With more and more eco-friendly hotels and ecolodges all the time, it's hard to keep up with them all! Not only that, but the ecobookers team spent the week before last visiting the World Travel Market in London, speaking to lots of new eco-friendly accommodations which will start appearing on the site soon!
With lots of new properties on the site over the last week, here's a selection of the most unique of the bunch!
To start with, we have 2 new, very unique and very different eco-friendly accomodations in South Africa.
The first is Klippe Rivier, a converted homestead and a fine example of Cape Dutch Architecture, built circa 1820 to 1825 and one of the white-walled beauties of the Cape. The typical outhouses for Cape Dutch homesteads were barns and stables, and in the case of Klippe Rivier, these have been converted into six luxury guest suites, preserving the ambience of a bygone era.
Next is Umlani Bushcamp, an authentic African game lodge located in the Timbavati Game Reserve, one of the oldest private nature reserves adjoining the Kruger National Park. Accommodation is in traditional African reed and thatch huts. Umlani's philosophy of simplistic luxury and 'getting back to nature' is enhanced by the romance of operating without electricity. Enjoy the warm atmosphere of candlelight and oil lamps as well as open-air bush showers fuelled by wood fires.
Moving over to Hawaii, we have one of the most unique properties on the ecobookers site - Lova Lava Land, a once-in-a-lifetime adventure in staying in creative off-the-grid accommodation. Here, on this old lava field, you will sleep in rescued VW campervans - Daisy the Daydream bus or Garth the Gecko Bus, or in a the mongolian yurt - Pele's Paradise Yurt.
Sunday, 2 December 2007
Monday, 12 November 2007
eco-friendly accommodation in France, Italy, New Zealand and Nicaragua!
As I mentioned in my last post, last week was crazy busy in the ecobookers office. Not only did we add 11 fabulous new eco-friendly properties to the ecobookers site, we also completed our first ever newsletter which you can see here. Unfortunately, the link on the first send didn't work - doesn't matter how much you test these things it seems! So we had to spam everyone a second time. Hopefully that won't take away from the great articles!
As I don't want to list 11 new properties here, today I'm going to tell you about eco-friendly hotels and ecolodges that are featured in destinations which are new to the ecobookers site.
First up, we have two new destinations in Europe - great for our UK customers who want to cut down their carbon emmissions by travelling on public transport:
France - In France we feature country house Hotel Les Orangeries, which is situated mid-way between the Loire Valley and the Dordogne, in the village of Lussac-les-Châteaux. This EU Ecolabel certified hotel provides guests with individual attention and simple, sincere hospitality.
Italy - The Hotel Arcobaleno is located in the forested green hills of Northern Tuscany, in the town of San Mommè. It is just a few minutes by car or train from the lovely and historic city of Pistoia. This eco-friendly hotel provides the opportunity to spend a relaxing holiday far from the tourist crowds, yet within easy reach of the famous and artistic cities of Florence, Pisa and Lucca.
For those planning on travelling further afield, we have 2 contrasting properties in 2 contrasting new destinations:
The MonteCristo River Lodge in Nicaragua, is located along the San Juan River. This typically Nicaraguan ecolodge is ideal for those looking for an adventure. In addition to the beautiful surroundings and the many facilities on offer at the Lodge, there are activities to suit all tastes in the abundant tropical rainforest of the San Juan River.
The Chalet Eiger in New Zealand, on the other hand, is a luxury lodge set in a tranquil environment. There are only 4 bedrooms to ensure privacy, with facilties such as a sauna and a state-of-the-art digital home-theatre system complete with big screen plasma TV. From this ecolodge you will have beautiful views over Lake Taupo to Mount Tauhara and Taupo town.
I will be back with details of some of the other 7 new accommodations featured on the site later in the week!
As I don't want to list 11 new properties here, today I'm going to tell you about eco-friendly hotels and ecolodges that are featured in destinations which are new to the ecobookers site.
First up, we have two new destinations in Europe - great for our UK customers who want to cut down their carbon emmissions by travelling on public transport:
France - In France we feature country house Hotel Les Orangeries, which is situated mid-way between the Loire Valley and the Dordogne, in the village of Lussac-les-Châteaux. This EU Ecolabel certified hotel provides guests with individual attention and simple, sincere hospitality.
Italy - The Hotel Arcobaleno is located in the forested green hills of Northern Tuscany, in the town of San Mommè. It is just a few minutes by car or train from the lovely and historic city of Pistoia. This eco-friendly hotel provides the opportunity to spend a relaxing holiday far from the tourist crowds, yet within easy reach of the famous and artistic cities of Florence, Pisa and Lucca.
