LUXURY IN EVERY WAY

This hotel has an old-world charm that ranks right up there with any conventional hotel in the area.  But, the little things (and big things) that are different (once you know them) will make this hotel stand out from the rest - like a copy of An Inconvenient Truth in every room right next to the Gideon Bible.

RESPONSIBLE BUILDING PRACTICES

All of the lumber used to build this hotel is FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified - which means it was harvested using responsible foresting practices.  In addition, low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints were used throughout the hotel.  This means the paint releases virtually no harmful gases or pollutants into the air.  This makes it suitable for those who have chemical sensitivities, as well.    It also does not have an obnoxious odor.

The hotel carpeting was created using post-consumer recycled materials in the backing, fiber, and pad.  The contractor placed recycling bins on the property for the collection of all cardboard.  All the cardboard that was collected was recycled on the premises.  All restrooms in the hotel use recycled tiles and granite.

We believe the above practices show a real commitment by this hotel to do the right thing.  These are all hidden things that guests would not know if they weren’t told.

WATER-SAVING PROGRAM

The hotel has installed water-saving toilets in every room, as well as low flow showerheads.  Gray water is cleaned and recycled for use in the hotel koi pond.  Implementing these things has reduced the hotel’s water usage by approximately 40%.

 WINDOWS & LIGHTING

All hotel windows are low energy tranmittable with glare reduction.  So, energy is not transferred between indoors and outdoors through the windows.  Also, the hotel has installed many Solatube Tubular skylights in their public areas including the lobby, conference rooms, and the hallways.  These skylights magnify the sun’s rays and provide abundant natural (and free) lighting to the hotel.

MISCELLANEOUS GREEN PRACTICES

Each hotel room is equipped with a recycling bin.  Newspapers aren’t automatically delivered to each guest room but, instead, are available in the lobby for any guest who wants one.

RESPONSIBLE LANDSCAPING

All fertilizers used on the property are chemical free and natural.  Native plants were used to minimize the water consumption.

SOLAR PANELS

Solar panels provide 12% of the hotel’s energy.  In addition, a cool, light roof reflects heat so it’s not absorbed into the building.  Compared to other hotels, the Gaia Napa Valley Hotel & Spa already uses 25% less energy.  So, with them providing some of their own power, they are offsetting their energy consumption even further.

We try to find hotels and resorts that go over and above the call to being “green.”  This hotel has taken eco-tourism to a new level and has set the standard for other properties in the area.  We give them our highest recommendation.

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Here are our top tips for “going green” scuba diving:

CARBON OFFSET FOR YOUR AIR FLIGHT

Since there’s no way to travel by plane in a “green” way - the only solution is to offset the carbon emissions caused by your flight.  Many companies offer ways to do just that.    One we especially like is called Carbon Fund.  They offer ways to offset all your carbon emissions from all the different things you do in life (driving your vehicle, electricity for your home, energy used to produce the food you eat - as well as the carbon footprint you create through air travel).  The next time you plan a dive trip, contact Carbon Fund to offset your Co2.  Your contribution is tax deductible and, best of all, you’ll feel great knowing you’re doing your part to leave small footprints on the planet.

CHOOSE GREEN ACCOMMODATIONS

As most of you know, some resorts and hotels do better at being “green” than others.  Some think if they have a policy where they don’t necessarily wash your towels every day that they are a “green” resort.  We’re certainly happy for any changes resorts and hotels make to help the environment, they’ll have to do more than that to be considered “going green” in our view.

Look for resorts that grow some or all of their own food in an organic garden.  This reduces carbon emissions through a reduction in transportation.

Special attention should be paid to resorts and hotels that create some or all of their own energy — ask if they create solar energy or if they have a wind turbine or water wheel.

Ask about the light bulbs — replacing standard bulbs with compact florescent is an inexpensive way resorts and hotels can reduce their energy footprint and begin to go green.

How do they handle their water consumption?  Reducing the amount of laundry they wash is great, but it’s only a start.  Look for biodegradable soaps and see if they’re recycling their gray water to care for landscaping or vegetable gardens.

