Everything You Need to Know Before Staying in an Eco Lodge

What Is Sustainable Accommodation?

Accommodations with eco-friendly features are not automatically considered sustainable. With the increasing number of green hotels and eco lodges emerging worldwide, they must first gain certification programs to become worthy of being treated as environmentally friendly units.

One of these notable programs is the Green Seal in the United States, which is part of the Global Eco Labelling Network. It aims to promote, develop, and improve green labeling classifications in different industries. Another one is the Global Sustainable Tourism Council Criteria that focuses on reducing carbon footprint, preserving cultural heritage, and boosting the economy of the local community. These are particularly crucial for eco lodges.

What Is an Eco Lodge?

An eco lodge offers a holistic experience with nature. Unlike other sustainable accommodations that are found in urban, populated areas, it is set in a secluded location deep within a natural environment, such as nearby a forest, mountain range, or riverbank. Aside from offering features that promote nature protection and sustainable resource usage and using designs with minimal impact on the environment, this type of accommodation allows you to truly connect with the surrounding wilderness.

What Makes an Eco Lodge Unique?

Other eco-friendly accommodations such as green hotels have interior green solutions. What makes eco lodges different from them is that they take the environmental mindstep a step further by featuring the surroundings’ local heritage and culture, taking part in preserving their surroundings, and helping their guests better appreciate and understand the significance of protecting nature. In other words, they want to be part of the local community through ecotourism.

What Are the Green Features of an Eco Lodge?

If you decide to stay at an eco lodge, you can expect that your accommodation has a diverse range of valuable green solutions, such as eco-friendly toiletries, energy-efficient light fixtures and appliances, and natural cleaning supplies. To take it a notch higher, it can also have locally sourced food, organic towels and linens, non-disposable dishes and kitchenware, insulation, and solar panels.

Furthermore, an eco lodge encourages and practices recycling and contains natural, biodegradable, and locally sourced materials. Finally, it uses renewable energy sources and efficient water conservation methods, which helps reduce resource consumption, conserve up to 85% of energy, and save accumulated energy on heat. All of these green features can be acquired through PACE and other energy improvement financing programs that promote the use of green solutions to eco lodges.

Conclusion

An eco lodge is a one-of-a-kind sustainable travel accommodation that features green solutions and is situated in natural environments. If you are a mindful local or tourist who wants to travel more responsibly and attain a deeper understanding, appreciation, and relationship with nature, this type of accommodation might be your best option.

Seek solace and tranquility from nature by staying at Riverhouse Phuket in Phuket. We have villas and homes with energy-saving and carbon footprint-minimizing designs. Contact us to learn more about what we offer!