For those planning on travelling further afield, we have 2 contrasting properties in 2 contrasting new destinations:
The MonteCristo River Lodge in Nicaragua, is located along the San Juan River. This typically Nicaraguan ecolodge is ideal for those looking for an adventure. In addition to the beautiful surroundings and the many facilities on offer at the Lodge, there are activities to suit all tastes in the abundant tropical rainforest of the San Juan River.
The Chalet Eiger in New Zealand, on the other hand, is a luxury lodge set in a tranquil environment. There are only 4 bedrooms to ensure privacy, with facilties such as a sauna and a state-of-the-art digital home-theatre system complete with big screen plasma TV. From this ecolodge you will have beautiful views over Lake Taupo to Mount Tauhara and Taupo town.
I will be back with details of some of the other 7 new accommodations featured on the site later in the week!
Wednesday, 7 November 2007
it's all going crazy!
It seems like a long time since I last wrote, and it's not down to nothing to write about, in fact it's the opposite! Things are crazy busy in the ecobookers office at the moment with all sorts of new eco-friendly hotels, eco-lodges and destinations being added to the site.
I'll give an update on new product later in the week or early next week. In the meantime, follow this link to find an article on Christmas getaways written by ecobookers' own Nikki Ashton!:-
http://www.amazemag.com/eMag/amaze-magazine-article.asp?article-id=124679926
I'll give an update on new product later in the week or early next week. In the meantime, follow this link to find an article on Christmas getaways written by ecobookers' own Nikki Ashton!:-
http://www.amazemag.com/eMag/amaze-magazine-article.asp?article-id=124679926
Wednesday, 31 October 2007
ecobookers in India and Indonesia!
Today sees the addition of 2 new eco-lodges in Asia on the ecobookers site.
The first is Sarinbuana Eco Lodge in Bali, Indonesia - Here you will stay in a cosy bungalow, situated at 700m, on the slopes of Mount Batukaru in central Bali and surrounded by a lush tropical “food forest” of organically grown cacao, coffee, vanilla and jungle fruits. This eco lodge is also family friendly - children are warmly welcomed and valued in this family oriented community. Children are able to reconnect with nature - walking in the rainforest and swimming in the clean mountain streams.
The second is Chambal Safari Lodge in India - Here you will stay in an en-suite cottage 15km from the National Chambal Sanctuary. Along with a number of eco-policies to reduce their impact on the natural surroundings, the hosts at Chambal Safari Lodge also run the Chambal Conservation Foundation with their own funds and are committed to protecting the pristine environment of the Chambal valley.
The first is Sarinbuana Eco Lodge in Bali, Indonesia - Here you will stay in a cosy bungalow, situated at 700m, on the slopes of Mount Batukaru in central Bali and surrounded by a lush tropical “food forest” of organically grown cacao, coffee, vanilla and jungle fruits. This eco lodge is also family friendly - children are warmly welcomed and valued in this family oriented community. Children are able to reconnect with nature - walking in the rainforest and swimming in the clean mountain streams.
The second is Chambal Safari Lodge in India - Here you will stay in an en-suite cottage 15km from the National Chambal Sanctuary. Along with a number of eco-policies to reduce their impact on the natural surroundings, the hosts at Chambal Safari Lodge also run the Chambal Conservation Foundation with their own funds and are committed to protecting the pristine environment of the Chambal valley.
Monday, 29 October 2007
eco-lodges in Thailand and Costa Rica!
Slowly but surely we're building up the number of eco-friendly hotels and eco-lodges on the ecobookers site, so that visitors to the site have as much choice as possible. And today there are two more new additions:
Faasai Resort in Chanthaburi, is our first eco-friendly accommodation featured in Thailand. At this resort you will be in the perfect location to experience the authentic culture of Thailand. You can explore the sea, mountains, historical and archaelogical sites, local festivals, markets, temples and much more. Faasai Resort is also a spa hotel, offering treatments such as traditional Thai massage, herbal steam therapy, oil massage and aromatherapy.
Sabalo Lodge in Costa Rica is located on the Osa Peninsula, only accessible by boat from the town of Sierpe. This Lodge offers lowland rainforest, river, mangroves and a mountainous jungle, but unlike some other rainforest lodges, it is also within easy access of a beautiful ocean beach - a 15 minute boat ride will take you to a beautiful, secluded, white sand beach, appropriately named Playa Blanca. The lodge currently has 2 rooms and 2 cabins available.
