Travel News

One of the coolest endeavors I've come across in recent years of reporting has been the effort to develop "conservation drones" — model aircraft that are now being used to…

When I launched Mongabay in 1999 I had no idea it would grow into what it is today: a site that draws more than 2.5 million visitors per month and…

My apologies for the lack of blog updates. Between long-term projects and building up Mongabay.org--the non-profit arm of Mongabay--I haven't had the opportunity to post lately. However I'm happy to…

Last week I had the opportunity to visit the Costa Rican Amphibian Research Center (CRARC) outside of Siquirres in Limón Province, Costa Rica. I'll be doing a feature story on…

Gone are the days where I can spend a week trekking in the forest without communication, letting Mongabay.com run itself. But the good news (or bad news, depending on how…

When most people think of rainforests, the first thing that comes to mind is tropical rainforests like those found in the Amazon, Borneo, and the Congo. But rainforests also exist…

Yesterday I gave a talk at Cisco Systems in San Jose on "How Technology is Helping Save Rainforests". Here's a brief recap. After giving background on Mongabay, I provided a…

A hundred years ago, nature-oriented travel to places like tropical Africa and Asia was often associated with big game hunting. Today cameras have mostly replaced guns as nature-lovers travel to…

NOTE: This post refers to starting up an organization in a marginal niche market: environmental media. The advice may not apply if you're working in a potentially lucrative sector like…

Every month I tally the most popular articles on the news section. It should come as no surprise that the most popular articles are usually the ones that have done…

On my way back from the visit to the Katingan peat swamp in Central Kalimantan, I stayed a night at the "Eco Village" that is part of the Rungan Sari…

Just over a year ago, the Indonesian-language version of Mongabay went live (the official launch was May 19. 2012, but the site was live before that). Mongabay.co.id was the first…

In recent days several readers have asked about the status of the pictures from Aceh and Kalimantan I took last month. Well the pictures are all technically online, but aren't…

In November 2012 I had an amazing opportunity to do a flyover of parts of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo. We went from Sandakan to the Danum Valley Research Center, flying…

Instead of writing a special article for this Earth Day, we are instead letting nature's beauty do the talking. The photos below were taken by the Mongabay.com team — Rhett…

The palm oil industry in Indonesia gets a lot of criticism these days from civil society on issues ranging from deforestation, pollution, wildlife-killing, to social conflict. Writing for Mongabay, I…

While directly reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a far more effective approach to fighting climate change than "offsetting" them by buying carbon credits, I readily acknowledge that I'm presently not…

There is a common misconception that my reporting trips are sponsored by NGOs, state tourism boards, or other entities. In fact, I fund Mongabay.com-related travel through revenue generated via advertising…

In March 2013 I visited Aceh Province on the western tip of the island of Sumatra for the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation - Asia Chapter meeting. Most of…

Many of the emails I receive include questions about my travels. How did you get there? Where did you stay? How did you find a guide? What did you see?…

Climate change will lead to bumpier flights caused by increased mid-air turbulence, according to an analysis by scientists of the impact of global warming on weather systems over the next…

Howie Nielsen on a trek earlier this year into a remote portion of Virachey National Park. Photo by: Greg McCann. Ringed with forested mountains forming the borders with Laos and…

Roger Peet (in blue shirt) posing with Forest Rangers. Photo courtesy of Roger Peet. Last year, Roger Peet, an American artist, traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to…

Watching a new video by Amazon explorer, Paul Rosolie, one feels transported into a hidden world of stalking jaguars, heavyweight tapirs, and daylight-wandering giant armadillos. This is the Amazon as…

Rainforest-covered karst mountains with pristine mangroves beneath characterizes one of the most stunning protected areas in the Caribbean: Los Haitises National Park. Photo by: Jeremy Hance. For its stunning variety…

Bagan temple, Myanmar. As a 'road junky', I know what you're thinking: 'Burma is reforming so quickly, let's rush off to Burma before tourists snatch up all its unspoiled beauty!'…

Contrary to conception, the Sahara Desert’s most common feature is really the Hamada, or stone plateaus and gravel plains, which cover over three quarters of its surface, and harbors at…

Abandoned by conservationists and the global community, Virachey National Park in Cambodia remains a wildernesses of surprises. An interview with Greg McCann. Haling-Halang and the barrier mountains separating Cambodia and…

Hugh Powell "iPhoniscoping" snow petrels in Antarctica. Photo by: Chris Linder. Hugh Powell is science editor at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as well as a contributor to Woods Hole…

Beach on Nosy Mangabe, a tropical island paradise for wildlife enthusiasts. Photo by Rhett Butler. A question commonly asked of me is "What is the origin of the name mongabay?"…