Will the time after the pandemic finally be the time for sustainable tourism?

June 15 2020, the day travel within most of the Schengen countries is possible again. Traveling outside your countries borders, even though the COVID-19 crisis is not gone yet and there is still no effective vaccine. The travel industry is one of the industries that got hit hard by the pandemic and will need a lot of time to recover fully and go back to the normal practices. But is that what we want? Going back to ‘normal practices’. This pandemic forced us to stop our daily lives and gave the earth a breathing pause. During this pause, we could see the nature recovering from what we’ve done to it. However, life cannot be paused forever and people want to be free again. Travel lovers like me are desperately waiting to cross international borders again, however I do hope with all my heart that for once we all learn from our mistakes and listen more to the nature. Could the time after COVID-19 be the time for sustainable tourism and travel?

International tourism brings people together, it mixes different backgrounds, cultures and beliefs. It teaches new norms and values and different ways of living. It provides direct and indirect job opportunities and an escape from your daily life. Unfortunately, tourism is not always good. Traveling adds CO2 emissions to the atmosphere, it causes clashes of culture and traditions and not all the money generated from this industry ends up where you would want it to end up. Nature gets disturbed, local inhabitants are forgotten and places get overcrowded. Mass tourism, unsustainable cruise tourism, tourism that includes animal abuse are all examples of concepts that I have high hopes for that we will leave behind in the year of 2020.

So how can you travel more sustainably?

It is easy to look at other people and judge other people’s behaviour. Instead, everyone should look at themselves first and see how they can contribute to a more sustainable life. I will share with you my tips for a more sustainable and responsible way of traveling.

1. Minimize your carbon emissions

Carbon emissions add to the Greenhouse effect, which causes the earth to warm up. The Greenhouse effect is a natural effect, however, we add to it by using planes and other motor vehicles as transportation, produce high amounts of meat (methane emissions) and use big containerships to ship our goods. Global warming causes the land ice to melt, the sea level to rise and causes more extreme weather conditions. The travel industry adds a big amount to these CO2 emissions as often there are flights needed to get to places. My advice here is to evaluate if you really need the flight, or that you can choose other modes of transportation. Try to always compensate your flight emissions and if you fly, try to stay longer at the destination.

2. Use public transportation

Besides the adventures and the beautiful views it often brings, using public transportation also reduces your personal ecological footprint. Instead of renting a car or getting a private driver, take on the adventure and figure out your way through (or to) your destination by public transportation. I assure you, a lot of your best adventures happen on the road. For example, I had some of the most enchanting train rides in Sri Lanka, had interesting encounters with local people in busses in Jordan and Morocco and got stuck in the middle of nowhere somewhere in the middle of Germany with my sister when we took the wrong train and we both couldn’t understand the German train system.

3. Support local initiatives

Some of these tips I already mentioned before in my blogs, just like this one. I repeat them, because in my opinion these are very, very important for sustainable tourism. Supporting local initiatives, like staying at small locally owned hotels, will help keeping the money within the local community, instead of leaking away to big international companies or rich countries. Staying at local hotels, instead of big hotel chains, eating at locally owned restaurants instead of at big chain companies will help the local economy.

Another point that I would like to make: try to avoid initiatives like Airbnb. For example in Amsterdam, mass tourism is a big problem and local hotels are suffering from Airbnb guests. People staying at Airbnb locations often disturb the neighbourhood and take away incomes from hotels. And where hotels have to pay all their taxes and permits, Airbnb takes all the profit.

sumba village

4. Eat locally produced food and buy locally made souvenirs

To stay with the local initiatives, it is also good to eat locally and to buy locally crafted souvenirs. Besides the fact that the money will stay with the community like is said before, the products and ingredients used are also local and probably not imported. This way, you also supported local farmers and industries. And what is better than tasting the local food and taking home something that is entirely locally made and does not say “made in China”?

