An eco lodge is a type of tourist attraction with the least possible impact on the surrounding natural environment. Many time eco lodges include farm to table ingredients, organic cleaning material, locally sourced furniture, and involvement in programs that assist the local community. The difference between an eco lodge and an eco resort is usually the size. A resort is located on a larger property and tends to offer more services.
1. Copal Tree Lodge, Punta Gorda, Belize
Copal Tree Lodge is an all inclusive luxury eco lodge in the jungle of Belize. It is a destination for adventure seekers and foodies. The Lodge is surrounded by 22,000 acres of rainforest preserve within the Maya Mountains of Punta Gorda, the southern-most part of Belize. Here you can participate in hands-on learning about the production of coffee, chocolate and indigenous produce at the onsite Farm Center, and immerse yourself in the culinary traditions of the region.
The 3,000-acre sustainable farm supplies the majority of food served at the Garden Table Restaurant. Copal Tree Lodge has grown from pioneering the ideas of sustainable food production and agritourism to become an award-winning, world-class destination. Enjoy kayaking, world class fly-fishing and river fishing, jungle adventure tours, snorkeling, bird watching, and cultural experiences.
Copal Tree Lodge consists of 16 private suites and one three-bedroom villa. Designed with nature and luxury in mind, the suites at Copal Tree Lodge allow you to take in the scenic beauty of the jungle while you relax in comfort. Your stay includes use of a swimming pool, rum bar, rum distillery, fitness center, meals at the Garden Table Restaurant, 12,000 acre nature preserve with trails, kayaks and bikes.
2. MahaRaja Eco Dive Lodge, Raja Ampat, Indonesia
MahaRaja Eco Dive Lodge was named as part of Lonely Planet’s top 5 world’s best Eco-luxury resorts and has been described as the only truly Eco-friendly dive resort in the world! Raja Ampat’s mission is to inspire change by creating the best Eco resort in Raja Ampat and by creating a memorable eco-tourism experience for guests from around the world. As part of this, the aim is to create the perfect Environment to have the best complete Eco Lifestyle immersion experience, to enjoy the ocean and nature, to connect with other Eco Lovers from across the world and to contribute to the preservation of the ‘Last Paradise on Earth’.
From kayak diving, fluo night dives, eco-exploration, reef marine life sampling and more, the unique pink electric boat will take you out for eco-diving in the best spots of Batanta. The PADI dive center and school is also one of the best and safest places to get trained in eco-diving. During your stay you can visit visit a nearby Papuan village and get to know the Papuan lifestyle. Spend a night singing, playing ukulele, learning the traditional Yacim Pancar dance, preparing sambal, making new friends.
The MahaRaja Eco Dive Lodge is located on a private island called Dokri. There are 5 over-the-ocean traditional Papuan bungalows, called Honai, each with a private wooden terrace. The Honai can accommodate up to 4 people. Your stay includes eco friendly toiletries, 4 meals per day, 2-way direct boat transport and unlimited snorkeling with full snorkel gear.
3. Three Camel Lodge, Mongolia
Three Camel Lodge is the only luxury eco lodge in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert. The lodge is a founding member of the Beyond Green partnership of sustainable resorts. A leader in sustainable travel since 2002, the lodge and its staff are perennially recognized by such publications as Conde Nast Traveller and Forbes Travel Guide. The mission of Three Camel Lodge is to showcase the Mongolian culture and its’ nomadic people while taking care of the surrounding land. Guests visit local nomadic families to learn about traditions and customs. The entire lodge was built by locals and entirely staffed by native Mongolians.
The lodge features an award-winning bar and restaurant, spa, and amenities including horse stables and excursions to see the iconic sites of the Gobi—including the Flaming Cliffs, the Singing Sands, Yol Valley, and ancient petroglyphs dating back to the Bronze Age.
In keeping with sustainable practices, the lodge is comprised of 40 luxury gers made by hand by local artisans using latticed wood and covered with layers of felt and canvas. Heated by a wood stove and offering either a hand-painted, handmade king or two twin beds, every ger features a private bathroom. For families of four, a larger two bedroom ger is available.
4. Campi Ya Kenzi Eco Lodge, Kenya
Campi ya Kanzi is an award-winning boutique eco-lodge in the Chyulu Hills of southern Kenya. For more than 20 years, the camp was the only Kenya luxury safari lodge on a Maasai-owned reserve spanning 283,000 acres of pristine wilderness. Campi ya Kanzi has a unique commitment to community development and environmental sustainability as leaders in ecotourism, engaging the local Maasai in benefiting from the wilderness, along with being 100% solar and carbon neutral.