Do they recycle and reduce their trash?  How do they handle plastic bottles and aluminum cans?  Do they use consumable glasses and pitchers in rooms that will wind up in a landfill or do they utilize re-usable items?

CHOOSE A GREEN DIVE OPERATOR

Choose local operators who emphasize sustainable dive practices and adhere to a “green” code of conduct.  Do your research before you book your trip.  The Green Fins program in Thailand is a great example of what to look for.  They have a specific code of conduct they require all their affiliated dive operators to adhere to.  If every dive operator in the world instituted the same guidelines, we would be well on our way to preserving our ocean’s reef systems.

USE ETHICAL DIVE PRACTICES YOURSELF

You already know what to do — so just commit that you’re going to do it.  Don’t ever litter the ocean with your junk.  No water bottles, plastic cups, wrappers, film canisters, or anything.  Make sure you secure all your trash on the boat so it doesn’t blow into the water.  If you see any junk in the water during your dive, remove it and throw it away properly.  You’ll be creating some good karma for yourself.

Never remove anything from the ocean - period.  Take your camera and get pictures of everything that looks cool, but never be tempted to take it with you.  First, you’ll be contributing to the destruction of the earth’s reefs and, second, you’ll likely get caught at some point and could end up in real hot water with the local authorities.  It’s not worth it.  Let your camera “take” photos of whatever you find interesting in the water.  Never violate this ethic.

Be careful when splashing around in shallower water.  Make sure you stay near the top of the water and never, ever, kick your fins into the delicate reef coral or other marine life.  Don’t be a bull in a china shop.  Leave the reef the same way you found it — the way the diver before you left it for you.

Okay, that’s it.  Get out there and enjoy your next scuba trip knowing that your travel dollars are voting for sustainable travel choices.  The more people vote with their dollars — the quicker we’ll see changes in the way the travel industry addresses environmental travel issues.

About the Resort:

This 17-acre resort, situated on a coconut plantation, rests on the shores of the gorgeous Savusavu Bay and was designed to be a romantic getaway for couples, honeymooners, or for weddings.  It also boasts superb opportunities for all types of water activities - making it a good choice for families looking to combine low key relaxation with fun, eco-friendly activities.

Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort is the only resort in Fiji to have it’s own full-time marine biologist, to teach guests more about the marine environment they are so enthusiastic to protect.

There is no other Fiji Island resort that offers this wide range of activities — including doing nothing but relaxing on the gorgeous grounds or hanging out in their world-class spa - or engaging in a huge variety of eco-friendly pursuits.

Commitment to the Environment:

Famed oceanographer, Jean-Michel Cousteau, has spent the majority of his life teaching the public about the importance of appreciating and caring for our planet.  Like his father, the late Jacques Couteau, he is dedicated to doing all  he can to see thqat our world is preserved for future generations of nature enthusiasts.

Jean-Michel has a love for all aspects of life in Fiji — the people, their native culture, the natural beauty of the land, and the hospitality of its residents.  This love has fostered his passion to create a resort that complements his own personal commitment to environmentalism.

What Makes This Resort Eco-Friendly (Green)?

There are many ways Costeua’s Fiji Island Resorts qualifies as an eco-friendly resort.  Some of the things they are doing are:

1. Full-time, on-site Marine Biologist to educate guests about the ecology and things they can do to help the environment.
2. Protecting the Namena Marine Reserve
3. New waste water system using coconuts and recycled bottles to produce clean water in pastoral lagoons
4. Aware-winning Cultural Host - Each day of the week is devoted to making guests aware about a different aspect of Fiji’s culture and environment
5. The resort startd the first recycling program on Savusavu
6. Organic garden that grows many vegetables, herbs and fruits for their guests
7. Edible landscaping
8. Local involvement with the environmental efforts through the community and schools
9. Fishing outside the reef, in the deep ocean where fish are plentiful

The ethic at the Jean-Michel Cousteau Figi Islands Resort is to leave as small a footprint on the environment as possible, to look for ways to give back to the environment and the local communities, and to show respect to everyone we share the planet with.

