A November Ecotour: Just What the Honeymoon Doctor Ordered
Image source: Richardherrmann.com
If you’re absolutely set on a tropical honeymoon (and who can blame you, really?) consider a honeymoon with a conscience. Ecotours explore amazing, environmentally friendly places all over the world. From Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, to Belize’s rainforests, to the African plains. You don’t have to sacrifice your dreams of eco-friendliness for your tropical paradise. The twain shall meet. In fact, they meet quite often! The big environmental consequence of international travel is the travel itself: the planes, trains, automobiles, boats, and mopeds you use to get where you’re going, and to get around once you get there. You can offset a lot of this carbon by staying in an eco-friendly hostel or hotel, biking or hoofing it around town, and by focusing your trip (at least in part) on learning about amazing and fascinating local environmental activism. Here are some exciting eco-friendly destinations for your consideration.
Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula
Image source: Osapeninsulaproperties.net
I lived in Costa Rica for a year after I finished high school and it is still one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. The pristine beaches stretch on and on for miles. The wildlife is spectacular. The people are friendly, helpful, and kind (at least all of the ones I met!) The Osa Peninsula is a popular eco-tourism destination, mostly because it has some of the best sustainable accommodations and activities in the region. Go deep sea fishing, whale watching, or tour the incredible Gulfo Dulce mangroves. The Lapa Rios Eco Lodge and Wildlife Preserve near Corcovado National Park combine responsible tourism with wildlife exposure and education.
Image source: Crocodilebay.com
The Entire Country of Belize
Image source: Tidetours.com
Belize is renowned in the eco-tour industry for consistently recognizing the importance of conservation for tourism. When tourism can be an engine for environmental protection, everybody wins. Check out Tide Tours in the Port Honduras Marine Reserve. It’s a great company that trains and employs local workers. They have a deep commitment to conservation and offer trips to Mayan archeological sites, waterfalls, and inland caves They also have opportunities for SCUBA diving, snorkeling, fishing, and pleasure cruises along the Caribbean coast. There are thousands of incredible eco-opportunities in Belize, from rainforest hikes to extreme spelunking. Whatever your pleasure, you’ll find it there.
Conservation on the African Plains
Image source: Greatplainsconservation.com
I lived in Africa when I was a little girl and will never forget racing alongside a loping giraffe, feeding the zebras, and watching a lioness nurse her cubs. Great Plains Conservation is a world-class eco-tourism company dedicated to protecting the delicate plains ecosystem. They also offer fancy eco-friendly accommodations so you won’t have to skimp on the luxury while you responsibly experience some of the planet’s most amazing landscapes.
