what they do.
Pic: Kerala scenes, Kathakali performance, practicsing Kalaripayattu, peppercones growing in the sun
The following excerpts are from the book
" To really discover the heart of Kerala, you need to leave the beach, jump off the houseboat or troop down from the hills to the banks of the River Nila, where a variety of traditional activities are on offer with The Blue Yonder...."
"The Blue Yonder take guest to see people who make dolls like this"
"The largest state in India, Rajasthan is also one of the most beautiful and exciting - home to colourful markets, welcoming cities, vibrant music and delicious cuisine. The royal palaces that pepper the state feature heavily on tourist itineraries, rich , decorative and intricate, they epitomize the luxury and decadenance of the Raj. But for those who want to go behind the scenes, India-based travel company The Blue Yonder runs custom-made trips that allow you to explore what really makes Rajasthan tick. "
Labels: Foot Print Guide books, Jeremy Smith, Kerala, Media, Rajasthan, Responsible Tourism, Responsible Travel, Richard Hammond, River Nila, The Blue Yonder
TBY Featured in German by Clemens Berger in Der Standard Austria.
Labels: Austrian Radio, Kerala, Media, Press, Responsible Tourism, Responsible Travel, River Nila, Wayanad
Pre-historic cemetery discovered along River Nila
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Published by GP
on Friday, 12 June 2009
A 'wood-henge'-like ritual monument, discovered at Anakkara, near Kuttippuram in Malappuram district. Photo from The Hindu
Archaeologists have discovered a pre-historic necropolis (cemetery) with megalithic cairn circles dating back 2,500 years, many 'postholes' that probably point to the ancient practice of 'excarnation,' a 'wood-henge'-like ritual monument and a site of primitive astronomical intelligence at Anakkara, near Kuttippuram in Malappuram district. Experts believe it is a promising site to study the Early Iron Age culture in Bharathapuza (River Nila) basin). Read the detailed news report in The Hindu.
Labels: Bharathapuzha, Kerala, Responsible Tourism, Responsible Travel, River Nila
Our OCT 2009 trip in association with Ethical Travel Portal (ETP) is featured in the Reiseliv.no. The trips we are running for ETP is to introduce travellers to the finer dimensions of Responsible Tourism. It's not only a holiday based on Responsible Tourism, this is more an indepth analysis of Responsible Tourism organised in a way where travellers can learn from practitioners. Literally these are meaningful engagements from which they can learn and practice it elsewhere.
Linda Veråsdal - Founder of ETP was inspired by RT initiatives in Gambia and India during her MSc in Responsible Tourism. Linda is also currently compiling a report on the travellers spending pattern in the beach destination of Gokarna in India.
For those who wish to join the group, please contact ETP.
Labels: Ethical Travel Portal, Gokarna, Responsible Tourism, Responsible Travel
