Ten amazing adventure lodges with a green conscience
— -- For many, the idea of staying at an "eco" lodge may conjure up visions of mosquitoes, jungle huts, and beds made of recycled corn husks. But the truth is, there are now many lodges around the world that offer comfort, adventure, and a truly "green" experience. They're friendly to both the environment and the local culture.
I consulted experts from Sustainable Travel International and the International Ecotourism Society while compiling my list of 10 amazing eco-lodges. From luxurious but affordable adventure in a Costa Rican rainforest to encounters with isolated tribal cultures on a tropical Pacific island, you'll be surprised and excited by the experiences these lodges can provide.
Unveil the mysteries of Easter Island in style
Lodge:explora en Rapa Nui Price:from $1,230 per person for three nights
Although it's more than 1,000 miles from the nearest inhabited island and 2,300 miles from the nearest continent, travelers have been making the effort to reach the beguiling island of Rapa Nui, or Easter Island, since about 700 A.D. The earliest inhabitants crossed the Pacific in dug-out tree trunks, which makes the current method (a five-hour flight from Santiago, Chile), seem downright effortless. And most modern-day travelers who've made the trip agree, Easter Island—with its mysterious Moai statues, volcanic landscape, and disarming Rapa Nui culture—is one of the most fascinating destinations on earth.
Now there's even more reason to go: Already known for its luxurious, eco-friendly lodges in remote parts of Chile, explora recently opened explora en Rapa Nui, the region's first LEED-certified business, a distinction given only to properties utilizing stringent "green" building practices.
What sets this lodge apart? While the building itself is owned by explora, the land upon which it was built is still owned by a local Rapa Nui businessman. Its uniquely open design reduces the need for electricity for lighting and air-conditioning. And, much of the construction material came from stones and wood already on the property.
Explora en Rapa Nui's greatest assets, however, are its guides. "We have 10 guides, all from the local community on the island," says Marcela Sigall, explora's vice president of guest relations. "It's so important because everyone on staff can talk about their culture, their past. [They can tell you], 'This is how my ancestors lived, [or] this is what our oral tradition tells us about the island.' Our guides are all trained in archaeology, first aid, and guest relations and each goes to explora's guide school to learn the 'explora way.'"
"[We] customize the morning and afternoon outings each day based on the age, fitness, and interests of our guests," says Sigall. "The idea is always that guests enjoy themselves and take something away from the experience." Outings might include hikes to Moai (pronounced moe-eye) statues and quarries, other archaeological sites, beaches, and volcanic craters; cycling coastal roads; and cultural activities, like attending a Rapa Nui dance performance or learning to fish using traditional methods.
At the end of each day you can dine on a four-course gourmet meal, relax with a pisco sour in the hot tub, or browse books about the island in the lodge's library. You'll stay in one of 30 rooms, which all have amenities like hydro-massage bathtubs, furniture made of local rauli wood, and a view of the Pacific.
Trip planning:The lodge is open year-round. Prices cover Easter Island airport transfers, accommodations, all meals and alcoholic beverages, guides, and activities. Round-trip November fares from Los Angeles to Santiago, Chile start at $982, including taxes, from Hotwire.com. From Santiago, flights to Easter Island cost $670 plus taxes on LAN.
Luxurious and guilt-free adventure in Costa Rica
Lodge:Pacuare Lodge Price:from $326 per person for a two-day package
It's hard not to be enthralled by a hotel you get to by rafting down a Class III and IV whitewater river, especially when that same hotel offers 300-thread-count Egyptian cotton linens and serves three-course candlelit dinners with filet mignon and wine. What's really heartening about Pacuare Lodge, however, is that this upscale jungle retreat was built to prevent deforestation and has helped employ and educate the local indigenous people.
Opened in 1995 on the banks of the Pacuare River in the Costa Rican rainforest, Pacuare Lodge has served as a model for eco-lodges around the world and was one of only 65 ecotourism businesses worldwide identified by the World Tourism Organization as models of sustainable development. "Because of its isolation and unspoiled terrain, Pacuare Lodge was devised to have a minimum impact on its surroundings," says Luz Caceres, the lodge's marketing director and wife of owner Roberto Fernandez. Caceres says 100% of its employees are local and 98% of the land owned by Pacuare is kept in its natural state, and most of the lodge's power is generated by water and the sun.
Guests stay in elevated thatched-roof bungalows and suites with canopy beds, private bathrooms and verandahs, and almost 360-degree views. Staff members serve meals on fine china in the open-air restaurant in Pacuare's new main lodge, where there's also a small bar and lounge area.
While at the lodge, you can choose to relax and get a massage or go on optional excursions: Explore the rainforest canopy on a system of transverse cables, hike to an Indian community and visit with a local shaman, or go on a naturalist-guided walk to observe the wildlife and tropical flowers. One of the best parts of a Pacuare trip, though, is getting there. After transferring from San Jose, Costa Rica's capital, to the Pacuare River, guides will lead you on an hour-and-a-half rafting trip, passing through canyons and skirting the edge of the rainforest. If you're not up for rafting, the lodge will transfer you to the property via 4×4.
Trip planning:You can visit year-round, although the dryer months of December to March are the most popular. Trips to the lodge are sold as two- to five-day packages which include accommodations, transfers to and from San Jose, rafting or 4×4 lodge transfers, guides and equipment, and all meals. Prices start at $326 per person. Optional activities, wine, and airfare are extra. Round-trip December fares from Miami to San Jose start at $284, including taxes, on US Airways and Mexicana.
Epic Iceland
Lodge:Hotel Hellnar Price:from $198 per night
With its lava-blackened coastline, glacier-topped volcano, and mossy green hills, Iceland's Snaefellsnes Peninsula seems like the perfect setting for an epic adventure narrative. And it is. Nine of Iceland's 40 sagas—medieval accounts of Viking exploration, epic battles, and Norse family histories—are based in Snaefellsnes.
Amidst this mystical landscape sits Iceland's first green-certified hotel, Hotel Hellnar, a farm-turned-eco-lodge with one of the country's most enviable locations, just outside the entrance to Snaefellsjokull National Park.
"The hotel is situated at the top of a hill, about 40 meters (130 feet) above sea level, overlooking the bird cliffs along the oceanfront," says Owner Gudrun Bergmann. "During the months of May through August, we frequently spot orca whales just off the coast, so guests can enjoy them from the deck of the hotel or from their room window. To the north, facing the entrance of the hotel towers lies the mystical Snaefellsjokull Glacier. Close by are old lava fields which are the result of eruptions in the glacier itself, as underneath the icecap is an active volcano."
The hotel, which was recently awarded Green Globe gold standard certification, one of the highest levels of international eco-certification, is simple but comfortable, offering guests double or single rooms with private bathrooms, dining with great views, and easy access to the area's attractions.
"Hotel Hellnar far surpassed our expectations," says Clyde Haggard of Ft. Worth, Texas, who stayed at the hotel with his wife Sharon last May. "[My wife] immediately wanted to plan another trip to Iceland, with a much longer stay at Hotel Hellnar. The staff was gracious and helpful in planning our tour of the sights in the area. We love glaciers, waterfalls, and volcanic activity, so we had it all."
"I always recommend a trip to the top of the glacier if the weather permits, as it is such a unique experience," says Bergmann. The staff can arrange a snowmobile tour to the top for you. In the national park you can hike over lava fields, wander through the ruins of ancient fishing settlements, and look for wildlife like Arctic foxes and white-tailed eagles. Nearby, you can go on a whale-watching cruise from the town of Olafsvik, soak in the geothermal pools at Stykkisholmur and Lysuholl, and go horseback riding on the beach.
