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If you're looking to step into the boots of a real cowboy on your riding holiday look no further than Ranch Rider, as the tour operator is run by keen equestrians and horse owners, their passion to help you get more out of your time in the saddle.

Tony Daly, managing director of Ranch Rider, comments, “Even though branding, roping and cattle work are available activities at most working ranches, there are always subtle key differences in the guest experience from one ranch to another. From the be

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Having read a recent article in the Associated Press about the lack of knowledge that travellers between 18 to 30 have about the World, I asked myself: is this ‘responsible’? Shouldn’t they know about the destinations they are going to visit? In my view, education before departure nurtures a sense of respect and responsibility towards a countries people and heritage and can have a substantial effect on minimising the negative effects of tourism.

There are many reasons why young people want to tr
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In a world such as ours it is essential to work together in order to achieve goals If attempted alone it is not possible. Since West Africa Discovery started we have made a big effort to develop partnerships to help develop Responsible Tourism in West African region. We are extremely grateful to our current partners in the field who have made a lot of effort already to spread the word of Sustainable Tourism in their respectful countries, and to have gathered important information which has helpe
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Last Sunday, on a cold day in London, I was settled in for a day of sport which of course featured the Cup of Nations final between Egypt and Ghana. The two hours of coverage on BBC2 gave me the chance to watch football in faraway lands, and enjoy a beer in the comfort of my living room; perfect. Unfortunately this was one of only three matches accessible to the masses (the semi finals were shown on BBC3) and scheduled at the same time as the big Arsenal v Manchester United match. You just have

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Bénin, a former French Colony in the Central West of Africa lies east of Togo, west of Nigeria and south of Burkina Faso and Niger. It is one of the smallest countries in West Africa, and is a place of unusual beauty. This destination is home to rich natural and cultural heritages, interesting architecture and UNESCO World Heritage historic sites in its capital city Porto Novo. Bénin is easily accessible by air with flights to the city of Cotonou departing from Belgium, France, and a number of A
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Sports Tourism Big in Africa this Summer

It is set to be a year of massive sporting events, 2010 kicked off with the Winter Olympics in Whistler, and the whole world is anticipating the FIFA World Cup in South Africa this summer. There are many economic and social benefits to hosting international events. Whistler attracted 250,000 visitors to the area and $10 billion in revenues. Along with the financial injection, a host city will see development to infrastructure, increased jobs, and a continued development model of growth even afte

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by Samuel Cook



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This past week, I took the opportunity to take my first real vacation since the summer of 2007. It is ironic that an executive of a travel company never gets to travel himself, but such is the reality of running a business - I have had to put my passion for traveling on the back burner as I have built a business around serving the needs of other travelers. My last vacation was a whirlwind trip around the United States to visit friends and family before I deployed on my secon
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A journey through the Kingdom of Ife

When German archaeologist Leo Frobenius first discovered beautiful terracotta sculptures and copper cast head pieces in Nigeria in 1910, he proclaimed that he had discovered Plato’s lost city of Atlantis. European attitudes were so negative to African abilities that he reasoned that the artworks must be the work of foreign settlers, inconceivable to be created by African hands.

Eventually as more works surfaced through further discoveries, explorers began to change their attitudes. The Western wo

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Last month a Nigerian Telecoms company announced that it will expand their top of the range fibre optic network to include Benin and Togo thus giving more opportunities for Internet based marketing to a wider number of businesses and individuals.Phase3 Telecom, Nigeria’s leading communications network provider plans this move to bring the total of network connected West African countries to six, enabling faster and more efficient communication for the region and linking them to the rest of the w
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We are pleased to announce a new listing on our 'Tours' page! Introducing three sustainability and responsible tourism educational tours from the Gambia, West Africa. They are the following:Gambia ethical lodge holiday:Our first addition is on a four day sustainable tour in which the tourist will spend a day with Gunjur Environment Protection and Development Group (visiting Bolongfenyo community wildlife reserve, eating a local lunch and experiencing a cultural performance, as well as discoverin
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The Copenhagen talks on climate change were suspended on Tuesday due to a walk out by the African union. Tensions rose because the African delegates feel that the Kyoto Protocol is being undermined by the richest developed countries. The Kyoto Protocol gives poorer countries different goals to richer countries in terms of carbon emission reduction, allowing them a better chance to develop. The proposed ‘all on the same level’ stance risks undermining the underdeveloped countries’ development eff
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