GREEN TRAVEL
Review by Barb & Ron Kroll
Green Travel - The world's best eco-lodges and earth-friendly hotels
(Fodors) ISBN 978-1400007530 1400007534
This environmentally responsible accommodations guidebook describes green travel experiences and eco-friendly resorts, lodges and hotels around the world.
To assist environmentally-conscious travelers, this Fodor's guide recommends principles for responsible travel such as: learning about the country, spending your money locally, respecting cultural attitudes and local customs, minimizing your carbon footprint and environmental impact and learning from local people.
Environment-friendly
Green Travel is simply indexed by continent and geographical region. Features on green-colored pages describe ecotourism in the region. Examples include sea kayaking in Baja California, viewing grizzly bears in Alaska's Katmai National Park and searching for jaguars in Noel Kempff Mercado National Park in Bolivia.
Writers give their impressions of each destination, with information about history, activities and accommodations. For each eco-lodge, an ECOFile sidebar itemizes location, how to get there, rates, best time to go, where to get further information and what makes the resort ecologically responsible.
The sidebar includes an estimate of CO2 emissions required to travel to the destination and their carbon offset costs. A scale of one to five leaves ranks each eco-resort on its environmental and social impact.
Maps of eco-lodge locations
Color images illustrate each of the eco-lodges and earth-friendly hotels. Locator maps in each chapter identify eco-resort locations and cost ranges.
The Introduction lists selection criteria used by the authors to determine the environmental impact and social responsibility of the 100 eco-friendly resorts in the guidebook.
Responsible travel
At the back of the Fodor's travel book, the Further Information section describes organizations that promote responsible tourism, carbon offsetting, community tourism, human rights and welfare, volunteering, conservation and responsible tour operators.
The Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve & Uakari Lodge is located in the Amazon rainforest on the Amazon River, 663 km (411 miles) from Manaus, near the confluence with the Rio Negro tributary. Rich in biodiversity, the reserve was created to protect the indigenous flora, fauna and local caboclo (people who are part indigenous and part Portuguese) villages.
As an ecological project, the lodge receives both government and outside funding. Ecotourism and cultural visits are its sustainable attractions.
Egypt Eco-lodge
Adrère Amellal Ecolodge is accessed from Cairo, Egypt, by an eight-hour bus ride via the Siwa Oasis. Adjacent to a huge white cliff, this reconstructed cluster of Siwan mud, sand, straw and salt buildings has no electricity or phones.
The Egyptian eco-lodge provides local employment and consumes locally produced organic food. This green resort uses solar power, composting, wastewater recycling, traditional braziers for heating and oil lamps or beeswax candles for nighttime lighting.
Panchoran Retreat in Bali, Indonesia, is all things bamboo. Built into the bamboo forest, the garden and buildings have grown together for more than 25 years. Recycling and renewable energy complete this green resort monument to bamboo.
Contents
Introduction- North America & the Caribbean
- Locator map & budget guide
- Banff Park Lodge, Canada
- Bathurst Inlet Lodge, Canada
- Sea-kayaking in Baja California, Mexico
- Balamku, Mexico
- Hotel Eco Paraiso Xixim, Mexico
- Villas Ecotucan, Mexico
- Bear watching in Alaska, USA
- The Colony Hotel, Maine, USA
- Dobson House, USA
- Fairmont Chicago, USA
- Hotel Triton, USA
- Inn Serendipity, USA
- Ethical travel dilemma: Should I hire a car?
- Tiamo, Bahamas
- Papillote Wilderness Retreat, Dominica
- Maho Bay Camps & Concordia Estate, US Virgin Islands
- Central & South America
- Locator map & budget guide
- Chaa Creek, Belize
- Steppingstones, Belize
- Finca Rosa Blanca Country Inn, Costa Rica
- Ethical travel dilemma: Should I stay or should I go?