5. Avoid mass tourism destinations but be careful of negatively impacting deserted places

More affordable flight tickets and people in need of the sun (or snow) causes many destinations to get flooded by tourists. Many European destinations depend on tourism for income generation, however these destinations also feel the negative sides of mass tourism. Places like beaches or restaurant areas get overcrowded, causing many local people to leave to other places. Tourists can create too much noise for locals, causing, for instance in Venice, Italy, the creation of new laws regarding bringing suitcases with wheels (hard wheels are not allowed anymore as they make too much noise on the streets). 

Mass tourism also brings a big problem of pollution with it. People bring their own snacks and leave the packing behind on the beach or in the nature, which disturbs and kills (marine) life. Bali is one of the mass tourism destinations dealing with a huge waste problem, mainly caused by mass tourism. For all these reasons (and many more) I would like to advise you to choose a destination that is not flooded by tourism, a destination that can handle the amount of tourists coming to the area. 

However, I also want to stress the fact that lesser known, deserted places are also not always the best decision. A place that is not at all ready for tourism, can be damaged very easily and the local community and environment can get harmed by tourists, when not dealt with properly. So think about your next destination and how you as a tourists could positively and negatively influence the place.

6. Do not participate in animal activities

I can be very short about this one, if you want to do an activity that includes animals, think with your head. Petting an animal that in the wild could rip you in little pieces, is not something you should do. Pictures with tigers, lions or other big cats is simply just wrong. These animals are getting abused and put on drugs, just so that you can take your photo with them. Harmless cubs get taken away from their mom when they are too young, so that you can play with them. There is nothing natural about that at all. Same goes for riding elephants, swimming with dolphins, riding donkeys and of course, hunting animals. Animals belong in the wild, and that’s where you should see them. Find a good and reliable organization who care about the wellbeing of the animals, and view the animals from a distance where they will not get disturbed.

7. Avoid cruise tourism

If you want to be a sustainable traveller, just don’t go on a cruise trip. There are multiple reasons why cruise tourism is bad for the environment, but also for local communities. These boats are like moving villages on the water with thousands of people on it. You can imagine the environmental impact of having a village on the water. On average, a person on a cruise ship generates two pounds of solid waste. These massive amounts of waste get often processed on board and then dumped in the oceans.

Not only the environment gets harmed by cruise ships, also the destinations of the cruise feel negative consequences. Ports get overcrowded when the entire ships goes on land. Little streets get flooded by day tourists, who can eat at the ship within their all inclusive package and do not spend a single coin at the destinations. Before deciding on booking a cruise, do some research into the negative impacts of your trip.

8. Minimize your waste generation

I have mentioned this point before on my blog and in my opinion it is one that is easy to take care of by yourself and can prevent major harmful impacts. On a trip, bring your own reusable bottle and decrease the use of plastic bottles. If you generate waste, always make sure to take it with you and throw it away in a bin or take it home and throw it away in your room. Waste that is left at the beach can end up in oceans and kill marine life and pollute water. Those fish can again end up on your plate and you would be eating an amount of microplastics that was inside the fish. Bring a metal straw and refuse the use of plastic straws, don’t do take away where they use single use plastics and always bring your own bag so that you can say no to the use of plastic bags. Maybe it is a bit more thinking during your holiday, but the environment will thank you..

9. Participate in nature activities that do not harm the environment

Last but not least, I would like to focus on nature activities and activities that might harm the nature. Ecolodges are often good options for an environmentally friendly experience in the nature. Often food is produced locally, water is reused and a minimal use of plastics. Here you can enjoy nature in a good and responsible way. Other forms of ecotourism are, for example, hikes with a certified guide.

Unfortunately, there are also a lot of activities outdoors that are harming or disturbing the environment. One of them is driving a quad in the desert, which disturbs the desert environment and life. Also, when you go snorkelling, please keep in mind to use coral friendly sunblock and when you go for hikes on your own, stay on the paths to make sure to not destroy the plants.

Of course, there are so much more tips and things to keep in mind while traveling. I really think that if everyone would take these into account, we could make the travel industry a whole lot more sustainable and responsible. Remember that change starts with yourself, just because someone else does something, doesn’t mean you should do it too.

If you have some questions about responsible travel or other remarks, please leave a comment or contact me!

