At the start of each new year, my mind always returns to the question:  What will I do and where will I go in 2010?  Of course, both of these questions can be answered literally or figuratively, but as a wanderlusting traveler, I’m apt to choose “wheres” that are actual locations.  At the top of my list for 2010 is a focus on ethical travel – globetrotting with an acute awareness of the impact of my journey creates, environmentally and socially.

To help narrow the infinite list of must-see locales, www.EthicalTraveler.org has deemed their top ten best ethical destinations in the developing world based on environmental protection, social welfare and human rights.  (Note that only nations classified as “developing” are considered.)  Countries to make the cut include:

• Argentina
• Belize
• Chile
• Ghana
• Lithuania
• Namibia
• Poland
• Seychelles
• South Africa
• Suriname

The well thought out list is an annual project for the organization and provides convincing arguments for each nation that will likely leave you questioning many of the tourism dollars you’ve dropped in the past. For the full report, visit  ethicaltraveler.org.

photo credit: ethical traveler