Rwanda Eco-Tours
The number of mountain gorillas in Rwanda is now in a far healthier state, thanks to companies such as Rwanda Eco-Tours which has convinced local communities that these magnificent animals are worth more alive than dead. Co-run by local Rwandan Edwin Sabuhoro, the company organises guided treks to see the gorillas in the heart of the Parc National des Volcans. Gorilla treks range from a one-day hike from the base of the Virunga mountains to tours lasting several days that include a visit to the Dian Fossey Research Station.
• +250 500 331, rwandaecotours.com. One-day trek US$716, four days $1,880.
Tropic: Journeys In Nature, Ecuador
Dubious about the claims made by travel companies promising "authentic" tribal tours? Well, Tropic's trips are the genuine article. The Ecuadorian operator has pioneered small-scale, sensitively run trips to meet remote nomadic hunter-gatherer tribes in the Amazon, including the Huaorani (with whom it has helped set up a small eco-lodge and 3,000-hectare nature reserve), and more recently with the Secoya people in the upper Amazon basin.
• +593 2 2234 594, tropiceco.com. Three nights with the Huaorani, US$600.
Yachana Lodge, Ecuador
Deep in the Ecuadorian jungle, Yachana Lodge is more like a village, and guests are encouraged to get involved in the indigenous lifestyle while staying in the lap of luxury by the river Napo. Judge Dan Linstead said there is "clear evidence of engagement with specific local environmental issues, and smart solutions, including reusable 'souvenir' water bottles for tourists." Pride of place is Yachana's technical college, educating young, indigenous Amazonians in green issues. According to Linstead, the college is "a brilliant hearts-and-minds investment in the region's long-term sustainability."
• +1 310 691 2594, yachana.com. Itineraries individually planned, price on request.
Tourism in Ethiopia for Sustainable Future Alternatives
Pioneering community-based walking holidays in the Ethiopian highlands, organised by Tesfa, an NGO based in Addis Ababa. Trips are for only four to six people, visiting the remote parish of Mequat Mariam and other villages, as well as treks to the Abuna Yoseph mountain where much of the income goes directly to the villagers who decide collectively how to spend it.
• +251 0 11 122 5024, community-tourism-ethiopia.com. Around £25pp for 24hours, including food, accommodation and guides.
Andaman Discoveries, Thailand
The simplest way to escape the tourist trail and see the real Thailand is to stay in a homestay. Andaman Discoveries runs one of the country's best-organised programmes, born out of the North Andaman Tsunami Relief fund, which places visitors in homes on a rotational basis to spread the benefits around villages along the Andaman coast. Activities include hiking, mangrove tours and snorkelling before returning to your host family in the early evening for freshly caught seafood and home-cooked curries.
• +66 087 917 7165, andamandiscoveries.com. Three days costs around £93pp all-inclusive, based on a group of six.
Finca Esperanza Verde, Nicaragua
A small eco-lodge (26-beds) on an organic coffee farm in the mountains of Nicaragua that organises guided jungle treks to see howler monkeys, waterfalls and a butterfly farm. It is one of the farms on the tourist "coffee route" from Matagalpa, and you can visit other co-operatives in the area. Owned by a non-profit organisation and run by volunteers based in North Carolina, the lodge is powered by renewable energy sources (solar and hydro-electric), and 10% of its income is invested in rural water projects and local schools.
• +505 7725003, fincaesperanzaverde.org. Three-day retreats from $232pp, groups from $880.
