10 luxury eco-resorts

     Green and glamorous

Travel can have a negative impact on the planet, but that doesn't mean you have to give up on seeing the world completely. While an eco-friendly vacation may bring to mind images of roughing it in the wilderness, there are many resorts that are both green and glamorous, where you can enjoy luxury with a conscience. Yes, some of the resorts on our list require a long flight, but luckily many of them are surrounded by lush, carbon-offsetting forests. Here are 10 eco-destinations across the globe where you can take a trip — without the guilt trip.

     

Longitude 131

Longitude 131 in Australia's Northern Territory consists of 15 luxury “tents” near Ayers Rock, the world’s largest monolith. The resort is situated on top of a sand dune so the tents are built on stilts that leave the desert sand undisturbed, and the entire resort runs onsolar power. Guests sip local wine and dine on Outback cuisine under the stars, and they can take part in several resort tours that have achieved Ecotourism status through Ecotourism Australia, the country’s national body for the ecotourism industry.

    

Lodge at Sun Ranch

Vacations don’t get much greener than a trip to Montana’s Lodge at Sun Ranch, which was constructed from pre-existing structures and recycled building materials by local contractors. The 26,000-acre property is the ideal location for hiking, horseback riding, fishing and paddling, and it’s also a great place to catch a glimpse of local wildlife. In fact, Sun Ranch recently donated a 10-year lease to Trout Unlimited to make sure its tributaries were free of irrigation, and the ranch removed barbwire so elk can freely roam the grounds. Even the gourmet cuisine is green — produce is organic, meat is free-range, and the food comes from ranch property or is purchased from local farmers.

  

Whitepod Resort

The Whitepod Resort’s collection of dome-shaped tents offers a unique, low-impact way to experience the Swiss Alps. Accessible only by snowshoe in winter or hiking in summer, the resort ensures a peaceful, personal experience for each traveler that’s free of cars and crowds. Each pod is pitched upon a wooden platform so that it can be taken down and reassembled with little impact on its environment, and the tents are covered in green canvases in summer and white in winter to help them blend seamlessly into the landscape. Whitepod utilizes renewable energy sources, uses only local, natural resources at its spa and has won numerous awards for its ecotourism efforts, including the World Prize for Sustainable Tourism and the Responsible Tourism Award for Innovation.

  

Finca Rosa Blanca Inn

Situated among acres of Costa Rica's cloud forests and tropical flora, this resort offers guided tours through rain forest reserves and even has a naturalist on hand to point out the native wildlife. And when it comes to sustainability, the Finca Rosa Blanca Inn is unrivaled — it’s the highest ranking member of the Sustainable Tourism Certification program and the only hotel that has achieved a perfect score of 100. The property boasts solar panels, low-flow toilets and even its own organic coffee plantation. After a day of horseback riding and pampering at the spa, guests can relax with a glass of organic wine and sing along with the local Mariachis.

  

EcoCamp

Located in Patagonia in Torres del Paine National Park, EcoCamp’s unique dome structures strive to keep the nomadic spirit of the area’s ancient inhabitants alive. The Kawesqar people built their huts from found materials, and today EcoCamp’s geodesic domes have a similar structure; however, these luxurious huts come with panoramic windows, thick insulation and low-emission wood stoves. The resort gets all its energy from natural and renewable resources, and it has partnered with CarbonFree to offset all its carbon emissions.

Nimmo Bay Resort

The Nimmo Bay Resort is a wilderness adventure destination located along the coast of the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia. Here, guests can relax in their chalets and enjoy all the great outdoors has to offer by hiking, kayaking, fishing and rock climbing — and they can do so with their eco-conscience at ease. Nimmo Bay has a water-powered hydro system and extensive recyclingand refuge-elimination programs, and because it realizes that it can’t completely erase its carbon footprint, the resort purchases carbon offsets. The resort also uses eco-friendly soaps and cleaning products, and it purchases organic food and supplies from local vendors.

  

Campi Ya Kanzi

This private Kenyan reserve is located a mere 20 miles from Mount Kiliminjaro, and every aspect of the camp was designed to be environmentally friendly. It was built using local materials — and not a single tree was cut. Water comes from rain collection and gray water is recycled, water is heated by solarpanels, and food is cooked using an eco-friendly charcoal made from coffee husks. But most importantly, Campi Ya Kanzi works in partnership with the Maasai community and donates a portion of its proceeds to local preservation programs.

  

Bardessono

Bardessono is a LEED platinum-certified hotel nestled in California’s Napa Valley. The property’s wood was milled from salvaged trees, it was constructed from nontoxic, non-allergenic construction materials, and its green aspects are visible everywhere — from its photovoltaic panels to the lobby’s lush vertical garden. Bardessono’s spa and restaurant are stocked with local, organic products, and the resort has a comprehensive recycling and composting program that includes a massive “Earth Tub” for its food scraps. In addition to its multitude of energy-saving features, the hotel’s rooms have sensors that detect when guests have left the room so that temperatures can automatically be raised or lowered to reduce energy demand.

  

Six Senses Hideaway

In addition to using energy-efficient light bulbs and buying carbon offsets, this gorgeous property located 100 miles southwest of Bangkok has a permaculture organic vegetable garden, an orchard and a hut for growing mushrooms. The property recycles, composts and even uses electric boats. Not only is theSix Senses Hideaway environmentally responsible, but it’s also socially responsible. It employs Thai people, and almost all of its products, furnishings and decorations are made from natural materials by locals.