Built from local materials, solar technology is used to supply hot water and electricity to the six luxury cottages and two suites. In front of Kilimanjaro, with a Maasai warrior taking you on safari, among elephants and lions, you will experience your dream African adventure. Traditional safaris on land offer great opportunities for game viewing, while air safaris expand the adventure upward into limitless African skies. Travelers can soar over the Okavango Delta, skim the Skeleton Coast, and veer through the gorges of Victoria Falls.
Luxury tented suites and luxury tented cottages both with full ensuite bathroom or provide the best views of the watering holes to view zebras, giraffes and lions. Italian-African fusion meals are communal with the hosts Antonella and Luca. Vegetables come from the camp’s garden for daily organic produce, milk and eggs from the camp’s cows and chickens, and wines from Antonella’s home vineyards in Italy. Cooking is on Aga stoves, with charcoal made from coffee husks.
5. Mashpi Lodge, Ecuador
An unexpected oasis of urban comfort for just 47 guests in a truly unique location: a mega-biodiverse private forest reserve located within the Metropolitan District of Quito. The lodge was built at 3,117 feet above sea level. The surrounding reserve ranges from 1,640 to 4,000 ft creating a transition state that combines tropical and subtropical climates.
Located at a former lumber mill, Mashpi Lodge was built using the latest techniques in sustainable constructionin order to prevent damage to the forest, with much of the structure having been preassembled in Quito and designed around the topography of the site to prevent further damage to the trees. It is designed to blend in perfectly with its natural environment, respecting the natural space it occupies.
Your stay at Mashpi includes day hikes, night hikes, butterfly farm, sky bike, kids corner, yoga deck and spa. Floor to ceiling glass windows in each room showcase the surrounding natural world. The lodge consists of three floors with a variety of room sizes. The rooms’ subdued lights are never too intense, and automatic blinds can be lowered or raised to adjust natural lighting levels. Sound-proofing technology, as well as humidity and temperature control systems, enables the perfect rest, guaranteed.
6. Topas Eco Lodge, Vietnam
Topas Ecolodge is based on sustainable hotel operation values to ensure minimum impact on the surrounding environment while offering guests a unique position to immerse themselves in local communities. The local communities consist of five different ethnic minority groups, each with their own distinct language, dress and cultural values. Topas Ecolodge employs people from nearby villages and uses goods and services from the surrounding area in order to bring economic benefit to these areas.
Due to the location in remote Hoang Lien National Park, yet just a quick 45-minute drive away from the little town of Sapa, guests have access to one of the most beautiful regions of Vietnam. Topas Ecolodge is a great base for hiking, biking, village visits, market stops, and textile workshops. Choose from a number of activities such as hiking the Red Dzoa, a 2 day hiking adventure amongst the rice paddies in remote Nam Pa Valley and Hoang Lien National Park, or a day hike that includes a jungle BBQ.
Each of the 41 stylish bungalows are made from local white granite carved out from the Hoang Lien Mountains by one of Vietnam’s best stone-cutter team from Ninh Binh. Within the bungalows, you will find the finest local materials have been used to furnish the cool minimalist interior with a Scandinavian style. There are four different categories of bungalows to choose from, including the pool villa. The restaurant and lounge are located in two old traditional Tay stilt houses carefully moved piece by piece from its original site and reassembled at the lodge.
7. Lapa Rios Lodge, Costa Rica
Much more than a luxurious lodge, Lapa Rios is a model ecotourism project and National Geographic Unique Lodge that has won worldwide awards for social and environmental excellence, and is a featured sustainable tourism pioneer. In 2010, a study conducted by Stanford University published in the Journal of Ecotourism, confirmed that Lapa Rios not only fulfills its promise of ecotourism, delivering social, economic and environmental benefits in the region, but makes a substantial contribution to local livelihoods and environmental conservation, including the highest rates of reforestation of all areas studied in the Osa Peninsula.
All 17 luxurious bungalows are nestled along a ridge within the 1000-acre private Rainforest Reserve. The bungalows are open-air with screens that allow you to experience the sounds, sights and smells of the rainforest and the ocean. All bungalows have ceiling fans (no air-conditioning) and offer stunning views of the Pacific Ocean or Golfo Dulce from your bed or spacious private decks. Lapa Rios creates an intimate and authentic experience, at once luxurious, educational and inspiring. The included interpretive hikes, bird watching walks, sustainability tours and more provide an intimate view of the wild Osa Peninsula.