Morocco Animal Aid – putting the welfare of animals first

During my time in Morocco, I decided I wanted to do something for the stray animals of Morocco. While traveling, you often encounter sick and hurt animals but there is not much you can do about it. Now that I was staying at one place, nearby an animal shelter, I decided it was time for me to start volunteering for the animals. This nearby shelter is called Morocco Animal Aid and I will tell you more about them in this blog.

Who are they?

MAA is a small non-profit organisation based near Aourir (Assersif) at the Atlantic coast of Morocco. They vaccinate, treat and feed the dogs, cats, donkeys etc. in the surrounding area and are home to over 120 animals on their land. They make sure that all the animals get the help they need and try to put them up for adoption when they are ready. Some dogs are lucky to find a home outside Morocco and MAA helps them to get to their new homes.

LillyPilly

They often encounter dangerous situations like dogs with rabies, but they still take the risks in order to make the Agadir area a safe, rabies free environment. By castrating and sterilizing the dogs and cats they can fight the number of stray animals in the future. They use their Instagram and Facebook account to raise awareness on the problems in the Agadir area regarding stray animals and try to fight the slaughtering of the animals by local people. By vaccinating as many animals as possible and giving them a visible ear tag, they hope to fight the slaughtering and show that these animals are not dangerous to people.

My experience with MAA

As I already said above, during my time in Agadir I wanted to volunteer for the stray animals in Agadir. After some Googling I stumbled upon Morocco Animal Aid and I immediately fell in love with their animals and their work. After contacting them it became clear that they could really use help in hiking with the dogs. As I only had the weekends off, this was perfect for me as I could still help them out! Hiking with the dogs only takes around 2 hours and is a great experience and workout at the same time.

Imagine holding one, two or three dogs and going up and down the mountains. I have learned to not overestimate my strength as this is definitely not the same as walking a dog in the flat flat Netherlands. These dogs are happy to be out, full of energy and very very strong, so walking these dogs is definitely a good exercise haha!

Dog love

To be honest, it felt absolutely amazing to be part of such an amazing initiative. You can really make a difference to the people working there full time and of course to the animals. I am so inspired and amazed by the woman who set everything up. She left Australia for Morocco and started this animal organisation about 4 years ago. To leave your life behind and start doing something so good for the world, I really think that is beautiful!

Of course, unfortunately, it does not always turn out well and they lose animals like dogs, cats or donkeys, but at least you know that these animals died while they were fully loved by the people of Morocco Animal Aid. Because that is what they do, they love and show love to every single one of the animals.

MAA in COVID-19 quarantine

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 has also reached Morocco, which caused the country to go in a full lockdown since half March, and it got extended to June 10.. For Morocco Animal Aid this is absolutely devastating as almost all of their volunteers had to leave Morocco and go home. Vets are now often closed and animals cannot get the help they need. The people at the shelters work day and night to make sure that the animals will survive. Unfortunately, they recently also lost a lot of puppies to the Parvo disease..

What can you do?

As a rather small organization but with many animals, they are dependent on donations and help by people like you! If you are in the Agadir region (Agadir, Taghazout, Tamraght, Aourir), you can help them out by going for a hike with the dogs, as they do not have time and volunteers enough to walk with every single dog. Right now, the dogs go out for a hike once a week, which is of course not enough!

Hiking with the dogs

Going for hikes is really something beautiful. You can see the energy of the dogs and how much they love to go outside and explore the area. The shelter is located near some nice mountains where you can hike to the top for a beautiful view over Aourir and the sea. It is crazy to think that a simple thing like walking a dog can have such a big impact on an organisation like this and its animals.

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Bringing supplies

If you are in the Agadir region but you do not have time to go for a hike, you can also donate for instance your old towels. With this many animals, there is always a need for new materials like warm towels. Of course, you can also buy them food or cookies or other supplies!

Donations

One of the most important things they need to help out these poor animals is of course money. As they are dependent on donations and going to the vet for treatments is often expensive, they can use all the financial help they can get. So if you do not have time or you cannot help the animals physically, you can also choose to donate an amount of money.

