Homestays run by women in Nepal
Nestled in the Kathmandu Valley, Nagarkot Community Homestay Network is a cornerstone for building businesses. It enables women to grasp financial independence by opening up their homes to tourists. It was an enriching cultural experience for both me and my host. Their support of each other spilled over during my stay, in their warmth, delight and genuine desire to share and learn.
Vicky Bamford
Fishing conservation in Mexico
I had the trip of a lifetime in Mexico and out in the Pacific, diving with some incredible creatures. We funded – and were joined on the trip by – two young women who were learning to dive with a charity called Héroes del Mar, which works with Mexican young people in fishing communities to raise awareness of conservation and how it can go hand in hand with fishing as an economic lifeline for rural areas. They should be able to gain a career in conservation, train the next generation in their community and ensure fishing benefits communities and wildlife.
Holly
Dolphin-watching in East Sussex
Sussex Dolphin Project runs some fantastic boat trips from Newhaven and Brighton marinas, including a wildlife sailing experience and a sunset cruise, on which you may be lucky enough to see dolphins. Trips are from £30 for adults and £19 for children. The Trust focuses on education, training and citizen science in the local community.
Ayesha Twyman
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Guardian Travel readers’ tips
Every week we ask our readers for recommendations from their travels. A selection of tips will be featured online and may appear in print. To enter the latest competition visit the readers’ tips homepage
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Giving peace a chance, worldwide
Not one trip but many – like thousands of others across the world, we are members of Servas, set up in 1949 as a volunteer-run NGO to build international friendships, and promote peace and understanding. We have learned about urban ecology in Nantes, self-sufficiency in Asturias and what it was like to live in Ceaușescu’s Romania, and met like-minded people who have become friends. We have also welcomed visitors from all over the world. Others who travel more widely than we do tell us about warm welcomes and fascinating experiences all across the globe.
Barbara Forbes
Time for tea in Sri Lanka
In the mountains on the outskirts of Kandy sit the lush hills that host the plantations of this famous tea-growing region. We visited our female hosts as they finished their eight-hour shift, for which they earn £20 a week for working six days and carrying 20kg a day on their backs. We visited their home close by, where we mixed spices, cooked our dinner and enjoyed a typical evening with several generations of the family. A truly authentic experience, steeped in the local culture, with our payment supporting and benefiting the entire community.
Julie Fell
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Crofting and standing stones on Lewis
A small village in mainland terms, Carloway runs an annual agricultural show which attracts about 2,000 visitors to what is now the best window on crofting in the Western Isles. It’s located on the western fringe of Lewis, the most northerly island in the Outer Hebrides. The mixture of fete, Highland games, baking and fruit-and-veg competitions with best sheep, dog, horse and cattle show is all run by local volunteers. Held on the first Wednesday in August, it also has ceilidhs and Highland dance events through the week. There’s a community-owned shop, self-catering and bunks (Garenin village) – and it’s only a few miles from the world-famous Callanish or Calanais standing stones. You have to pinch yourselves at the privilege of listening to superb Gaelic singers while supporting their culture and community.
Foster Evans
Winning tip: Local hosts on an Alpine hike in Italy
We completed three weeks of the Grande Traversata delle Alpi, an 800km (500 mile) long-distance trek in the Italian Alps. It was conceived as an economic regeneration project in the 1970s to join up and provide tourism to tiny villages with ageing populations and declining industry. In each location, one or more providers elects to supply overnight accommodation and food to hikers; as a result the variety in our stays was immense. It cost €60-70pp pn for half-board, sometimes less in dormitories. It’s a very quiet trail compared with many in the Alps, and we often had it to ourselves. Villagers are really friendly and we enjoyed some delicious local food, always at least three courses, with vegetarians fully catered for.
Samantha McGrady