A major part of planning a trip is deciding where you’ll lay your head at night, so travelers normally spend a decent amount of time choosing accommodations. While the majority of travelers will head right to hotel chains, there are other, greener, options.
Image: Tranquilseas, Roatan Eco Lodge
With the trend of travel turning towards sustainability and respect for native cultures and land, eco lodging is now easier to find than ever.
In places around the world, many eco lodges and vacation rentals steer clear of materials and practices that could damage the local culture or environment. Many of these options for accommodations pay particular attention to their use of resources, so as not to selfishly drain energy and water from the surrounding areas.
Travelers looking for environmentally-friendly accommodations will often find lodges that have been designed with the indigenous landscape in mind. Using native or recycled building materials helps stimulate the local economy and honor the local heritage. Environmentally sensitive operating systems for water, waste and electricity also cut down on the overall impact that the accommodations have.
Eco lodges are popping up all over the grid, making it easy for travelers to search and book environmentally-responsible accommodations around the world.
In addition to eco-friendly lodges, many vacation rental home owners are now renting out their off-the-grid homes for travelers looking for a more authentic travel experience.
Image: HomeAway Hawaii Yurt
Travelers can easily find these green homes on sites like Homeaway.com and VRBO.com. Vacations rentals like this yurt in Hawaii or this eco-friendly cabin in Antigua are solar powered and rely on catchment collected rainwater.
When planning for your next vacation, consider staying off the grid at a environmentally sustainable vacation rental, or an eco lodge.
By decreasing the impact we have on the land and local cultures while traveling, we are preserving the world for many more generations of travelers.
NB: No links have been paid for. All just good info for the reader.