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10 Amazing Destinations for Eco-Travel

August 14, 2019
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British ecotourism company Responsible Travel released a list of its 10 favorite destinations for green eco-travelers; see what made the cut, plus our recommendations of what to do in each eco-friendly locale.

When considering your next big trip consider going to an eco-destination. What makes a destination eco?


Here are a few criteria that have to be met to earn the “eco” stamp:

  • It’s built using environmentally sound methods and/or operates with alternative energy sources
  • It minimizes human impact on natural habitats and promotes resource conservation
  • It sustains the well-being of local people and/or indigenous communities
  • It helps raise visitors’ environmental and cultural awareness

For a list of environmentally friendly tour operators, hotels, and more, visit the International Ecotourism Society website.

Here is our list with top 10 eco-travel destinations

Bonito eco-travel
Photo: Courtesy Prefeitura Municipal de Turismo, Bonito

1. Bonito

Bonito, in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, is one of the top ecotourism destinations suggested by responsibletravel.com ahead of the 11th World Responsible Tourism Awards.

This remote town in western Brazil is sometimes called Caribe do Centro-Oeste, due to its spectacular blue rivers, whose limestone beds act as a natural water filter. The town’s proximity to the Serra da Bodoquena National Park ensures protection of the area’s ecosystems, which are some of the oldest and most diverse on the planet. Resorts such as the gorgeous Santa Esmerelda are catching on to the eco-friendly trend.

Tourists can enjoy a wide range of spectacular beauties in the area, including waterfalls, crystal lakes, caves with stalactite formations and the surroundings of the Serra da Bodoquena national park, much of which is not open to tourism for conservation reasons.

The clarity of the water where travelers can practice snorkeling or scuba diving is due to the large quantity of limestone in the ground, which works as a natural filter leaving impurity on the bottom of lakes and rivers and making these some of the more transparent and clear in the world.

Courtesy Cape Town Tourism
Photo credit: www.tablemountain.net Courtesy Cape Town Tourism

2. Cape Town

South Africa is a leader in responsible tourism and a mecca for Eco Travel. Named by Conservational International as one of the seventeen megadiverse countries in the world. The biodiversity is truly astounding. There are numerous conservation efforts and projects in OUSth Africa designed to protect the native species.

Cape Town is remarkable for its combination of natural beauty and captivating culture. The capital city offers easy access to beaches, forests, and mountains alike. Many restaurants source food locally, and reliable public transportation or the carbon-neutral Green Cabs make it easy to get around. Choose accommodations like the Grootbos Nature Reserve, which takes measures to preserve its land and the animals native to it. Travelers are welcome to go on a Cape Canopy Tour and zip across the Hottentots Holland nature reserve, imitating the majestic eagles in all but the sharpness of eyesight. An exhilarating ride for anyone willing to share the sky with soaring birds to take in the absolute beauty of the Western Cape from a much more thrilling perspective.

China’s top eco-travel destination
Photo credit: Pixabay

3. Birdwatching in Hangzhou, China

Hangzhou, tipped as ‘Paradise on Earth’, is China’s top eco travel destination. It is one of the few places in China where people can watch wild birds chirping in the downtown area. A perfect destination for nature lovers, at Hangzhou’s West Lake, you can glimpse the birds flying over the skyline. Home to dozens of historical sites, the wooded hills encircling the lake are studded with pavilions, towers, pagodas, and caves. The Xixi National Wetland Park in Hagzhou is teeming with biodiversity and a 180 bird species. It allows visitors an intimate glance at the Underwater Ecological Observation Corridor. And for hiking enthusiasts, the Bamboo-lined Path at Yunqi is a serene escape.

Australia eco-travel Photo credit: Flickr / Rennett Stowe

4. Blue Mountains, Australia

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000, Australia’s Greater Blue Mountains Area is a popular ecotourism trip for Sydneysiders seeking to trade in the buzz of the city for the calm of the great outdoors. A mere 90-minute car ride from Sydney, the Blue Mountains (named for the blue hue cast by the eucalyptus oil produced by the region’s native trees) cover some 550 square miles of valleys, swamps, rocky outcroppings, and narrow canyons – topped off by stellar vantage points from which to ogle Australia’s beauty.

A handful of national parks and reserves comprise the area, hosting dozens of trails through breathtaking terrain loaded with unique flora (don’t miss the ancient Wollemi pine, one of the world’s rarest species) and fauna (some 400 species, including koalas, call the Blue Mountains home). Rock climbing, mountain biking, rappelling, canoeing, and horseback riding are just a few of the activities – aside from bushwalking – to enjoy here in the wild. Of course, the prospect of relaxing and breathing in the fresh mountain air at one of the area’s many eco-friendly lodges and cabins can be equally enticing.

