Can a hip bag ever be a hip bag? I can’t help but raise the question since they keep showing up. Years peacefully pass and then, oh! There’s another fanny pack, I mean hip bag.

My first hip bag was a navy nylon number I wore while trudging through Europe with a backpack and Eurail pass. It was a safe spot for my passport, but try making a quick, sanitary stop in a public restroom with one of those clamped around your waist.

Then Gucci came out with one a few years back and cleverly called it their “belt bag”. I spotted quite a few around town – then poof, they were gone.

But here they are again, this time in a practical, clever version at Etsy. Australia-based Happy Cow makes hip bags in all shapes and sizes using leftover leather scraps sourced from furniture manufacturers.

Check out the Waist Pack ($60) with plenty of pockets for all your stuff. It’s not just for traveling. The Hip Bag ($70) is the latest, greatest version from Happy Cow. It fits through normal pant belt loops (for guys), or loose around the waist (for girls). Might I go out on a limb and consider it somewhat stylish?

I need to hear from you, my fellow fashionistas, to decide once and for all. It’s helpful, but is it hot?

Just don’t call it a fanny pack.

- via Design Milk

The landscape of the world is always changing. Geological processes like tectonism, denudation and volcanism have shaped the face of Earth as we know it over the course of billions of years. Unfortunately, much of the natural phenomena on the planet today is transforming for the worse due to human encroachment. Whether the effects of global warming, deforestation, urbanization or heavy tourism are to blame, the fact of the matter is that these precious gems are rapidly deteriorating right before our eyes.

The snowfield of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is quickly thawing. Signs point to global warming.

Farming, irrigation and development are draining the water necessary to sustain the Everglades in South Florida. Restoration plans have done little, as this landscape now covers only half of its original territory.

Rising water temperatures, which cause coral bleaching, and increasing acidity levels are gradually killing the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia.

Scientists estimate that sometime between 2030- 2050, the last glacier in the Swiss Alps will have melted away.

The cypress forests throughout the Atchafalaya Basin in Louisiana have been decimated to manufacture mulch. Every year, 25 square miles of these stunning wetlands are lost forever to the sea.

Rampant tourism in the Galapagos Islands is causing more disturbance than this fragile setting can long endure.

Due to increased temperatures, the ice shelf of South Georgia Island, a region rich in wildlife, is disintegrating.

Deforestation is the leading threat to the Monteverde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica. The clouds this region is named after are beginning to dissipate as a result, which will eventually deprive this lush landscape of the moisture it needs to thrive.

Pollution and urbanization imperil Kathmandu Valley in Nepal.

The Mexican Michoacan Mountains are being defaced by illegal deforestation.

Global warming has already claimed over two-thirds of the glaciers within the pristine boundaries of Glacier National Park in Montana.

The Dead Sea in Israel is receding at an alarming rate (approximately three feet every year) because its primary water source, the Jordan River, is being sucked dry by the local populace.

Rising sea levels may spell doom for Australia’s Fraser Island.

The rainforest habitat of the island of Borneo, a territory divided between Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia, is endangered by farming and logging.

Since 1978, the glaciers in Alaska’s Kenai Fjords National Park have receded about a half-mile and continue to diminish further with each passing year.

Before you book a plane ticket, keep in mind that claims of eco-tourism can be deceiving and many of these delicate settings are best left untouched. If your heart is set on visiting these spots while you still can, visit the International Ecotourism Society, Conservation International or the Nature Conservancy for tips on how you can experience these wonders without further contributing to their ruin.

Images: wikimedia, minds-eye, Eulinky, dino_olivieri, derekkeats, baxterclaus, gokarna, cmanon, Andrew Kalat, laura padgett, peterjoel1, Chi King, Alaskan Dude

It is often said that “it’s not the destination, but the journey that counts.” I have never fully subscribed to this theory, at least when it comes to travel. In my experience, there are some destinations that involve a long and unrewarding journey but make up for it in the end.

On the other hand, there is a valid point to the expression. From an environmental standpoint, the way you travel is much more important than where you are going. There are also some trips where the journey itself is far more than a way to get from A to B.

