Travelers are becoming more socially and environmentally conscious, keen to take a break knowing they've left the lightest possible footprint on the planet's resources.
With 2017 declared the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations, the spotlight on the travel and hospitality industry grew brighter still. While plenty of destinations claim to do their bit to minimize their environmental impact, a handful have set out to take sustainability to a whole new level.
Here are 10 of the world's best destinations and experiences where a holiday doesn't cost the Earth:
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Soneva Fushi, Maldives
Kunfunadhoo was a deserted island in the Indian Ocean paradise of the Maldives until Eva and Sonu Shivdasani built their first resort there, kicking off a trend of eco-conscious, ultra-luxury escapes. If that sounds like a contradiction, the resort has proven the skeptics wrong and has been fully carbon neutral since 2014.
They recycle 90% of their waste, including 100% of food waste, which goes into their organic gardens and in turn cuts the cost of shipping in produce. Construction makes use of building blocks made from polystyrene packaging, and all glass is sent to their own studio, where it's turned into works of art. A solar system covers all daytime electricity needs, and 100% of the water used is desalinated.
Soneva, which today runs a resort in Thailand and a second one in the Maldives, also led the way in introducing a mandatory 2% carbon levy on rooms to support its Soneva Foundation, which works in developing regions on reforestation and renewable energy projects.
Soneva Fushi, Kunfunadhoo, Baa Atoll, Maldives; +960 660 0304
Bom Bom Resort, Sao Tome
Few destinations are as little visited and untouched as Principe, the smaller of the two main islands of the tiny nation of Sao Tome and Principe, set in the Gulf of Guinea off the west coast of Africa.
Just 5,000 people live there, and Bom Bom Resort consists of only 19 bungalows on the beach, surrounded by rainforest.
On the agenda: world-class diving and hikes through UNESCO reserves, visits to cocoa plantations and fishing villages, and discovering Africa's smallest town, Santo Antonio. For many, the wildlife is a big draw too, from whales to nesting turtles, monkeys and especially birds you won't find anywhere else on Earth.
www.bombomprincipe.com
eXtreme Hotel, Kite Beach, Cabarete, Dominican Republic
It's no surprise that one of the world's kitesurfing capitals, Cabarete in the Dominican Republic, is also home to a genuinely eco-friendly little hotel. Surfing and yoga, horseback riding and hiking are all literally on the doorstep for anyone who isn't into kitesurfing.
The hotel runs 100% on solar power and deliberately skips air conditioning, instead using smart ventilation to make the most of the naturally breezy beach to circulate cool air.
Rainwater harvesting systems help manage water use, and an organic farm with 2,000 trees further offsets carbon emissions on top of supplying local, seasonal produce. The hotel also works to empower the local community through education, training and employment opportunities for local Dominicans, who make up more than 70% of the staff.
eXtreme Hotel, Kite Beach, 57000 Cabarete, Dominican Republic; +1809.571.0330
Inkaterra, Tambopata National Reserve, Peru
Deep in Peru's remote Tambopata National Reserve sits the Inkaterra Guides Field Station, once a research site and now open to travelers and volunteers from around the world.
This rainforest lodge runs conservation projects overseen by the nonprofit Inkaterra Asociacion (ITA), including studies of the local flora and fauna. Four cabanas with private terraces offer more comfortable accommodation than you might expect, while larger dorms are available for shared stays.
Wildlife-focused excursions include a walk along a canopy bridge high above the forest floor, boat trips, and visits to the Gamitana model farm, where ITA works hand in hand with local communities.
Inkaterra, Andalucia 174, Miraflores L18, Lima, Peru; +51 1 610 0400
Discover Peru's Sacred Valley of the Incas
Best of Myanmar Tour, Intrepid Travel
Intrepid Travel promises big adventures for small groups, all under the banner of genuinely responsible travel. Their Best of Myanmar tour underlines that sustainable tourism is crucial to protecting a relatively new and undeveloped destination.
That means their trip to Myanmar is fully carbon neutral, at 577 kilograms per passenger.
They use local transport and accommodation, including a stay at the country's first community-based tourism project in Myaing, where locals provide meals and entertainment as part of a scheme run by ActionAid.
Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve, South Africa
Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve is an 18,000-acre lodge set 170 miles from Cape Town in the Cederberg Mountains. Conservation and working with local communities are common threads for lodges across Africa, but at Bushmans Kloof they take it to the next level.
There's wastewater treatment, sustainable organic farming and energy-saving initiatives, but it's through protecting and reintroducing endangered species that they've truly made their mark. In particular, the reserve is home to the Cape mountain zebra, rescued from the brink of extinction, and there are also more than 130 rock art sites over 10,000 years old.
Extensive community involvement includes supporting schools, clinics, youth camps and even the reconstruction of a museum.
Bushmans Kloof, Clanwilliam, Cederberg Mountains, Western Cape; +27 21 437 9278
Turtle Conservation, Kyrenia, Northern Cyprus
The northern coast of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus is largely untouched, and Alagadi Beach is especially appealing to a very particular type of visitor: endangered green and loggerhead turtles.
It's estimated that only around 400 green turtles and 2,000 female loggerheads breed across the entire Mediterranean, which makes the conservation work carried out by the Marine Turtle Research Group, led by Britain's University of Exeter, absolutely vital.
Volunteers are welcome, mostly students from undergraduate to doctoral level, though non-students are accepted too. It's a long-term commitment, up to three months, and all volunteers must contribute toward the cost of food and accommodation. Given challenges such as habitat loss and climate change, a young turtle's odds of surviving to adulthood are just one in 1,000.
Cyprus Turtles; 5 Barbaros Sokak, Gonyelli, Northern Cyprus; +905488868684
Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula can boast the unusual claim of being the "most biologically intense" place on the planet. That means 2.5% of the world's biodiversity packed into an area half the size of Rhode Island.
Lokal Travel offers an eight-day exploration of the region, visiting three jungle communities and getting to know the cooperatives they've set up, which have given them sustainable ways to earn a living.
Elsewhere, you can enjoy sunset horseback rides on remote beaches or paddle a canoe through a private lagoon surrounded by 1,000 protected acres of pristine forest.
Yoga Retreat in Oleiros, Central Portugal
Far off the tourist trail in Oleiros in central Portugal lies the eco yoga retreat Yoga Holidays Portugal, where learning and meditation go hand in hand with nature and simple living.
Accommodation is in Mongolian-style yurts that are firmly "off the grid," with solar reading lamps and hot water on demand, while the toilets are of the eco-composting kind. The furniture is made from the retreat's own pine, olive and chestnut, and vegetable gardens and olive groves supply most of the food. Nearby, the River Zezere provides crystal-clear water for swimming.
Yoga Holidays Portugal, Ribeira Relvas, Madeira, Oleiros, Portugal 6160-206; +351 961 228 729
The Emerald, Cornwall, England
The Emerald eco-complex in Cornwall in the southwest of England offers the UK's only zero-carbon tourist accommodation. In practice, this means they generate their own electricity, produce their own water, use recycled materials and recycle their waste. They've also planted hundreds of native trees, cutting energy consumption by more than 90%.
Four high-quality, cedar-clad houses offer amenities such as private hot tubs, and there's a heated indoor pool, a gym and a playground as well. Five acres of woodland trails invite you to explore the grounds.
The Emerald, Chycoa Lane, Quenchwell, Carnon Downs, Near Truro, Cornwall, TR3 6LN; +44 (0)1326 555555
