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2008 has been a great year for green, and with Obama in the Whitehouse, 2009 looks promising too. The image of green travel, however, still has some progress to make.
Green travel is still seen as somewhat of a niche inerest area - but there are a handful of pioneering green travel writers and bloggers (and we'd like to include ourselves in this category) who are taking the lead and proving that green travel is not only a viable way to travel, but the future of all travel.
We'd like to highlight a few of our favorites. So, in no particular order, our top ten green travel websites are:
Responsible Travel
Responsible travel may not sound like much fun, but in reality responsible travel trends such as voluntourism, homestays and slow travel are some of the best ways to fully explore a destination.
Responsibletravel.com provides information on all of these travel niches, as well as reviews and news from its readers' community. They also organize the annual Responsible Tourism Awards.
http://www.responsibletravel.com/
Go Green Travel Green
This nicely put together website, which features first-hand green travel stories, green gear reviews and some great green travel advice, is maintained by travelers Kimberly and Elizabeth Sanberg.
The duo, who are currently on the road in S.America, have committed to reducing their environmental impact while on the road, and sharing their experiences with their readers.
http://gogreentravelgreen.com/
WWOOF
The long running Willing Workers on Organic Farms scheme, is without doubt, one of the best ways to immerse yourself in a destination. Travelers work for a few hours a day on organic farms, in exchange for room and board.
Stays can last for a few days up to a few months. The chance to get fully involved with the day to day operations of an organic farm will likely change your perceptions on food and farming in general.
Green Traveller
Green Traveller is the website of UK travel writer Richard Hammond - the Guardian newspaper's green travel corespondent and author of the excellent Alastair Sawaday green accommodation guidebook, 'Green Places to Stay'.
The site includes reviews of green destinations across the UK and beyond, as well as the occassional green travel news story and reader discussion.
http://www.greentraveller.co.uk/
G-magazine
Australia's monthly environmental, and carbon neutral, G magazine features a broad range of green topics, including green travel.
Articles include green travel 'how to' guides, green gear reviews, green travel stories, on topics such as eco-trekking in Nepal, and blog posts from writer Louise Southerden, as well as green travel video stories.
Green Globe International
The travel industry is now littered with various green certifications, with everything from green keys to green leaves - but the Green Globe certification is the only award to be truly international.
Travel companies who achieve the Green Globe benchmarking are awarded with a green globe. Look to green globe to take the lead in standardizing green accommodation certification in the next few years.
Walk It
Walking is, of course, the greenest way to get around a city - and although most directions services show the best way to get somewhere by road, walkit.com shows how to get their by foot - and gives you the choice between scenic, and direct routes.
Currently their website only features a dozen UK cities, including London and Edinburgh, but the site will, no doubt, expand throughout 2009.
It's a Green Green World
itsagreengreenworld.com provides an easy to search map of eco-friendly accommodation across the globe, including eco-lodges, Bed & Breakfasts and luxury eco-hotels.
As the hotels themselves are free to provide the review, however, it's up to you to decide whether the green claims are genuine or just greenwash - but the site is an excellent resource non-the-less and worth a visit when you plan your next trip.
http://www.itsagreengreenworld.com/
Native Energy
Reducing your carbon foorprint rather than simply offsetting it is a smarter way to travel, but when you do need to offset your travel, Native Energy offers some of the web's best carbon calculators.
Money raised through the webiste helps fund Native Energy's wind, solar, biomass and farm methane projects across the US.
Couchsurfing
Couch surfing is not only an economical way to travel, it is also one of the best ways to get a little insider knowledge on a destination. The concept is simple, homeowners offer up a couch, or sometimes a garden to pitch a tent; and travelers get in touch with them through the website to arrange a stay. As couch surfing means sharing resources, it is also a great way to reduce your carbon footprint.
Have any personal green travel favorites? Add them in the comments section below.
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