The Eco Travelers Bucket List 2016
Conscious travel is what we are all about, and as our early Christmas gift to you, we have put together our annual eco travelers bucket list in anticipation of the hottest green vacations in 2016: sustainable travel ideas off the beaten tourist track, where your conscience can enjoy a vacation too!
1. Give Love to Spectacled Bears in Peru
Our Green Pearl Inkaterra is internationally recognized for their commitment to natural and cultural conservation. Whether you want to visit Machu Picchu, discover the Peruvian rainforest by climbing the banks of the Madre de Dios river or whether you want to try some eco-friendly adventure sports, Inkaterra will make it happen, and they do so in a sustainable fashion.
Our secret tip: join the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel guides and learn about the Spectacled Bear Project that helps reintroduce these large mammals into their natural habitat.
Best thing? This excursion is included in your stay. And if you are lucky, you might get to see what this fortunate tourist saw just a few days ago.
2. Decelarate in Bavaria
Bavaria made it onto the Lonely Planet “Top 10 Regions – 2016” list. They call it Germany’s supermodel state. In among all this natural beauty we have found a truly green oasis: the Hofgut Hafnerleiten. Eleven themed houses await you among others, each completely radiation free to allow for the deepest sleep you’ve ever had. One even has its own pond!
Here you can relax by doing the things you love.
Take a cooking class with chef and owner Erwin Rückerl, or learn how to make the best cup of coffee ever, and the Wellness Cube offers massages and several saunas. The world will be alright again after a good old rest at the Hofgut Hafnerleiten.
3. Costa Rica – Macaw
According to Costa Rican authorities, the country is on a record stretch of running purely on renewable energy: 255 days! How amazing is that? Green Pearls loves Costa Rica’s commitment to sustainability.
And the Macaw Lodge is one of the local sustainability champions: an authentic eco-lodge in the Central Pacific region that is completely and literally off the grid.
Pablo and his wife Anebi have restored the forest and reintroduced native species over two decades while developing and opening Macaw Lodge on their land in 2011. Think birding, think yoga, think food, brought to you by a group of people truly committed to sustainable living. Macaw Lodge is our hot, hot, hot Latin American bucket list item for 2016.
4. Austria – an eco-friendly spa break in the Oetz Valley
The Naturhotel Waldklause (meaning “forest hermitage”) holds true to its name: it is built primarily of wood, glass and stone, all sourced locally, and partly insulated with sheep wool, and surrounded by trees.
A barefoot path has been conceived for an experience of the senses.
The spa offers, among traditional treatments, packages just for men and there is a treetop boardwalk where you can get up close with the leaves in the wind. Each room draws water from a natural spring and the food is organic and also locally sourced. All this amidst a most stunning mountain panorama. You’re welcome.
4. Sri Lanka – a rising star
Sri Lanka is on the up. Tourism has increased by almost 20% each year for the past two years. Sri Lanka is unspoilt by tourism, unlike other Asian destinations.
Its beaches are spectacular and the country boasts no less than eight UNESCO world heritage sites.
The food is amazing, the people multi-cultural, welcoming and the landscapes diverse. For spectacular waterfalls amidst green, lush forests, try our Green Pearl Hunas Falls by Amaya. Treat yourself to an ayurvedic spa retreat on the shores of idyllic Lake Kandalama at Amaya Lake, or if you are a beach lover, stay at Amaya Beach Resort & Spa and walk along the white, sandy beaches for hours.
What is on your eco-traveler’s bucket list 2016?
