This site is for all of you who want to explore the world and are conscious of their impact on the planet (as well as their budget) while doing so. I find climate conscious travelling crucial in view of the fact that if we don’t do our best to preserve our beautiful planet, there soon will be not much of a point in travelling at all. There are many things you can consider to travel sustainably, but how you actually go from point A to point B is probably the most important one. Which kind of transportation you choose makes a huge difference emission-wise, and will also change the way you are travelling considerably.
One obvious thing to make your travels greener is to avoid flying as much as possible. Depending on several factors like the distance you are travelling, or the fuel that is being used, your journey can emit up to 80% less emissions if you are travelling by train or bus than if you were flying. And that is not counting the non-CO2 emissions that are not to be neglected. Here is a good article about the difference in emissions according to modes of transport if you’re interested to learn more. Travelling by land will not only cut a big chunk of your travel emissions but also make your travels cheaper and much more interesting. Airports mostly are boring no man’s land, but go to a bus rank or a train station, travel like the locals, and you will experience the essence of the country you are visiting. If you’re not able or not willing to travel solely powered by your own body – so by bicycle for example – public transport is your best option.
Let me tell you about my experience of travelling by public transport in Southern and Eastern Africa as well as the Middle East. Public transport is organised differently in Africa than in the Global North. There mostly are no official timetables, a lot works through word-of-mouth and ‘knowing a guy who knows a guy’. That’s why I want to give you some up-to-date information on what travelling on your own, i.e. not going on pre-organised group tours, looks like in the parts of Africa I visited in 2023. I was using the Wikitravel offline app called WikiiTrip, which is quite outdated, but still gives you a good idea, and of course the public transport bible Seat 61. Otherwise, you just need to talk to people (locals as well as fellow travellers) a lot.
Check out the blog posts to read about my experience of travelling by public transport in Southern Africa and Eastern Africa as well as the Middle East.