Home Eco-Travel Mindful Travel Great Trips Parker's Pick
North America Central-S America Asia-Pacific Africa

Sydney's Thumb favors expeditions, programs and tours that meet the following criteria:

    Ideal Features

  1. promote Green Travel Criteria
  2. include quality educational component
  3. include meaningful volunteer opportunity
  4. offer a good deal
  5. provide chance for individual exploration and reflection
  6. minimal habitat impact
  7. not highly energy-consumptive
  8. well organized and run
  9. respect local economy and indigenous culture
  10. offset greenhouse gasses

**recently reviewed as "Parker's Pick"

Central & South America
1. Leatherback Sea Turtles in Trinidad

You'll walk the sand beaches, patrolling for the most massive reptiles on Earth, observing behavior, collecting data. On your time off you will enjoy the Caribbean at Saint Croix while lodging at simple seaside bungalows. www.earthwatch.org

2. Manatees and Dolphins of Belize

Discover the elusive behavior of endangered manatees and explore the habitat they share with bottlenose dolphins. You will stay at Spanish Bay Conservation and Research Center, the only development on a private, pristine 186-acre mangrove island, surrounded by the Caribbean. www.earthwatch.org

3. Otters of the Pantanal

Join researchers studying impacts on giant river otters (as well as other Pantanal species). You'll explore the world's largest freshwater wetland, observing caiman, macaws, capybaras and other wildlife. You'll stay at a comfortable ranch. www.earthwatch.org.