Have you decided to travel by road or jet set to another country to enjoy the white sandy beaches or for a safari in the wild? Then consider planning your trip to be eco-friendly. Whether you are a seasoned environmentalist, a doctor, an engineer or a teacher, it’s never too late to start saving the Earth. Consider booking an eco-friendly vacation!
Environmental experts have raised warning bells regarding the high levels of carbon in the atmosphere. The high levels of carbon have been contributed by the increased pollution from aeroplanes, cars, industries and even ships. To contribute to less carbon emission, you can eco-travel. Below I explain how to plan for the perfect eco-friendly vacation.
Eco-friendly vacation: choosing the destination
It is important to remember that a vacation doesn’t have to be a consumption-fest. Many people don’t know that there are vacation destinations with a relatively low impact but also offer high-quality experiences. So, you can still enjoy all pleasures like playing on the beach without tossing all your eco-friendly principles out of the window.
Below are some eco-friendly vacation spots: Yucatan in Mexico, Alaska in North America, Costa Rica, Nova Scotia, Ecuador and Santa Cruz Island in California. These destinations have microclimates, beautiful sandy beaches, green rolling hills and other areas of interest that you and your family will enjoy. Let’s have a quick look at a couple of them:
Nova Scotia
Brier Island of Nova Scotia is a romantic fishing spot, almost from another time, a bastion for travellers who love nature. This tiny spit of land, just 2.5 km wide by 6 km long, sits at the crossroads of where the waters from the Gulf of Maine meet with those of the majestic Bay of Fundy. In this bay, dramatic incoming and outgoing tidal waters lap up or vacate great swaths of the beach.
The waters of Brier Island draw whales that come to play, breed and feed there from June through October. There are numerous species of whales that are regularly spotted in the waters around Brier Island. The few roads on the island are mostly unpaved, so hiking and mountain biking are popular here. Visit seal cove during low tide, and you’ll likely discover grey and harbour seals catching a few rays.
Brier Island is on the Atlantic Flyway, so year-round, it’s home to various birds. A large portion of the island is a nature preserve administered by the Nature Conservancy of Canada, where common and endangered plant species thrive, including the brier rose, after which the island is named.
If you are a rock collector, the beaches will yield a trove of treasures, including dolomite with veins of quartz and agate, jasper, zeolite and amethyst.
Ecuador
With 46 different ecosystems, Ecuador is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. It is also culturally diverse. There are 15 recognised indigenous groups in Ecuador that speak 11 different languages.
Ecuador has four regions: Galapagos, Coast, Andes and Amazon. It is easy to explore all that diversity in a short period making travelling within the country fast and flexible.
Eco-friendly vacation: choosing the mode of transportation
Travelling from one country to another, especially across continents, may require boarding a plane. This is because aircraft are known to be the most significant contributor to the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. However, if it’s a must to travel by air, you can compensate by choosing eco-friendly transport to move around when you land, like bicycles, eco-friendly cars, buses, trains and even on foot. It will allow you to contribute to reducing carbon emissions and also great exercise and a way of sightseeing the local area.
Eco-friendly vacation: choosing accommodations
Hotels and fully furnished apartments for rent have decided to become eco-friendly, all aiming to reduce carbon emissions to the atmosphere. Do research on hotel websites or even query the support staff to know if the hotel is eco-friendly.
You can also watch for infrastructures like wind or solar energy, which help to heat, cool and even power the hotel. Does the hotel recycle its waste? This and many other points will help you to choose the right hotel.
Eco-friendly vacation: eat food produced locally
Suppose you are looking to reduce carbon emissions even by a small percentage. In that case, you can opt to eat local organic food in local restaurants and hotels. Most restaurants and hotels worldwide are making this information available via their websites and apps.
Most farmers today have adopted greenhouse farming, which is a significant contributor to the production of greenhouse gases like methane. So trying the local cuisine can help reduce carbon emissions and ensure you get to eat fresh and tastier meals.
Eco-friendly vacation: spend time in nature
To contribute to low carbon emissions, you can opt to camp for the better part of your vacation. Most countries offer visitors camping sites where they can get to stay in tents, eat local foods, and recycle any waste that has been produced.
Visiting national parks is another excellent way of staying green during your vacation. In addition, you will get to contribute to the upkeep of the park through park fees.
In conclusion, if you plan a vacation soon, you need to make it eco-friendly. You just need to choose an environmentally friendly mode of transport, stay in camps, stay in green hotels, and eat local organic foods.
