Hotel Akumal Caribe

Are Eco-Resorts safe? An update on the pandemic

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People are asking are eco-resorts safe? The Pandemics Impact on some of our EcoLodges has varied. Tourists are planning travel again, and I thought people might be interested in how the Lodges are doing. Some of the lodges are closed, though hopefully they will re-open once tourism gets going again. But some of the EcoLodges have been forced to shut their doors for good.

Below are a few of the Lodges that have updated us about “are eco-resorts safe?”. As I hear from more of them, I will add their responses.

North America – Mexico

Playa Viva is located in Juluchuca, Mexico

Playa Viva is located 45 minutes south of the Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa international airport. Here’s what they had to say:

“At Playa Viva we have been very lucky. We were closed April 1 – July 1, 2020. We opened July 1 with COVID protocols and soon had a steady stream of guests looking for a safer vacation option that allowed them to enjoy being outdoors (only one space at Playa Viva has A/C and is indoors, our boutique) as guests were seeking the luxury of being outdoors and emerged in nature. Playa Viva has a great video on YouTube that explains their vision. The video is about 4 1/2 minutes long with stunning scenery and tree houses.

Playa Viva
Playa Viva in Mexico

We took this slight lull in travel to expand Playa Viva adding 6 new amazing treehouses. These have been very popular and Playa Viva counties to offer a safer and regenerative travel experience.”
To see their listing: Eco Tropical Resorts Playa Viva or to go directly to their website: Playa Viva.

Hotel Akumal Caribe in Akumal, Mexico.

The hotel is an hours drive south of the Cancun International Airport. The report below is taken from an email with the owner, Laura Bush Wolfe.

Hotel Akumal was forced to shut down in April 2020 because of Covid-19. With new protocols established by the Mexican government, the hotel was able to partially open in June 2020.

Furthermore “It’s now been 2 years that we are operating on a light system depending on Covid cases in the area. We are now at green, meaning fully open, but use of masks in enclosed areas still enforced and our staff always wears theirs. We sanitize each room on check out, we provide the amenities that the government requires, and we still follow temperature checks on entry.”

Hotel Akumal Caribe in Mexico
Hotel Akumal Caribe in Mexico

“During these 2 years we took on a challenge that the Government invited us to participate in. The first Green Certification given by the State Government to hotels who qualify! We were asked to be one of the first hotels due to the work we had already started in recycling, composting and energy saving. It has been a very hard task for everyone; we have an outside consultant that has been our mentor and supervisor throughout this time, and we should be getting our certification very soon! The work does not stop, and we will continue to do all that we can to maintain this certification.”

Things are almost back to pre-pandemic times at the Hotel. To see their listing on our site: Hotel Akumal Caribe on Eco Tropical Resorts. To go directly to their website: Hotel Akumal Caribe.

North America – USA

Maui Eco Retreat is located in Hawaii. Quotes from Kutira, one of the owners:

“We used the time to upgrade our place. We have offer 3 rooms and 2 cottage. Each room with its own bathroom embedded in a very luxurious house. We added a spacious solarium where our guest can sit and dine.

Our motto is ‘space is luxury – luxury is space’  and of course ‘where your vacation becomes a transformation. 

We have been blessed by many visitors since Covid. Our place is surrounded by nature pure, organic practices, waterfalls, hiking trails. Perfect to heal body and mind.  We offer Yoga classes and other teachings and we preform micro weddings.

Relax at Maui Eco Retreat
Maui Eco Retreat

Right now we are focusing creating more food forests – We are teaching young and old how to live regenerative.

Personally, we are now at the age in our life where we want to enjoy our land and have more creative time.

We are the care taker of the land since we bought it in 1988. Now we get to enjoy the beauty and share our magnificent paradise for those few who find the Shangrila… the lost paradise and like to be inspired to live in harmony with nature.”

To see their listing: Maui Eco Retreat on Eco Tropical Resorts. To go directly to their lodging: Maui Eco Retreat.

Europe – United Kingdom

Bryn Elltyd Eco Guesthouse is located in Snowdonia, North Wales.