New Zealand green travel Photo credit: Chris McLennan

5. New Zealand

New Zealand is a spot that’s difficult to fully take in during a single trip. Its varied terrain is home to diverse plants and wildlife and makes a beautiful backdrop for hiking, biking, and camping. New Zealand is also one of the most popular destinations for luxury ecotourism, offering comprehensive tours and fancy accommodations with no harm to the environment.

Tea Fields in Kerala. Photo: Midhun Subhash via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credit: Tea Fields in Kerala. Photo: Midhun Subhash via Wikimedia Commons

6. Slow Travel in Kerala, India

Kerala’s spellbinding rivers and lush fields have deservedly made it one of those eco-travel destinations you must see in your lifetime. In fact, Kerala Tourism has won the award for world’s best responsible tourism project at the World Travel Market London. Kerala’s landscape is as fragrant as it is beautiful. With its hills covered in sweet-smelling spices and gorgeous-looking plantations of tea, every inch of Kerala seems to bear witness to arresting beauty. Travelers can slowly take in and admire Kerala whilst traveling by kettu vallam (tied boats) along glimmering backwaters or take to the road to enjoy delicious cuisine and coffee in the urban areas of the state.

Wildlife Adventures in Namibia
Photo credit: Namibia via Pixabay

7. Wildlife Adventures in Namibia

Namibia’s name is derived from the world’s oldest desert, the Namib. With its golden grass and singing rivers, Namibia easily gathers what the best and most awe-inspiring characteristics of Africa in one stunning place. It can also boast of being one of the best places to watch African wildlife as there is an abundance of elephants, rhinos, lions both in private reserves and freely roaming the African prairies. Namibia offers value for money as camps are priced in Namibian dollars, a currency tied to the South African Rand, rather than the U.S. dollar like many southern African safari destinations, which means your wonderful 5-star trip can be taken at a 2-star price.

Tobago eco-travel
Photo credit: Schalz

8. Tobago

This Caribbean island is home to the world’s oldest legally protected rainforest. The Main Ridge Forest Reserve contains a diverse mix of wildlife, including a whopping half of the island’s aviary population (birdwatchers, have your binoculars ready). While many parts of the island (including endangered reefs) have sustained significant damage from hurricanes, the Forest Reserve’s World Heritage Status keeps it well protected.

Extreme Adventures in Bariloche, Argentina
Photo credit: Jose Letelier Hernandez

9. Extreme Adventures in Bariloche, Argentina

If you are one who loves some extreme sports with their eco-travel, then Bariloche might be the perfect destination for you. Bariloche can boast of an incredibly vast ecosystem- from snowy Andean mountains to thick green forests and glimmering lakes- and this means the fun is almost never-ending! You can have a refreshing time kayaking across crystal blue waters in a guided kayaking tour. If you are partial to a wilder side of adventure traveling then don’t fret – Bariloche’s winds are perfect for paragliding and you´ll never be disappointed with the breathtaking view and stunning mountain ranges seen from far above. Bariloche’s gorgeous landscape will definitely keep you mesmerized wherever you go and if you decide to go trekking for a change then there is no shortage of mountain paths and vistas for you to admire.

The Lake District National Park
Photo credit: Nick Thorne

10. The Lake District National Park

Home to 12 of England’s largest lakes, this sprawling parkland contains a diverse sampling of British flora and fauna. For human visitors, there’s a hiking, boating, and nature exploration, as well as free guided bike and walking tours. In 2006, representatives from various protection agencies joined forces to found the Lake District National Park Partnership, which oversees maintenance and preservation of the park’s 80,000 acres of land. They are currently seeking a bid for World Heritage Status, which would ensure even more protection. The Park also offers many opportunities for volunteer work so that visitors can be sure they’re leaving its forests as beautiful as they found them.

Photo credit: Emre Kuzu from Pexels

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Air Travel impact

7 Ways to Reduce the Impact of Air Travel

August 14, 2019
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Dismissing air travel entirely is unrealistic in this day and age, but we can try to reduce the impact of air travel. People fly for many different reasons, and doing it in a less impacting, more eco-friendly manner is always a good idea.

You try to keep your travel as eco-friendly as possible, but sometimes, you have no choice but to fly up.


The International Council on Clean Transportation says:

Taking one roundtrip flight abroad generates one metric ton of carbon, which is roughly equivalent to driving a Prius 20 miles (35 km) to work every day for a year!

We should all try to fly less and stay for longer when we go, but there are things everyone can do to lessen the impact and make your trip as green as possible by following these suggestions:

“I think we’re on the brink of a new era of flying responsibly,” says Sophia Leonora Mendelsohn, JetBlue’s Head of Sustainability. “The vast majority of carriers [are] completely focused on the upcoming United Nations ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) agreement.” This mandates that all airlines cap CO2 and commit to carbon neutral growth after 2020, among other significant measures.

