Blue Flag is a network of 50 countries that are striving to manage their beaches and marinas environmentally friendly. Operations started in the mid-1980s in France as an environmental awareness initiative by a group of eco-conscious students. Soon, a symbolic action of raising awareness on marine pollution evolved into the world’s first aquatic eco-label. Today, Blue Flag lays down global criteria that protect the marine ecosystems and the communities that rely on them. The program awards beach, marina, and boat managers who ensure the standards are met and maintained.

Travel empowers us to get out of our comfort zone and overcome our preconceived notions. It opens our minds and makes us kinder, more patient and respectful. Travel nurtures experiences, cultivates memories, and changes lives. At the same time, travel activities can be detrimental to the environment and local communities. Unless we act to protect the equilibrium of living organisms in the lands and waters we visit. But we are no strangers to the strains environmentally responsible travel sparks off. For this reason, we have compiled these practical tips on experiencing travel life to the full with your eco-conscious clean.

Becoming an earth-minded traveler begins with an eco-friendly travel packing. Leave single-use products out of your suitcase and pack stylish, eco-friendly products that do not harm the environment. If you are in two minds about zero-waste packing, here are some facts that may help you act sooner than later.

The tourism and hospitality industries will be among the fastest and most affected in a changing climate. In other words, all sub-sectors of tourism (i.e., mountain and snow tourism, forest and lake, agricultural, urban, beach and sea life tourism) will be severely impacted. Rising temperatures, fires, drought, floods, higher sea levels, beach erosion, and ocean acidification are some of the climate change symptoms. Hence, it is imperative that sustainable hospitality becomes a priority for hotel businesses. Meanwhile, here’s why and how hotels should actively adopt green practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Greece is ready to accept travelers again, and its deft management of the COVID-19 crises should put it at the top of places to consider visiting this summer. As of this week, Greece counted fewer than 3,000 coronavirus infections and just 180 deaths, nearly the lowest per capita rate in Europe.

The time spent inside the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC, will be heavy on your soul no matter your origin, but please don’t shy away from visiting. NMAAHC represents the complexity and suffering of blackness in North America and cherishes the achievements of African Americans, who built the nation with their bare hands.

If you do a search of where to travel in Kenya, Tsavo East National Park doesn’t appear at the top of the list. But a few months ago, my husband and I chose it over more famous Kenyan game parks, and it was worth the gamble. Tsavo East offers more affordable and intimate game drives, away from the most tourist-filled parks.

THE ACROPOLIS IS AN extraordinary archaeological site comprised of several 2,500-year-old monuments, such as the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion, and the Parthenon. Being the greatest artistic complex coming out of Greek antiquity, visitors could do with some help to understand the Acropolis’ significance and appreciate its monuments’ beauty — especially if they are racing against the clock. To make your Acropolis visit as dazzling as the rest of your stay in Athens, we asked two professional tour guides, Jessica Van Der Does and Dr. Dimitria Papadopoulou, to provide some tips on how to make your one-day visit a cinch.

Athenians love to meet in loud places, sip their drinks on their own time, and dance the night away to forget their everyday worries. In bars and clubs, you meet people from all walks of life from age 16 on up — especially in bars where popular Greek and international musical artists perform. Yet among all of the live music bars in the city, some bars are on another level thanks to the quality of the shows. These are the venues in Athens where you can hear live music in an intimate environment without falling into a tourist trap.

Exploring the sites and museums of the capital city of Greece is great, but Athens’ heart beats where people come together to talk, laugh, and enjoy good food. So, where you really want to be in order to understand the local way of living is a patisserie. Patisseries are an indispensable part of everyday life in Greece, and indulging in a housemade dessert is a favorite pastime among Athenians of all ages.

Athenians are the first to admit that their city isn’t the typical European capital with acres of parkland, bicycle lanes, and well-thought-out architecture. Rather, it’s compulsively spontaneous, full of energy, and brimming with dualities -- bohemian versus mainstream, classical theater versus bouzoukia (nightclubs with live folk music), protests versus festivals. You can explore the mythical world of ancient deities and heroes then stumble across graffiti art in downtown alleyways.

