Lonely Planet’s Code Green: Start Dreaming

Green travel. Responsible travel. Eco-travel. Call it what you will; it’s on everyone’s radar these days. Ever since Lonely Planet released their own tome devoted to this last year, Code Green: Experiences of a Lifetime, I have been curious to see what the progenitors of a million backpackers had to say on the subject.

For all practical purposes, Code Green is not the sort of book you read from start to finish. Lonely Planet instead presents you with a catalog of one-page destination synopses organized by world region. This format ultimately encourages you to flip open to any page and read it, although if you know the specific region or even the country, it is easy to find the section that might cover it.

Might, however, is the key word here – Code Green is by no means the definitive guide to responsible travel opportunities worldwide. Though each entry is very location specific (such as Discovering the Nomads of Mongolia’s Ikh Tamir or Orca Watching in Canada’s Johnstone Strait) the book as a whole only grazes the surface and narrows its spotlight on a select few. I know it would probably require a phonebook-sized catalog to cover it all, but I would have liked to at least seen more of those options alluded to in the book. For example, where else in the world besides Johnstone Strait can I go to watch orca whales in a responsible way? Where else might I have a firsthand encounter with a nomadic tribe? On the same note, I would have liked to at least seen a list of websites that allude to the other programs going on in that region. The single entry for Peru was about an environmentally-sensitive tour company in the Amazon but made no mention of the dozens of other cultural and service projects that are thriving in that country.

The first section of the book gives the reader an overview of the major tenets of responsible travel, and does so in a concise and eloquent way. Also scattered throughout the book are one-page highlights of different issues in the field, things like: “Begging: To give or Not to Give?” or “Culture Shock vs. Cultural connection”. Again, though, I felt that there could have been more space and detail given to exploring the very issues upon which the entire concept is founded. The responsible traveler is well-informed and being involved in the ongoing discussions revolving around the issue of travel is essential.

As with all of Lonely Planet’s publications, the photos are gorgeous and enticing, and the writing is top-notch. I think this book serves as a good starting point for dreaming up new adventures, especially for those who are new to responsible/green travel. It should also offer ideas and inspiration to travelers who wish to work a green component into their existing travel plans. I will be interested to see how Lonely Planet develops their “Code Green” travel coverage as it continues to become a higher priority for their readers.