Category: Adventure Travel

The dilemma we all currently face is that of our personal environmental impact when traveling.

Staying at home and going nowhere is the radical and obvious solution. But for most of us that is an extreme and unrealistic expectation. We’re only here once and we’d like to see as much of the word as we can, while we are here. 

So, assuming we continue to explore, how can we what steps can we take as individuals to reduce our impact and ensure there are as many beautiful places and species for future generations to enjoy? 

Traveling is an opportunity to learn more about our environment, conservation and wildlife protection and to deliver important messages from remote areas. Messages which can help raise awareness, support and funds to help protect and sustain these beautiful, places and their wildlife.

Here are just a few suggestions to help you reduce your personal impact on your adventures

Choose Your Airline Carefully

Make your choice of airline a deliberate and considered one. A little online research will give you a very good idea which ones are leading the way in environmentally sustainable travel.

Fly Direct

Fly direct where possible instead of connecting indirect services which far less efficient.

Although it is rarely the least expensive way to do things, Flying direct reduces your impact in many ways.

Stay A little longer.

Travel for a longer duration when traveling long haul, instead of flying more times.

Stay in the right places.

Choose environmentally friendly lodges and accommodation which are fully or at least partially sustainable. 

Community Spirit

Make sure the accommodation you choose, is either run by the local community, or that it embraces and employs the local community. 

Choose Adventures That Help

Chose adventures which have a positive impact on wildlife and local cultural population.

Research your trips carefully, and those who run them. Support those who show along term commitment to the environment and wildlife.

Show Your Support While You Are Away 

Choose to support conservation and enviro-friendly projects during your stay. Re-wilding ventures, community projects, conservation movements and other schemes which support local wildlife and conservation.

Show Your Support While After You Return 

Support conservation and enviro-friendly projects after you return home. Small donations, multiplied by many people can have a huge impact. 

At Wildfoot Travel our team are always happy to chat to you and offer their specialist help and first-hand expertise on environmental and sustainable choices.

We’re looking forward to hearing from you

Co-founder of The Travel Photographer Of The Year Awards, Chris Coe is a hugely experienced professional travel photographer, writer and photographic tutor, who has shot over 40 travel, photography and coffee table books. He has led many photographic tours in the UK and internationally, including South Africa, Ireland, Morocco and Svalbard.
In April 2020, Chris has agreed to run a Photography Masterclass Safari In Namibia with Wildfoot Travel
Ahead of that amazing trip, we ask Chris a few questions about his love of Namibia and his unique approach to photography courses.

What do you feel makes Namibia so special for photographers?

Photography is my passion. It’s all about light and time, and how you capture and use both creatively to give your images impact. The light in Namibia is fantastic. Also, of course, the stunning diversity of wildlife – large and small – unique landscapes and welcoming people all combine to create an incredible environment for photographers.

What’s your approach to photography tuition?

Photography is akin to playing a musical instrument like a saxophone. When you first pick up a camera, anyone can snap a photograph, when you first pick up a sax you may get a sound out of it but you certainly won’t be playing a melody, that comes with time and practice. Photography itself is actually simple, but it’s made complicated by today’s sophisticated cameras and their confusing menus. My approach to teaching is to simplify and demystify the camera first, then use this knowledge to stimulate your creativity, try new techniques and develop your style and photographic eye for an image which goes beyond the ordinary. My tuition is challenging, at times, but also confidence-building. We won’t get mired too deeply in the technical stuff – although I always ensure that the key technical elements required are covered so that the participants are comfortable and can then move forward as we focus on the creative aspects of the craft.

It’s a group trip, albeit a small one, does that mean all the photo tuition will be as a group?

Not at all! Naturally there will be some group tuition but I will also focus on each participant separately, helping them with specific aspects of their photography which they find difficult as well as techniques, composition and ways of seeing which will take their photography to the next level. At 11 days, this trip gives us masses of time for everyone to make progress in an unhurried way and at a pace that works for them as individuals. And rest assured, we’ll be having creative fun with the camera as well!

What if you have varying levels of photographic skill amongst the participants?

That’s not a problem; it’s something I’d expect. I’m used to dealing with groups that cover everything from raw beginners to what I’d call ‘serious’ amateurs, and even professional photographers.

What do you aim for all participants to have achieved by the end of the trip?

