Eco-Friendly Travel

Do your bit for planet earth while you trot arount it? Stay Green Aside from encouraging their guests to conserver water, energy and re-use towels there hotels are going the extra mile for the environment. Sukau Rainforeste Lodge in Sabah, Malaysia A low-impact lodge situated at the basin of Sabah's longest river, the Kinabatangan, it donates USD$1 for every international guest it hosts to the Borneo Exotourism Solutions and Strategies (BEST) Information www.sukau.com Nihiwatu Resort, Sumba Island, Indonesia The resort runs the non-profit The Sumba Foundation, which aims to improve the quality of life for the island's indigenous people. Visitors can choose to support a variety of projects under the foundation. Information www.nihiwatu.com/sumba.html The Orchid in Mumbai, India This five-star hotel minimises the usage of wood, plastics and paper by using handmade stationery, cloth laundry bags and placing separate bins for recyclable items in guest rooms. Information www.orchidhotel.com Responsible retail Souvenis-shopping is most-do for most tourists, who end up with plastic bags full of tokens to take home. Plastic takes almost 1,000 years to break down; you can help the environment by refusing these bags when byuing products. Bring your own cloth carrier bags, rucksacks or beach bags when out shopping. If you have no choice but use them to carry your things around, return them to the sellers after you've packed your purchases into your luggage, so that the bags can be re-used. Compiled By Lydia Lau, Going Places