Whole Travel Blog

In 2006, the house was still in its planning stages: a house built with more than 600,000 lbs of construction materials recycled from the Big Dig highway project in Boston. The “Big Dig” is the unofficial name of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, the chief highway through the heart of Boston and the most expensive highway project in the United States. The Big Dig House is literally made from much of the waste materials from I-93 overcrossings.

The Big Dig House - don't drive here anymore

The final cost was approximately $150 per square foot, with most of the materials provided only for the cost of shipping. Single Speed Design used this project to prove the point that infrastructure materials can be salvaged and reused to create amazing structures. Most of the materials were used as-is from the I-93 teardown, so they created a structure significantly stronger than necessary for a residence. As such, the house features an amazing garage-top garden. Not too shabby!

Park your car and walk upstairs!

We have covered some interesting architecture projects at Whole Travel, but this one deffinatly takes the cake!  Morris Architects has made designs for a luxury resort based upon retired oil rigs.  The Rig Resort’s aesthetics evoke an ocean reef with modern flair. Views include ocean vantages – even through the lobby’s glass floor – as well as of the roof-top white sand “beach” and infinity pool beyond.

Rig Hotel

Like other projects we have covered, The Rig will be partially prefabricated from containers.  The guestrooms will be prefabricated modules built to withstand the harsh open water conditions.  Energy will be generated using a variety of sustainable methods.

Rig Lobby

Looking to escape the cold this winter and get outdoors?  Head south!  The southern hemisphere offers endless opportunities and best of all it is currently summer there. The Whole Travel team is getting out of the office this month and heading down to Argentina and Chile.  We will be visiting lodges and investigating the next great sustainable adventure opportunity in the land of the Gauchos.   From Estancias like Eolo, to modern dome tents in Torres Del Paine National Park, Whole Travel will see them all.  Stay tuned for post from the road on exciting destinations.

Modern Dome Tents

Eolo Patagonia's Spirit

Rattray Head Eco-Hostel

With tough economic times, it makes a lot of sense to think about how you spend your money when you travel.  Many have learned how to stretch a tight budget and travel for months on hand.  Who are these masters of travel you ask?  Backpackers.  In a recent MSNBC article, a few tips for cheap travel are revealed.  Hopefully you can employ some of these on your next trip in order to make your dollar last a little longer.  A few of the tips are listed below, but click here to read the full article.

One of the major tips is to stay in a hostel.  There are many hostels on the Whole Travel Site, below are a few…

Rattray Head Eco-Hostel - Rattray, Scotland

Pululahua Hostal - Pululahua, Ecuador

Omagh Hostel - Tyronne, Northern Ireland

India has become an even more attractive travel destination lately with the recent surge in the value of the dollar. If you’re looking for a relaxing getaway, Ashiyana Goa might be the perfect place. A tropical retreat located on the beautiful and unspoiled Mandrem Beach, it boasts accommodations in the form of luxury eco-lodges, tree-houses and stone-built houses set amidst lush tropical gardens.

Alternatively, if you want to dive into the cultural and historical wonders of India, consider staying at Krishna Prakash Heritage Haveli which is located at the foot of Mehrangarh Fort.

If you’re looking for a taste of summer this holiday season, consider traveling south of the equator to Argentina’s Estancia Peuma Hue. Located in Argentina’s largest national park, this resort boasts several different lodging options, all taking full advantage of the beautiful nature that encompasses the grounds.

Activities include trekking, horseback riding, kayaking, and fly fishing among others. With its mission to “foster a deep contact with nature;its preservation and care,” and its dedication to sustainability, Peuma Hue is the perfect holiday escape.

If you were considering going away this holiday season but assumed that prices would be too high to take a trip, you might want to reconsider. Taking the financial crisis and tighter budgets into account, several airlines and hotels have slashed their prices making a far-away escape a definite possibility.

In its Sunday travel section, the New York Times discusses the low-season like deals available for the upcoming high holiday season that include trips for everyone - from the warm waters of the Carribean to the snowy slopes of Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

A new trend has emerged in Germany: converting old farms into “Heuhotels” or hay hotels, where guests literally spend the night on a bed of hay.

This trend isn’t just new, it’s also cheap and eco-friendly since guests bring their own sleeping bags and towels.

For a list of “Heuhotels,” visit www.heuhotels.de or check out this New York Times article about it.

While Hawaii is better known for its sprawling beaches and live volcanoes than its eco-friendly habits, authors Gary and Peggy Diedrichs have trekked all over the great islands to put together a comprehensive guidebook to everything sustainable and green in Hawaii. Called The Green Traveler Guides Hawaii and recently reviewed by  SF Gate, it suggests sustainable alternatives to everything from organic eateries to eco-friendly surfboard wax.

Want to lighten your carbon footprint even more? Check into one of  Whole Travel’s hotels which have received a Whole Ranking®, such as Aloha Place or the Hale Hookipa Inn.

While many travelers choose to visit the popular and often over visited landmarks of China, among them the Great Wall, the Yin Ruins, and the Forbidden City, more and more travelers are beginning to choose to travel off the beaten path to a more authentic and oftentimes more remote China. Fortunately, more eco-lodges are popping up to assist this new trend where supporting the local community is an inherent feature of a traveler’s stay. A good example is the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat which has committed to being sustainable through the creation of its own well which lessens its dependence on water resources, by hiring staff from nearby villages, and also by committing to replacing coal with alternative energy by 2009.

Two other ecolodges in China are Wenhai Ecolodge and Alou’s Tibetan Lodge.