Accommodations

Cousteau’s Fiji Islands Resort offers many different accommodation options from their spectacular villa or many different types of bures (a Fijian word meaning a wood and straw hut).  They offer honeymoon bures, oceanfront, reef-view, or garden bures. 

All accommodations are quite large and all offer an outside deck so you can take in all the sights of this island paradise and enjoy meals al fresco.  Some are two-level and feature a balcony as well as a deck.

Dining

All meals are included in the price of the resort vacation and include breakfast, lunch and dinner.  The resorts award-winning meals are served in the resort’s outdoor dining room — featuring a 60-foot high temple roof.  The restaurant uses fresh herbs, spices, and vegetables grown at the resorts own organic garden.

Meals are typically authentic Fijian and South Pacific cuisine, as well as international favorites.  A special children’s menu is available for even the pickiest of eaters.

Activities

Each day of the week is dedicated to a specific activity.  On the day of this writing, the activites are scheduled as follows:

Monday:  A snorkeling trip to the reef with the resort’s resident marine biologist.

Tuesday:  A day of Fijian culture including language lessons and a trip to a local village to observe Fijian culture first hand.

Wednesday: A day of ecological awareness including a tour of the local mangroves and planting of mangrove seedlings to help maintain the island’s coastal ecosystem.

Thursday:  A day in the rain forest includes a hike through a tropical rainforest and the discovery of a hidden waterfall.  Also includeds a refreshing dip in a gorgeous freshwater jungle pool.

Friday:  This day is devoted to the coconut (since the resort was built in a coconut plantation).  Learn about coconut husking and how to weave traditional Fijian baskets and fans from coconut leaves.

Saturday:  This is the day of the Fijian feast, taking you to the local Savusavu markets.  Enjoy the traditional sights and sounds of the colorful Fijian marketplace.

Sunday:  A day devoted to rest and relaxation — guests are free to stroll the pristine beach, take a dip in the pool, navagate the lagoon by catamaran or kayak or simply to nothing.

Conclusion

This resort was built for the purpose of offering a green travel option to environmental enthusiasts.  However, no luxury was spared in developing this opulant resort. 

First off, James decided that his resort should be off Grenana’s power grid, so he built the first ever utility-grade windmill on the island (see it in the photo).  The windmill provides 150% of the resort’s power and sends its excess electricity to Grenada’s electric company.

The resort offers a complete carbon offset for your vacation — planting approximately 40 trees in Ethiopia to offset carbon emissions from airline flights and ground transportation to and from the resort.

The list for this fabulous resort goes on and on.  Here are just a few more things we love about Paradise Bay:  (1)  The resort has its own organic garden where most of the vegetables for meals come from; (2) They have developed a surface well with underground channels to collect rainwater; (3) All the soaps and shampoos in guest rooms are organic; (4) The hotel is staffed by local employees.

In addition to having a heart to create a sustainable travel destination, James is also involved in various relief efforts to help Grenada recover from Hurrican Ivan’s 2004 devestation to the island.

We love everything this resort stands for and give it our highest rating.  You can reach the Paradise Bay Beach Resort & Spa through their website >>>

Your conscience can rest assured knowing your tour guides care as much about the environment as you do. This is certainly not the case with many tour operators — especially if they don’t live locally.

Shamrocker and HAGGIS specialize in authentic tours of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Since locals run the companies, their goal of showing you the best of their lands goes hand in hand with making as little negative impact as possible on their homeland.

Shamrocker, part of the Radical Travel Group, offers bus tours of the Republic of Ireland starting at $169 for 3 days and going up to $519 for 8 days.

Haggis, also part of the Radical Travel Group, offers tours of England, Scotland, and Wales. Haggis Adventures was the first tour company in Scotland to receive a national Green Tourism Award for their commitment to the enironment. They actively support such Scottish charities as The John Muir Trust and Trees For Life. Haggis’ tours start at $179 for 3 day tours and go up to $539 for 8-day tours.

STA Travel’s commitment is two-fold in that they seek to minimally impact the destinations they tour, as well as give back economically to the local populations — creating win-win situations where sustainable travel is possible and thriving. They even offer Student Volunteer Projects.

We feel good about recommending them to our site visitors. Want more information >