About 12 years ago, when I wasn't very green, I went on vacation to the island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. If you have ever been there, you know that this island is the literal definition of paradise. It's a lush tropical island featuring scenic coves at every turn, a dozen or so uninhabited white sandy beaches, and spiraling roads that are peppered with the occassional "free range" donkey. St. John is also home to several luxury resorts, but on our budget, we stayed at the Maho Bay Camps, a unique eco-friendly "camp". Our room was a small hillside cottage that was powered by a solar system, and it featured low flow toilets and showers. The furnishings were sparse but comfortable, and at the time, it was as close to a camping experience I ever wanted to try. The vistas from our private deck were beautiful, offering clear views of the Caribbean Sea and distant islands. At the time, Maho Bay was one of a handful of eco-friendly resorts on the planet.
Fast forward 12 years. This month, Libya unveiled their plans to build a green resort which will preserve several Greek and Roman ruins as well as the coastal waters of the Mediterranean. Also announced was Leo DiCaprio's plans to build a green resort on an island off the coast of Belize. And this month's Travel and Leisure magazine features a list of their top 15 Eco Hotels worldwide. Talk about choices! And to boot, many are fine hotels in spectacular settings, unlike the camping accomodations I experienced years ago. ( Maho Bay Camp is a great green camp and I recommend it to those who don't care for modern amenities or organized activities.) Here are my picks from T&L magazine's best green resorts, in no particular order:
1. Spice Island Resort: Grenada @ spiceislandresort.com
2. Soneva Fushi Resort: Maldives @ sixsenses.com
3. Devil's Thumb Ranch: Colorado @ devilsthumbranch.com
4. Tenuta di Spannocchia: Siena, Italy @ spannocchia.com
5. Campi Ya Kanzi: Kenya @ maasai.com
Check out these fabulous destinations, as well as the November issue of Travel and Leisure magazine, a veritable treasure trove of information for greenies like you and me. Read more!
About 12 years ago, when I wasn't very green, I went on vacation to the island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. If you have ever been there, you know that this island is the literal definition of paradise. It's a lush tropical island featuring scenic coves at every turn, a dozen or so uninhabited white sandy beaches, and spiraling roads that are peppered with the occassional "free range" donkey. St. John is also home to several luxury resorts, but on our budget, we stayed at the Maho Bay Camps, a unique eco-friendly "camp". Our room was a small hillside cottage that was powered by a solar system, and it featured low flow toilets and showers. The furnishings were sparse but comfortable, and at the time, it was as close to a camping experience I ever wanted to try. The vistas from our private deck were beautiful, offering clear views of the Caribbean Sea and distant islands. At the time, Maho Bay was one of a handful of eco-friendly resorts on the planet.
Fast forward 12 years. This month, Libya unveiled their plans to build a green resort which will preserve several Greek and Roman ruins as well as the coastal waters of the Mediterranean. Also announced was Leo DiCaprio's plans to build a green resort on an island off the coast of Belize. And this month's Travel and Leisure magazine features a list of their top 15 Eco Hotels worldwide. Talk about choices! And to boot, many are fine hotels in spectacular settings, unlike the camping accomodations I experienced years ago. ( Maho Bay Camp is a great green camp and I recommend it to those who don't care for modern amenities or organized activities.) Here are my picks from T&L magazine's best green resorts, in no particular order:
1. Spice Island Resort: Grenada @ spiceislandresort.com
2. Soneva Fushi Resort: Maldives @ sixsenses.com
3. Devil's Thumb Ranch: Colorado @ devilsthumbranch.com
4. Tenuta di Spannocchia: Siena, Italy @ spannocchia.com
5. Campi Ya Kanzi: Kenya @ maasai.com
Check out these fabulous destinations, as well as the November issue of Travel and Leisure magazine, a veritable treasure trove of information for greenies like you and me. Read more!