Whole Travel Blog

The Balé is a Balinesan retreat dedicated to revitalizing your soul as well as revitalizing the local village of Nusa Dua.  The Balé is dedicated to the well-being of its employees and their families.  They have set up a training and development program in the community to provide education and ultimately jobs.  Approximately 80% of the employees come from Nusa Dua.  Hiring locally has also helped to eliminate the use of motorized vehicles used to get to and from work, since most employees walk.

The Balé hosts exhibitions for local artists as well as cultural celebrations and events.  This provides guests with exposure to the local culture as well as monetary support for the locals.

In keeping with their direct approach with the community, the Balé has set up a beach facility in which guests have direct access to a local food and beverage cooperative and local residents participate in the clean-up and maintenance of the area forming a community initiative that all residents can be proud of.  This spot has become a favorite, in the South of Bali, for tourists and residents alike.  This is a perfect example of connecting people to achieve a common goal of community preservation, while providing a rich tourism experience. [more]

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It was your classic love story - boy meets girl, girl falls in love with boy, together they live happily ever after.  But in the case of Mick and Lucy Fleming, it took place via canoe and horseback deep in the jungle of Belize.  It was there they fell in love with each other, and also the land around them.  Together, they created the lodge at Chaa Creek and now help preserve 365 acres of land while maintaining the first class resort. [More]

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Gaia Napa Valley Hotel & Spa is the world’s first and only Gold LEED Certified Hotel.  What did it take to earn this certification?  Low VOC paints used throughout, carpet containing post consumer recycled material, recycled tiles and granite, low flush toilets and low flow showers, solar panels, and locally grown food provided at the restaurant; to name some of the many efforts that went in to what is today Gaia.

With 131 “green” rooms situated on four acres in American Canyon, just south of Napa, there is even a real-time display in the lobby showing how much energy is being used and saved at the hotel moment by moment.  Gaia is the first of its kind, but hopefully just one in a long list to come. [More]

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Santiago Dunn, the Executive president of Ecoventura, has shown a strong commitment to sustainability since 1990.  A family owned company based in Ecuador that operates four expedition yachts in The Galapagos Islands, Ecoventura is modifying the engines of its fleet to create hybrid boats.

These boats will be powered by diesel and solar/wind energy.  Mr Dunn’s mission is to inspire others, including Ecoventura’s passengers, to be part of the solution for the issues facing The Galapagos. Modifying the fleet’s engines is just one of the many steps the company has taken in the right direction. [More]

Find out more about Whole Travel Foundation here.