Have you spent hours searching the web for an eco-friendly holiday that suits your budget or ideals? Then look no further because online travel planning resource, Professional Travel Guide, recently revealed their top choices for eco travellers this year, and they’ve highlighted some real green gems. Here are just a few of their recommendations:
South America
Panama
Although offering the same ecological wonders as Costa Rica, Panama is much less visited than its neighbour, making it an ideal destination for those who want to steer clear of the well-trodden path. Spot quetzals flying through the rainforest canopy, book into a private water bungalow or investigate hidden nooks and crannies of Panama Canal.
Hotel Recommendations
- Canopy Tower Eco-Lodge
- Coffee Estate Inn
- Hacienda Del Mar
Africa
Madagascar
Home to a vast array of animals found nowhere else on the planet, Madagascar is a must-go destination for anyone obsessed with, or even slightly interested in, the natural world. Lemurs, strange retiles and baobab trees account for just some of the unique flora and fauna entrapped on this wonderful island.
Hotel Recommendations
- Berenty Lodge, Berenty wildlife preserve
- Nature Lodge, Amber Mountain National Park
- Setam Lodge, Ranomafana National Park
America
St John (US Virgin Islands)
Though it’s the smallest of the US Virgin Islands, St John has a remarkably varied landscape. Virgin Islands National Park makes up two-thirds of its landmass, where visitors can hike in deep ravines, over tropical mountains and across arid coastal areas. Don’t overlook the beaches and coral reefs – it’s a Caribbean island, after all.
Hotel Recommendations
- Maho Bay Camps, Virgin Islands National Park
- Harmony Studios, Virgin Islands National Park
Europe
Iceland
As one might expect from a country whose name is “ice”, Iceland’s landscape is rugged and harsh. Take a hike past lava fields, glaciers and waterfalls and marvel at the wildlife (puffins) and natural wonders (hot springs and geysers) akin to this barren landscape. Visit between fall and spring to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights.
Hotel Recommendations
- Hotel Budir, Reykjavik
- Hotel Ranga, Reykjavik
Asia
Laos
Visit Laos for a glimpse of southeast Asia as it used to be before the tourism industry exploded. Laos is slow paced so visitors can view the bounty of historic sights and explore the jungle and mountain scenery away from the madding crowds. Bird-watching is excellent and overnight trekking excursions into the hills are available.
Hotel Recommendations
- La Residence Phou Vao, Luang Prabang
- The Vansana Plain of Jars Hotel
Check out the rest of the list on Professional Travel Guide.
Thanks to Professional Travel Guide for images.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 5 comments }
On a similar note, check out the Adventure Collection’s Extraordinary New 2009 Trips, where members have crafted some of the most exciting and imaginative itineraries yet, breaking new ground and featuring new activities while maintaining their core values of environmental and cultural protection.
http://www.terracurve.com/2008/09/15/adventure-collections-extraordinary-new-2009-trips/
Iceland and Madagascar are high atop my travel wish-list. Great post!
Good picks, especially Madagascar. It looks pretty otherworldly in this National Geographic photo by Michael Melford:
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/photos/photo_madagascar_madagascar.html
It’s considered a biodiversity hotspot because, besides lemurs, it has eight plant families, four bird families, and five primate families that live nowhere else on Earth, according to Conservation International:
http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/hotspots/madagascar/Pages/default.aspx
If you want to go with some scientists, Earthwatch has a trip coming up in November to study lemurs:
http://www.earthwatch.org/expeditions/wright.html
Glad you liked the post guys.
Good to see you here too, Marilyn
In Belize, we have a nice eco lodge named The Lodge at Chaa Creek http://www.chaacreek.com.
Comments on this entry are closed.