Tag: Lonely Planet

World’s 10 most extraordinary places to stay

Ever wanted to spend the night in a lighthouse in New York state? A treehouse in Laos? Or a cave hotel in Turkey? These are just three of the 10 most extraordinary places to stay in the world – according to travel experts Lonely Planet.

To accompany the launch of their first ever collection of world’s best hotels, Lonely Planet has revealed its top 10 list of unusual accommodation choices. We reported the Lonely Planet ‘eco accommodation’ list last week and now pick out some of the Goodtrippers-friendly options on the ‘extraordinary’ list: here are our picks…

Planet Baobab, Gweta, BotswanaPlanet Baobab, Gweta, Botswana

Second in Lonely Planet’s list, this funky lodge is a must if you’re visiting Botswana’s Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. You can choose to stay in a traditional mud hut (en-suite and adorned with art made with the natural pigments found in the many termite mounds in the area), or a traditional grass hut (en-suite and constructed using the same methods as the original bushmen of Botswana). If you fancy it, camping facilities are also on offer. Walkways wind through the baobabs (which are lit up at night) to a pool and bar-restaurant. Spot meerkats and elephants while you sip your sundowner…

 

Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge, AustraliaPeppers Cradle Mountain Lodge, Tasmania, Australia

No. 5 in the Lonely Planet list, this eco-friendly lodge is located on the edge of the spectacular World Heritage site Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. Cabins are nestled privately in the bushland, with wallabies bounding past the windows and wombats shuffling amid the trees. Locally sourced game, wine, cheeses and honey permeate the restaurant’s menu, one of Tasmania’s best. The view from the spa is a dense thicket of King Billy pine trees. Guests can choose from couples’ or family cabins, right up to suites with private outdoor tubs and fuel-efficient fireplaces.

 

Free Spirit Spheres, British Columbia, CanadaFree Spirit Spheres, British Columbia, Canada

Treehouses for grown-ups! These fantastic handmade orbs, suspended among the tall trees of west coast rainforest, are kitted out like cosy boat cabins inside (mod cons including iPod docks all present and correct) and are accessed by rope walkways and spiral ladders. You’re encouraged spend time in your swaying sphere to immerse yourself in the local wildlife – the chattering birds and squirrels, now on your eye-level. The site also has showers, a sauna, kitchen and barbecue.

 

Thonga Beach Lodge, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South AfricaThonga Beach Lodge, South Africa

This luxury resort by the beach is environmentally-friendly and remote – it’s one of few such lodges within the 328,000 hectare iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its spacious huts are scattered through dune forest, some with spectacular views of the Indian Ocean. Whales frequently pass by, and Loggerhead and Leatherback turtles nest on the nearby beaches. Take a nature trek with a local expert, a deep sea dive, or simply relax in the spa or indulge in the lodge’s fresh seafood and salads.

 

The Gibbon Experience Treehouse, Bokeo Reserve, LaosThe Gibbon Experience Treehouse, Bokeo Reserve, Laos

Completing the Lonely Planet top 10 is this outstanding experience in Laos. Imagine waking to the sonorous call of the endangered black-crested gibbon, stretching in your bed a hundred feet up in the triple canopy, and nursing a coffee on your balcony as you watch the dawn mist crowd in over the jungle valley below. The tree houses, erected by conservation group Animo, are a thing of wonder straddling the giant trunks of strangler fig trees. You have to take a zip wire to ‘fly’ into your night’s accommodation! Dinner is delivered fresh from the nearby campfire, and music is the ambient sound of cicadas as fireflies dance in the night air.

 

The full Lonely Planet Top 10 Extraordinary Places to Stay

  1. Mihir Gahr, Rajasthan, India
  2. Planet Baobab, Gweta, Botswana
  3. Prendiparte B&B, Bologna, Italy
  4. Qasr Al Sarab, UAE
  5. Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge, Tasmania, Australia
  6. Free Spirit Spheres, British Columbia, Canada
  7. Taskonak Hotel, Goreme, Cappadocia, Turkey
  8. Thonga Beach Lodge, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa
  9. Saugerties Lighthouse, New York state, USA
  10. The Gibbon Experience Treehouse, Bokeo Reserve, Laos

 

You may also be interested in the Lonely Planet’s top 10 eco stays

 

Lonely Planet reveals 10 best eco hotels

To celebrate the launch of its first ever collection of the world’s best hotels, travel experts Lonely Planet have revealed its 10 best eco-friendly places to stay.

