Finding a Truly Green Get-Away

There are many hotels and resorts around the world that are making efforts to be more eco-friendly today.  By conserving energy and water, reducing waste, and making small changes to the products bought in bulk, these hotels and resorts are able to reduce their global footprint and also save a great deal of money  However, sometimes a person doesn’t just want a recyclable lotion bottle or a carpet made of recycled materials.  Instead, there are times in life, when we simply want to escape from the modern conveniences that have diluted the peace and tranquility that mankind once knew.

For those moments in time, a person doesn’t just want to find a “green” hotel, he or she is looking for a truly “back to basics” approach to resort living.  There are a few resorts that not only focus entirely on providing a comfortable, luxurious setting, with an eco-friendly philosophy, but that have worked to involve the visitors in an entirely new and enjoyable break from everyday life.

Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Island Resort Sitting on the island of Vanua Levu is a gorgeous get-away in the center of a giant coconut plantation.  Visitors can swim, snorkel, or scuba dive in the Pacific waters of Savusavu Bay before returning to their room for a truly unique ambiance.  Materials used in building this popular vacation destination were produced locally and much of the food comes from the resort’s own gardens.  If that isn’t enough, employees are willing to take visitors on explorations of the coral reefs, explain the delicate nature of the coastal eco-system, and even give couples and families the opportunity to do some planting.  Through “green” acts and globally responsible education, this hotel has earned its spot atop the list of the most “green” getaways.

Eco Beach Wilderness Retreat If Fiji isn’t your scene, perhaps you would be better suited for a stay down under.  The Eco Beach Wilderness Retreat still offers many of the most popular selling features of most luxury resorts – such as a giant infinite pool, poolside bars, and oceanfront views, but it is far from ordinary.  A stay in these highly stylized eco-tents will provide you the comfort of a hotel at a fraction of the global footprint.  Track your energy usage with provided monitors, which won’t be much thanks to a state-of-the-art solar power system, and be sure not to disrupt the local eco-system as you walk along raised planks rather that trampling local foliage.  Oh, and rather than taking off on a gas-burning speed boat, perhaps you would rather take a walk through the wilderness to experience the many forms of life that Australia has to offer – both along the coastline and in the deeper bush areas.

Hotel Punta Islita Nearly hidden by lush, full, green foliage is a small resort offering a myriad of options to its visitors.  Accommodations include several different room arrangements as well as Casitas, which have the likeness of adorable cottages.  With the latter, guests can enjoy a private garden and dining terrace.  However, all guests can take advantage of swimming in crystal clear waters or a visit to the Casa Spa.  One can even ride horseback along the coastline.  This resort has two objectives in mind – to offer visitors the greatest sources of fun and relaxation and to preserve the local environment.  They have turned what was poorly treated land, robbed of its natural beauty, into something that is recognized worldwide for its lush and clean feel.  So, not only does the hotel aim to maintain a global preservation stance, but they have also worked to correct the damage already done by others.

Nihiwatu Resort of Indonesia It might be quaint and rather exclusive, but that is exactly how they want it to be.  The Nihiwatu resort sits on more than four hundred acres of preserved land.  The resort aims to keep that land clean and protected much like the nearby Stone Age sites and villages, which have been left unaltered for centuries.  Set in an area where the culture is very near that which existed hundreds of years before, Nihiwatu fits right in with traditional methods of growing foods and building structures made of locally manufactured goods.  This is one place that will provide unmatched entertainment without robbing the visitor of the natural feel of its community’s way of life.  The best part is that this resort values self preservation as much as it does eco-friendliness.  Visitors will walk away with a renewed sense of self after participating in yoga, Pilates and meditation courses, which aim to make the person one with the world.

So, next time you are prepared to get away from everyday life, do so in a place that is truly unique and different from what you experience on any given day.  Choose a location that values the ways of old, that works to preserve its local surroundings, and a place that wants to do its part to better that world.  There is nothing quite like a “green” vacation.