Rail fits the bill on both counts. It is an environmentally-friendly way to travel, while the world’s best train journeys are breathtaking in their own right. The Trans-Mongolian railway is not the fastest way to get from Beijing to Moscow, but thousands of people do it every year. The Rocky Mountaineer in Canada even has a glass-domed roof in the dining car, the better to admire the stunning mountain views as the train takes you from Vancouver to the ski resort town of Jasper.

Yet, according to Wanderlust, the best rail journey in the world is in Scotland. The magazine included a rail journey category in its travel awards for the first time this year. The stretch of railway from Glasgow to Mallaig – where you can get a ferry to the famously beautiful Isle of Skye – won by a wide margin of votes. It got the gong for the stunning scenery, beating rail trips to Lake Titicaca or Machu Picchu in Peru, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in India, The Ghan from Darwin to Adelaide in Australia and others.

I took part of this trip in reverse recently, from Mallaig to Crianlarich, the junction in the Highlands where you can transfer to the Glasgow-Oban train. My, oh my. I can see why it won.

I spent most of the first half of the journey dashing from one side of the train to the other, marvelling at the sheer rocky hills rising to my left and the silvery lochs (lakes) surrounded by greenery. At this time of year the foxgloves are in bloom, providing a flash of purple along the train tracks. As we went deeper into the Highlands, we passed through peat bog scattered with white fluffy flowers waving in the wind, known aptly as bog cotton, framed by the blue of distant mountain peaks.

At Glenfinnan we passed over a giant viaduct, well known to Harry Potter fans. In summer you can actually go on the Jacobite steam train transformed into Hogwarts Express for the movies. It does a once-daily trip from Fort William, at the foot of snow-capped Ben Nevis, to Mallaig and back, but you need to buy a special ticket and book in advance.

There is no fuss about the West Highlands Railway – for ticketing purposes it’s just a normal part of the ScotRail network. My ticket to Crianlarich cost £23.60 on the day of purchase – it’s often cheaper when you buy in advance.

Rail is a fantastic way to see Scotland. The train journey from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh is also extremely scenic, though not a patch on the West Highlands Railway. Major cities such as Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen are well-connected with each other and with England. It is only a five-hour journey from Glasgow to London and there are sleeper services from London to most major Scottish cities.

Sometimes it definitely is the journey that counts.

Images: piglicker, paradiseconnections, brianholsclaw, ipoh

WWOOF! It might sound like a dog barking but it stands for “worldwide opportunities on organic farms”.

For travellers, the WWOOF organisation lets you travel the world and experience local culture on a budget. For hosts, the deal is you provide room and board in exchange for free labour.

You might be working on an organic mushroom farm in Brazil or a Buddhist community on the East Coast of Australia. This is not a jolly day out – you are expected to work hard. Yet many travellers find it very rewarding. For some, the allure is learning about organic gardening, while others are keen to experience local culture from within a family (or other household) environment and practise language skills.

But how do you get the most out of WWOOFING?

I asked my aunt Michele, who runs a permaculture design business called Edible Landscaping and has hosted WWOOFERs for the past five years to work in her permaculture garden and orchard near Cardiff in South Wales. Here are her tips.

For WWOOFERs:

She advises asking a lot of questions before you leave: how many hours you’re expected to work, how isolated the place is, whether you are expected to do housework. In general, she advocates that WWOOFERs should behave like a house guest and contribute a bit to running the house, even if it’s just to help clear up after dinner. Her number one piece of advice is to bring the right clothes – for South Wales that means waterproof outdoor gear like rain jackets and Wellington boots.

For Hosts:

She says it’s important to feed WWOOFERs well, particularly if they are doing hard, physical labour. She advises giving WWOOFERs a structure to work in - for her it’s five days on and two days off – giving them very clear instructions for what you want done and letting them know they can have breaks. Her best investment was buying a caravan for them to sleep in, rather than giving up her study with the sofa bed.