Birds tour, Medicine Walk, Starfish Walk, Rainforest Ridge Walk, Plant a Tree in the “Volunteer Forest”, Visit the Carbonera School, Corcovada National Park tour, explore the 1,000 acre reserve, Kayaking the mangroves, Surfing. All meals are included with packages and served a-la-carte at the open-air Brisa Azul restaurant. Expect locally sourced, freshly prepared meals that will include fresh local fruits and vegetables, responsibly caught seafood, organic chicken and grass-fed beef. A full service bar mixes favorite beverages, fresh juices, organic wines and premium spirits.
8. Aquila Eco Lodge, Australia
Aquila Eco Lodges are nestled in the Southern Grampians National Park at the foot of Mount Abrupt, near the township of Dunkeld. Aquila is a modern, ecologically sustainable nature retreat that is also a sanctuary for kangaroos and wallabies. Aquila Eco Lodges has been rated as one of the 10 top destinations in Victoria by Tourism Victoria and won several tourism awards.
Accredited by Eco Tourism Australia, Aquila Eco Lodges offer interpretive walking track and a resource library.
Water is collected on premises, as well as generating power onsite and all waste is dealt with on site. The flora and fauna at Aquila have been surveyed by Trust For Nature, and include many species unique to the Grampians.
In recognition of its quest for continuous improvement Aquila has received business and environmental management awards. Several walking tracks exist in Dunkeld area as well as two interpretive walking trails on Aquila property.
Aquila Eco Lodges comprises of four self contained lodges. They are nestled in 100 acres of virgin bush on the slope of the Mount Abrupt. There are 2, two bedroom loft houses and 2, one bedroom treehouses. All come with an outdoor verandah with BBQ. The lodges are close enough so groups traveling together can share meals and entertainment or enjoy complete privacy.
9. Kachi Lodge, Bolivia
Set on a wooden platform near a cacti covered island, the six suites turn a stay on the Uyuni salt flats, into the most luxurious adventure. An hour flight from La Paz, sitting on an immense salt flat 3660m high, the suites at Kachi Lodge exemplify cutting edge green infrastructures and a commitment to local culture and communities. No anchoring or drilling was done in the salt crust. The entire lodge is designed to operate on solar energy. The panels are being installed and are already heating the entire water supply. Studies are underway to complete the energy supply with a wind turbine. For water management, a complex system of pumps brings the greywater back into a dirty water tank that is eventually connected to a unique closed-loop filtering system.
All activities from Kachi Lodge come with tour guide, private driver and car. Activities such as the ancient mommies of Alcaya, explore Tunupa Volcano, visit quinoa fields & herds of llamas, enjoy sunrise & sunset hikes, mountain biking on the solaris and telescope viewing at night are all available from Kachi Lodge.
Each of the six domes include furniture crafted from regional material, artwork by the Bolivian artist Gaston Ugalde and handmade woven blankets out of llama & alpaca wool. Large bay windows offer panoramic views on the Salar and its star-studded sky. The interiors convey a bohemian chic atmosphere: sourcing sustainable objects. A pellet stove delivers a comfortable temperature between 66 and 73°f.
10. Rewa Eco Lodge, Guyana
Rewa village, located in central Guyana, is a small Amerindian community of about 300 villagers located offering a minimalist lifestyle through farming and living off the assets of nature. The area is renowned for its abundance of wildlife and ecological diversity. In 2005, with the help of Conservation International (CI), the Rewa community founded an eco-lodge and began adjusting the traditional lifestyle from one of animal poaching to one that promotes ecological conservation and tourism as alternative livelihoods, in an effort to protect their land.
Rewa activities include sport fishing, bird watching, hiking, wildlife viewing, dug-out canoe rides, a visit to a traditional Rewa village, 2-3 night camping at river burst, along with night spotting by boat. Rewa Eco Lodge is one of the places that fishes for one of the world’s largest and rarest freshwater game fish, Arapaima gigas. The arapaima is a top predator in the Rupununi and plays a critical role keeping the ecosystem in balance. It’s also at the center of Rewa’s sustainable form of ecotourism. To ensure the long-term health of the arapaima population, Rewa partners with the Indifly Foundation and conservation biologist Dr. Lesley de Souza to study and monitor the population.
Accommodations at Rewa eco lodge include two benabs with two rooms and shared bathrooms and six self contained cabins. Solar panels, and occasionally a generator, are used to power the lodge. Traditional meals are served in our large dining benab where you can also choose to buy drinks from “The Laughing Arapaima” bar or purchase some traditional crafts.
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