To feel that their photography has taken a major step forward, to feel more confident technically and creatively, to have learnt how to ‘see’ an image within a landscape or subject, and to have thoroughly enjoyed themselves, coming away with memories and photographic skills to last a lifetime. It’s a fabulous trip to a glorious country; I can’t wait!

Testimonials From Chris’s Tuition

“Clear, honest and impartial tuition with passion and motivation – liberating, stimulating, informative, digestible and confidence-building.”

Andrew Boddington, course participant

“Despite the many courses I’ve been on, your course was the one from which I learnt the most. What you taught me about composition is now almost intuitive and applied every time I compose or edit an image!”
Adrian Hollister, course participant

“Chris’s expert tuition, both general and tailored to each individual, meant I got the most out of every photo opportunity. Feedback and discussion on the images I had taken, both from the composition and technical viewpoint, meant I have come away with a new and refreshed approach to making images.  Highly recommended.”
Neville Morgan

“Chris provided expert tuition,  tailored to our individual needs throughout the course, often continuing late into the evening if we wanted it. Nothing was too much trouble.”
Ken Moore

“Very many thanks to Chris for a really good day’s training in London yesterday. It was a cold day and a few showers, but I learnt a lot even though I thought my knowledge of photography was fairly good! The group was friendly and we all benefited from the day – and of course the location was stunning. This is the second time i have met Chris and certainly find his training really easy to follow. He takes everything a step at a time and goes over points until he’s sure that we have understood and can put them into practise.”
Richard Goldsmith

Find out more about our Photography Masterclass Safari In Namibia

Everest summiteer and conservationist, Holly Budge, on patrol with Akashinga, an armed, all-female, anti-poaching team in Zimbabwe.

Described as “one of the UK’s most accomplished female adventurers”, Holly Budge, was quite literally on top of the world when she summited Mount Everest. Her adventurous pursuits, including becoming the first woman to skydive Everest, provide a platform to raise valuable funds for How Many Elephants. To date, she has raised over £300k for charities and initiatives. Holly is an energetic and engaging keynote and TEDx speaker who talks passionately about her diverse achievements in the outdoors and the power of passion. Her message is simple: Think Big. Dream Bigger.

Holly Budge, founder of How Many Elephants, earnt a rare privilege of accompanying the highly skilled Akashinga rangers whilst they patrol the front lines. From the summit of Everest to the front line of conservation in the African bush, Budge is no stranger to adventure but this was a whole different beast.

“It’s 5.45am. I’m standing in line with four armed Akashinga rangers, ready to go out on foot patrol. “You may not see any wildlife Holly, this is not a safari trip” says Nyaradzo. I pinch myself as the realisation of what I am about to do gets real. These women are fighting a war on poaching and the poachers are not the only threat out there. The rangers load their rifles. The front ranger clicks her fingers as a signal to go. I take a deep breath as we move into the darkness” says Budge.

Akashinga translates to “The Brave Ones” in the local vernacular, an apt name for the often dangerous work they do. Coming face to face with poachers and wild beasts, heading up raids and sting operations, these women are highly trained and highly motivated to make a difference to the future survival of endangered African wildlife species.

Budge is the founder of How Many Elephants. The charity’s mission is to raise awareness of the African elephant crisis and make a difference. Because every day, 96 elephants are killed for their ivory. That’s 35,000+ of these magnificent, gentle, intelligent animals a year. That’s ten years to extinction.

Budge spent several days immersed with the Akashinga Rangers, accompanying them on their daily patrols and other duties. Make no mistake though, this is not a 9-5 job and no day is the same. These women work fourteen days on and ten days off. They are not only changing the face of conservation but changing the traditional status quo of women staying at home bringing up the children. They are the breadwinners and positive role models in their families, their communities and beyond.

“As we move further into the interior, the realization that these women are my lifeline dawned on me. Without them, I’m a dead woman! This is a war zone and we are patrolling on the front lines. Challenges present themselves at every corner; Wild and dangerous beasts roaming, snare wire coiled round trees like spider’s webs’ awaiting their prey, the thorny undergrowth, the stifling heat of the sun, the desperate lack of water and signs of poachers’ presence make this a very hostile environment to be in, especially for a newcomer. “Welcome to the bush Holly” whispers one of the rangers. I gulp” says Budge.

Founder of Akashinga, Damien Mander says “by moving men into construction and labour and putting women into the power roles of law enforcement, management, decision making, we’ve completely deescalated the majority of local tension and brought conservation and communities together”. He strongly believes the face of conservation going forwards is female.