- Hotel Punta Islita, Costa Rica
- Lapa Rios, Costa Rica
- La Quinta Sarapiqui Country Inn, Costa Rica
- Chalalan Ecolodge, Bolivia
- Spotting jaguars: Camping out in Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, Bolivia
- Cristalino Jungle Lodge, Brazil
- Fazenda San Francisco, Brazil
- Mamiraua Reserve & Uakari Lodge, Brazil
- Favela chic? Touring the slums of Rio, Brazil
- Black Sheep Inn, Ecuador
- Kapawi Lodge, Ecuador
- Iwokrama Field Station & Canopy Walkway, Guyana
- Pantiacolla Lodge, Peru
- Tambopata Research Center & Posada Amazonas, Peru
- Awarradam, Suriname
- Europe
- Locator map & budget guide
- Bedruthan Steps Hotel, England
- Bloomfield House, England
- The Eco-lodge, England
- The Hen House, England
- Slow and steady: Slow food trails in England and Wales
- Primrose Valley Hotel, England
- Strattons, England
- L'Auberge les Liards, France
- Perché dans le Perche, France
- Green footprints: Walking holidays on Samos, Greece and throughout Europe
- mitArt, Germany
- Albergo Amici, Italy
- Casa del Grivo, Italy
- Locanda della Valle Nuova, Italy
- Anna's House, Northern Ireland
- On your bike: Cycling routes in Scotland
- Aqua City Resort, Slovakia
- The Hoopoe Yurt Hotel, Spain
- Ethical travel dilemma: To offset or not?
- The Lodge, Spain
- Whitepod, Switzerland
- Yediburunlar Lighthouse, Turkey
- Africa & the Middle East
- Locator map & budget guide
- Basecamp Masai Mara, Kenya
- Campi ya Kanzi, Kenya
- Anjajavy l'Hotel, Madagascar
- World harmony: Gnaoua World Music Festival, Morocco
- Kasbah du Toubkal, Morocco
- Lalla Mira, Morocco
- Guludo Beach Lodge, Mozambique
- Vamizi Island, Mozambique
- Goodwill hunting: Community tourism in the Kalahari, Namibia
- Damaraland Camp, Namibia
- Skeleton Coast Camp, Namibia
- Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge, South Africa
- Hog Hollow Country Lodge, South Africa
- Vuyatela, South Africa
- A walk on the wild side: Voluntourism and wildlife conservation, Botswana
- Chumbe Island Coral Park, Tanzania
- Fundu Lagoon, Tanzania
- Serengeti Under Canvas, Tanzania
- Ethical travel dilemma: Should I give to beggars?
- The Islands of Siankaba, Zambia
- Adrere Amellal Ecolodge, Egypt
- Feynan Eco-lodge, Jordan
- Asia
- Locator map & budget guide
- Hotel de la Paix, Cambodia
- Barefoot at Havelock, India
- Cardamom House, India
- Kalmatia Sangam Himalaya Resort, India
- Friends in high places: Hiking in the Himalayan foothills, India
- The Orchid Hotel, India
- Wildernest Nature Resort, India
- Yogamagic Canvas Ecotel, India
- Nihiwatu, Indonesia
- Panchoran Retreat, Indonesia
- Ethical travel dilemma: Should I visit Myanmar and the Maldives?
- The Boat Landing Guest House, Laos
- Soneva Fushi Resort, Maldives
- Three Camel Lodge, Mongolia
- Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge, Nepal
- Karma down: Yoga and Ayurveda at Ulpotha eco-village, Sri Lanka
- Galapita, Sri Lanka
- Samakanda Bio-versity, Sri Lanka
- Tree Tops Jungle Lodge, Sri Lanka
- Gecko Villa, Thailand
- Australasia
- Locator map & budget guide
- Aquila Eco Lodges, Australia
- Bamurru Plains, Australia
- Bay of Fires Walk & Lodge, Australia
- Burrawang West Station, Australia
- Daintree EcoLodge & Spa, Australia
- Walking on Eyre: Outback safaris on the Eyre Peninsula, Australia
- Gunya Titjikala, Australia
- Inala, Australia
- Kooljaman, Australia
- Lord Howe Island, Australia
- Ethical travel dilemma: Should I buy Aboriginal art?
- Ningaloo Reef Retreat, Western Australia
- O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat, Australia
- Paperbark Camp, Australia
- Rawnsley Park Station, Australia
- Tribal welfare: A new kind of eco-tourism on Vorovoro Island, Fiji
- Jean Michel-Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort, Fiji
- Sonaisali Island Resort, Fiji
- Awaroa Lodge, New Zealand
- Wilderness Lodge Arthur's Pass, New Zealand
Index
Authors
Richard Hammond, Rebecca Ford, James Jeffrey, Nick Maes, Richard Newton, Alex Robinson, Rory Spowers, Robin Barton and Rupert Isaacson