In five years, Michele says that the vast majority of WWOOFERs have been lovely. She finds the work they do in the garden very useful, while her children have had the opportunity to meet young people from all around the world and have benefited from the cultural exchange.

Image: kcbimal

With all things digital nowadays, it’s not surprising that my friend’s 12-year-old didn’t know you could still shoot 35 mm slides. Some of us remember when you couldn’t shoot anything but…

…but let’s move on. I have fond family memories of my dad’s slide shows. He’s a photo fanatic who never went anywhere without a camera or two. And much to my mother’s dismay, an entire wall of our garage was stacked with boxes of his slide carousels.

This would constitute a gold mine for Maura G of RedCamper. She creates all sorts of unique, one of a kind and cleverly unusual bags using vintage slides (image above).

The Skylark LTD. is her first laptop bag and it’s eco-friendly. Made with original vintage car upholstery, airplane seatbelt clips and vintage slides, it fits 15″ and smaller laptops, with extra space for the essential charger and cell phone.

Oh, and each of her bags comes with a naked lady. A slide, that is, of a naked lady, just like the one Maura G’s grandfather slipped into his slide shows to make sure no one was nodding off.

Find the Skylark LTD. laptop bag at RedCamper’s online store for $244.

Spring is here – the days are longer, warmer and suddenly there’s sexy in the air. And slight panic, as women everywhere realize that in just three short months their derrieres will be bare by the pool and on the beach.

Yes, it’s bikini season, ladies, and while tightening and tanning is totally your business, I’m happy to share with you a few of this season’s sexy and stylish bikinis. Because I believe the time is now to celebrate our bodies, and what better way to celebrate than to wear a bikini?

Here are a few of my favorites:

Loyale Hermosa Bikini

This sweet, flirty suit is made of 100% organic cotton and low impact dyes. Soft and subtle, the top offers extra coverage via an empire-like elastic waist-line. The sassy bottoms are just the right type of small, the “not-too” kind. Great coverage and still oh-so-sexy. The Hermosa is available in small and medium (large is sold out) at Beklina for $98.

Meadow Red Luna Bamboo Bikini

Made of bamboo and organic cotton with 2% spandex, the Red Luna is a slightly sophisticated bikini that says sporty with a touch of sweet. This basic two-piece has a cute bow-tie over the booty. Simple but definitely sexy, the Red Luna is available in XS-L at The Oko Box for $92.

Nikster Earth Bikini

This suit has a Brazilian bottom (a.k.a. itty bitty, teeny weeny) with a bandeau top. It isn’t for the modest or meek. The Earth Bikini’s special features are the bamboo rings perfectly placed on the hips and cleavage. The rings are hardly a new idea, but I’m never tired of their sassy implications. It’s made in the U.S. of bamboo, soy and organic cotton and comes in black or brown. Find the Earth Bikini in XS-L (top and bottom sized separately) at Nikster for $120.

Kelly B. Ruffled Wrap Bikini

This suit looks comfy without being frumpy and might be the perfect choice for those who like a more covered look. It’s sporty with a touch of girly. The ruffly wrap-around halter top is the comfy I was referring to, and the bottoms have gathers in just the right spots. It’s fully lined and made of 90% organic cotton with 10% spandex. The Ruffled Wrap Bikini comes in white and is available in XS, M and L at BTC Elements for $124.

JungleGurl Mikaela Bikini

JungleGurl is the brainchild of former model Natalie Golonka, who makes her one-of-a-kind swimsuits from the recycled vintage garments collected during her travels. The suits come in three styles, the Mikaela being your basic bikini with a triangle top and matching string-tie bottoms. It comes in a myriad of colorful and eye-catching fabrics and is available in sizes XS-L at JungleGurl for $220.

Machja Organic Sirena Bikini

The Sirena Bikini makes a unique statement with its strapless top and boy-cut bottoms made of organic cotton and spandex. I love the simple lines of this suit that say sexy, sporty and “I’m not your average bikini”. The Organic Sirena comes in cream with a pink floral print (low impact dye, of course!) or blue with a dark blue print, both available in sizes S-L for $72 at The Oko Box.

