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Northern Ireland
ArticlesTrinity Island Lodge, County Cavan, IrelandMonday, March 1st, 2010
Trinity Island Lodge, County Cavan. No one is going to choose a place to stay simply because it has solar panels or a compost loo. Although I must admit, I have a bizarre interest in the pros, cons, and inner workings of the latter, which amuses my children no end. However, when you visit a place and realise that the owner has, often against the odds, created an eco-dream, and wants nothing more than for you to lie back and enjoy its natural wonders (and I don’t just mean the [...] Charity climbsThursday, February 25th, 2010
Unlike some of Ireland’s most well known, such as Focus Ireland’s Four Peaks Challenge, which takes place only once a year, the UK’s National Three Peaks Challenge, for example, sends at least 30,000 [...] When disaster strikesMonday, February 1st, 2010When the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami hit, many tourists raced back to beloved beaches to help. Because everyone was desperate to help, even in some small way. People have donated generously to Haiti, but few have raced back to its beaches. Because, sadly, Haiti was only just starting to paddle its feet in the murky waters of tourism before disaster struck. But it is not tourism Haiti needs now. It is money, water, food, energy and expert support. Not tourists. If you want to travel to Haiti as a volunteer, do so only if you [...] Train and ferry between Ireland and LondonMonday, February 1st, 2010
Catherine and family coming into Dublin Port with Irish Ferries I had a call from a friend who was stuck in London during the worst of the snow, “You must know how to get me home without flying”, she said. “I need to be back in Dublin tomorrow and every airport in Europe seems to be closed”. Within minutes she was sorted. “ Catch the 9am train from London Euston direct to Holyhead with Virgin Trains, arrives four hours later, then onto 2pm [...] Glad to be greenTuesday, January 5th, 2010
Whitepod, Switzerland Copenhagen has, despite everything, planted seeds of change. As world leaders debate degrees and dollars, those of us who are trying to embrace sustainability into our everyday lives can do so without feeling like we are ‘do-gooders’ anymore. Green is going mainstream, and ethical holidays are no longer seen as simply ‘the right thing to do’, but as fantastic experiences in their own right. So, at last, we can come [...] People of the year 2009Tuesday, January 5th, 2010
Donkey trekking with Itinerance in Mercantour National Park, France
I once had an editor who told me that I shouldn’t write about people in travel. “Holidaymakers only want to know about the place, not the people. They’re irrelevant to travel articles”, he told me. However, writing about beaches and budget airlines, is not really my bag, as regular readers will know by now. People who create incredible [...] Ecotravel gifts this ChristmasMonday, December 14th, 2009
Shopping stropSaturday, November 28th, 2009
Moroccan beads. Photo: Catherine Mack At the risk of biting the hand that feeds me, Go’s ‘Shop through the drop’ article (14.11.09) about the ‘great’ return of Irish women to the New York shopping trip, in search of a credit crunch bargain, took me on a nostalgia trip. I did exactly that in my youth, which was [...] A family day out at Bedgebury Forest, UKTuesday, November 17th, 2009
Photo: Catherine Mack At the Tourism South East Awards, Bedgebury Forest and National Pinetum received the Tourism Excellence Award for Sports Tourism. On the same dayit won the Medium-sized Tourism and Leisure Award at the West Kent Business Awards. Catherine Mack headed down with family and bikes to see if it lived up to its ever-growing reputation…
Click here to read more Power to the peopleMonday, November 16th, 2009
Photo: Whale Watch Kaikoura
Four years ago I watched a Maasai warrior stand up in front of a roomful of tourism executives and academics, and say, very politely, “All we want is a voice”. This was in response to endless Powerpoints on sustainable tourism, ethical policies and community empowerment strategies. The [...] |
I had two emails from people last week asking me to sponsor them on charity climbs. Because this is the beginning of ‘peak’ season, when people scale the heights to raise much needed funds for charities. However, this fundraising phenomenen is growing at such a rate, that it starting to throw up many other challenges.
I can’t avoid it anymore, Christmas is nearly here and, with it, the usual brain battle for gift ideas. So if you have a loved one with the ecotravel bug, here are a few of my favourite things, which might ease the pain. The best gift I was lucky enough to get this year was a Roberts eco-radio. Already a faithful camping companion, it is bright green inside and out, functions on solar powered energy and is all round DAB cool. So now that [...]