The list features a diverse selection of eco accommodation, as chosen by a panel of travel experts, from Lapa Rios in Costa Rica and Maison Anglaise in Morocco, to Bunlungula Backpackers in South Africa and Earthship Rentals in New Mexico, USA. All 10 of the outstanding eco-friendly places to stay have made impressive strides to minimise their impact on the environment and have made positive contributions to their local communities.

Lonely Planet’s collection of the world’s best hotels, also includes a top 10 ‘Extraordinary’ places to stay, and a top 10 ‘Best Value’ places to stay list.

[gdl_gallery title=”LP eco” width=”120″ height=”110″ ]

LonelyPlanet.com editor Tom Hall was part of the expert panel who selected the finalists. He said, “We’re delighted with our first ever list of top hotels. This collection is one of a kind we believe, as it is put together by the most well-travelled people on earth. At Lonely Planet we’ve been giving recommendations to travellers about where to stay for 40 years. Our guidebook authors provide their honest opinion and never take freebies in exchange for positive coverage, so you can trust our reviews.”

The Lonely Planet ‘Eco’ list in full:

1. Lapa Rios, Peninsula de Osa, Costa Rica – This lodge lies in a private nature reserve that serves as a buffer for Costa Rica’s remote Parque Nacional Corcovado. It consists of 16 gorgeous bungalows with four poster beds, garden showers and private decks. Simply put, this is the promised land for nature lovers. (Read our Lapa Rios review here).

2. Bulungula Backpackers, South Africa – Feel like one of the family at this community-driven lodge. Bulungula Lodge is nothing more than a group of traditionally designed rondavels owned in partnerhsip with the adjoining community, but a stay here is an immersive experience. This is a place to unwind and disconnect, completely solar and wind-powered, and where a menagerie of animals wander the unfenced property.

3. Chole Mjini, Chole Island, Mafia Archipelago, Tanzania – Get back to nature with a treetop stay at Chole Mjini. This lodge is like nowhere else along the Tanzanian coast. Accommodation is in imaginatively designed tree houses – simple, chic and nestled amid the vegetation for maximum privacy. A short walk away are vine-covered 19th-century ruins, and beyond that, a lively village.

4. Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, Aguas Calientes, Peru – In the heart of a patch of restored Andean cloud forest, is this hotel in the form of whitewashed cottages, scattered through a 12-acre site. The rooms are full of Peruvian fabrics, ceramics and art, but the real enchantment is the forest itself, a stupefying ecosystem of butterflies and birds, not to mention the world’s largest collection of native orchids.

5. EcoLodge Chepu Adventures, Chiloe, Chile – Perched on an overlook peering oEcoLodge Chepu Adventures, Chiloe, Chileut onto three rivers and 140 sq km of sunken forest, is EcoLodge Chepu Adventures. The owners have designed everything at this eco-fierce property with the end goal of complete self-sufficiency, from infrared solar showers, to wind-generated electricity. Green-conscious travellers cannot get enough of the mystical kayak trips at dawn, the views and the barbeques.

6. Maison Anglaise, Taroudant, Morocco – Watch the sunset from the roof terrace of this tall medina house in the walled market town of Taroudant. Maison Anglaise is an excellent place to learn about Berber culture – the English-speaking staff organise visits to rural villages and schemes the guesthouse supports, including soap-making and beekeeping. It has been awarded the Green Key eco-label for its sustainable practices, such as using solar panels to heat water and serving locally grown produce.

7. Earthship Rentals, Taos, New Mexico, USA – If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to live completely off the grid, then this is your chance. In the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains near Taos, lies a small collection of buildings that seems equal parts Gaudi masterpiece and Dr Seuss whimsy. These are the so-called Earthships, radically designed buildings made from recycled materials (think old tyres and glass bottles) and boasting impeccable green credentials.

