Yeah I know, Earth day was last week but Fodors.com did the world a favor by posting tips on how you can keep your travels green and the Earth clean!

• Beware of Green Washing. Always book with hotels or tour companies who are legitimately touting either eco or sustainable tourism. If you’re not sure if they’re reputable, inquire with a watchdog agency such as Tourism Concern (www.tourismconcern.org.uk) or Green Globe (www.greenglobe.org), or with a conservation organization such as World Wildlife Fund (www.worldwildlife.org). All of them have been actively promoting clarity in standards for green tourism.
• Ask about the company’s green philosophies. Do they recycle? Are they energy efficient? How do they address water conservation and waste management? Have local materials been used in building your lodge? Does the menu in the dining room where you take meals use local ingredients? Also find out whether the company provides economic opportunities for local communities. Many have established foundations that make donations to local peoples or wildlife, to which you can contribute.
• Look into offsetting greenhouse gas emissions. If you have a choice, take trains over flying. If you must fly, try to take a non-stop flight. You can calculate your CO2 footprint using several online tools. Atmosfair (http://atmosfair.de), Better World Club (www.betterworldclub.com), NativeEnergy (www.nativeenergy.com) all have CO2 calculators that will calculate your emissions for individual flights and ideas on how to offset them.
• Be Sensitive to Cultures and Customs. Be clear on the tipping protocol before you travel. Don’t take photos without asking first. Don’t wear revealing clothing, especially in Muslim countries. When visiting religious sites, behave appropriately.
• Never litter. Though you may see locals disposing of their garbage willy nilly, you should NOT follow suit.
• Think small. Stay in a B&B or locally owned accommodation that benefits the local community.
• Purchase local products whenever possible. However, purchasing tourist souvenirs made from animals (i.e. shells, horns, pelts, coral, etc.) is risky and aids in animal and environmental distinction and destruction. If you do purchase something, make sure you’ve checked that it’s legal and that you’ll be able to carry it through customs and back to your home country.
• Conserve resources. Use water sparingly and turn off lights when not in use.
• Do not feed wild animals. You may think you’re doing them a favor, but your interference will only do them harm.
• If you are camping, don’t leave anything behind but your footprint. This means using only biodegradable products like soap, toothpaste, etc. in streams, lakes, etc and carrying out what you carried in.

Visit YackieMobile.com for more travel tips.

Yackie Mobile 101: Telecom Talk

The world of Telecom Jargon can sometimes be difficult to decipher. To aid the inexperienced world traveler in understanding my post content I put together a Telecom glossary. Here are some of the most commonly used and misunderstood acronyms:

1. MVNO=Mobile Virtual Network Operator
2. VOIP=Voice Over Internet Protocol
3. IP=Internet Protocol Address
4. SIM=Subscriber Identity Module
5. GSM=Global System for Mobile Communications
6. SIP=Single Internet Protocol
7. IVR=Interactive Voice Response

Yackie Mobile 101: Using a Cell Phone Overseas

Travel abroad and stay in touch! The easiest and most convenient option is to have a cell phone. In most cases the simple combination of an international unlocked GSM cell phone and International SIM card will offer the best deal including rates, international coverage, and dependability.

What type of cell phone do I need overseas (and why!)?
Just so you know the names, in the US our cell phone service is either CDMA type (Verizon and Sprint), or perhaps TDMA or even iDEN (Nextel) or AMPS, or GSM (T-Mobil and Cingular). You don’t want to know what these acronyms stand for and you don’t need to know.

Internationally, most countries – more than 205 at last count - use GSM wireless service. So if you plan to go travel and want the convenience of carrying a cellular phone, then you’re going to need a GSM cell phone.

Can I (Should I) rent a cell phone?
GSM cell phones can be rented for typically $29-$59/week with per minute charges ranging from $1.50-$5/minute, for incoming and outgoing calls. If you travel infrequently (once every 2 years) and your stay is less then a week then this may be the best option even with the outrageous per minute costs. With most study abroad programs lasting 3-months or longer this is usually not the most economical solution.

Will my US cell phone work overseas?

T-Mobile and Cingular operate GSM networks in the United States and as a subscriber on one of these networks you may already have a GSM world phone. In this case you can simply take your current phone overseas and start calling. However be advised that this solution is not for the typical student budget. While roaming in another country you can expect to pay $1 to $5/minute in roaming surcharges for all of your calls. These charges can add up especially when you use your phone abroad as much as you do at home.

How can I travel with a cell phone on the cheap?
To really use a cell phone abroad like you do at home and not need the salary of an investment banker, you will want to purchase your own GSM cell phone and a local prepaid SIM. This is the option Amerispan recommends to students who study abroad.

Unlike typical cell phones in the US, GSM world cell phones do not come with phone numbers programmed into them and the actual service is not even tied to the phone itself. Instead customers activate their mobile phones by popping in so-called SIM cards, little thumbnail sized devices that determine your cell phone number and any additional services like voicemail.

A pre-paid SIM card for each country you visit, gives you a local phone number and local calling rates are usually a low 29 cents/minute. It is easy, convenient, and relatively inexpensive for you to call other people in the country you’re visiting, and easy and normal for them to call to you on your local number, too. Best of all, Incoming calls are FREE regardless of where they originate (So there is no excuse for not taking that call from home!!!).

Swapping out the SIM cards (they usually snap or slide into the back of the GSM phone – no engineering degree required) is a snap, literally and as they are prepaid you never have a monthly bill, or contract.

You can replenish your airtime on the SIM card by purchasing an airtime voucher in one of the local currency denominations. They are available at most newsstands, kiosks and convenience stores. The airtime vouchers are scratch cards that have a pin code which you simply key into your phone for immediate credit.

In summary, with a prepaid cell phone you have a cost effective way of staying in touch with no bills, no roaming charges and no hassles.

What do I need?
1) An international unlocked GSM cell phone
2) An international SIM card like Yackie Mobile’s SIM Card!

The Yackie Mobile SIM allows you to roam in 200 countries, with unlimited free incoming calls in 150 of these countries. Our users have the option of choosing a free personal phone from a list of 24 countries to attach to their SIM card upon registration. With Yackie Mobile incoming calls are only ¢29/minute and outgoing calls in most countries are ¢39/minute. Yackie Mobile does not require a contract and is simply pay as you go.

With the Yackie Mobile SIM card you have the power to choose what personal phone number you’ll get, for example, you can have a Miami area code phone number for your U.S. contacts to call you on so that the call is free to them when they dial you as well as have a number with a London area code so that people in England can call your phone for free as well.

The Yackie Mobile International SIM card makes it easy and affordable for anyone traveling overseas to enjoy the safety and convenience of cellular service! Whether you are a frequent business traveler or a tourist seeking a reliable, yet affordable cell phone solution, the Yackie Mobile International SIM card has you covered in over 200 countries!

Visit www.yackiemobile.com to find out more about why the Yackie Mobile SIM is the ultimate roaming solver.