Elegant Eco Hotels For Green Globetrotting

One of the worst things about travelling is the huge carbon footprint you accumulate while globetrotting. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to help neutralise your environmental impact and improve on your feel good factor. Scattered all over the world are resorts that have a great environmental and social impact. They use water wisely and provide educational programmes to those in the local community, and you can help them out by staying there.

A huge part of the traveller psyche is a passion for the world in which we live, and staying somewhere that helps look after this world is a great way to help conserve and protect our planet. It's not all super hippy either! These eco options are sumptuously luxurious as well as excellently environmentally friendly.

HoshinoyaKaruizawa, Japan

Little pavilion-style buildings with huge windows are situated on the banks of a winding river, encircled by ancient Eastern trees. This is what you'll find if you choose to stay in this eco-resort, where both style and eco-friendly features of real substance coexist harmoniously. The river itself provides the bulk of the power to this resort, and the rejuvenating water is also used in a range of revitalising and relaxing treatments offered to guests staying here.

Finca Rosa Blanca Inn, Costa Rica

Be aware that this carbon neutral, ethical and sustainable resort is also involved with education projects for the local community and employ only local staff. For a first foray into eco hotels, you couldn't do better than this level of authentic responsibility. Costa Rica enjoys a very rich local flora and fauna, and you can so easily live the slight cliché of leaving only footprints, and taking only photographs... but with such a feel-good factor gained from staying here, who cares about indulging in a cliché?

Whitepod, Le Valais, Switzerland

How about trying out a spot of pod glamping? These cleverly-designed white pods were specially created in order to blend into the surrounding snowy hills in the winter, and in the summer months the glamps are a dark forest green. This eco-friendly option  buys local produce, carefully manages its energy and water consumption, and expects its guests to arrive responsibly: meaning on foot. You'll find your lodgings at the end of a beautiful Alpine trail, and it's all part of the eco experience.

Before You Go

Whether you make it to one or all of these amazing and ethical destinations, you’ll need the appropriate travel insurance. Some insurers offerannual multi-trip travel insurance that will keep you covered on all ofyour green globetrotting gallavants this year. Check that your insurer has customisable options so you can ensure you're covered for wherever your travels may take you. You'll enjoy a double peace of mind while you’re travelling by knowing that your person is as protected as the environment that you are visiting.

Ethan Bailey is an experienced adventure traveller and insurance expert with the team at Let's Go Insure. Ethan’s passion is to inspire his clients to go just that little bit further, deeper and higher on their travels and his expertise in providing the ideal insurance cover allows them to do just that. If you're looking for the best annual multi-trip travel insurance Let's Go works with the most experienced underwriters, intermediaries and insurers