IF YOU LOVE perusing local stores while you travel, Athens is a great place to do some quality shopping. It can be hard to know where to go and what to look for, though, so we’ve weeded out the ordinary and predictable shopping options to save you time and help you focus on the unique and eminent that Athens has to offer. The city is flush with unbeatable boutiques, malls, and street markets. Here’s a primer on what unique Athenian gifts to look for and where you need to shop in Athens to catch the best shopping vibes the city has to offer.

Mountain gorillas are Rwanda’s wealth. But if you don’t have a few thousand dollars to spare — yes, that’s how expensive it is to see gorillas — or don’t have the time to hit the verdant volcanic mountains, Rwanda’s capital city is a destination in itself. Since the end of the genocide against the Tutsi in 1994, Kigali has become a cornerstone of African development. Despite its relatively small size, with just 800,000 residents, Kigali is tremendously influential.

The Peloponnese, the mulberry-leaf-shaped southern peninsula of mainland Greece, may not be the first destination that comes to mind when planning a trip to the cradle of Western civilization. The historical city of Athens and picture-perfect islands of Mykonos and Santorini have arguably established themselves as Greece’s must-gos. But the well-kept secrets of the Peloponnese and the region’s landscape of contrasts will make you feel like you’ve discovered a whole new world.

Mauritius is especially popular among honeymooners and couples, but the island is also extremely family-friendly. Children and parents alike can enjoy a memorable holiday that meets the different expectations of every generation and respects the needs of all ages. With so much entertainment to choose from, your children will be the happiest in the world! Here’s a thorough list of the top things to do in Mauritius with kids.

Congratulations on your wedding and a honeymoon well-chosen! Because, when you think of merry newlyweds, romantic settings, and intimacy, Mauritius is rightfully coming first in your preferences. The Paradise Island offers a balanced set of experiences for all types of couples — from beach privacy and invigoration at luxurious spas to adventurous hikes and fancy cocktail bars. However, to make the most of your tropical honeymoon, check out our advice. We can’t wait to host your love in our diverse island.

Mauritius’ vibrant dining scene embraces tastes from the world’s most loved cuisines and presents them in well-curated and authentic settings. To save you time and make your life easier, we have composed a list of ten tried-out and appraised restaurants in the North — representative of Mauritius’ culinary variety. Follow us to the bustling North, right in the midst of the island’s tourist zone, where you will be spoiled for choice when it comes to food and drink. Bon appétit!

Back in the early 2000s, Koukaki was my liberation. Every morning, I was taking the 15-minute walk from my home in Neos Kosmos to my high school in Koukaki. The imaginary border of Syngrou Avenue between the two neighborhoods was my transition from my refuge to the real world. Ever since Athenians have witnessed a sea change in Koukaki’s looks and behaviors. But despite its endorsement as one of the most interesting places to stay in and its popularity among tourists, the area has remained loyal to its values. The humble, sociable, and creative Koukaki of my adolescence continues to charm today’s hive of visitors with its authenticity. Join me on a walk around Athens’ most hip neighborhood, where the cool kids were, are, and will always be.

Cape Town is at the top of every avid traveler’s wishlist. First, the Table Mountain, which is overlooking the lively city of Cape Town is second to none. Then, there’s so much history to take in. But, what we think makes Cape Town so charming is its diversity and controversies. We spent a day with a local and saw a different side of the city. Are you ready to walk this way?

Let’s take a journey back to ancient Athens when intellectuals’ favorite pastime was sitting around big tables and having heated conversations about ethics, ontology, and aesthetics. Now, can you guess where many of the philosophers’ brilliant ideas and theories emanated from? Maybe this quote from Plato will give you a clue: “No thing more excellent nor valuable than wine was ever granted mankind by God”. Today, myths about Dionysus, the ancient god of grape-harvest, are consigned to oblivion, and the latest wine production technologies have replaced worships. But for wine aficionados, the drink is still associated with some of the best things that life has to offer. While modern Greece may not be the wine producer of the scale of South Africa and France, it has exceptional grape varieties that we urge you to try in some of Athens’ most atmospheric wine bars.