All travel can transform you, but Ecotourism takes transformation to a higher level. This "green" mode of travel puts you intimately closer to the wonders of our living planet and its diverse cultures, serving as a way not just to vacation, but learn, and make a positive impact on people, communities, and the environment as well. If you're ecologically and socially conscientious, interested in personal growth and "giving back," and craving immersion in destinations rich in flora, fauna, and cultural heritage, there's an ecotour for you.

Ecotours are small, guided tours led by expert naturalists who educate you on the nature and culture of an area while ensuring respect for the environment, wildlife, and people of the area. Some ecotours are participative, where you might find yourself tagging endangered turtles or tidying a trail. The ideal tour operator lives by a set of ethics honoring conservation and local cultural customs and often contributes to the local community in different ways.



Likewise, there are eco-friendly lodging providers who abide by programs and best practices that protect the environment and enhance life in their communities. Among them are hotels large and small, practicing energy efficiency, water conservation, recycling, linen-reuse programs and more while creating economic opportunities for local citizens and contributing a portion of their revenues to local conservation projects and communities.

netTrav contributes by donating 2% of your travel purchases with us to worldwide forestation and sustainable-development programs. Whether you choose "green" lodging as a matter of routine or turn your next vacation into an exotic ecotour, we encourage you to be environmentally and culturally aware wherever you go.

See some of the world's most spectacular scenery and magnificent wildlife in America's National Parks. From the endangered species and immense subtropical wilderness of Florida's Everglades National Park to the pristine forests of Montana's Glacier National Park, diversity abounds from coast to coast and points in-between. Here's one you may not have considered – did you know the world's largest subterranean cave system resides in Kentucky's Mammoth Cave National Park? Formed 10 million years ago, Mammoth features a 335- mile network of mapped and explored passages, holding a menagerie of nature's most exquisite sculptures at every turn.

Cruise the great Amazon River – not on a huge luxury ship but a small double-decker riverboat, guided by a naturalist steeped in knowledge of the area and accompanied, at times, by pink dolphins swimming alongside. The 3700-mile-long Amazon is the largest river in the world, spanning the width of South America, from the Andes Mountains of Peru to the seashore of Brazil. From your riverboat base camp, you can take small-boat or canoe excursions through tributaries graced by native fishermen casting nets and children carrying jungle fruits in dugout canoes as parakeets and parrots greet you from ashore. Beneath the canopy of towering trees, you venture into the vast, mysterious Amazon Rainforest, immersing yourself ever deeper in the lush vegetation amidst echoing voices of a jungle teeming with life. The iridescent butterflies, exotic birds, acrobatic monkeys, fascinating flora and fauna...absolutely unforgettable. The best time to go is during April and May, and most tours last eight days.

Just a stone's throw east of Greenland, the Scandinavian outpost of Iceland promises an ecotour unlike any other. Traverse this island-nation on Highway 1, which encircles most of the country, providing breathtaking views of towering cliffs, tundra forests, volcanic craters, and fields of petrified lava. The surrounding ocean is alive with dolphins and whales, while puffins and Arctic terns watch from cliff-side perches. Behold Europe's largest glacier in Jokulsarlon, as it calves great ice chunks into the lagoon below. Inland, spouting geysers, steaming pools, raging rivers, and thundering waterfalls complement valleys of wildflowers and vistas of sheep grazing in valleys of green. From bird- and whale-watching to exploring Viking history and meeting locals, there's a tour of Iceland for everyone. Best time to go – May through September. Allow at least one week.