Okay, so I really wanted to see this whole “eco-friendly travel” thing for myself. Everyone talks about it, but what’s it actually like? I decided to ditch the fancy resorts and hunt down some real eco-lodges and retreats. Just booked flights, packed my bag (mostly stuff I already owned, tried to be sensible!), and went for it. Here’s how it went down.
Costa Rica Vibes First
Heard Costa Rica was the spot for this stuff, so started there. Took this bumpy local bus deep into the rainforest – honestly thought we were lost a few times! Finally arrived at this lodge tucked away near Monteverde. First thing I noticed: no massive concrete structure. It was mostly wood, built right around the trees, felt like it grew there.
- Power: Big ol’ solar panels on the main building’s roof. The guy running the place showed me the batteries they charge during the day. Lights dimmed early, no hairdryers roaring – just nature sounds.
- Water: Rainwater collection tanks everywhere! Felt a bit weird showering knowing it came from the sky yesterday, but they filtered it. Sign above the sink asked us to be super careful, “Save Water” was like their motto.
- Food: Veggie garden out back was huge! Cook grabbed stuff right before cooking dinner. Seriously fresh. Compost bin humming away near the kitchen too. Left almost no trash after meals, mostly peels and scraps going back to the earth.
Slept with howler monkeys yelling nearby. Not the quietest night, but felt real. Woke up to birds I’d never seen before.
Next Stop: Chilly Norway
Flew north to see the opposite end – how do you do “eco” somewhere cold and remote? Found a tiny retreat near some fjords. Getting there involved a ferry and a hike. Place was small, maybe 8 cabins total.
- Heat: This was the big one. They used geothermal energy – basically heat from underground. Radiators were warm, but not scorching, and the main lodge had a big wood stove using fallen wood they gathered locally.
- Building: Cabins looked simple from outside, but man, the insulation was thick! Felt cozy inside without blasting the heat. Big windows facing the water to use natural light.
- Waste: Basically zero single-use plastic. You brought your own toiletries. Food was simple, hearty stuff sourced from nearby farms when possible. Everything got sorted meticulously – recycling, compost, landfill (which they tried hard to avoid).
Sat in a hot tub filled with heated rainwater, looked at fjords and mountains. Yeah, stunning doesn’t cover it. Felt clean, pure.
Found a Gem in Thailand Too
After the cold, headed for warm seas. Wound up on a quieter Thai island, at a retreat run by a local family. Focused on mindfulness and sustainability.
- Community: Big part here. They employed folks from the village, taught them skills. Bought food and supplies locally whenever they could. Felt like part of the place, not just a tourist bubble.
- Nature Integration: Built entirely on stilts above the jungle floor. Minimized cutting trees. Used natural ventilation – breezes flowed right through the room! Needed fans sometimes, but mostly just opened windows. Greywater watered the gardens below.
- Education: Owner sat with us one evening, just chatting about why they do things this way, how plastic hurts the ocean we could see from the deck. Simple, honest talk.
Did sunrise yoga on a platform overlooking the water. Place felt peaceful, and like they actually cared about their footprint.
So, what did I actually learn from dragging myself to these places?
- It’s Not About Roughing It: I was comfy! Good beds, warm showers (short ones!), tasty food. It’s about how the comfort is achieved.
- Local is Key: These places weren’t shipped in from abroad. They used what was around them – local materials, local people, local solutions for power and water. Felt authentic.
- Resourcefulness Rules: Watching them catch rainwater, compost everything, harness sun or earth heat… it’s smart. No wastefulness.
- The Feel is Different: Honestly? Sleeping where you hear the jungle, seeing the solar panels quietly working, knowing your shower water came from the clouds… it connects you more. Feels good knowing you’re not trashing the place you came to see.
Yeah, sometimes you don’t have constant AC or endless hot water, maybe the WiFi is spotty (nature time!). But the trade-off is worth it. Places are beautiful, feel good for the soul, and actually walk the talk on caring for the planet. Made me rethink how I travel, totally. Going to look for places like this more often now.