A progress being made — from buying newer more fuel-efficient airplains to NextGen technology — but our collective high-altitude emissions are still staggering. There are about 100,000 commercial flights per day, and the number of air travel will only continue to grow, says Scott Mayerowitz, airlines reporter at The Associated Press. “Last year, U.S. airlines burned through 16.2 billion gallons of fuel [or 340 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions],” says Mayerowitz.

Take a nonstop flight

As much as 50 percent of a flight’s emissions come from takeoff and landing. We could mention also the fuel burned while waiting for a runway. non-stop flights are exponentially better for the environment.

Keep in mind that taking off and landing use up more fuel than cruising at high altitude. It’s better for the environment to seek a different airline when you’re searching online to make a flight reservation than many low-cost airlines that fly via a third location rather than non-stop.

It is always better for the environment to take a non-stop flight.

Book an air travel that uses newer model planes.

Newer planes usually have better fuel economy than older ones.
If you have a choice between an older aircraft and a newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft, book the modern aircraft. Green, options include Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350. Many leading airlines use new versions of 737s and A320s/A321s for shorter flights. A 2016 study on airlines’ fuel efficiency revealed a huge discrepancy between carriers when it comes to how much fuel they burn. This is caused by two main differences – the number of premium seats and the type of aircraft. In the U.S. Alaska Airlines is the most fuel efficient, followed by Frontier and Spirit. In Europe, Norwegian Airlines is 51 percent more efficient than British Airways, the worst ranking. Porter Airlines, which operates in Canada and the U.S., uses turboprop planes that fly much lower than jets and use 64 percent of the fuel that jets do.

Choose daytime flights

Studies show that jet can contribute to warming the atmosphere because as they disperse they can trap heat radiating up from the earth. Especially at night because during the day, the contrails partially offset the heat trap effect by radiating light from the sun away from the earth. It’s believed that flying during the daytime is more eco-friendly. Nighttime flights have a greater warming impact because, as the David Suzuki Foundation explains, the contrails trap heat that would otherwise escape the Earth.

Reduce the Impact of Air Travel

Photo credit: itsbytespixels from Pexels

Lower the window shades

According to Delta rep Ashton Morrow. “Why does the flight attendant ask you to lower your shades and open the vents when it’s warm outside?” Because it helps keep the aircraft cool. When all window shades are closed, the aircraft can be 10 degrees cooler. Reducing the cooling load saves energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.”

Purchase carbon offsets for your air travel

Carbon offset programs might be more of a quick fix than a long-term solution, and they go toward reducing the same amount of environmental costs that your trip expends.
In 2007, Delta first started the use of an airline carbon offset program. Up to today this program benefits The Nature Conservancy’s forest projects in Chile, Virginia, and Belize. For example, a roundtrip flight from New York to London will emit one ton of CO2 per passenger, while one tree conserved through the program will capture up to 7.5 tons of CO2 over its lifetime.

“If I have a choice of airlines, and I know one has an effective carbon-neutral program but the other doesn’t, I can chose, as a consumer, to put my money where it does the most good,” – says Skift’s aviation editor, Marisa Garcia.

JetBlue’s CarbonFund.org program supports The Envira Amazonia Project, which preserves 500,000 acres of endangered tropical rainforest in Brazil and also providing the community with educational programs, and health care. When you spend about $13 to offset your flight from New York to Paris, 100 percent of the tax-deductible donation goes to these and other projects, including wildlife conservation or renewable energy.

You can do this voluntarily to some airline tickets at the time of purchase of your air travel ticket. Learn more about how carbon offsets are used.

Use economy class.

The more passengers that an aircraft carries, the less fuel is burned per passenger. When you choose an economy seat, you’re responsible for fewer emissions than if you choose a seat in a roomier class of travel.

Atmospheric scientist Peter Kalmus calculates that sitting in first class emits 1.5 kg C02-equivalents per passenger mile, compared to 0.5 kg CO2e in the economy. A 2009 study by World Bank calculated that first class has a higher carbon footprint than their economy class.

Pack light.

Every pound of weight that a plane carries increases the amount of fuel that it burns, the havier the load the more carbon emissions will be released. Consider reducing your luggage weight which will reduce your environmental impact and it makes your traveling far easier, faster, and more pleasant.

“Delta is packing lighter in an effort to cut fuel consumption and lessen environmental impact by reducing the amount of ice boarded on overnight international flights, replacing heavy pilot manuals (50 pounds) with Microsoft Surface tablets and flight attendant manuals with Nokia Lumia 1520 phablets, as well as installing lighter carbon brakes in place of the high-capacity steel brakes where possible,” says Delta’s Morrow. “If customers pack lighter—making simple changes like leaving that extra pair of shoes at home (two pounds)—the annual environmental impact from reduced fuel consumption is the equivalent to removing 10,500 cars from the road for [an entire] year.”

