Harper Ecotourism Highlights

Posada de Mike Rapu, explora's Rapa Nui lodge on Easter Island, was the first lodge in South America to be awarded LEED certification by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). Avid travelers can't help but encounter the theme of environmental awareness.  If you return to any of the countries that first sparked your experiential travel aspirations, you may see once-pristine regions slowly changing as development and civilization expand.  As a nod to Earth Day and with conservation in mind, we have compiled a list of ecotourism front-runners, all of which are Andrew Harper-recommended properties.

Emirates' Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa is the world’s first resort to be carboNZero©™ certified through an internationally accredited and accepted greenhouse gas program.

Since growth in environmental awareness in the 1970s, travelers have become increasingly concerned about the toll their treks take on the environment and local cultures. The travel niche of ecotourism developed as a result. The term became popular in the late 1980s, when guides began to escort nature enthusiasts to see the world’s last undisturbed ecosystems, and eco-conscious lodges and camps began to provide comfortable yet green accommodations in remote areas.

Rob Frisch of the Andrew Harper Travel Office says eco-travel does not mean roughing it, though, noting, “Rather than sacrificing amenities, properties work to provide as many comforts as possible in sustainable ways.”

From the architectural design of buildings, to the way the destination handles its waste and water use, eco-friendly accommodations try to exist in harmony with their surroundings and minimize their effects on the environment. In fact, many even preserve and enhance their areas’ existing ecosystems and coordinate with native peoples to ensure that their existence benefits local communities and cultures. Environmentally conscientious travelers who want a more genuine experience appreciate this. “Many travelers are seeking authentic experiences, something unique, enriching, memorable and educational,” says Ayako Ezaki, director of communications for The International Society of Ecotourism. Ezaki says eco-friendly accommodations and tours can be found around the world, noting, “In terms of the areas that are more known, Costa Rica comes to mind, as well as Australia, New Zealand and many destinations in Africa, such as Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar.”

Frisch agrees that Costa Rica boasts a particularly high concentration of eco-friendly properties. For instance, Finca Rosa Blanca is set amid an organic farm, which grows coffee, fruits and vegetables for the inn’s restaurant. At Lapa Rios Ecolodge in an isolated corner of the Osa Peninsula, sustainability is the watchword. All non-compostable organic wastes are fed to resident pigs, and the methane gas from pig waste is captured and used for cooking in employee kitchens — replacing 75 percent of the propane cooking gas used. Latitude 10’s five villas, which have no air-conditioning and rely on solar water heating, minimize this surfside destination’s environmental impact while still providing for guests’ comfort. At Arenas del Mar near the port of Quepos, lodgers receive an oxo-biodegradable water bottle on checkin and are encouraged to fill and reuse it rather than buy plastic water bottles during their stay.

Thoughtful waste management is also paramount at Hotel Punta Islita on a forested coastal stretch of Costa Rica’s secluded Nicoya Peninsula. One hundred percent of the hotel’s waste is sorted, composted and recycled. “Compost is used in landscaping and gardening,” says Maria Barquero of the resort. “Proceeds from glass, plastic and aluminum recycling are donated to the local school. Our Integral Waste Management Center provides complimentary services to the hotel’s neighboring community.”

Recommended Eco-friendly Resorts Around the World:

Asia: Six Senses Zighy Bay — Musandam Peninsula, Oman Anantara Golden Triangle — Chiang Rai, Thailand Rayavadee — Krabi Province, Thailand Mahua Kothi — Bandhavgarh, India The Oberoi Vanyavilas — Ranthambhore, India

Africa: Sanctuary Olonana — Masai Mara, Kenya Sanctuary Swala — Tarangire National Park, Tanzania

Australia: Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa — New South Wales, Australia

South America: explora Patagonia Hotel Salto Chico — Sector Salto Chico, Chile explora Atacama Hotel de Larache — San Pedro de Atacama, Chile explora Rapa Nui — Easter Island, Chile

United States & Canada: Post Ranch Inn — Big Sur, CA Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa — Rancho Santa Fe, NM King Pacific Lodge — Princess Royal Island, B.C.