Tread Brightly
Notes On Ethical Travel
Edited by Sarika Bansal
With Hassan Ghedi Santur and Marion Durand
About The Book
Are there ways we can turn travel from passive consumption to an active exchange? Is it possible for our travel to leave a positive impact on the lives of others? This book of seventeen original essays and photo-essays, edited by Sarika Bansal, gets to the heart of what it means to travel ethically.
“Tread Brightly” discusses the ethics of orphanage tourism, cruise ships, and study abroad programs. It asks how one’s identity as a traveler—like one’s country of origin, gender, and race—impacts a travel experience. It considers the climate consequences of non-essential travel.
“Tread Brightly” is for anyone who’s thinking about traveling the world, whether you are a college student who wants to make the most of a summer, a young professional who wants to explore life outside the cubicle, or a retiree who wants to finally go to India.
“Tread Brightly: Notes on Ethical Travel” is available in hardcover, softcover, and e-book. It is printed fully in color on premium paper. You can order the book here.
If you are interested in placing a larger order, have press inquiries, or would like to invite Sarika Bansal to speak, please contact us using the form at the bottom of the website.
Tread Brightly in the Press
“Tread Brightly” has been featured in: Lonely Planet, AFAR Magazine (Sept-Oct 2021), Travel Africa Magazine (July-Sept 2021), The New Humanitarian, Driving Change, Columbia Global Center (webinar), Storytelling for Impact (podcast), Using the Whole Whale (podcast), Pravassa Newsletter, The Living Room Exchange Newsletter, and Courtney E. Martin’s newsletter.
Meet The Editors
Sarika Bansal
Sarika Bansal is the editor-in-chief of "Tread Brightly." She is an editor, storytelling consultant, and mentor with the Aspen Institute's New Voices Program. She was the founder and editor-in-chief of BRIGHT Magazine, an award-winning digital magazine that told fresh, solutions-oriented stories about social change. Prior to that, she incubated two social impact publications at Medium, developed curriculum for journalists at the Solutions Journalism Network, and served as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. Her byline has appeared in the New York Times, Guardian, VICE, and other publications.
She holds an undergraduate degree from Harvard College and a Masters in Public Administration from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA).
Sarika has lived on five continents, speaks four languages, and is currently based in a cottage in a forest in Nairobi, Kenya. She lives with her husband, daughter, and elderly German shepherd.
Hassan Ghedi Santur
Hassan Ghedi Santur is a journalist, novelist, and managing editor of “Tread Brightly.” He was the managing editor of BRIGHT Magazine. His journalism work has appeared in The New York Times, Yahoo News, and CBC Radio, among others. He is the author of the novels “Something Remains” and “The Youth of God” and the non-fiction book “Maps of Exile.” He is working on his third novel.
Marion Durand
Marion Durand is the creative director of “Tread Brightly.” She was the visuals editor for BRIGHT Magazine for three years. She is a former photo editor at Matter and Newsweek Magazine, where her work with photographers won several awards. She lives in Paris, France with her family.
Tread Brightly Crowdfunding Video
“Tread Brightly” was originally a project of BRIGHT Magazine, an award-winning digital magazine about health, gender, and education. We hope you enjoy watching this video about the concept of “Tread Brightly” as much as we enjoyed making it!
Contact us!
Please contact us if you have any questions about ordering the book, are interested in reviewing it, have press inquiries, are interested in placing a large order (such as for a class or an office), or would like to invite Sarika Bansal to speak about “Tread Brightly: Notes on Ethical Travel.”