Green Tour Operators

Specialist Reports Special Interest Holidays Green Tourism Green Tour Operators Earthfoot 

	Earthfoot

A web site offering 150-plus sustainable tourism options. All should be suitable for families as all will take groups of as few as four and customise their programmes to suit the visitors.
The following consider themselves particularly suited:

Ecotour Samoa Ltd

PO Box 4609, Matautu-uta, SAMOA
+ (685) 22144 & 25993
ecotoursamoa
An ecotourism and adventure travel agent offering both five-star comfort and the option of spending seven days living with Samoans in traditional villages. Children are reported very welcome.

Kido Eco Tours

Kido Ecological Research Station, Sanctuary, Carriacou Island Grenadines of Grenada, West Indies
kido-projects
Families go to the Sanctuary and take Kido eco-tours and/or join the summer camps for kids. There are three lodges for up to four, six or eight, with bath and kitchen with fridge/freezer for on eight acres of forested ridge on the northwest coast of Carriacou.The base has private beach and reef access to the beach and reef. Italian / West Indian vegetarian catering is available using local vegetables and fruit. There is a rainwater collection and conservation systems, on-site composting and only natural soaps and detergents.
Prices are US$30 per day per person, self-catering, US$65per day per person, lodging, breakfast, take away lunch and dinner. Children under 12, half price. 8% Gov. taxes added.
Tour options include Reef Snorkeling at Sanctuary Bay and Anse LaRoche in one of most prisitine reefs in the world; High North Forest Hiking Trails in 1500 acres containing tropical medicinal plants and birds and reptiles, plus for example opossum. Whale and Dolphin Watching is available on a 57ft catamaran (no motor to disturb them) listening with hydrophones to underwater sound trails. Several species of dolphins are present year round, as well as pilot, killer, sperm and melon-head whales. Humpbacks may be seen from December to April when they come to breed and raise offspring. A look at a mangrove swamp,
Night/early morning Turtle Nesting Monitoring (from April to December) on the park beaches.
Prices range from US$30 to US$75 for the whale and dolphin watching for which under 12s are half price. 5% Gov taxes added for tours.

Kaahele Hawaii

KaaheleHawaii
Tours, including tailormade, on Hawaii. The owner points out that Hawaiian culture has a strong emphasis on children. ‘Hawaiian men frequently are seen in the markets carrying infants, their toddlers running about their legs, as they shop for supper. We call children "pua," which means "flower," in our language, because it is the flower which adds beauty and hope to the tree of generations. Children also are called "lei," "garlands," because they are the adornment of the family.'
There are cookery and hula and Hawaiian costume workshops along with a day tour looking at the ecosystems of Hawaii travelling from sea to mountains through rain forest and desert and finding out how the Hawaiians traditionally used the environment.

Rocky Mountain Escape

ecolodge
Offers adventure packages for families the only restrictions being horseback riding - minimum 6 years of age; whitewater rafting - minimum 10 years of age on Class 3 or 4 rivers; any multi-day wilderness adventure with tent camping - minimum 6 years. All other activities (hiking, canoeing, fishing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and dog sledding) have no age restrictions.

Discover Pacific Tours

discoverpacifictours
Offers some family oriented tours in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico:
Whale watching (mid December to end March);
Dolphin watching (from April to mid December)
Plus birding year-round.
The whale and dolphin watching tours include a brief explanation about the evolution of cetaceans, their adaptation to the aquatic environment and behaviour. The boat's maximum capacity is 8 passengers but sometimes use another boat that can hold 15 passengers.
Also assists a marine biologists in the bay studying humpback whales.

Denise Goodfellow

au002
A specialist guide in the far north of Australia, mainly for birdwatchers/natural history, but welcoming children along without question. Her own children spent much time with her in the bush, and members of her Aboriginal clan take children along when the visitors go hunting or camping

Far Out Adventures

PO BOX 54 Katherine, Northern Territory, AUSTRALIA 0850
+ 61 8 89722552
farout
Specialise in tailormade Outback adventures, rated in the Top Ten Aussie Outback experiences by Frommers Guide. Client base is mostly British & American and boasting ‘Advanced Ecotourism Accreditation'

Tradouw Rural Adventures

saecotourism
Specialists in family and youth holidays with activities including 4x4 routes, game drives, farm tours, indigenous flower tours, warm water springs, horseback riding, clay pigeon shooting, with accommodation on farms or in town. Two nights for a family of four including six meals and activities for the whole family might be US$200.

La Laguna del Lagarto Lodge

adventure-costarica
A lodge reported ideal for families with children of 5-plus. ‘We have had numerous families and children and parents enjoyed it tremendously.'