Ecotourism Archives - The Crowded Planet

Suomenlinna: sleeping on a fortress island

Did you know you could sleep on a UNESCO-listed fortress island just off the coast of Helsinki? Come with us and discover Suomenlinna, a must-visit place for history lovers and location of one of the coolest design hostels in Helsinki. Helsinki is a town born from the marriage of sea and land. If you’re lucky … Read more

Ice Age Action in the Kvarken Archipelago

Did you think the Ice Age survived only on history books and animated movies? Think again. The Kvarken Archipelago in Western Finland is the only place in the world where you can witness a geological process directly related to the Ice Age. Plus, in a little while you may be able to walk to Sweden. … Read more

How to Visit Cinque Terre by Train

Who doesn’t know Cinque Terre? Follow us as we show you how to explore the area by train and foot, including quirky tips for each of the five villages. Enjoy this stunning UNESCO-listed place! **Article updated in August 2017** Why Cinque Terre by train? You just need to look at a picture of Cinque Terre … Read more

The Lemons of Gargano

You know where we are, right? We’re in Gargano, the northern part of the Apulia region in Southern Italy. Here we take a walk around Zio Michele’s garden, taste some great fruit and veg, and learn about organic farming. How we ended up learning about lemons If you’ve read our previous post, you’ll know we stayed at the lovely … Read more

DIY Kerala Backwaters

A boat trip around the backwaters of Kerala is high on many travellers’ lists, but it can leave you with a big hole in your wallet. Here’s where we teach you to do it yourself. For peanuts. Think Kerala, and it’s likely you’ll conjure images of palm-fringed canals and sunsets from the deck of a … Read more

On the Tragic Fate of Temple Elephants

Well, we haven’t had a Festival Friday for a while. To celebrate World Environment Day, this week we would like to offer something different. An article on the Onam festival in Kerala, and some thoughts on the fate of temple elephants.

India Fatehpur Sikri elephant carving — Elephant carving in an Indian temple

Kerala has something different from the rest of India. A mellow, slower pace of life. Touts won’t bother you, rickshaw-drivers are likely to be napping on the back of their vehicle. If you have read Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things, you’ll know what I mean. Kerala is a place of crumbling colonial architecture and steamy forests, criss-crossed by canals and fringed by beautiful beaches.