7 Ways to Travel Eco- Friendly

Apr 22

1. Travel with a Reusable Water Bottle and Bag

Using a reusable water bottle and bag reduces the plastic waste on the planet. It will overall reduce pollution in the oceans and make our planet cleaner. If you need a suggestion on a water bottle, you can shop my Amazon Store and purchase my suggested item. Whiles traveling, I like to carry a day bag that is able to fit anything I need and anything extra I pick up along the way. I would recommend traveling with a small day bag of your choice. If you are traveling in a group or with another person you can switch off who carries the back each day or throughout the day.

2. Stay at Eco-Friendly Lodging

An eco-friendly hotel (or hostel), is an environmentally sustainable lodging situation where the accommodation has made improvements that minimize its impact on the environment. Examples of these improvements include using solar panels to harvest power, recycling or using rainwater, composting, using organic items, or being energy efficient. It’s not guaranteed that there will be an eco-friendly hotel in the destination you are visiting but, a quick google search should reveal if that option is available.

3. Engage in Ethical Animal Encounters

Always do your research anytime you intend on engaging in any animal encounters in another country, especially in Asia. A lot of the animals are mistreated and sometimes even drugged at these types of facilities. You should NEVER ride an elephant or take photos with any animals. There are places where you can have ethical interactions with these animals and those are the places you want to support with your tourist money.

4. Use Public Transportation

When you use public transportation, you are reducing your carbon footprint. Anytime you take a private car such as a taxi or Uber, you are producing more carbon footprints. You should never be afraid to use local transportation during the day in any given country. If it’s safe enough for the locals, then it’s usually good enough for you. Plus you’ll save a lot of money.

5. Travel over Land

Instead of taking a 4hr flight, take the overnight bus. Flying leaves a very large carbon footprint. If it’s possible, it is always better to take a bus or drive. Another advantage to taking the overnight bus is that you will save on one night’s stay for accommodation and buses are overall cheaper than flying. I also enjoy taking the bus because it allows you to access other remote parts of a country where there are no airports. Those are always the best parts. In countries such as Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Vietnam and Thailand, you can get buses for as cheap as $10. It’s overall a great mode of transportation that I highly recommend.

6. Pack Light

I have become an avid light packer. I travel with a backpack and a carry-on suitcase. I even did so for four months straight. If you are smart, you can fit a lot of outfits in a suite-case while packing light at the same time. Packing light helps the environment by reducing your carbon footprint due to the weight it adds on the plane. If your bag is large and heavy, it will increase the overall carbon footprint of the plane.

7. Take Part in the Local Stuff

Consuming local food and drinks is good for the environment because these items don’t have to travel far to get to you. Local foods also tend to be fresher due to the close proximity. Because the items come from nearby the carbon footprint is reduced.

Alea Simone