Sustainable Travel - 5 ideas for your next trip!

What do we mean by sustainable travel?

We see it as a framework to encourage travellers and travel companies to look at ways to minimize the impact of travel on the environment, address climate change, reduce plastic consumption, clean up our oceans and grow economic development in regions affected by tourism.

This seems quite lofty aspirations but the simplest way to look at is we can all take some steps to make our travel experience count in some positive way to benefit the environment or others.

Firstly, if you know us personally, you will know our love of long-haul travel as we love to see a totally different part of the world, so it really feels like an escape for us! There will always be a dilemma between travel and sustainability but we have seen first-hand the good travel can do, but there is so much more we can all do.

We have been working behind the scenes for some time with great suppliers and destinations to understand how they are making positive changes.

We hope to inspire you with some ideas for sustainable travel!

This spectacular archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, just off East Africa is home to fabulous beaches, coral reefs and nature reserves.

The Seychelles Sustainable tourism foundation aim is to make The Seychelles a best practice for sustainable tourism with all elements of society working together.

They have created a list of travel tips for visitors to the destination with practical advice from the more obvious avoiding single-use plastics to how to choose what fish dishes to select from the menu in your hotel! 

Hotels can apply for a sustainable label, this means they are actively showing the positive impact they are having, but importantly they have to continue to demonstrate their commitment.

If you are beach lovers this destination is heaven, picture-postcard sugar-white beaches, crystal clear waters with a backdrop of green lush jungles!

If you are wildlife lovers or maybe bird watchers the Seychelles is for you! We encourage you to visit one of the many conservation projects where you can get actively involved and come face to face with some incredible wildlife!

We recommend a multi-island trip so you can see the wonder of this place!

If you are looking for something a bit closer to home how about the majestic wilderness of Scotland. This was the first country to sign up to tourism declares a climate emergency, the aim to encourage the tourism industry to reduce carbon emissions.

Thousands of acres of the country are being rewilded to allow nature to flourish. This should allow otters, puffins, deer, beavers, sea eagles and many other species to develop and settle into habitats. This will be a huge boost to the already growing natural tourism economy.

Scotland is an incredibly diverse destination to visit with something for everyone, beautiful countryside, fantastic historic cities with gorgeous restaurants, peaceful villages and icy mountain peaks!

How about joining a guided tour that actively utilises small independent hotels and bed and breakfasts so you can really get off the beaten park? Enjoy true Scottish hospitality while exploring jaw-dropping locations!

One of the most scenic natural wonders of Scotland is, An Lochan Uaine, which translates to The Green Loch! As the names suggests this body of water has a spectacular emerald hue, legend has it that the king of the pixies, Domnhall Mor washed his clothes in it, hence it's colour! 

If the night calls to you more, how about visiting the Scottish Dark Sky Park, 75000 hectares in Galloway Forest Park, this is one of the worlds darkest places with minimal levels of light pollution, a truly awe-inspiring place to stargaze!

Our most booked beach destination in the last twelve months is also a very strong contender for our own most memorable trip ever! 

When you think of the Maldives you generally think of beautiful luxury hotels and not necessarily sustainability.

However, the Maldives have recognised after years of intense tourism they have to protect the natural wonders which are critical to their survival. Tourism is a huge part of the economy. Tourists are drawn to the bath like warm turquoise waters and spectacular coral reefs, so efforts are now heavily underway to reduce environmental impact while ensuring the local communities can still prosper.

If you want to explore the Maldives sustainably a great place to start is a fantastic eco-lodge built on one of the inhabited islands. This allows you to travel as the locals do on foot or bike and explore this beautiful destination while seeing how the locals live and you can actively contribute to the community by enjoying the restaurants and cafes.

You will still have the classic Maldives experiences such as snorkelling off pristine beaches, relaxing on soft powder sands, exceptional sunset cruises to see dolphins in their natural habitat and a total sense of peace and escapism!

Alternatively, spend a week or two aboard a locally chartered boat to explore the best dive and snorkelling spots you can imagine!

This is exactly what we did and it was an experience we will never forget, we were woken one morning by the crew and invited to hop on a smaller boat with our snorkels, as we arrived at a site a few minutes away the sun was just coming up and below us the sea looked grey, it took us a minute to realise it was thick with giant manta rays.

We snorkelled there for a good couple of hours with these huge angel-like creatures who were as fascinated by us as we were by them! It was absolutely magical!

If a city break is more your scene how about a visit to what is hailed to be one of the greenest cities in the world Copenhagen, it aims to be carbon neutral by 2025.

Denmark has long been known to have put sustainability high on its agenda, Copenhagen is a shiny example of this!

How many places can you swim in an urban harbour, the waterways of Copenhagen are pure enough to do this safely?!

Copenhill is a wonder of architecture in the city, it's a powerplant that turns waste into clean energy for the city. Incredibly it’s also a tourist attraction as it has a year-round ski slope on its roof as well as a green wooded area for hiking, its beautiful to look at!

If you love cycling, this is a brilliant destination as the city is dedicated to biking. On nearly every corner there is an organic food cafe for you to fuel up!

If you would rather sit back and take in the scenery, you can get out on the network of canals! 

You are very likely to hear Jazz as you drift along the waterways as the city is renowned for its Jazz clubs and performers, many will perform wherever and whenever!

There are many reasons Denmark is the world's happiest city!

This destination continues to capture and inspire our clients, we were due to be in the Galapagos this April but 2022 is now looking like the year for a trip we have been planning for a long time.

It’s hard to talk about sustainability without talking about the Galapagos. This one-off unique destination with some of the world’s most rare flora and fauna has one of the most fragile ecosystems anywhere in the world.

When we send clients to the Galapagos, we do all we can to help them choose wisely the trip they take and which suppliers we use. The passion people have after visiting this special place and protecting it is incredible and the money that goes into conservation efforts is critical. 

For our own trip, we are travelling with a supplier who focuses on what they describe as better tourism. The trip will be carbon offset, we will stay in local accommodations whenever possible and we will travel on local shared transport.

We have also been issued with a 14-point list of rules to abide by to minimise our impact on the destination. We are travelling as a small group to support this. 

By travelling as a small group (the most people we will have is 16) our local guide will be able to tell us freely of the issues facing the island and guide us further on protecting them.

Our children are 9 and already we know the highlights will be swimming beside sea lions, snorkelling in these marine rich waters, meeting the Galapagos tortoises and seeing the dolphins and whales while on the small boats!

If you are ready to book your future adventures get in touch, many of these destinations are bookable up to 2023!

Call Stunning Escapes and ask for Jo or Paul on 01872 248 534.

We will be delighted to help you!