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While our delicate/oppressive first-world sensibilities prevent us from recommending any, ahem, other-world countries in which to spend your hard-earned vacation dollars. (PS, Monaco was dreadful last summer. Thumbs down, ugly Americans), Berkeley-based Ethical Traveler has the scoop on the top-ten "ethical destinations" for all of you teevas-sporting vacationers looking to take late summer vacations. In alphabetical order, they are: Argentina, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Estonia, Namibia, Nicaragua, and South Africa.
We've heard of Argentina.
And maybe South Africa. (Can you do bodyshots in South Africa? Because it's not really a vacation without tequila and lime.)
Anyway, Ethical Traveler - whose goal is to focus on "the positive impact travelers can have by being open, informed, and willing to immerse themselves in other cultures" - looked at three factors in determining their results: environmental protection, social welfare, and human rights in the world's developing nations. What's more, they can help you lose the ugly-American moniker as well. Check them out before you plan your next vacation. (Daily Clog)
Image of some sort of developing nation: Wikicommons
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Bu-fucking-garia? Have these hippies actually been to Bulgaria? I guess it is an ethical place to visit if you overlook the fact that the entire female population are underage prostitutes.
Having grown up in South Africa, I recommend that any traveler gets a hire car with a Blaster installed. It shoots flames out of the bottom to ward off the inevitable car-jackers.
Oh, but the surfing is great!
I lived in both Argentina and Chile and both are wonderful places to explore. Bolivia is a beautiful place, at least what I saw of it before getting deported.
Me and my worthless dollars aren't going anywhere.
Croatia, Namibia, South Africa...all very high on my list of places I would personally recommend, Croatia takes it by a nose though, get yourself out to Hvar or Korcula pronto...
Love the surfing in Costa Rica!
I'm going to Paris (via London) this Fall! Yessiree. Mostly because I know people that i can stay with. Otherwise, i'd probably go to Honduras or Guatemala or El Salvador or Costa Rica. (Also, I'm wanting to go in Sept or Oct and that's the rainy season down there. :-(
go nicaragua! good surfing, good food, night life, and safe and cheap! (going back next month!)
watch out en el salvador, guatemala, and honduras though ... no disrespect to the people but the gangs there are crazy..
I recommend Cambodia. I had a great time. This country is trying to rebuild it's economy through tourism, and it has some amazing sites to see. Angkor is a must see, and relatively safe. (Phnom Penh is kind of sketchy, but ok for seasoned travelers.) It is an unofficially dollarized country, so our money is still effective there.
My recommendation is to book just one or two nights on Expedia, then look around for LOCALLY OWNED hotels once you get there. Besides the fact that they are much cheaper, they also benefit the people working hard to build their economy, not foreigners. Sure, they have a horrible human rights record in the past, but they are trying.
We skip Paris and head to southern France down near Spain, and with the money we save we gorge ourselves on foie gras.