Here are some useful links:

https://donorbox.org/morocco-animal-aid

https://www.gofundme.com/f/MoroccoAA

Donate@moroccoanimalaid.com – Email

www.moroccoanimalaid.com 

Adopt, don’t shop!

Last but not least, if you love dogs as much as I do and you have some space left in your house and time left in your life, you can also choose to adopt one of these cute babies! Remember that by adoption, you can save a life and give the animal the best life he or she could ever wish for. I know for sure that once I have a house and a steady life, I will come back to Morocco…

Follow MAA on their socials and check out their website for more information on how you can help!

@moroccoanimalaid – Instagram

https://donorbox.org/morocco-animal-aid

https://www.gofundme.com/f/MoroccoAA

Donate@moroccoanimalaid.com – Email

www.moroccoanimalaid.com

If you have some questions about Morocco Animal Aid or other remarks, please leave a comment or contact me!

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Tips to travel from home during the COVID-19 quarantine

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COVID-19 is putting pressure on the world and everyone is in quarantine or self-isolation. For those who love traveling as much as I do, and cannot wait to start exploring the world again I would like to share some tips on how to travel from your own comfortable couch at home. Because remember, in times like these with Corona, make sure to stay safe, stay at home and keep distance! But all these measure does not mean that we cannot keep dreaming about traveling and maybe even bring traveling home? I hope my tips will make your time at home a bit less boring and will open your eyes to our beautiful world and bring some nice travel inspirations!

Watch movies and documentaries

One of the easiest methods to start dreaming about traveling and to give your eyes and mind something sweet are movies and documentaries about the world. Documentaries like ‘Our Planet’, ‘Life’ or ‘Earth’ are great examples that show the beauty of nature. For Dutch people I can really recommend the documentary ‘Langs de Yangtze’ by photographer Ruben Terlou, which you can still watch on the website of VPRO.

However to be able to day dream about the world, you do not only have to watch documentaries. Almost all movies show parts of the world, with beautiful shots made at the most unique places. One of my favourite movies of all time is called ‘Lion’ and shows the beauty but also the poverty of India. Also, the famous 007 James Bond movies cover some amazing travel footage in every movie. For instance, the opening scene of Spectre takes place during El Dia de Muertos in Mexico City. Other scenes were, for example, shot in London, Rome and Austria.

Movies are the perfect way to get inspiration for future trips, or to think back to times when you were at that exact same spot as the actor or actress. I remember watching ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ and seeing Julia Roberts eating pizza at one of the most famous places in Napoli at the exact same spot as where I was sitting when I was enjoying that amazing pizza.

Music

I don’t know about you, but to me music is all about memories and feelings. I can hear a particular song and think back about the exact moment where I heard it. Music can make me happy, but definitely can also make me cry. I can’t live without music and I really like different types of music with different languages. A lot of songs remind me of previous travels and music also makes me longing for new travel adventures. So I would like to share a list of my favourite music in different languages so you can think back of past travels with me, or start dreaming about new travel experiences through music!

Arabic

Arabic music is maybe my latest love. Of course, living in Morocco taught me a lot about the country and culture, but I also managed to pick up some words in Moroccan and Arabic language. Now I love to listen to these songs to take me back to the time I was there in that beautiful country.

Babylone: 

  • Zina
  • Kahlete laayoune

Zouhair Bahaoui: 

  • Lazem Alina Nsebro
  • Décapotable

Dadju (Arabic + French):        

  • Wouli Liya
  • Melegim
  • Reine
  • Mafuzzy Style

Faydee (Arabic + English):    

  • Habibi Albi

Balti:                                       

  • Ya lili                   

Besides these Arabic songs I would also like to share another African singer called Youssou n’Dour with, amongst others, the song 7 seconds.

Italian

Besides my love for the Arab language, I also have a crush on the Italian language. Besides the classics of Andrea Bocelli and Eros Ramazzotti, I also really like the following songs that make me think back of the best period of my life: Erasmus exchange in Rimini, Italy.

