Well the family vacation is over and of course, I need to start planning another one. I am thinking of a beach vacation this winter that is eco-friendly and offers some soothing sun rays and great food. Here are four of my top choices based on reviews (some from UpTake) and each resort’s website:
1. Villa Montana, Caribbean–I have never been to the Caribbean and the web site looks enticing. I like smaller resorts with a personal vibe about them. This looks like it can do the trick.
2. Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort, Fiji– Anything with the Cousteau name must be nice to the environment. Plus, just the name “Fiji” sounds exotic, distant and offers the possibility of a real getaway to me.This is a five star resort offering luxury accommodations. I can only dream, but it sounds wonderful. It was also given the Australasia Leading Green Hotel award by World Travel. Luxe and green–don’t you love it already.
3. Amelia Island Plantation, Amelia Island, Florida–A golf course that co habits with marshlands and savannahs. I never thought it possible to do that and keep those greens, well green. Amelia Island has achieved this and offers world class golf.
4. Barton Creek Resort & Spa, Austin, Texas–a golf course and an Audubon sanctuary, gives new meaning to the term ‘birdie.’ Plus, the reviews from UpTake were all positive and that does not always happen, does it?
I think after this short bit of research that eco-friendly lodging can be found at the more expensive end of the pricing spectrum. Next time, I will be looking for lodging in the $50 to $100 range. Can cheap also be green? And offer the niceties I look for when I travel? We will see, till next week.
By: Tom Mercer on 03 30, 2008
Back from an all-too-long hiatus, and I wanted to recommend a new site that really ties into a lot of things we’ve tried to do with SimpleGreenChoices. It’s WholeTravel, a new website that’s trying to integrate environmental criteria into travelers’ decision-making process. For example, check out this page devoted to the Lapa Rios Eco Lodge in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. There is an overview of the property as a whole, as well as a list of amenities, while there’s a whole separate section listing the hotel’s sustainability practices. If the biggest hurdle to making more environmentally-friendly travel decisions is lack of information, then this site could be a big part of the solution.
WholeTravel is starting mainly with ecotourism properties in Central America and planning to build out from there. If anyone reading this post owns a hotel/resort/accommodation that fits the Whole Travel profile, you can send them an e-mail requesting a self-evaluation questionnaire and start the process of getting listed on their site.
By: Yen Lee on 10 12, 2007
Whereas the environmental impact of transportation is fairly clear-cut, other travel decisions can be significantly more fuzzy. Lodging is a good example. What is it that makes a hotel environmentally friendly? Sure, it’s great to give guests the option of reusing towels, but what else should hotels be doing to minimize their impact? And how can you pick a hotel that is genuinely minimizing their environmental impact?
The first thing to look for is whether a hotel in your destination has been certified by a Green Lodging organization. Although there is not a universal standard for hotel certification, there are several smaller organizations that certify hotels on a regional basis. Below are a few of the organizations to try first:
Once you’ve exhausted these organizations, you have a couple of options. First of all, you could try booking hotel chains that have made a public commitment to environmental practices, such as Hilton. Motel 6 has even professed to be “born-again” green, but as with all non-certified properties, you should ask what they are really doing beyond the bare minimum to reduce their energy and waste streams.
Finally, your last resort is to book your lodging independently and do your own research. “Research” means calling your top contenders and asking some hard questions. In an interview with MSN, Ronald Sanabria, the director of sustainable tourism for the Rainforest Alliance in Costa Rica, suggests the following questions:
How does your property contribute to the local community?
- What is your property doing to conserve energy and water?
- What does your property do to minimize waste and its impact on the community?
- How does your property promote sustainable travel?
Finally, if you’re staying in a lodge that claims to be an eco-tourist retreat and is located in an environmentally important or sensitive area, it’s especially important that you do your due diligence and make sure that they’re living up to their “eco-tourist” label, because if they don’t, they may be doing serious damage to the ecosystem and the local communities. ResponsibleTravel.com has a list of 10 additional questions to ask, including how many locals (including guides) the facility employs and what education programs they have on local ecology and culture, among others.
