Eco Luxury!

Reading through some comments on a travel forum today it became clear that there are lots of different preconceptions about what eco-friendly accommodation actually entails. For example, I read a comment which said ‘I can’t afford anything like an eco-camp, so it will have to be a budget hostel’. On the other hand, some people think that budget and eco go hand in hand and the only image they seem to muster is that of composting toilets!

In reality, there is as great a range of eco-accommodation as any other holiday accommodation , ranging from budget to luxury, from jungle to city and from family-friendly to romantic-getaway. To prove it, over the next few days I plan to feature different eco-hotels and lodges which fall into these different categories, starting today with Eco Luxury!

Eco Luxury: Who says you can’t enjoy the finer things in life and be eco-friendly at the same time!

Campi ya Kanzi, Kenya – At this luxury camp you will find yourself sleeping in a linen-sheeted king-size bed, in a tented cottage which also features an elegant bathroom and a wide verandah for superb views of either Mt. Kilimanjaro, the Tsavo Hills, and the Chyulu Hills. In the evenings you will dine by candlelight on Italian cuisine, from fine table settings and crystal glasses.

Guludo Beach Lodge, Mozambique – Here you will stay in a spacious tented banda with a raised bedroom, with king-size bed, set under an expansive palm-thatched roof, opening upwards and outwards to make the most of the stunning sea views and cooling sea breeze. Here you will find European fine dining with an exotic local twist and world class fresh seafood.

Hotel de la Paix, Cambodia – As one of Siem Reap's most stylish hotels, this deluxe boutique property offers guests outstanding levels of luxury along with world-class dining and spa facilities. In the guestrooms, chic interiors and contemporary furnishings, including handcrafted lamps and intricate wall mountings, achieve a harmonious balance between modern design and traditional detailing.

Hotel Mocking Bird Hill, Jamaica – This luxury boutique hotel is romantic, peaceful and comfortable. The ten select accommodations have been lovingly appointed with hand crafted bamboo furniture, locally printed fabrics and decorated with original art. Guests are greeted with warm hospitality and can enjoy fine cuisine in the hotel’s highly acclaimed restaurant Mille Fleurs.

So there's just a few to get started with - spanning the Caribbean, Asia and Africa - but there are plenty more out there!