Takagi & Ketra: 

  • Amore e Capoeira
  • Jambo

J-AX:                                     

  • Senza Pagare
  • Italiana

Boomdabash:

  • Ti volevo dedicare
  • Per Un Milione

Mahmood:                             

  • Soldi
  • Calipso

Coez: 

  • È sempre bello

Baby K:                                 

  • Playa
  • Roma – Bangkok

Fred de Palma:                   

  • Sincera
  • Una volta ancora
  • Il tuo profumo

And so much more!!

Spanish

Spanish music, reggaeton.. Do I need to say more to feel the summer holiday vibes? I will list some of my favourites (but I listen to many many more)!

Alvaro Soler:                         

  • La Cintura (I can’t help it, this song still makes me happy)

Ozuna:                                     

  • Me Niego

Prince Royce:                         

  • Cúrame

J Balvin:                                 

  • Indeciso

Mau y Ricky:                         

  • Bota Fuego
  • La Boca

Lalo Ebratt :                       

  • Déjate Querer

French

Because of my mom, I grew up listening to French chansons on Sunday mornings. I think that is where my love for the French language and music started. No real chansons in this list though, but still very nice French songs!

Maître Gims:                         

  • Est-ce que tu m’aimes ?
  • J’me tire
  • Corazón
  • Mi Gna
  • Le pire

Vegedream :                         

  • Ramenez la coupe à la maison
  • Ma Go Sure
  • Daishi
  • Elle est bonne sa mère
  • La fuite

Ninho :                                   

  • La vie qu’on mène

Youssoupha :                         

  • Par Amour

Caribbean

And to really get in the summer and holiday feeling, I would like to add some Caribbean music!

Voice:                                   

  • Cheers to life

Lil Rick:                                   

  • All is Rum

Olatunji:                                 

  • Oh Yay

Buena vista social club:       

  • Chan Chan
  • El Cuarto de Tula
  • De Camino a La Vereda

Dive in the kitchen of..

What is a better time to explore your inner kitchen queen than quarantine? And what is nicer than trying out new dishes from all over the world? You cannot only travel from home through your eyes and ears but also through your mouth, by creating all kinds of world dishes. Think of the Italian kitchen, Indonesian or Moroccan kitchen! During my past travels I had the opportunity to try multiple (veggie) dishes in multiple countries and some of them are still my absolute favourites. The thought of Indonesian fried rice or makdous from Jordan make me so happy and hungry. Of course Italian pizza and pasta are like no other and trying real Japanese sushi is still on my bucket list! The latest kitchen I fell in love with was the Moroccan kitchen with vegetable tajine, couscous and harira soup.

So turn up that music, go online and look for those amazing recipes and prepare a world meal for your quarantine company!

Instagram pages

I think social media like Instagram and Facebook are used more than ever and also to travel from your couch, Instagram can be very useful and nice. I will share my favourite travel accounts that I follow for inspiration and to dream about future travels.

  • @Aggie : Author of Instatravel and inspirational person
  • @Moroccoplaces : Beautiful pictures of my old home Morocco
  • @pilotmadeleine : Travels the world with her baby and fiancé
  • @lexilimitless : Youngest person to travel to every country
  • @momimfine  Built an entire school out of plastic in Tulum
  • @fabrizio_road : Beautiful pictures of la Dolce Vita
  • @sergibasoli : Traveling the world by boat with his dog
  • @girlfromplanetearth : Beautiful travel pics
  • @muradosmann : Creators of #followmeto

Photo albums!

Use this time to FINALLY start working on your photo albums that are waiting for you for years now. I am also guilty of buying photo albums and ordering pictures, but never working on them. I always have these amazing creative ideas, but somehow I never manage to find time to do it. Now time cannot be an excuse anymore, right?! So look for pictures on your camera or computer and start reliving those memories of past travels while capturing all those beautiful moments together at one place.

Learn a new language

Now is the time to finally start learning a new language. There are many books or courses online that will learn you the basics of a language through nice exercises. For Dutch people I can recommend the books by Van Dale. Or of course use the app of Duolingo, which is easy to use and a fun way to start a new language.