8. Dana Guest House, King’s Highway, Jordan – Jordan’s top bolthole is also home to one of the Middle East’s most amazing views. Dana Guesthouse blends into the sandstone cliff face sitting on the 1,200m-high tip of Dana Nature Reserve. The guesthouse is run by Jordan’s Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, and the staff are highly knowledgeable about the reserve’s natural wonders. The simple stone-clad rooms are designed to invite you to watch the sunrise light up the gorge below.

9. Nuli Sapi, Papua New Guinea – Nuli Sapi is located in a pristine area of mountainous Nuli Sapi, Papua New Guinearainforest-covered islands, tiny traditional villages and teeming aquatic life. The bungalows themselves are simple but comfortable and made entirely of bush materials, with a veranda perched over the water. Aside from admiring the tropical beauty, there’s much to do here. Nuli Sapi is deeply committed to the surrounding communities – locals can take you out bushwalking, snorkelling with manta rays, fishing, canoeing or simply for a village visit where you can learn about traditional cooking techniques.

10. Baikaler Eco-Hostel, Listvyanka, Russia – Siberian log cabin-style dorms, yoga and chill-out decks await you at this hostel. Russia isn’t exactly celebrated for its eco-friendliness, but the country’s only purpose-built hostel on the shores of Eastern Siberia’s Lake Baikal bucks the trend, big time. The enlightened owner has crafted a green sanctuary complete with solar-heated water, triple insulation, an electricity supply generated partially from solar panels, and energy-saving lighting and electrical devices throughout.

For more on the Lonely Planet’s top eco stays for 2014 click here

Have you stayed at any of the Lonely Planet’s favourite eco-friendly hotels and hostels? Tell us what you think…

 

 

 

 

5 digital ways to ‘green’ your travels

With lightweight laptops, tablets and smartphones, finding advice and inspiration when travelling has never been easier. There is a wealth of apps, websites and social media platforms out there focused on eco travel advice and inspiration helping you to pick the best eco-friendly options.

But don't let digital rule your life - switch-off properly when you're away!
But don’t let digital rule your life – switch-off properly when you’re away!

However, at Goodtrippers, we’re advocates of enjoying the here and now so this post comes with our best advice – only look at your digital screen during some genuine downtime! Never miss the sights and sounds around you, even on supposedly boring car journeys, by losing precious hours to Twitter, Reddit and all the rest. Put that laptop or phone AWAY for the most part of your trip. When planning a trip before you go, and you need some advice and inspiration (that’s a little easier to access than a bulky guidebook), you can have a peek at these apps and sites…

Pinterest – What Pinterest may lack in comprehensive detail, it more than makes up for in sheer aesthetic inspiration when it comes to eco travel. Just search for “eco lodge”, “ecotourism” or ‘eco travel” and you’ll be greeted with streams of beautiful and unusual places to stay, eat or visit. With most images linked you’ll be able to find out more a particular location or hotel in no time. Start re-pinning your favourites and you’re on your way to planning your trip of a lifetime!

Ecorio app – Free to Android users, this new app helps users track their personal carbon footprint when travelling. Once you’ve set-up with your initial location, it will constantly track your carbon usage based on whether you’re travelling by bike, public transport or specific model of car. It also gives tips on public transport options available wherever you are, and ties in to the carpooling community ZimRide to help make journeys less carbon hungry.

Lonely Planet app – one of the leading travel guides and websites also has a range of very comprehensive apps for the iPhone, Android and Nokia. Even though this may be more a location guide for several countries, the Lonely Planet ethos ensures you’ll be enjoying your travels responsibly by choosing low-impact travel and respecting local cultures.

Locavore app – Available for free on the iPhone and Android, this foodie app is a must for any ‘locavore’, or lover of local, seasonal food. Wherever you are, it will list the produce in season in your area, pinpoint local farmers’ markets and shops selling fresh, local, sometime organic food. It appears quite USA-heavy at present but they are intending to build up a more comprehensive picture covering other countries as the community builds…

The Guardian: Green Travel – The Guardian has always been strong on green travel and this section of their website pulls together all of their ecotourism news and features. It’s definitely worth a thorough browse before or during your trip as one of their intrepid journalists may well have been there and reviewed it before you! From staying in treehouses, taking high-speed trains across Europe or readers tips covering everything from organic cafes to the best natural woodlands – it’s all here!

That’s just a few to get started. Let us know your favourite eco-friendly travel apps and social sites in the comments below…