Budge recalls driving through the local communities with Nyaradzo, her go-to ranger,

and heads were turning. She told Budge that the men in her community had instilled in her that women couldn’t drive big vehicles. Nyaradzo proved them wrong when she learnt to drive a year before through the ranger programme. Her pride was spilling over as she drove the 4×4 anti-poaching vehicle around the communities as part of her daily work.

This is not Budge’s first time on the front line having spent time last year immersed with The Black Mambas in South Africa, another all-female anti-poaching team. “These are two very different female ranger models. The Black Mambas are armed with only pepper spray and handcuffs. The Akashinga are armed with rifles and trained in combat. Both are making a tremendous impact “on the ground” in Africa” says Budge.

Budge uses her world record adventures, including being the first woman to skydive Everest to raise awareness of the African elephant crisis and raise charitable funds for How Many Elephants. To date, she has fundraised over £300K. Her hard-hitting campaign uses design as a powerful visualisation tool to bridge the gap between scientific data and human connection. Her travelling exhibition showcases 35,000 elephant silhouettes to show the sheer scale of the elephant poaching crisis and is heading for China next year.

“Part of the originality of my exhibition is in my approach to avoid gruesome and shocking imagery to portray the facts. To actually see and connect with this data visually is very impactful” says Budge.

The thought of the African savannah devoid of elephants is heart-breaking enough but putting emotion aside, the impacts of losing these animals will be of extreme detriment to the environment and beyond; If the elephants go extinct, entire ecosystems could follow as they are a keystone species and important ecosystem engineers.

Budge helped to dismantle snares wrapped around shady trees, just waiting for their victims to take shade from the beating sun. “It was heartbreaking to try and comprehend how many snares are out there and how quickly they are replaced, once found and removed. It is an ongoing battle” says Budge.

Budge is calling all conservationists, scientists, politicians, educators, storytellers, adventurers and change makers who dare to say, “I can make a difference in the world”, it’s time to stand up for elephants, before it is too late.

‘To see 35,000 elephant graphics on a wall is both shocking, impactful and a great way of raising awareness of the sheer scale of the poaching problem in Africa. Holly is a passionate individual and is using her creative and adventurous endeavours to make a really positive contribution’ says Colin Bell, a conservationist and author

Read more about How Many Elephants and ways to get involved here.

• With their distinctive black and white colouring, Orcas are widespread. Although they adapt to any climate and can be found in the coastal waters surrounding most countries, they prefer colder water and are usually found in deep water, within 500 miles of the shoreline.
• It is estimated that half the world’s population of Orcas live in the waters of Antarctica.
• Orcas are often called killer whales but they don’t typically attack humans. In fact, in the wild there has never been a single fatal attack on a human reported and only one bite on a human by an Orca has ever been recorded.
• The name ‘Killer Whale’ is due to their ability to take down large marine animals, like seals and whales. In fact, Orcas will prey on almost any animal they find in the sea or along the coastline.
• Despite being called killer whales, Orcas actually belong to the dolphin family Delphinidae. So, these highly intelligent animals are actually dolphins and not whales at all.
• As an apex predator, they are at the top of the food chain, with the only threats that face them coming from man in the form of chemical pollution, noise pollution, over fishing resulting a reduction in their food supply, and climate change.
• An average-sized Orca can eat up to 227 kilograms of food a day
• Aside from the black and white colouring, Orca can be recognised in the water due to their prominent dorsal fin. The dorsal fin can be a long as six feet in a fully grown male Orca.

• Orcas can grow up to 32 feet in length and their teeth can be as long as 10cm.
• They can swim at speeds up to 34mph
• The lifespan of an Orca is estimated to range between 40 and 50 years.
• Orcas are very sociable and live in pods of up to 40 members which are thought to be family based. There are two different kinds of pods. Resident Pods are less aggressive and tends to hunt fish. Transient Pods are much more aggressive and work together to hunt marine mammals.
• Orcas frequently breach, making graceful leaps out of the water before landing with a loud splash on their backs, sides or stomachs.

• Orcas also ‘skyhop’, slowly rising out of the water until head and almost all the flippers are above the surface before gradually sinking back out of sight. It is not uncommon to see several skyhopping together.
• There is a resident group or Orcas in the waters of the UK, known as the ‘West Coast Community’ consisting of just 8 individuals, 4 males and 4 females. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a calf born to this pod in the last 20 years.
• Other pods of migrant Orcas visit Northern Scotland in early summer to feast on Herring and Mackerel and the occasional seal.

