Travelers are becoming increasingly savvy about planning their vacations. Nowadays people want to avoid the long lines, over-commercialized gimmicks, and too-high prices, and instead discover what life is really like in a different culture. Sometimes if you dig a little deeper and venture a little farther than the average guidebook tells you to, it often leads to more authentic cultural experiences and, incidentally, more affordable prices. For those travelers who want to skip the tourist traps and see how the locals live, this post is full of insider tips on where to go for sustainable off-the-beaten-path adventures. Earlier this week was the United Nation's International Day of the World's Indigenous People--to celebrate, here are SustainableTrip.org's Top 5 Destinations to Discover Indigenous Communities:

Sani Lodge, Ecuador

Sani Lodge is owned and fully operated by the Kichwa Sani Island community. The Lodge oversees and protects the largest expanse of tropical moist forest (143 square miles/370 square kilometers) in all of Ecuador. Guests have the opportunity to visit local communities and a native family's home, where they can see how a typical Kichwa family lives, including their food, drinks, customs, clothing, and more.

View of Sani Lodge across from Lake Challuacocha.

Nacientes Palmichal, Costa Rica

Nacientes Palmichal is a rural community initiative in Costa Rica's San José province, where a community of 5,000 inhabitants called Palmichal de Acosta is developing sustainable, carbon-free alternatives to earn money. Coffee growing is a tradition in this region, and from September to March you can observe or participate in coffee-picking with local farmers. You can also visit the Indigenous Huetar Reserve, where the people share their stories and show how they make traditional handicrafts and use roots to obtain colorful dyes for their decoration and embellishment.

The community of Palmichal de Acosta organized to protect their forest.

Tres Lagunas, Mexico

This is truly a destination for the off-the-beaten-path adventure seeker. Stay in the home of a traditional Maya Lacandon family and discover first-hand what their daily life is like. The Tres Lagunas ecotourism center gives you an opportunity to experience exuberant jungles, impressive trails, lagoons, and, above all, the hospitality of the Lacandones.

Take a canoe out on one of Tres Lagunas' three freshwater lagoons.

Yachana Lodge, Ecuador

Yachana Lodge is a window to the reality of life and culture in Ecuador's Amazon region. Aside from exploring the beautiful rainforest and Napo River, guests can visit the local Mondaña community, elementary school, and the health clinic founded by the Lodge. Guests can also participate in a traditional cleansing ceremony performed by a local medicine man and test their skills at the indigenous arts of blowguns and spears still used today for hunting. They can observe a local family panning for gold, commonly practiced by traditional Amazonian families who will genuinely enjoy your company and teaching you what they do.

Experience centuries-old Amazon culture and traditions.

Mountain Lodges of Peru

This unique tour features a guided trek over 7 days where you will stay at 4 sustainable mountainside lodges: Salkantay Lodge, Wayra Lodge, Collpa Lodge, and Lucma Lodge. Your journey starts in the bustling city of Cusco and ends at the famous ancient citadel of Machu Picchu. Along the way you'll learn about the history and culture of Incan civilization as you hike across breathtaking mountain vistas. Mountain Lodges of Peru goes beyond comfortable lodging and exhilarating hikes to offer a unique opportunity to experience the ancient history of the Land of the Incas, detailed contemporary manifestations of the Incan culture, the most interesting and varied flora and exotic fauna, and gastronomic surprises.

Salkantay Peak in the background is 20,566 feet high, the tallest in the region.

Hope you enjoyed our Top 5 Sustainable Destinations to Discover Indigenous Communities! We have over 80 sustainable destinations featuring indigenous communities – see them all on our Search for a Trip page.

You have the power to positively affect the local community you're visiting by making sustainable travel choices. Every single one of the properties listed on SustainableTrip.org must be involved with meaningful initiatives that support their local communities in order to be included on this site. Furthermore, if you stay at a lodge that is fully owned and operated by an indigenous community, in the vast majority of cases, all proceeds go directly towards improving local livelihoods.

Do you think it is worthwile to travel to indigenous communities? Leave us a comment and let us know what you think!

This entry was posted on August 11, 2011 at 1:41 PM and has received 777 views. There are currently 2 comments. Print this entry.