Eco-Friendly Accommodations

Booking eco-friendly accommodation in South Africa doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice on comfort (though South Africa does offer a number of camping options should you want to “rough it”).

More and more establishments in South Africa are adopting eco-friendly principles on varying scales. Whether subscribing to “green values”, “sustainable or responsible tourism” or going the whole “eco-tourism” hog, you can support accommodation establishments that are trying to make a difference here in South Africa. Continued

Eco-Friendly Activities in Cape Town and the Western Cape

We start our eco-tour of South Africa in Cape Town, voted one of the world’s top 10 green cities – the US think tank Ethisphere Institute (http://ethisphere.com/) named Cape Town as a centre of global sustainability. The “Mother City”, so blessed with natural beauty, offers a multitude of outdoor activities which can be enjoyed guilt-free. Hike Table Mountain, enjoy the Cape’s beaches, or go shopping. Yes, I did say shopping in an article about eco-tourism … Continued

Are you a “Responsible” Traveller?

Eco-Tourism

Are you a responsible traveller? Believe in travelling green?
When travelling in South Africa, you can travel responsibly, travel green and give back to communities, by choosing providers who subscribe to the ethos of eco-tourism (see: What is Eco-Tourism?).

How to Travel Green:

• book eco-friendly accommodations
• get around responsibly
  • trains offer economical travel with a lower carbon footprint than a plane or car … Continued

What is Eco-Tourism?

Ecological tourism or eco-tourism is a highly popular term and possibly one of the most misused in the travel industry. It should describe travel to fragile areas where the fauna, flora and cultural heritage are the main reasons for travel.

Essentially eco-tourism protects and empowers local people and natural areas, and at the same time provides visitors with a unique, but low impact experience.

The Ecotourism Society defines eco-tourism as ‘responsible travel to natural areas, which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of the local people’. Essentially eco-tourism should unite conservation, communities and sustainable travel.

However, it can get a little confusing. There are a handful of similar terms used to describe this type of travel, like ‘adventure travel’, ’sustainable tourism’, ‘responsible tourism’, and ‘green travel’. Continued

Green is the new Black …

Leave only footprints

Green is the new black. No, really; we’re recycling, driving hybrid cars and generally trying to be intelligent enough not to melt the polar ice caps or widen the hole in the ozone layer. So why not travel green as well?

Eco-tourism is low impact travel, usually to protected areas in which flora, fauna and cultural heritage are the main attractions. Its focus is on educating the ecologically conscious traveller and minimising the negative aspects of conventional tourism, while providing funding for conservation initiatives and economic opportunities for local communities.

Of course, it’s not all serious… mostly eco-tourism is about having a good old bushwhacking fun time in nature. And with South Africa’s picture-perfect landscapes and status as the third most bio-diverse country in the world, it’s fast becoming one hot destination for eco-tourists. And with good reason … Continued