Faasai Resort in Chanthaburi, is our first eco-friendly accommodation featured in Thailand. At this resort you will be in the perfect location to experience the authentic culture of Thailand. You can explore the sea, mountains, historical and archaelogical sites, local festivals, markets, temples and much more. Faasai Resort is also a spa hotel, offering treatments such as traditional Thai massage, herbal steam therapy, oil massage and aromatherapy.
Sabalo Lodge in Costa Rica is located on the Osa Peninsula, only accessible by boat from the town of Sierpe. This Lodge offers lowland rainforest, river, mangroves and a mountainous jungle, but unlike some other rainforest lodges, it is also within easy access of a beautiful ocean beach - a 15 minute boat ride will take you to a beautiful, secluded, white sand beach, appropriately named Playa Blanca. The lodge currently has 2 rooms and 2 cabins available.
Thursday, 25 October 2007
new destinations on the ecobookers site
We have put another 2 great eco-friendly accommodations live on the ecobookers site today, one in Ireland and the other in the Seychelles.
Prospect Bay Lakeside Accommodation, Ireland - We're very pleased to feature this eco-friendly B&B, our first property in Ireland, on the ecobookers site as we feel it's important to feature accommodations in Europe which people can reach by other means than flying. For example, to reach Prospect Bay it is possible to take a ferry from Liverpool to Dublin, and then take a bus to a stop 2 miles from Prospect Bay where you will be collected by the owners!
Prospect Bay is set in a stunning location just a few minutes drive from the lively town of Ballyconnell and is close to the Marble Arch Caves, part of the Cuilcagh Mountains World Heritage Site and UNESCO Geo Park. There are plenty of activities nearby including Out Doors and Dirty™ - a new concept in extreme adventure, this company offer a unique range of extreme and entertaining events on both land and water in one location.
The second new destination launched today is the Seychelles, specifically Bird Island, home to Bird Island Lodge. The east and south sides of this island paradise are surrounded by a protective barrier reef which is home to many varieties of colourful tropical fish and the rest is an open beach which offers superb safe swimming. The accommodation itself is made up of individual chalets where the emphasis is very much on relaxation and informality.
There are lots of activities around the island such as safe swimming, ocean kayaking, snorkelling, nature tours, nature boat tours (dolphin watching), big game fishing, traditional hand line fishing and bird watching.
Prospect Bay Lakeside Accommodation, Ireland - We're very pleased to feature this eco-friendly B&B, our first property in Ireland, on the ecobookers site as we feel it's important to feature accommodations in Europe which people can reach by other means than flying. For example, to reach Prospect Bay it is possible to take a ferry from Liverpool to Dublin, and then take a bus to a stop 2 miles from Prospect Bay where you will be collected by the owners!
Prospect Bay is set in a stunning location just a few minutes drive from the lively town of Ballyconnell and is close to the Marble Arch Caves, part of the Cuilcagh Mountains World Heritage Site and UNESCO Geo Park. There are plenty of activities nearby including Out Doors and Dirty™ - a new concept in extreme adventure, this company offer a unique range of extreme and entertaining events on both land and water in one location.
The second new destination launched today is the Seychelles, specifically Bird Island, home to Bird Island Lodge. The east and south sides of this island paradise are surrounded by a protective barrier reef which is home to many varieties of colourful tropical fish and the rest is an open beach which offers superb safe swimming. The accommodation itself is made up of individual chalets where the emphasis is very much on relaxation and informality.
There are lots of activities around the island such as safe swimming, ocean kayaking, snorkelling, nature tours, nature boat tours (dolphin watching), big game fishing, traditional hand line fishing and bird watching.
Wednesday, 24 October 2007
eco-friendly hotel in Ecuador
Today sees the addition of a new eco-friendly hotel in Ecuador to the ecobookers site - Hotel Patio Andaluz.
This hotel is a great addition to the selection of eco-friendly city hotels on the site and is situated in the heart of the Old Historic Centre of Quito, surrounded by churches, museums and national monuments. The building itself is of Republican origin with large arches, balconies and towering attics.
In addition to energy, water and recycling policies the hotel works to keep its local environment clean and maintained and has two foundations to which they donate money, material and clothing, both from the hotel and from any guests who also wish to contribute. They work with community-based security and welfare programs as well as supporting young women with HIV.
This hotel is a great addition to the selection of eco-friendly city hotels on the site and is situated in the heart of the Old Historic Centre of Quito, surrounded by churches, museums and national monuments. The building itself is of Republican origin with large arches, balconies and towering attics.
In addition to energy, water and recycling policies the hotel works to keep its local environment clean and maintained and has two foundations to which they donate money, material and clothing, both from the hotel and from any guests who also wish to contribute. They work with community-based security and welfare programs as well as supporting young women with HIV.
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