Aaron Chang Rincon Paradise Bikini

This suit has a slider halter top and string-tie bottoms, both reversible in black or an ocean-blue print that’s meant to mimic the surf. The Rincon Paradise Bikini is polyester, but wait”¦it’s eco kind, made using recycled plastic bottles. Better in the bikini than floating in the ocean, don’t you think? Available in S,M,L find it at Faeries Dance for $99.

Anna Cohen Teal Triangle Bikini

What you see is what you get, with some added eco for ease of mind. This simple, sexy swimsuit is made using leftover fabric from the manufacture of Olympic speed skater uniforms. Nothing extra, nothing wasted, just a low-low rise bottom and a double-tie triangle top. The Teal Triangle Bikini is available in small and medium at BTC Elements for $98.

Tropi-Ties Butterfly Bikini

Here’s another eye-catching and breathtaking summer suit, this one made from hemp, organic cotton and bamboo. More bamboo rings on the top and bottom, as well as string-ties around the neck and back. What I adore most is the cream-colored fabric with subtle but fabulous texture. Even better, the Butterfly Bikini is on sale for $79 at Tropi-ties (available in S-L).

I hope at least one of these suits appealed to your inner sexy, but more than that I hope yours is a summer full of self-celebration!

top images via Ashley Paige

If you count yourself among those who consider driving a necessary evil, I have some advice for you: put your car club dollars where your values are. Have you heard that AAA, America’s favorite car club, has green competition?

Enter Better World Car Club, the only car club in the country that offers bicycle roadside assistance along with the usual car program. They also donate 1% of gross sales to environmental cleanup programs, offer discounts for hybrids, buy carbon offsets, and charge a gas-guzzler surcharge for high emitting vehicles. (Although I’d be surprised if they have many Hummer-driving members.)

Here’s what they don’t do – they don’t use your membership dues to fight against environmentally smart transportation initiatives. I always thought of AAA as an innocuous, if stodgy, brand. I had no idea that AAA has opposed bike lanes, has denied that air pollution causes smog and basically uses the power of its purse and lobbying to influence car-first government policies.

If you join Better World, maybe you won’t get the Via anymore, which may leave your bathroom reading wanting, but you will get a hilarious and environmentally friendly e-newsletter called Kicking Asphalt that will keep you updated on goings-on in the world of driving.

Better World also offers the usual travel discounts (including eco-travel and discounts for hybrid car rentals), car insurance, travel debit cards, free maps and more.
Maybe joining Better World Car Club won’t make you feel better about driving, but at least you’ll know you’re part of an organization that cares about the same things you do.

Image: ktylerkonk

Few places in the world are as remote, mysterious and ethereal as Rapa Nui – better known to us as Easter Island.

Rising from the sea 3,600 km west of Chile, this volcanic island is steeped in history. European explorers arrived in 1722 AD to claim first discovery, little realizing they were a thousand years too late. It’s generally agreed that 4th Century Polynesians created the island’s archaeological remains, after enduring a staggering sea journey of over 1,500km eastwards. Today, it’s temperate, breathtakingly gorgeous and as enigmatic as its famous moai (carved stone heads).

One thing it isn’t is inaccessible (not completely, anyway). You could use a tour operator such as EcoToursChile – or, for a little more luxury, use explora’s package, that includes a stay at the Posada de Mike Rapu hotel (application underway for Gold LEED status), with package prices from $2,634 for 3 days.

For a taster, read about Edward Albee’s visit for The New York Times.

Image credit: Aurbina

If you ever plan to motor west
Travel my way, the highway that’s the best.
Get your kicks on Route 66!
- Bobby Troup

There’s scarcely a more classically American form of travel than the road trip.

The great American road trip is immortalized in art – from Jack Kerouac to Thelma and Louise – but the myth is firmly planted in reality. Americans love their cars and the freedom of the open road and with such a vast, beautiful country to explore, who can blame them?