Dive in traditions and habits of different cultures

Language is not the only part of a country’s culture. There are many more traditions, habits and rituals you can learn about and why not also try out? Get creative with cultural handicrafts or learn a particular dance (maybe even with the music I shared 😉). During this quarantine period, I will learn more about the Moroccan culture and its Islamic influences and participate a day in the Ramadan. This way, you learn already more about a particular culture from home.

Start planning that dream trip

Last but not least I would like to stress again the importance to keep dreaming. So what is stopping your from planning that dream trip? Dream big, read blogs, travel books, everything to prepare that amazing next trip for the future. The travel industry (like many other industries) is suffering from COVID-19 and it’s important to support it by not cancelling your trip, but to postpone instead (if possible). We need to help each other, but of course, all in a responsible way!

Responsible travel

With all the hurt and painful moments that are going on in the world because of COVID-19, I would like to share a happy thought. As everyone in staying inside to stay safe, the environment finally has a chance to recover a bit from human actions. Less CO2 emissions are released because productions stopped, the air above countries is much cleaner and canals in Venice are clear again. Nature has time to recover from what we did to it. As the tourism sector is completely blocked and at a pause at the moment, this could be our chance to learn from our mistakes and travel more responsibly in the future. I really hope that we will not go back to our polluting and destroying way of living and take this period as a warning that we are destroying our beautiful planet. There is no Planet B so lets take this chance to keep dreaming, rebuild our lives and the travel industry, but all in a responsible way. To protect the environment, the earth and the people.

If you have some questions or other remarks, please leave a comment or contact me!

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How to travel Morocco in a responsible way

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I love to travel, I try to spent every Euro I earn on flight tickets and trips. Unfortunately, whilst traveling you leave a footprint on the environment and the local community. In this blog I will share my tips for traveling responsibly in Morocco.

Use public transport

Of course, a holiday at home would be the best for the environment. However, I understand that people want to travel (so do I!!) so sometimes taking a plane to a country is inevitable. If I take a plane somewhere, I try to always take ground public transport at the destination itself.

Morocco has a nice public transport system containing trains and busses. The railways (by ONCF) are operating between the bigger imperial cities like Marrakech and Fes, but also reach to Tangier and Oujda. The trains are comfortable and in a good condition and very affordable: Marrakech – Fes costs 215 dirhams one way for a 6 and a half hour train ride!

Where there are no trains, busses take over the transportation. There are two mayor bus companies operating in Morocco: Supratours and CTM. Supratours is often located near the train station as it is part of ONCF. Both companies have comfortable busses and also offer Comfort plus options on some popular routes like Marrakech – Agadir. There is no need to buy the tickets for busses and trains in advance, I always make sure to arrive half an hour in advance to buy the ticket at the station. However, on the popular route from Fes to Chefchaouen, tickets might get sold out so here I would advise to buy your ticket at least a day in advance.

Of course, the public transport does not reach every corner of the country, so if you are planning on visiting the real remote places of Morocco, you either have to take a shared taxi or drive yourself. Often there are possibilities to take a bus and then a grand shared taxi. These taxis wait until they are full, which means you sometimes have to wait before you can leave.

In the cities there is also good public transportation with mostly busses. However, do not expect them to arrive on time. It is wise to keep your schedule a bit relaxed as you never really know at what time you will arrive.. I once waited an hour and a half for the bus to Taghazout from Agadir..

Besides these little discomforts, I think traveling by public transport brings a lot of good experiences. You can sit down, relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery and get closer to the local community. And in Morocco it is very affordable! 

Do not stimulate animal abuse

Who doesn’t like to see animals on their holiday? Morocco is a country rich of various species of animals like camels, barbary macaques and tree climbing goats. Unfortunately, the interest of tourists in the local animals results in abuse. Animals are often used to generate money from tourists for pictures and have no freedom at all.

