More people are caring about “sustainability”. It can mean supporting the Sustainable Development Goals, it can mean using less plastic or recycling it properly. It can also mean… travelling responsibly?
Holiday goers are driving responsible (or sustainable) tourism to become mainstream. They are looking for travel businesses (tour agencies, bus and cruise operators and more) that are environmentally friendly, and the tourism industry is responding.
Even hotels and resorts have jumped onto the bandwagon. Travellers can now have perfect peace of mind when they travel, knowing that even their luxurious choices will not damage the natural environment.
Take Cala Luna Boutique Hotel & Villas, an eco-boutique hotel in Costa Rica for example. Biodegradable toiletries, glass-bottled water, bamboo straws, and a firm recycling system are the bare minimum. In December 2018, it installed 1,400 solar panels to offset 34 tons of its energy usage, and help it achieve its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by late 2019. Guests can soon feel assured that they’re not contributing to global greenhouse gases.
Do you want to immerse yourself in nature? Checkout the Gal Oya Lodge in Sri Lanka, which is spread over 20 acres of private jungle. The ecolodge’s nine spacious bungalows, restaurant, bar, and swimming pool use only sustainable and local materials wherever possible, and were built into the undisturbed lush forest.
Travellers have minimal impact on the environment. Water is heated with solar energy, and any wastewater is used as grey water in the gardens. All food produce is grown on site or sourced only from the local farms. Food waste is then given to the farms for their use. Nature is just at your doorstep, and if you’re lucky, you might possibly spot an Asian elephant swimming in its natural habitat while on a boat safari.
Are you more into glamping instead? The 4 Rivers Floating Lodge in Cambodia might be the perfect place for you. The resort is built from sustainable materials like recycled plastic and local hyacinth plants, and the solar panels provide energy between sunset and sunrise. All waste is separated and recycled, and they even have their own water pumping and treating system.
With firm sustainable practices in place, the lodge offers a luxurious glamping experience in safari tents that bob on the tranquil waters of the Taitai river — travellers can relax physically, mentally and sustainably, in the utterly serene and natural environment.