As you are preparing to take off for your next vacation, consider reducing your carbon impact by using some of these simple tips. You can check our other posts about becoming a sustainable traveler.

Photo credit: Miroslava from Pexels

Chumbe Island Tanzania

Chumbe Island Tanzania

August 2, 2019
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Chumbe Island is a tiny coral, award-winning private nature park island, eight miles southwest by boat from Zanzibar, Tanzania. It is the first marine protected area in the world, rare wildlife forest reserve & award-winning eco-lodge. Chumbe Island and the surrounding area display an exceptional amount of biodiversity in both plant and animal life.
Tanzania’s had a military base here and restricted access to the surrounding ocean. The area’s coral remained untouched and after the military left, in 1993 the area was placed under the protection of its own marine park.

Chumbe Island Coral Park (CHICOP) CHICOP was developed in 1991 when the formerly uninhabited Chumbe Island was recognized to be one of the last pristine coral islands in the region. The reserve now includes a fully protected coral reef sanctuary, forest reserve, education center and state-of-the-art ecolodge, designed to have zero impact on the environment. Besides the 81-acre coral reef — home to 90% of East Africa’s hard coral species and 400 reef fish species — rare wildlife protected on and around the island includes the coconut crab, green turtle, Ader’s duiker (antelope) and humpback whale.


In 2011 Chumbe Island became the first Global Ecosphere Retreat to be certified by The Long Run, having created a financially and ecologically sustainable park, where ecotourism supports conservation and research. Community outreach and education are at the heart of CHICOP’s approach; local fishermen are trained as park rangers and the Chumbe Environmental Education program provides free island excursions to children, teachers, community groups and government officials.

Chumbe Island Coral Park Options & Rates

How to get to Chumbe Island:

Chumbe Island Coral Park is a short boat ride away from Stone Town, the heart of Zanzibar. Stone town is a 20-minute flight from Dar es Salaam.

The boat departure time to Chumbe Island is 10:00 a.m. daily from the beach of the Mbweni Ruins Hotel. Advance booking for all reservations is required. Chumbe can also pick you up from the Airport, Port or town hotels for US$ 12.

Chumbe Island Lodge
Photo credit: Iloveafrica

Accommodation

Chumbe Island Lodge is run by the nonprofit private company Chumbe Island Coral Park Ltd (CHICOP), and staff from Zanzibari and Tanzanian who is fully engaged with the project’s aims and ethos. The ecologically-sensitive design of the lodge, it’s not only very green, but it also takes mainly local materials and building techniques to produce spectacular results. The main dining and lounge area, which also functions as an education center, is particularly impressive in the scale of its design.

The lodge is located on Chumbe Island itself, 13 km to the southwest of Stone Town. Chumbe Island’s seven bungalows were constructed by local builders using natural materials, offering visitors an open-air existence with Indian Ocean views and complete privacy. If possible, interiors, food, and drink have been sourced locally, often supporting co-operatives like the up-cycling artists at Creative Solutions. Environmental technology for each bungalow includes rainwater catchment, photovoltaic energy, composting toilets, and greywater filtration.

Chumbe has one smaller bungalow and six double-story bungalows. The ground floor is the bathroom and living area and the top floor is the bedrooms. The bathroom is extremely eco with long drop toilets. The water is all solar heated and is rainwater which gets passed through a local filtering system and pumped up. The main lodge is built in an abstract design, with an enormous makuti roof structure that hangs down on all four sides for sides of the cross-shaped roof.

The resort is open from June to March, inclusive.

  • High Season    Per Person/night: US$ 280, Single supplement US $100
    5th June 2018 – 30th Sept 2018
    16th Dec 2018 – 28th February 2019
  • Low Season    Per Person/night: US$ 260, Single supplement US $80
    1st Oct 2018 – 15th Dec 2018
    1st March 2019– 7th April 2019
  • Closed: The remainder of April and May.

Children: Under 12 years – half price;  Under 2 years – free of charge.

What’s Included?

  • Boat transport to and from the island on the morning transfer.
  • Eco-bungalow accommodation.
  • Full-board meals, sodas, water, and snacks.
  • Boat, guide, and equipment for snorkeling plus tuition in snorkeling, if required.
  • Guided walk through the forest trails and intertidal area (if low tide).
  • Guided walk to view the endangered coconut crabs in the evening
  • WIFI around the office (powered by solar).
  • All taxes included.

Chumbe Island Hotel – Activities

Snorkeling is what makes Chumbe stand out from the rest. Although the majority of the island doesn’t have good beaches, Chumbe is blessed with a good stretch of lovely white sand. There is no diving or fishing here, but you can arrange all dolphin trips and other activities from the lodge.

Want to learn more about other sustainable destinations? Check our other Sustainable.
Main photo credit: Rob Wikipedia

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