Fodor's has just released a new guidebook to the best eco-friendly lodgings around the world. I'm quite the fan of all things eco, so I thought I'd check it out.
The book, Green Travel, is a bit different than other Fodor's guides. The book is divided into regions of the world, and includes an introduction with their selection criteria and tips on how individuals can minimize their carbon footprints. The best part is that instead of every entry getting 50-75 words, each accommodation gets about two pages explaining why the lodge or hotel is authentically green, and an "Ecofile" with the specifics.
Take, for example, the Iwokrama Field Station & Canopy Walkway in Guyana. Because of its location in the Iwokrama Wilderness Preserve near Surama, the region surrounding the Canopy Walkway has never been logged or hunted, meaning the area is rich with tropical wildlife. The cabins (sleeping six each) are "rustic but comfortable," and a few come with en suite bathrooms. The ecofile tells me its location (206 miles/331 km south of Georgetown), when to go (anytime except the rainy season, May-July), how to get there, your CO2 emissions (1.14 tonnes round-trip from New York to Georgetown, plus .19 tonnes return transfer by car), as well as the offset cost ($19.85), and cost to stay there ($135 per night per cabin). Fodor's also explains Iwokrama's responsibility factor: it supports 14 local indigenous villages and protects 917,000 acres of virgin rain forest, which is home to the highest species range for bats and fish in the world. That's all the reason I need to stay there.
Photo: Fodor's
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What a neat idea for a book. I'll have to check it out next time my hubby abandons me in Barnes n Nobles for the religion section.
Fantastic idea for a book, first I have seen. We specialize in eco-friendly travel in Canada at topcanadianhotels.com plus have a blog on environmental issues.