Also The Green Travel Guide by Greg Neale Earthscan pounds 12

Also The Green Travel Guide by Greg Neale (Earthscan, pounds 12.99) discusses the problems and solutions surrounding sustainable tourism, and lists all the winners of the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards since the scheme was introduced in 1993. It also contains an excellent directory of contact organisations.Tourism Concern (tel: 0171-753 3330) is a campaigning organisation for sustainable tourism and human rights, and can answer your queries about visiting a particular destination.. It has won several awards, including the British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Global Award for 1993.All the tours listed here don’t come cheap, and you’ll more than likely have to find your airfare on top – totals of pounds 2,000 or more for a fortnight are quite possible.For a comprehensive list of organisations worldwide who need volunteers for conservation projects, refer to the book Green Volunteers (edited by Fabio Ausenda, and distributed in the UK by Vacation Work Publications, Oxford, pounds 9.99). “It’s always a thrill.”FACT FILErock-climbingFirst stepsThere are four main routes for anyone wanting to get started in rock- climbing: join a local climbing club – a list is available on the web or from the British Mountaineering Council; join the BMC; visit a local climbing-wall (many run introductory courses); or book yourself onto an outdoor course (advertisements can be found at the back of climbing magazines). To join the British Mountaineering Council, write to 177-179 Burton Road, Manchester M20 2BB (tel: 0161-445 4747), or find its web page at www.thebmc.co.uk. Membership costs pounds 15 for a year (including personal insurance). The BMC also provides a New Climber’s Pack (free to members, pounds 6 for non-members).. FROM THE rocks perched on the 10,000ft San Pedro Volcano, the clear blue waters of Lake Atitlan look an awfully long way down.

The verdant lumps and volcanic shards of land surrounding Guatemala’s most spectacular lake seem like broken glass. We had set off from the village of San Pedro at six in the morning. For four hours we had been climbing the steep and muddy side of the volcano. The path began along fields of maize and coffee, then through steep woods, from which emerged peasants with bundles of wood on their backs would emerge, scurrying down the slopes barefoot.
As we huffed up, our machete-carrying guide, Nicholas, goaded us on by telling us how slow we were, and assuring us (erroneously) that it would take us at least five hours to reach the peak.The final half-hour was the hardest. Other mainstream tour companies also donate small amounts to relevant charities.If you are interested in taking part in a more scientific conservation study, Earthwatch (tel: 01865 311600) has a huge brochure of expeditions to remote areas where you will be helping western scientific projects gather data on natural and cultural aspects of countries all over the globe.Coral Cay Conservation (tel: 0171-498 6248) is an example of a company which can train you to dive and then show you how to collect data on reefs.

All of the tour groups are restricted to a maximum of eight guests, so you will never feel you are overwhelming the locals.On a much bigger scale, Abercrombie & Kent (tel: 0171-730 9600) has offices worldwide, and for its wildlife programme it contributes a proportion of the cost of your holiday to a designated project listed in the brochure related to your trip.A&K also has close links with a charity, Friends of Conservation (for African wildlife), and donates pounds 10 to them for every holiday-maker to Africa Their group sizes can be up to 16. Are there any tour companies that will use part of my money to fund conservation, so that this won’t happen?F HalifaxGuildfordThe Travel Editor replies: In the UK, Discovery Initiatives (tel: 0171- 229 9881) is probably the only tour operator specifically aimed at supporting conservation through travel and active interaction with the locals. It produces a brochure with an exciting range of holidays to destinations from Mongolia to Bolivia, including tailor-made tours, with the aim of providing “inspirational travel to support conservation worldwide”.By booking Discovery Initiatives you contribute to conserving your area in various ways: either by taking part in a conservation project, with up to 40 per cent of your holiday bill going into the same project; or by simple donation, in exchange for local expertise; or by “fair trade” – where the smart lodge you are staying in, for example, has been set up because tourism can fund the wildlife park that contains it.The prices range from around pounds 650 to pounds 2,800, which does not include flights. Alternatively there are a number of local hire companies that will organise accommodation when you arrive. These can be best contacted by calling the local Association des Relais et Itineraires.Most tour operators understandably favour the Alps and Pyrenees for the more experienced and energetic while Brittany, the Dordogne, Languedoc and the Auvergne offer terrains for all abilities.Conservation projects can be part of the holiday – but at a steep priceI’ve taken several long-haul holidays but I’m concerned that the places I go to will end up being spoilt by very people like me. Bikes can be hired for about 45F (pounds 5) a day from many SNCF stations and then returned to any participating station at the end of the day.