More Americans own a passport than ever before but it’s still only one in three and as the recession bites, vacationing close to home is bound to become even more popular. But while air travel gets the lion’s share of the bad press about carbon dioxide emissions, we all know driving ain’t that green, either.

For starters, road trips tend to lend themselves to prepackaged junk food, which is bad for you and even worse for the environment.

Even with the best intentions in the world, exhaustion and a lack of choice on the road can prompt you to make choices you wouldn’t necessarily make at home. Smart travelers – those that are green, frugal, health conscious or all of the above – travel with a cool box with healthy, fresh food in the trunk so they don’t need takeaways, and plan their trips to make time to stop for proper meals. They also know that perfection is impossible and instead focus on making the best choices in the circumstances.

The biggest problem with a road trip is guzzling all that gas and the governors of the West Coast states – California, Oregon and Washington – are trying to change that. They envision a “green freeway” running down the West Coast from British Columbia, Canada to Baja, Mexico. The idea is that drivers of eco-friendly cars could pull off the green pit stops to charge, or swap out, their electric-vehicle batteries or fill their tanks with biodiesel, ethanol, hydrogen or compressed natural gas.

It sounds like a truly exciting idea and I hope it comes to reality. Sadly that’s not guaranteed – there is resistance to from the likes of the National Association of Truck Stop Operators (Natso) and national gasoline distribution groups.

It’s a shame existing service stations don’t see this as an opportunity rather than a threat, but perhaps unsurprising. If you live in one of these three states and would like to see the project happen, it’s worth writing to your governor or state legislature to voice your support, so the idea doesn’t get killed before it even gets off the ground. You could even write to Natso to suggest their members should embrace the idea as a new business opportunity and work with government to make it happen.

The good news is that there are more green-minded consumers than ever before and travel companies are taking note. The bad news in that in the rush to offer eco-tourism, sometimes the eco part gets diluted or even trampled on.

Eco-tourism doesn’t just mean tourism in a wilderness area. If it did, then tourist space flights would qualify – despite the obvious energy cost involved in blasting into orbit.

In my book the number one rule for eco-tourism is to do no harm. Exploring beautiful wilderness areas is fantastic – it restores the soul and raises awareness of our beautiful world – but not if you are actually hurting the places you have come to see.

Many of the big cruises to Antarctica bill themselves as eco-tourism, yet cruise ships are highly polluting and many of the activities – going ashore or taking helicopter flights – can damage an otherwise pristine environment. I’m not saying that Antarctica should be out of bounds altogether but I do think tourism there should be far more restricted than it is.

It’s a similar situation with tourism on the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador – where 19th British naturalist Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution. The islands need tourism to survive but it’s decidedly a mixed blessing.

It’s the same in Peru, where the Incan ruins of Macchu Picchu are straining under the weight of too many tourists.

The latest ‘eco-tourism’ claim to get my goat is the fact that the state of New South Wales in Australia is considering weakening the legal protection for national parks to allow private-sector development within the park boundaries.

The proposed changes would facilitate the building of new ‘eco-resorts’, cabins and semi-permanent camps, and changes to wilderness laws that allow for commercial tours, according to the Nature Conservation Council of NSW.

There’s no need for this since the national parks are already extremely popular with visitors – and anyway, their principal purpose is conservation rather than leisure and tourism.

National Park visitor growth will easily exceed the State Plan Target, outperforming all other sectors of the tourist industry. Domestic overnight visitors visiting national parks will increase by 100 per cent by 2016, and the State Plan target is for 20 per cent growth. So why push private development into national parks?

It is inappropriate to remove protection from national parks and to offer sites within them to the tourism industry, in an “˜investor-ready’ condition – these public lands are set aside for nature. And our wilderness areas have been protected from commercial use for over twenty years and there is no need to exploit these wild places for commercial gain. Link

The moral of the story is not to be fooled by greenwash – there are some fantastic green travel initiatives billed as eco-tourism and we should support them, but we should also ask the hard questions and use some common sense.

If you fancy getting involved on the national parks issue, the Nature Conservation Council of NSW does have instructions on whom to email to lobby against the law change.

Image: koala.like.rock