Whole Travel Blog

An eco-cabin near Seattle, WA.

There’s a new trend emerging across the United States - eco cabins. Now, this isn’t what you’re thinking - some tent shack in the woods - it’s more of an experience that blends old with new, traditional styling with modern materials and design. Recently reported in the NY Times, these types of cabins are becoming more and more popular as people search for a retreat from their usual city routine. Author Michelle Kodis was quoted in the article saying:

“Given our busy, techno-heavy lives, people are seeking places where they can rejuvenate and connect to nature.”

That’s how we picture an ideal vacation, and for those people who don’t have their own eco-cabins, or just want to explore a new part of the world with this type of experience, there are quite a few places to look. There’s duPlooy’s in Belize, Crescent Valley Eco-Lodge in New Zealand, and Barahona Coralsol Resort in Dominican Republic. We’re looking forward to seeing more and more of these types of cabins becoming available around the world - what a way to experience local culture and appreciate all that nature has to offer!

Brian Brawley and his Green RV

A recent article in the New York Times travel section caught my attention. It’s about a family has been progressively downsizing their lives over the last few years. They started in a 1600 square foot home, moved into a smaller apartment, and now live in an RV (fueled by vegetable oil, of course) while they travel the country. They don’t have room for much, so they aren’t the world’s largest consumers, but they do see a lot of the country and are spreading the word about sustainability as they travel. It’s an out-of-the-box way to promote green awareness, that’s for sure, but we’re excited to see them on the road and inspiring people to live greener lives. You can read the entire article here.

Led by the United Nations Foundation and with members including Condé Nast Traveler, Expedia, and Rainforest Alliance, the Global Partnership for Sustainable Tourism is a coalition of 32 organizations which have joined together “to foster increased understanding of sustainable tourism practices and the adoption of universal sustainable tourism principles.”

Its mission focuses on:

• uniting the tourism industry
• educating tourism businesses
• mainstreaming sustainable tourism
• encouraging sustainable business practices

Visit their site to learn more.

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.

Condé Nast just released its September issue with a special spotlight on the power of travel. It features Matt Damon on the cover and the story of how his 2006 trip to Zambia inspired him to create the H2O Africa Foundation which partners with a variety of other foundations to focus on clean water. With hundreds of children dying each day due to dirty water, Damon emphasized the importance of clean water, saying that it  “put people on the first rung of the development ladder.”

With its slogan “Travel Right, Do Good,” the issue highlights social responsibility through travel with such articles as “How to Be An Ethical Traveler,” “How to Do the Right Thing,” “The Green Traveler’s Handbook” as well as several profiles and forums.

Find the complete coverage here.

Michelle Higgins’ recent article from the New York Times discusses the increasingly popular biking vacation:

Eco-travelers have long embraced low-impact travel, biking from campsite to campsite or taking cross-country jaunts on buses powered by veggie-oil to make a point. But the high cost of fuel is inspiring even more mainstream travelers to embrace a new kind of road trip this year — the gasless vacation.

If gas prices make you squeamish, remember that there are so many great places to explore on your bike. Consider biking to a local B&B for a weekend retreat, instead of driving. And check out Adventurecycling.org, which has a ton of trip ideas, complete with guided routes and maps.

There is a big debate about whether traveling to the most untouched, un-traveled corners of the world, visiting indigenous people, can really be counted as eco-tourism.

There is the positive factor that when you travel to a remote location you are supporting the local population, but isn’t there also an element of invasion of privacy, where the indigenous people are de facto “put on display?”

I think it’s one thing if a resort or hotel is created and run by the local people, but a completely different thing if groups of tourists travel hours through jungles and rivers just to have spotted, and maybe even, gawked at “the natives.”  Perhaps indigenous populations should be met on their terms, if and when they establish a tourist destination that they have declared as such, not one that we pronounced a desirable vacation spot.

This is something to keep in mind when planning a vacation – are you intruding into a community that wants to remain private or, in the case of many Amazonian destinations today, are you partaking in a cultural experience that wants to be shared and “discovered” and to whose sustainable growth you are contributing? Due to the rise in responsible, sustainable travel, these issues will begin to resolve themselves in the coming years.

This year, over 12 million people will take a cruise vacation. Whether it’s the unlimited food, the family-friendly activities, or simply the idea of a stress-free vacation, people are drawn to the all-inclusive appeal of a cruise getaway.

So beautiful...so toxic...

Easy on the Consumer, Harsh on the Environment

Cruises are fun, no doubt about that. With one easy payment, you can have an entire vacation planned out from start to finish… but at what real cost?

A recent article in the Telegraph discusses the Carnival Cruise’s annual environmental report on its ships.  According to the article:

• Cruise ships emit three times more carbon emissions than aircraft. They consume energy for laundry, restaurants, theatre, leisure club activities, water treatment, waste treatment and more.
• They produce enormous amounts of waste. On average, a cruise ship passenger accounts for 3.5 kg of waste daily - compared with the 0.8 kg generated by local people on shore.
• Few ships have polices aimed at supporting local communities.
• Many passengers take a flight to reach cruise ships - further increasing their carbon footprint.

These findings are increasingly relevant as cruise travel continues to be one of the fastest growing areas in travel.

Not All Cruising is Made Equal

However hazardous cruise ships are to the environment, there are those cruise lines that defy the norm. One cruise carrier that deserves recognition is Ecoventura. This Ecuadorian- based cruise, which takes its passengers on a wildlife adventure through the Galapagos, strives to preserve the natural environment as much as possible.

Cruising the Galapagos

While traveling, it is important to keep in mind the environmental impact you will be making on the places you visit. It always seems like the most incredible, mind-blowing places are also the most susceptible to environmental damage. Taking the time to research the “greenest” possible method of travel, is not only noble, it’s essential.