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Tag: thailand

3 Tips for Avoiding Animal Cruelty When Traveling

Posted in Blog.

We may not intend to, but there are so many ways we contribute to animal cruelty and exploitation while we’re traveling (domestically and abroad)! National Geographic published a hugely important article about the rise of attractions around the world that exploit animals for tourists. Three of the recommendations for travelers:

  1. avoid any kind of attraction where you pay to directly interact with wild animals (don’t pay to pet, bathe, get photos with, or touch wild animals).
  2. make a point to see animals in national parks, protected habitats, refuges,  and ethical safaris that help generate income to protect wild animals and their homes.
  3. support genuine sanctuaries that provide refuge to rescued animals who can no longer survive in the wild. (Do your own research; just because they call themselves a “sanctuary,” it doesn’t mean they are. Always reach out to trusted sources if you’re unsure.)

I talked about exactly all of this in great detail in my podcast episode called Avoiding Animal Cruelty When Traveling to Thailand and Everywhere.

Sadly, one of the reasons we visited so many animal rescue groups in Thailand is because of how much animal cruelty, wildlife trafficking, and animal exploitation there is in that country, allowed by the government and deeply entrenched in the culture. For instance, elephants used in the tourism/riding and logging industries endure a lifetime of suffering and separation.

Seeing wildlife in their natural habitat — like the mountain gorillas in Rwanda, lions in Botswana, bison in Yellowstone, or the deer in our own backyards — is heart-stopping, breath-taking, and supports the animals, their habitat, and the local residents.

Of course, when we travel (either on our own or on the group Joyful Vegan Trips we host), we take care to avoid animal cruelty, and we visit true sanctuaries and protected habitat where the safety and well-being of the animals are the main priority. We take this very seriously and vet our partners very carefully.

We have hosted trips to Rwanda, Thailand, Botswana, Vietnam, Italy, and France, and we have upcoming trips to … well, see for yourself! I hope you can join us one day to experience the trip of a lifetime—while supporting the care and conservation of the animals whose homes we visit.

Ethical Tourism: AVOIDING ANIMAL CRUELTY WHEN TRAVELING (Thailand Edition)

Posted in Food For Thought Podcast.

Lack of awareness and cognitive dissonance compels us to support industries that exploit and hurt animals for our own entertainment both when we’re at home (like going to the zoo or circus) and when we travel (like swimming with dolphins, getting photographed with tigers, or riding elephants). Our desire to be close to other animals and interact with them is exactly what causes them the most harm. Most of us are drawn to animals, and that’s a good thing, because it also means we want to help them and protect them, but it’s a bad thing when our desire to interact with them is at the cost of their own welfare, safety, happiness, or lives. Listen to today’s episode about how to travel to Thailand without harming animals.

More info here.

“The Best Trip I Ever Had”

Posted in Blog.

That is exactly what our travelers on the Vegan Thailand Trip with CPG said throughout and at the end of our travels together. I hope you can join us for a journey to the incredibly beautiful country of Vietnam where we will spoil you as we:

*connect with like-minded travelers
*celebrate and support the work being done to save and protect animals in Vietnam
*experience an abundance of the local vegan cuisine
*revel in nature
*immerse ourselves in the Vietnamese culture

We have no plans to offer this trip again, so VISIT CPGTRIPS.COM to secure your spot before it sells out. We’re only hosting ONE TRIP in 2018, and this is it!

With CPG Trips, we’ve created one-of-a-kind travel experiences with a focus on the interests and needs of adventurous and compassionate vegans and their vegan-friendly friends and family members. It’s all about the food, the animals, the wildlife, the sanctuaries, and the small details and experiences that shape life-long memories.

Vegan in Thailand (Animals, Food, Nature, oh my!)

Posted in Blog.

I never wanted to visit Thailand until we created a trip of a lifetime for 20 travelers. 

Thailand was never on the top of my list as a destination, mostly because I had no connection to it other than through its cuisine and I thought of it only as a tourist destination with humid beaches and crowded cities — neither of which are especially appealing to me. Of course, it’s much, much more than that, but — like with so many things in life — I couldn’t know that until I experience it myself; well, myself and two dozen fellow travelers. 

We chose Thailand as our next CPG Trip since our co-organizers live in Bangkok and know the city and country really, really well. As a result, they created an incredible itinerary for this once-in-a-lifetime holiday. 22 people signed up to join us in Thailand, and it was as beautiful a trip as could be. I’m in the middle of writing the next Food for Thought podcast episode on our trip and will also be producing separate episodes on pressing animal issues and what it means to travel ethically. This small compilation of photos tells some of the story of our journey and the special people who have returned home with unforgettable memories and life-long friendships. 

 

 

In this photo album, you’ll see 

*canal boat rides in Bangkok
*visits to local markets
*communal meals of delicious cuisine
*interactive cooking class
*breathtaking scenery
*stellar accommodations
*cycling through Chiang Mai and its temples and rice paddies
*tubing on the Sok River to arrive at our jungle house
*staying at our jungle house
*canoeing down the river
*visiting the rescued residents at Phuket Elephant Sanctuary and supporting their important work
*visiting the dogs (and cats!) at Soi Dog Foundation
*learning about the work of (and supporting) the Gibbon Project to rehabilitate and rescue gibbons (listen to their amazing vocalizations!)
*our final day on a chartered catamaran (we don’t mess around)
*and most importantly: joyous faces and deepening friendships

That’s pretty much what we set out to accomplish, and I dare say we did it. I told the group that I feel like a proud momma watching everyone bond and laugh and cry and teach and learn and just be. That’s my intention for our next journey with CPG Trips: to celebrate the work being done to save and protect animals, to experience an abundance of the local vegan cuisine, to revel in nature, to be immersed in a new culture, and to create a safe space for like-minded travelers to experience the joy of reflecting their deepest values in the most abundant, meaningful, compassionate, and enriching way possible. 

Enjoy sharing our trip to Thailand with us, and I hope you can join us for Vegan Vietnam! 

[Tweet “Compassionate Travel is all about making choices that cause as little harm as possible.”]