Let's Go GREEN: Eco-Friendly Travel Tips for Earth Day and Every Day From Let's Go Travel Guides
To celebrate Earth Day's 40th birthday on April 22nd, the intrepid student travel writers at Let's Go Travel Guides have compiled some of their favorite eco-friendly travel tips and ideas to help travelers to reduce their environmental impact when exploring the world.
Cambridge, MA (PRWEB) April 19, 2010
To celebrate Earth Day's 40th birthday on April 22nd, the intrepid student travel writers at Let's Go Travel Guides have compiled some of their favorite eco-friendly travel tips and ideas to help travelers to reduce their environmental impact when exploring the world.
From sleeping in dormant volcano craters to choosing a more eco-friendly laundry detergent, Let's Go's green travel ideas help readers see the world more sustainably—and make a difference in the places they visit. A complete list of these tips can be found below.
Run entirely by students, Let's Go has long been dedicated to socially and environmentally responsible travel. Let's Go Travel Guides are well-known for their Beyond Tourism chapters that highlight local volunteer and educational opportunities. Let’s Go also strives to be at the forefront of providing students with the information they need to explore responsibly and sustainably, keeping what’s best for the planet in mind.
The students at Let's Go couldn't think of a better way to celebrate Earth Day's 40th than by highlighting ecotourism and eco-friendly travel. So dust off those hemp hiking boots, hop on a bicycle, grab a reusable water bottle, and Let's Go green for Earth Day and everyday.
Eco-Friendly Travel Tips for Earth Day and Every Day from Let’s Go:
Go Green: Take advantage of Werfenwang’s Soft Mobility program in Austria: For €5 you receive a prepaid mobile phone and access to a free, solar-powered taxi service for one week, day and night—all this just for abstaining from using your car.
Sleep Green: The Hedonisia Hostel on the Big Island of Hawaii (13-657 Hinalo St., Pahoa; 808-430-2545) offers accommodations so green they’d make even Al Gore blush. Located in the crater of a jungle volcano, this hostel is famous for its eco-friendly “Toilet with a Garden” and offers rooms made from recycled sewn-together tents and a modified school bus (romantically called the “Love Bus”). It’s kind of like living in a commune, but without the cult-ish commitment.
Grow Green: Volunteer at one of the many World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) sites. From picking grapes in France’s wine country to apples in American, the program guarantees an unforgettable experience. Visit www. wwoof. org for details and locations.
Teach Green: Volunteer to help with dolphin research in Kenya with Global Vision International (www. gviusa. com). For two weeks, participants scuba dive off of the coast of the Shimoni peninsula and help with identification, tagging, and raising awareness for dolphins.
Ski Green: To ski without the nagging eco-guilt, stay at Norway’s Mjølfjell Youth Hostel (5700 Voss, Mjølfjell; 0047 56 52 31 50): The electric generator that keeps the lodge and ski lifts running gets its power from the nearby Raundal River. Beds go for around $50 per night; the views and rustic setting are well worth the price.
Save Some Green by Packing Green: Heavy bags weigh down airplanes and waste fuel (and cost money to check), so pack a single backpack with a few items of clothing and a small bottle of eco-friendly laundry detergent (like Planet Ultra Liquid Laundry Detergent; $6.49 at drugstores) so your clothes can be washed in a sink, not a washing machine.
Eat Green: One way to offset travel carbon emissions is to change your diet when traveling. Meat eaters should try going veggie for the duration of their trip to reduce consumption of unsustainable meat products. This is especially easy in countries like India, where much of the population is vegetarian. Temporary vegetarianism not only helps reduce your trip’s carbon footprint, it also makes food poisoning from undercooked souvlaki less likely.
Bike Green: When visiting Amsterdam, the most enjoyable (and eco-friendly) way to get around the city is to bike like a local. This saves fuel, is a great workout, and is a great way to see the city. The best place to rent a bike is Damstraat Rent-a-Bike in the Jordaan neighborhood (Damstraat 20-22; 31 020 625 50 29), where inexpensive bikes that don’t scream “tourist" go for around €10 per day.
About Let’s Go, Inc.
Let's Go publishes the world's favorite student travel guides written entirely by Harvard undergraduates. With pen and notebook in hand, and a few changes of underwear stuffed in their backpacks, Let's Go student researchers go across continents, through time zones, and above expectations to seek out the best travel experiences. Let’s Go has been on the road for 50 years and counting; and on a mission to provide readers with sharp, fresh coverage and socially responsible opportunities to go beyond tourism. Our website, www. letsgo. com, connects readers to our researchers—and to each other—with blogs, photos, and a customizable trip planner.
Contact: Joseph Molimock, Head of Publicity and Marketing, Let's Go, Inc.
Phone: 609.784.4759
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