South Africa-The Complete Experience

There was a time in traveling when people would visit the destinations of their choice, spend some time enjoying themselves and leave, never truly experiencing the culture of life in the place they had just been to. That's no longer an acceptable way to travel. Now people want to have fun and feel good about it too, by supporting countries with a strong track record in nature conservation and social welfare and by making sure their money reaches the local communities.

This is music to the ears of not only South Africans but citizens all over the African continent. This growing interest in responsible travel is being welcomed with open arms. Four African countries have been featured in the 2009/2010 list of “The Developing World's 10 Best Ethical Destinations”. The list, compiled by Ethical Traveler, identifies countries that are best protecting their natural environments, promoting responsible travel and building a tourism industry that benefits local communities.

Ethical Traveler is an international alliance working to harness the political and economic clout of tourism to support human rights and the environment. Argentina tops its list this year. South Africa ranks in ninth position, and has featured in the chart since 2006. Ghana debuts in fourth place, the Seychelles debuts in eighth position, and Namibia moves up to sixth place this year. South Africa has long been a pioneer in responsible travel, and has the potential to move far higher up the rankings if its tourism industry continues to embrace the opportunities presented.

Ethical Travel has said that each of the chosen countries provides tourists with the opportunities to experience nature at its most pristine and to allows them to interact with local people and cultures in a mutually enlightening and beneficial way. Sounds like the best kind of travel to me.