posted by Catherine on Apr 14
What makes an Eco Lodge an Eco Lodge?
Most people would reply: A log cabin in the middle of a rain-forest clearing, with huge verandas and a river nearby. It would run on solar power and grow all it’s own food on-site. No doubt, monkeys and other animals would be wandering around outside and the local hosts would be teaching you the lingo!
However, we need to be a bit more realistic about what eco accommodation is, and where it is can make all the difference. Not only will the country you are heading to change the variables - but in what setting it is in can also alter the way it can be compared to other ‘eco’ properties.
For example, if the hotel is crammed in a busy town center, it cannot change its percentage land use or have extensive areas for wildlife to live and breed. However, if it is set within acres of rain-forest it can afford to have vast areas ‘untouched by development’.
In addition, if it is an existing accommodation being transformed into a more eco-friendly location it can only do so much with what it has - as demolishing it and rebuilding might be more wasteful than just modifying what it has! However, a new development has an empty canvas - so it can immediately have a beneficial impact on the environment.
However, is a new build resort that eco-friendly in the first place? Did it need to even be built when that land could have been left un-developed and a brown-field site used instead?
So many factors…….
Where to start:
I think you can only really set your own standards depending on the type of accommodation and the location you are hoping to travel to.
If you are visiting a city, then your expectations will need to be reined in and comparisons can only be made with other city accommodations - also less individual travel as the airport/bus station will be close.
However, if you want isolation and low impact countryside living, then development, alternative power, local impact and wildlife disruption need to enter the equation! And don’t forget the distance you have to travel on top of your international flight or bus journey to get to the middle of nowhere…..
You also need to decide whether the impact of your journey there is worth all the fuss - for example if you were to camp nearby to your home that would be a real ‘eco holiday’ (less travel, less resources, less impact) - but it really wouldn’t be an adventure.
However, if you want to impact positively on distant communities and experience different cultures then you must breach the whole ‘carbon emissions’ dilemma of getting there in the first place!
Comparisons:
Basically, whenever searching for accommodation for your eco holidays, make sure you take a good look at whats out there before booking.
Don’t be too hard on yourself to find the ultimate eco destination otherwise you could be taking all the fun out of your trip! However, make sure you set your lowest factors before searching (for example - no all inclusive packages or no international hotel chains, etc) and go upwards from there.
Making your impact there can be just as important. If you go to a city and select an eco hotel and then hire a car and eat in Burger King then why take ages choosing yourself an eco hotel?
At the other end - you could book yourself into a hotel that does the basic eco activities and then make your actions more ‘green’ For example you could stay longer, volunteer within the community, shop ethically, eat locally with local establishments, don’t drop litter or leave waste and use resources sensibly - more than making up for your accommodation using mains electricity.
The End Result:
Don’t forget that it is a holiday after all - so if you aren’t going to enjoy yourself - there is no point in going.
If the most eco friendly hotel isn’t in the place you wanted to go then you need to make a choice. If the hotel you love has everything you want and need but doesn’t recycle - again, the choice is yours.
I’m sure your house back home isn’t the most responsible house in the world - but you have done your best with what you have and what you think is important. Your hosts may have done the same.
Also - should you only support those companies already offering the best eco solutions or should you help fund those companies still trying to achieve them? Your money as a guest can make all the difference to a growing firm improving the whole area not just over-booking the one resort.
Don’t stress about it to much - vacations are for enjoying!
.
Leave a Reply