Top Ten Worst Travel Destinations For Going “Green”


Costas Christ has put together an interesting list over at the National Geographic Adventure Blog today. It’s his list of the ten worst places to visit in the world in terms of those locations not being “green” or environmentally friendly.

Some of the choices are actually fairly obvious but a few were a bit of a surprise. For instance, I wasn’t the least bit shocked to find Dubai City on the list. The place is practically a monument to excess. Likewise, the inclusion of Myanmar makes sense as well, with the brutal military regime in power there. Costas also puts Antarctica on his list because the fragile environment there is becoming increasingly more visited, and that could have potentially devastating consequences.

I was a bit surprised to see Costa Rica on the list. I knew that the small Central American country has become a hot spot over the past few years, but I had no ida that it’s coastline has become so over developed. What was once an interesting adventure travel destination has become a beach resort.

Costas also lists the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania as well, and it’s a place that I did visit while I was there. I can attest to his assessment that it has become overcrowded as well. I as there in April, when it is traditionally the “low season”, and yet the Crater had lots of vehicles, traffic jams, and plenty of tourists. It was a bit of a turn-off for me, and spoiled the location quickly.

The list serves as a nice reminder of the places to avoid on future travels if you want to have a lesser impact on the environment. I respect the reasons why Costas selected each of these places and agree with him pretty much across the board. That said, I still want to visit Antarctica fairly badly.

Kraig Becker

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