Eco lodges travel guide

There are a lot of debates around the word ‘eco’, but when it comes to ecolodges an acronym ticks all the boxes: Exquisite, Community-focused and Obstinate. First and foremost they are exquisite, sometimes even luxurious and catering for that once in a lifetime, spoil yourself venture into nature. The O may seem like an odd one, but actually people who have striven to create places of paradise, in paradise, have nearly always had to stand strong for what they believe in. People who charge a bit more for a cabin by a Gambian beach so they can pay their staff a top wage all year round. People who train the local Sri Lankan community as expert naturalist guides, so that they don’t have to destroy the landscape to live off it. People who build schools for Berber girls in the Atlas Mountains. And, it is worth noting that people who are obstinate, also make brilliant hosts. Because they care.

Find out more in our ecolodges travel guide.

Many ecolodges are built sustainably, using natural materials such as hemp or lime, mud or local wood. Such as the tented chalets and mud hut style lounge on the edge of Yala National Park in Sri Lanka, or a bamboo treehouse on the Caribbean island of Dominica. And a vineyard cottage in Croatia is made in traditional style using only local stone and wood. Nearly all strive to be either off grid or as near as dammit.

An ecolodge in Gambia, for example, runs everything off solar power including your bedroom fans and gadget chargers. Their waste is all recycled and they practise Permaculture. Ecolodges on a farm in Devon now produce more clean, green energy than they consume, harnessing wind and solar energy for all their uses. And an ecolodge in Malaysia’s Berembun Forest Reserve has been designed with natural openings throughout so that despite being in the rainforest, air conditioning is not needed. They don’t do things by halves these ecolodges, and are always looking for new technology or techniques to make things cleaner and greener.

Some people may be put off the word ‘ecolodge’ because they think that they aren’t going to be comfy, or able to cater for some of those treats that we all seek out on special vacations. But far from it. Imagine bathing in a traditional hammam in a kasbah in the Atlas Mountains; going from hammock to freshwater pool in Gambia; or seeking peace and quiet on a private veranda in Sri Lanka or the Caribbean. Yes, some are more ‘au naturel’ than others, but hot water, quality linen, cool drinks, great food and top service are still part of the package in many ecolodges. Ideally all just ethically sourced. Air con and hairdryers are not always on the cards, however; the look is more ceiling fan and ruffled-by-a-tropical-breeze.

Kathy Jarvis, from our supplier Andean Trails, supports Napo Wildlife Center Ecolodge in Ecuador: “This is a fabulous Amazon Lodge which offers a high level of comfort to the tourist, while supporting conservation efforts locally. The lodges were built with local materials by the local Anangu Quichua community in conjunction with EcoEcuador, a non-profit organisation which is dedicated to conservation efforts in Ecuador. A percentage of profits from the lodge go towards conservation and preventing logging, hunting and oil extraction, all of which are actively destroying local forests.”

Lars Sorensen, owner of Tree Tops Jungle Lodge, Sri Lanka: “Tree Tops Jungle Lodge was the first place in Sri Lanka to stay in a jungle itself. It is also wild elephant habitat. We have team of staff from the local community who really knows how to be in the jungle; what to do and not do if wild elephants are around, close to us. They know, for example, to be aware of sound and light impact on wildlife. Anyway we are off grid so there is no electric light illuminating all corners and the whole hotel ground. We have also preserved the lodge as a special small place to stay with only three accommodation units, thus minimising the impact.”