_Africa: February 2008 Archives

Bandiagara, Mali

Photographer: Romel Jacinto, San Francisco, California

Getting the Shot: I used a basic, but very capable point-and-shoot camera, the Canon PowerShot A460. Although I had another SLR-like camera on this trip, the smaller point-and-shot camera was far less intimidating to people and was easier to use to capture candid shots.

The Details: I was in Bandiagara on a bicycle tour with a small group. Bandiagara is a sleepy town and most travelers only stay in briefly to arrange trekking into Dogon country, but our small group stayed an extra day since someone got sick. That extra day gave a chance to meander and soak up the rhythm of local life. I walked around town slowly, just observing and taking photos when I could.

Most people did not want to be photographed. The others cherished it, particularly young children, and they hammed it up for the camera. This girl fell into neither of those categories and seemed completely at ease with the camera. She just seemed so content, strong and serene all at once, so I took the shot quickly and continued my slow stroll through town.

We love the vibrant colors and the way Romel captured the girl's expression. Think you've got a photo that is worthy of Global Eye? Add them to our Flickr pool.

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National Geographic Traveler's new intern, Catherine Pearson, writes about her own experiences as a voluntourist and is hard at work contacting other voluntour organizations to learn more about them. We'd love to hear from you about your own experiences and recommendations. Please email us with suggestions or leave them in the comments below.

Work hard, play hard. Or, in this case, do both simultaneously. Roof a house, dig a well, nurse a wounded animal … and see the sights in São Paulo.

Voluntourism, a combination of volunteering and travel, is becoming increasingly popular. But this vogue practice is not exactly new. It’s been on the radar for the last fifty years, since the beginning of the Peace Corps and Volunteer Service Overseas.

But unprecedented access to international travel has swung wide the gates to a world of opportunities. Captivity in cubicles and finite vacation time exacerbate the urge to get away and do something great. And now, there's a wave of support for these helping-inclined: Entire websites are now devoted to voluntour possibilities, and travel websites, such as Travelocity.com, have tucked in special sections for the service-savvy jet-setters.

Even more impressive, but harder to come by, are scholarships and funding for these volunteer vacations. Travelocity's Change Ambassadors program offers quarterly grants for those who earnestly desire make a difference but can’t pay their own way. Perhaps sponsoring the voluntourist has become a trend in itself.

Here at National Geographic HQ, we have no qualms about broadcasting our love for all things monkey. After all, we work in the hallowed building frequented by the likes of Jane Goodall and Gorillas in the Mist heroine Dian Fossey.

And as it turns out, quite a few of our fellow wanderlusters have also gone ape-crazy: The Guardian says ape tourism has never been more popular. So to say we’re distressed about the recent findings on newfound, fatal respiratory threats to great apes in Africa would be to put it lightly—especially considering the germ-spreading culprits are none other than well-meaning eco-tourists.

The Guardian explains:

[The scientists’] concern follows the first evidence that chimpanzees in Ivory Coast, west Africa, died from HRSV (human respiratory syncytial virus) and HMPV (human metapneumovirus) during outbreaks at the Taï chimpanzee research station. The findings pose a major problem for those protecting the declining populations of gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, now numbering less than 650, as well as orangutans in Borneo, thought to number around 15,000. The tourist dollar is essential. It protects the endangered apes from poachers and funds vital work aimed at halting their decline. But this positive aspect of eco-tourism must now be balanced against the negative side-effects if apes, and ape tourism, are to survive.

To eradicate the risks, scientists are calling on ape tourists to wear masks, keep their distance (with at least a 23-foot buffer zone), provide proof of vaccinations, and to disinfect all clothing and footwear.

Our book critic Don George is back this month with an alluring new travel title: In Arabian Nights by Tahir Shah. As Shah explores his adopted home of Casablanca and wanders through Morocco, he also seeks to find a Berber tradition - the story in his heart. George writes:

Simply as a work of art and imagination, In Arabian Nights is an enthralling triumph, but in our lamentably divided modern world, it assumes an even greater importance, for Shah's account poignantly humanizes Arab culture, penetrating deep into usually unseen social and psychic layers. Like the bearer of a precious key, Shah leads us along meandering alleyways to an ancient door, which he unlocks and throws open onto the rich courtyard of traditional Arab custom and belief.

Visit Traveler's website to read the rest of the review, as well as George's take on two new India-inspired novels and a selection of photo books that offer glimpses into the "enigmatic colussus." And check out George's Trip Lit archive and our Ultimate Travel Library for more place-inspired reading suggestions.

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