The common perception of Bali as a tropical paradise for tourists belies the silent suffering of many of its wildlife inhabitants, according to a damning new investigation conducted by World Animal Protection.
Its report, aptly titled 'Paradise Lost', uncovers the nightmarish reality behind every single wildlife venue in Bali and Lombok, all of which are revealed as sites of unimaginable anguish for over 1,300 animals, including elephants, orangutans and dolphins.
In the name of tourist entertainment, these animals endure deplorable conditions, as well as abject physical, mental and emotional trauma. World Animal Protection’s distressing findings highlight that the majority of the investigated venues fail to meet even the most basic needs of the wild animals they hold in captivity.
The 2023 Paradise Lost report paints a grim picture:
World Animal Protection’s investigation assessed 34 separate venues to form an accurate assessment of the wildlife tourism/entertainment industry on these two Indonesian islands. Despite some minor alterations since its last investigation in 2017, no changes were significant enough to rate any establishment anywhere near the 'best possible' scenario for any of the focal species.
"Bali might be a paradise for tourists, but wild animals are living in misery in venues across Bali,” said Liz Cabrera Holtz, Senior Programs Manager, World Animal Protection, US. “World Animal Protection is warning US tourists that there is currently no ethical way to view wild animals at tourist venues in Bali and Lombok. Tourists have a responsibility to ensure their travel experiences are not hurting animals. We're urging all travelers to steer clear of all wild animal venues, and instead support places like accredited sanctuaries and Wildlife Heritage Areas."
PHOTO: An Asian elephant is used to take tourists for rides. (Courtesy World Animal Protection)
World Animal Protection and World Cetacean Alliance recently launched a new global program, which works with responsible travel businesses and wildlife charities toward transforming the way people view, understand and interact with wildlife. The initiative introduces Wildlife Heritage Areas in various countries, including the United States, Peru, Colombia, Brazil, Italy, Australia, Portugal and South Africa. These areas serve as a groundbreaking solution to eradicate animal exploitation from the modern tourism sector.
It is long past time to shut down all exploitative attractions that subject animals to suffering by forcing them to be ridden, touched or posed for selfies with tourists. The tourism industry must evolve toward a sustainable model, which ensures that every wild animal’s right to live a wild existence is safeguarded.
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There are a handful of towns, sprinkled across the US, that celebrities love to hunker down in. There’s Montecito, the costal area around Santa Barbara, that counts Oprah and Prince William as neighbors. There’s Montana’s Gallatin county, where Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake supposedly savor the Big Sky along with Bill Gates. And then there’s Franklin, an apple-pickin’ Americana town just outside of Nashville. Among the white picket fences and wide brick porches, a number of celebrities, mostly with country music ties, call Franklin home including Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, and Tim McGraw.
Turkish Airlines flies to 345 destinations in more different nations than any other carrier in the world, with one of the newest and most acclaimed airports as its hub. It also consistently ranks among the very best airlines and just won–again–Best Airline in Europe in the 2023 Skytrax World Airline Awards, the industry’s most influential, beating out the likes of Air France, Swiss, Lufthansa, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. It also took home four other Number Ones in the awards, including Best Economy Class Seat in Europe and Best Business Class Cuisine worldwide. (I recently wrote in detail here at Forbes about another award-winning carrier, Qatar Airways, which has won World’s Best Airline and World’s Best Business Class among other titles).
Good morning, readers. I was off the clock when this broke Monday night, but among the latest short-term rental alliances to sue a big city is one in Dallas.
Smaller airlines that operate in the shadow of the nation’s four dominant air carriers are increasingly feeling pressure to merge with each other to gain access to more planes and airport gates.
In 1973 Jack and Dolores Cakebread were visiting friends in Napa Valley and mentioned they would be interested in buying their land if they ever wished to sell — to their surprise the friends called back later that day and agreed to a deal. Cakebread Cellars is now celebrating fifty years and have released their ‘ 50th Anniversary Chardonnay Collection ,’ made up of four single-estate wines made from the first varietal bottled by the winery. I spoke with co-owner Bruce Cakebread, son of Jack and Dolores, about his parents, the history of the winery and his favorite vintages.
There’s something truly magical about meandering through a Christmas market with a glass of hot wine or apple cider in hand. The sights, sounds and smells of the market—wherever you are in the world—make it hard not to get into the spirit of teh season.
A sweeping storm system is impacting much of the United States on this, the final day of the busy Thanksgiving holiday travel weekend. Nearly 14 million people found themselves under various winter weather alerts on Sunday, according to The New York Times.
There’s no shortage of towering waterfalls to visit across the globe, but when it comes to true splendor, it’s tough to beat Victoria Falls. Perched on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, this colossal water feature is considered one of the largest waterfalls on all the planet, with a width of roughly 1,708 meters—a quality that draws tourists in droves from all across the globe with each passing year. This world-class attraction has given rise to a wealth of high-end accommodations across the region, and for those seeking the perfect blend of outdoor adventure paired with lavish amenities, Mpala Jena is the perfect spot.
It's one thing to book a lie-flat business-class seat to travel overseas with some added comfort. What might qualify as "next-level," though, is doing so on a private jet that will fly you around the world, stopping on every continent (excluding Antarctica) along the way.