If you’d like to see Orca and a wide range of other marine wildlife, why not join us on one of our expedition cruises to Antarctica:

At Wildfoot Travel, we’re exceptionally proud to be sponsoring award-winning wildlife cameraman Doug Allan’s fantastic UK theatre tour.
This month we managed to sit him down for an exclusive chat to find out some more about his wildlife travel experiences.

Of your many wildlife encounters, which stands out as the most memorable?

The biggest ones always involve big mammals. Underwater in the company of friendly humpbacks in Tonga. Sharing quality time with a polar bear who’s only relaxed because you’ve been patient approaching her. When Doug Anderson and I filmed the orcas for Frozen Planet hunting the seals in the pack ice, washing them off the ice floes by making waves with their tails – well that was probably my most memorable encounter. Spectacular, dramatic, never before filmed, so many elements to the story.

What is the ‘trickiest situation’ you have found yourself in on your Polar travels.

I was grabbed by a walrus while I was snorkelling off the ice edge in the Canadian Arctic. He came up from right below me without warning, hugged my thighs with his flippers just as they do when catching seals in the same way. I looked down, hit his head with my fist, he let go and I swam back to the solid ice. Took less time than it has done for you to read this. Now if he’d held on and taken me down …… well no more Doug I guess.

Of all the Polar regions you talk about in your mesmerising UK lecture tour, which is the area that stands out the most?

Between 1976 and 1987 I spent a total of five winters and eight summers working in Antarctica. Four winters as diving officer, biologist and finally film maker at the British Antarctic Survey base on Signy Island in the South Orkneys, a small group of islands on the northern edge of the Weddell Sea. The other winter as base commander at Halley station, at 75^o south on the eastern side of the Weddell. Wintering with 18 other men but just as importantly for me, within visiting distance of a colony of 25,000 pairs of emperor penguins. Those ten years were formative to everything I’ve done since. I developed from photographic neophyte to full time film maker. In the years since, the chance to visit places like South Georgia and down the Antarctic Peninsula was a wonderful privilege, filming the kind of animal encounters only the Antarctic can offer.

As a fierce campaigner for cleaner oceans and a sustainable environment, what is the key piece of advice you would like give to:

a). Every Politician

b). Every individual

For politicians – take your heads out of the sand over climate change. Give us worldwide, joined up strategies, faster goals than 2050, new economic priorities as the old model is clearly not fit for purpose. You found $2 trillion ten years ago for the Troubled Asset Relief Programme that saved the banks. What price a Troubled Planet Relief Programme?

For individuals – we used to sing All You Need is Love and I bet we all could still sing the tune. But now – All We Need is Less would serve us better.

If you hadn’t become a world renowned natural world photographer and film maker, what alternative career would you have pursued?

I was fortunate in that I found my passion for underwater at only 10 years old. All since was in a way bolted on. Marine biology, expeditions, the Antarctic, photography. When I met David Attenborough and his three person film crew in the Antarctic in 1981, I realised that Hugh Maynard, the cameraman with him, was doing all the things that excited me. Diving, photography, travelling to exciting places, working with wildlife, involved with worthwhile projects and with fascinating people. It was two days helping them that took me to wildlife filming full time.

So to ask me what alternative career would I have pursued, well how far back do you want to go? Something definitely outside an office, an element of unpredictability, an adrenaline kick now and again, something that felt ‘worthwhile’. Working for the emergency services, being the guy who was winched out of the helo for the rescues? But on the other hand I know myself to be an incorrigible showman so how about something on the stage?

What are the three top travel destinations still outstanding on your Bucket List

I plan to spend more time in the wild parts of UK and Ireland. They’re the match of anywhere on the planet, I like that they’re not predictable, that they reveal all their moods only to the persistent, and that they can challenge all your survival and field craft skills if you choose the season and place to explore.

I’d also like to spend a spell sailing slowly round some of the less visited islands of the Pacific. Using my French in some places, feeling the big ocean spaces, having the time to spend with the locals.

I haven’t yet had the chance to go deep in a submersible. I’d love to go down to the bottom of one of the oceanic trenches, say + 8000 metres, spend a few hours there.

Buy a copy of Doug Allan’s latest book ‘Freeze Frame’ here

Find out more about Doug Allan’s theatre tour here