from September 2004
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World Legacy Awards 2004
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Casuarina will keep you busy. But you can also opt to just sit on the beach and watch a Caribbean sunset—and feel good about doing so.
—Amy Alipio
Casuarina Beach Club, St. Lawrence Gap, Barbados; +1 246 428 3600.
»Destination Stewardship
Gunung Rinjani, Indonesia
Breathing deeply in the thin air, two days of uphill hiking behind me, I crested a rise and descended into Mount Rinjani's six-mile-wide crater —an otherworldly habitat with deep gorges, towering walls, hot springs, waterfalls, a turquoise lake, rare water-fowl, and a perfect volcanic cone.
Famed for its beauty and isolation, Gunung Rinjani, at 12,224 feet Indonesia's second-highest volcano, towers over Lombok, an island just east of its more famous and developed neighbor, Bali. Years have passed since I made the climb, but it remains a great experience thanks to a winning stewardship program. When the national park named for the volcano came into being in 1997, local communities, businesses, and park officials joined to form the Rinjani Trek Management Board. The board linked the trek to the cultures of the Muslim Sasak and Hindu Balinese, Lombok's two main ethnic groups.
Revenue from tourism and entry fees support conservation, training, and
management programs. Trekking and information centers educate tourists and villagers alike. The program also nurtures cultural shows, village tours, and repositories of oral history and mountain lore, all of which promote
local pride and enrich the visitor experience. More than 20 community coop-eratives offer village walks and tours that highlight local farming techniques and religious rites, as well as food, crafts, and postcards for sale.
Many of the leather-skinned Sasak mountaineer guides have made over a hundred ascents. Trained in mountain rescue—and English—they lead the way, lighten your pack, provide companionship, and do the cooking.
The classic trek of two nights and three days aims not for the steep summit, but for jade-colored Segara Anak (Child of the Sea), a crescent-shaped lake amid
volcanic debris 2,000 feet below the rim. More adventurous climbers tackle the summit on the edge of the caldera, which affords amazing views of the Java Sea.
Local villagers know their economy depends on keeping the mountain pristine: Communities regularly dispatch clean-up patrols to clear rubbish, rebuild shelters, and maintain trails.
But the people of Rinjani also know there's more to their mountain than profit. Twice a year thousands of Sasak and Balinese pilgrims offer rice, fish, and betel nuts to the deities of the lake and mountain. They regard the ascent of Rinjani as a spiritual adventure as much as a physical one.
—Bill Dalton
Rinjani Trek, Lombok, Indonesia; +62 370 641 124.
Other World Legacy Finalists
Nature Travel
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, South Africa: Safari guests see elephants and lions on reconverted farmland in the Great Fish River region.
Chumbe Island Coral Park, Zanzibar, Tanzania: Guests snorkel the reef, sleep in eco-friendly bungalows, and enjoy Zanzibari cuisine.
Heritage Travel
Moki Treks, Utah: Native American guides help develop trips and share authentic Indian life of Navajo, Blackfeet, Nez Perce, and others.
Campi ya Kanzi, Kenya: Safari guides, often Maasai, present wildlife and provide an inside look at Maasai culture.
Hotels & Resorts
Turtle Island, Fiji: A high-end resort that helps islanders keep the region beautiful and run their own small hotels.
Voyages Hotels and Resorts, Australia: In both tropics and deserts, this chain exemplifies environmental and cultural sensitivity.
Destination Stewardship
Jurassic Coast, England: Civic groups help protect and show off the fossil-laden coast of Dorset and Devon.
Moosalamoo region, Vermont: Local groups partner with the National Forest to preserve western Vermont.
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