Djemaa el Fna square

If you want to travel responsibly, please make sure to always check if your excursion or activity includes animals and how they are treated. One example of mistreated animals in Morocco is at one of the country’s most important tourism spots: Djemaa el Fna. Here you can see monkeys wearing clothes and being chained around their neck. If you take a moment to look at them, you will see them fighting with their owners and trying to pull the chain from their necks. 

The monkeys that are not used at that moment at the square are put in too small boxes and have to sit in there all day. Every tourist at that square is a witness of hard animal abuse and the least we can do for them is to not give the sellers what they want: money for pictures. At one point they should realise that tourists are not interested in staged pictures with animals that are captivated in the worst possible way, right? If you really want to see the monkeys and take pictures with them: go up north where you can see loads of them in the wild.

Unfortunately, I am not finished talking about animal abuse at the Djemaa el Fna square. Even though I am not a fan of snakes, the way they treat them at this square is simply WRONG. I am not saying that all snake charmers do this, but a lot of them make sure the snake cannot attack them anymore. They do this by either pulling out the fangs or by sewing the mouth of the snake shut. In both ways the snake will starve and die a very painful death. When this happens, the snake charmers just catch a new victim to work for them and generate money from tourists.

So please! When you go to Djemaa el Fna, enjoy the beautiful juice stands with fruits stacked on top of each other and listen to the music made by musicians and look at the other performers. Animals belong in the wild, a picture is not worth an animals life, right?

Souk el Had

Goats in Trees

Morocco is home to a very unique phenomenon of goats climbing in trees. They like the fruits of an argan tree and once they finish the ones hanging at the bottom, they start climbing the tree to find some more. These cute goats are very popular by tourists and shepherds noticed that they can charge tourists money for taking pictures. Now there are tours offered to tourists to see these goats, and the poor animals are tied up in the trees. They often have to stand in the sun for hours and cannot move at all. Besides the fact that this is abuse of the animals, the trees are also harmed by these practices.

I can imagine that you still want to see these cute animals balancing on the thin branches of the trees. However there are ethically better ways of doing this than booking a tour. The only right way is to drive around yourself and look for a shepherd who is genuinely letting his herd roam freely. I always keep my eyes open when I take a bus to another city and hope to spot them. You should think about it like whale watching, you are either lucky or unlucky as it is never sure if you will see them.

Want to interact with animals in a responsible way? Volunteer for Morocco Animal Aid during you stay in the Agadir region!  Check out their website and see how you can make a difference!

Minimise your plastic waste

Morocco is a country coping with a huge waste problem. Everywhere you look, you will find garbage in the street and nature. As a tourist you have to be careful with drinking water from the tab so buying bottles of water is the safest option. Try to always buy bigger size bottles to minimise the amount of plastic you use. Also, if you really want to take it next level, you can bring a reusable metal straw which you use instead of all the plastic straws they give you. As juices are super cheap and veeeery tasty, a lot of plastic straws are used..

Support the local community

By choosing your accommodation wisely, you can help the local community benefit from your stay in Morocco. So always book your stay at a local place like a riad or even try to stay at someones home! By choosing a big hotel chain you stimulate the concept of ‘leakage’ where the money ‘leaks’ away from the local community into to pockets of the wealthy (foreign) people. Not staying at these big hotel chians will give you the opportunity to get in contact with locals and learn more about the culture / way of living.

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Respect local culture

Another tip for traveling responsibly in Morocco is about respect. It is important to always respect the culture of the destination where you are going. You are the guest in their land and you should adapt to the culture. In Morocco this mostly means to take the way you dress into account. Both men and women should always cover their shoulders, knees and chest.

Not only will you show respect to the people, it will also help to get maybe less harassed.

Do not give money to beggars

Unfortunately during your trip in Morocco, you will get asked a lot for money by beggars. I want to advice you to not give them money. Often (not always) they are fully capable of working and they decide to beg for money as it is an easy way of earning it. Also, a lot of parents use their children to beg for money, which keeps them away from school. The only way of making the kids go back to school is to not cooperate with it and say no when they ask you for money.

I know it is a lot, but the people, environment and animals of Morocco will thank you!

If you have some questions or other remarks, please leave a comment or contact me!