Are they far, far away from you or just around the corner? Discover seven breathtakingly beautiful, green hideaways all around the world worth your travel wish list.
Is green travel about a no-flight travel stance and booking regional resorts only?
Is green travel about booking faraway destinations that promote sustainable and fair tourism?
Is activist travel only worth of being seen as true green travel?
While slow and sustainable tourism is not defined strictly, there are several programmes, certifications and resources that can help us make better slow travel decisions.
I wrote about several green travel resources earlier, and have resolved now to hand-pick destinations from their respective offerings every now and then to show you the beauty of those places, to inspire you with something more tangible than a mere “just go there and browse through”.
Today, let’s begin with Green Pearls and my:
Seven Bucket-List-Worthy
Green Travel Destinations
Across the Globe
Yes: across the globe.
Whether you’ll jet across half the planet to get there (just maybe do something to balance the horrendous carbon footprint) or whether you live not very far away from those places (and chances are! BEAUTYCALYPSE readers come from so many of our Earth’s beautiful places!) – there will be something for everyone.
I have picked destinations that friends or acquaintances of mine have been to in order to have some background information. All destinations contribute to local communities and are managed in a sustainable way – more details can be found if you follow the links below each destination.
After all, this is my real travel wish list too! 😉
ALL SEASONS, ALL BUDGETS: Located in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia (two hours north of Vancouver), Whistler is a sustainable resort destination dedicated to environmental protection, energy efficiency and climate protection. Whistler Tourism, an association representing 7,000+ local business, promotes the destination worldwide and is the one-stop-shop for all bookings.
All this set in one truly epic mountain landscape, with accommodations to suit every budget? Skiing, hiking, shopping, dining, golfing? Book me in!
CANADA: Whistler Mountain
THE ANDEAN HIDEAWAY: A different mountain experience is to be had in Peru. The Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel set in 5 hectares of woodland and consisting of 85 luxurious rooms and suites with gardens, pools, a spa and a top restaurant, is managed by the Inkaterra Association, a sustainable tourism pioneer in the region and Peru’s first Carbon Neutral tourism business.
According to a friend, “this is a place you want to stay at while writing your debut novel”. Rates start at USD 250 per person per night.
PERU: Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel
YOUR CARIBBEAN HOME: Located within 10-minute drive from Curaçao’s capital Willemstad is the beautiful Morena Eco Resort that people who’ve been there describe as homely, cosy, relaxing and immaculately well kept. Book an appartment or a villa to feel at home without that certain “hotel feeling”.
This beautiful place, founded 10 years ago and recognised with several sustainability certifications, is a paradise of calm and the epitome of a picture-postcard beach holiday. After all, the same beach is just 5 minutes walk away. Rates start at USD 175 per person per night.
CURAÇAO: Morena Eco Resort
JOIE DE VIVRE: Across the pond, in Europe, France, the lush, magical, green Auvergne wilderness is home to the Instants d’Absolu Eco Lodge located by the lake called Le Lac du Pêcher. Auvergne is a place breathing timelessness, the skies are wide, the air is pure, the world has your back. Exhale. Inhale. Nature and you are one. Oh, and it’s France, so the food is excellent. The only caveat: you’ll never want to leave.
The beautiful lodge has 12 bedrooms and one special tented-safari bedroom (available May to October) for those who want to reside even closer to nature. Rates start at €210 per person per night.
FRANCE: Instants d’Absolu Eco Lodge
NIGHTS AT THE MARINE PARK: The reef eco system of Chumbe (Zanzibar) is a UN recognized Protected Area and Tanzania’s first marine park. The Chumbe Island Coral Park is an award-winning, sustainably managed private nature reserve and home to just 7 bungalows.
Fans of this outstanding destination return every year to experience the unparalleled harmony of sustainability coming to life; many call it their personal paradise. And you do need to appreciate a Robinson Crusoe-esque experience of near-solitude and simple architecture to fully enjoy your stay. Honeymooner-approved!
One more tip for Zanzibar tourists: the island is also well worth a day trip. Rates start at €215 per person per night.
ZANZIBAR: Chumbe Island Coral Park
The opener image of this article was made by my friends, the travel photography duo Pola & Helena, and you should check out their Ninh Van Bay photo report after we had a closer look at this luxurious destination.
ECO DELUXE: Getting to Ninh Van Bay (from Berlin anyway) is quite a journey in its own right and requires, according to Pola & Helena, “a plane, several train rides, a bus and a boat”. The luxurious Six Senses Ninh Van Bay resort consisting of 58 villas aptly build into and around the impressive rocks, a Six Senses spa and three restaurants lays hidden in a private bay overlooking a gorgeous scenery:
Guests delight in private cooking lessons, boat trips, and the balance of genuine eco-savvy and most pristine luxury. Rates start at €450 per person per night.
VIETNAM: Six Senses Ninh Van Bay
COTTAGE BY THE BEACH: Reminiscent of a little village, the 18 traditional Balinese cottages, five luxury villas and two suites of the Puri Dajuma Cottages & Spa Resort**** are located in the West of Bali not far away from the famous surfing destination Medewi beach. Fans of the place describe the restaurants as outstanding, the team as absolutely lovely and highly professional, and the place itself as “wonderfully non tourist-y”.
A wondrous, peaceful, quiet place made for yogis, honeymooners, sole travellers and families with kids to harmoniously coexist. Rates start at €149 per person per night.
BALI: Puri Dajuma Cottages & Spa Resort****
P.S. For more travel inspiration, watch the documentary PLANETARY. It’s not about travel at all, it’s about our universal connection and healing of the disconnected world, but you’ll get to see some truly beautiful places that are definitely worth a visit.
What an amazing round-up and shout out to your mention of Canada!! Whistler really is incredible any time of the year to feel connected to nature 🙂 ~Sonja xo
Thank you, beautiful! My intention was to find something great and green for “each” continent, or almost, so that people around the world can appreciate the eco tourism efforts near to them. Or far if they like (just I personally prefer eco-friendly transportation, so I’m saving all the “exotic” ideas for maybe a sailing adventure, who knows?) XO
This makes ultimately itchy feed and I need to have some vacation soon. I hope to get my feet into a beach in March or earlier… thanks for the wonderful pictures in the morning.
In the moment I’d love to be back in South France. Languedoc in winter… Scorpios are hopefully gone but the mountains are eternal 😉
Beautiful places. Dreamy….
Oh yes, very much so 💚