Nine of the best eco-conscious holidays

RResponsible and sustainable tourism is on the rise as people seek to make a smaller footprint on the planet while supporting positive initiatives in the destinations they visit. But eco-friendly vacations no longer mean a rainy camping trip.

From stylish meatless ski lodges in Morzine, which are worth getting to by train, to driving around Scotland in an electric car, or staying on a Tuscan farm that comes across an art gallery powered by renewable energy, here are 10 of the most conscious Christmas ideas.

Escape to the mountains in Morzine

AliKats Mountain Holidays uses eco-friendly cleaning products for their Morzine chalets and has a zero-waste spirit for food preparation, including making their own yogurt. Anyone willing to skip the flights and travel there by train (it’s about six hours from nearby Geneva from London St Pancras) gets a discount on the chalets through their eco-package, which also includes free transfers from the station and meals without meat.

alikats.eu/environmental-policy

Drink cocktails with a social conscience in Colombia

Hip Blue Apple Beach, on an island 30 minutes off the coast of Cartagena, specializes in poolside cocktails with a conscience. Behind the scenes, he operates the first glass recycling machine on the entire Colombian coast, shipping bottles from local hotels and training locals to turn them into sustainable building materials, through his Green Apple Foundation, a social enterprise created by the hotel owner to promote responsible waste management in hospitality and also provide positive employment opportunities. The Balearic-meets-St Tropez vibe and sunset yoga are also a compelling case for a visit.

blueapplebeach.com

Take a low-impact city break in Helsinki

Helsinki residents said climate change was one of the key issues they would like to see addressed, and the city listened: setting a goal of being carbon neutral by 2035 and launching Think Sustainably, an online guide to the most sustainable accommodations. from the city. , shops, restaurants (such as local and organic Juuri) and attractions (the Amos Rex gallery runs on green electricity). Listings are also in English, and venues must adhere to guidelines established by a group of local sustainability experts.

myhelsinki.fi/en/think-sustainably

Take care of the earth in the UK

Help take care of some of the most beautiful places in England and Wales on a National Trust working holiday. You can even learn a new skill on one of your short breaks or week-long stays, and help keep costs down (trips with accommodation start at £ 100). Options include making cider in Devon, tending to wildflower meadows in Northumberland, preparing a habitat for butterflies in Sussex, and planting trees in Snowdonia.

nationaltrust.org.uk/holidays/working-holidays

See gorillas and help communities in Uganda

When gorilla tourism began in the 1990s, one of the oldest groups in East Africa, the Batwa, were displaced from their land in Mgahinga National Park, so Volcano Safaris provided them with 10 acres of land to build houses. and cultivate close to their land. Mount Gahinga Lodge (an excellent and luxurious base for gorilla watching). The sustainable credentials also apply to their other safari lodges: in addition to chimpanzee tracking and lion safaris, Kyambura Gorge guests can plant indigenous tree seedlings as part of their reforestation project, while the lodge offers training in local beekeeping and buy your coffee from a local. women’s cooperative.

volcanoessafaris.com/kyambura-gorge-lodge-uganda

Make up for your Scandinavian ski trips

By taking responsibility for compensation as part of the package, Scandinavian Travel offers carbon-free skiing holidays in the Nordic countries, from Christmas holidays in Finnish Lapland to skiing in Norway. It does this through global offset projects, including reforestation projects in the UK and Amazon, solar power project development in India, and well repairs in Uganda.

Scandinavian-travels.co.uk

Disconnect from the grid in the UK countryside

Eco vacations no longer mean a rainy camping trip

Curl up next to the wood burning stove in a Devon carpenter’s cabin, made from local wood and powered by solar panels. Or completely disconnect the grid at The Woodcock organic farm in Norfolk, where electricity is off: instead, you can heat the water for a bath with a log fire and spend evenings relaxing by candlelight. In addition to these, Canopy and Stars has a huge list of eco-friendly cabins, tree houses, and cozy cabins across the country that will make you feel much further away from the hustle and bustle than you really are.

canopyandstars.co.uk

Embrace green accommodation in Zanzibar

If you must fly a long haul to find a white sand solution, at least opt ​​for eco-friendly accommodation. Zuri Zanzibar has earned the Gold Certification for Sustainable Design from EarthCheck, a key benchmarking group for responsible tourism, for its use of sustainable energy and water sources, as well as for its commitment to using sustainable building materials from local origin. The Indian Ocean retreat is also conveniently luxurious, with palm tree-lined plunge pools, a spa, elegant suites, and beachfront villas.

zurizanzibar.com

Farmhouse in wild Tuscany

Go slow and take the train (stops in French recommended) to an organic farm in Tuscany. Three-quarters of the food served in Villa Lena restaurants is grown on the estate, with the remainder being locally sourced, while the accommodation building runs entirely on renewable energy and is self-sufficient in terms of energy. Water. In addition, the rooms are filled with old recycled furniture and pieces by artists from the nonprofit creative foundation that runs on-site.

villa-lena.it