John Whitehead, the owner, had this to say:

“Here at Bryn Elltyd, a carbon neutral guesthouse, the dreaded covid has forced us, like many to look again at life choices.  We have converted our end of 6 bed guesthouse to a flat and the business has become a very green holiday let.  The Good to Go   government covid safety  certificate help a little but  bookings are slow. It has given us time to do hospital covid volunteering, slow down  and enjoy our stunning Snowdonia landscapes.    As a engineer it also has given time to increase Electric car capacity. We  have had points since 2013, 100% successful charges all on green electric.  Free time also  allows work on   refining the insulation. Always a challenge 700ft up mountain in 1883 slate mine managers house.  

Bryn Elltyd Eco Guesthouse
Bryn Elltyd Eco Guesthouse

We have done better than most and are fortunate to have endured lockdown in a stunning area with open access to mountains.  Looking forward to greeting guests and  if asked, sharing  our sustainable story of how  a two person business can / has used only renewable energy since 2013.”
To see their listing: Eco Tropical Resorts Bryn Elltyd Eco Guesthouse, or go directly to their website: Bryn Elltyd Eco Guesthouse.

Africa – Tanzania

Mambo ViewPoint Eco Lodge in Tanzania.

Dagmara had this to share:

“We are open and operating, we actually never stopped, we did a tremendous effort to keep our doors open, not without many sacrifices, including from our amazing staff!

We have never had any Covid cases reported in the area, as you might know we are very remotely located.

Mambo ViewPoint Eco Lodge
Mambo ViewPoint Eco Lodge

Our restaurant and all rooms are daily cleaned, using antibacterial products, we can serve private meals on request in the cottages if people don’t want to share a meal with others. But it has never been requested by anyone till now ?”.

To see their listing: Mambo ViewPoint Eco Lodge on Eco Tropical Resorts. Or go directly to their website: Mambo ViewPoint Eco Lodge.

Sustainable and Renewable energy

Sustainable and Renewable Energy

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What’s the Difference between Sustainable and Renewable Energy?

Some people use sustainable and renewable Energy interchangeably. But there’s actually a difference. Sustainable energy comes from sources that don’t need to be renewed. Think solar and wind, which are 2 sources that are endless. Renewable Energy isn’t endless but can be renewed with certain actions. Think of crops or biomatter. Below I will try to inform you about these types of energy. And why it’s so important they replace traditional energy sources like petroleum and coal for the future of our planet.

Sustainable and Renewable Energy Pros and Cons

I was researching the positives and negatives of both sustainable and renewable energy. The problem is that many places, from local governments to private companies don’t see the difference between the two. In their discussions they lump them together. As I mentioned above, sustainable energy is one that can keep going indefinitely on its own. Whereas renewable energy needs to be created on an ongoing basis. In the pros and cons of sustainable and renewable energy I am talking about both.
Pros
1. Don’t produce fossil fuel greenhouse emissions.
2. Cleaner air and water.
3. Reduces dependence on imported fuels for most countries.
4. Diversifies our energy supply.
5. Creates economic development and jobs.
6. This type of energy will never run out (as opposed to fossil fuels, etc.).
7. Zero carbon emissions.
8. Conserves natural resources.
9. Don’t contribute to global warming.
10. This type of energy is generally less expensive.
11. Give us a way forward from polluting non renewable energies.
Cons
1. Higher capital costs/up front costs.
2. Can be unreliable (for example: solar panels won’t produce energy on cloudy days and wind energy falls on calm days).
3. Energy storage can be a challenge and expensive. Thankfully, future technology may/can change this.
4. It is impacted by environmental conditions. Wind turbines work best in large open areas with consistent wind.
5. Manufacturing, transport and installation can create a carbon footprint.
6. Wind energy can be dangerous to some wildlife, especially birds and bats.
7. Mining has to occur to generate the metals and other products, such as batteries, needed to build wind and solar farms. This often occurs in developing countries without strong environmental standards.
7. Geographic limitations. As an example, a desert would have difficulty using hydropower.

Petroleum and Coal as Sources of Energy

The main reason that I view old energy sources such as oil, gas, coal, etc. as negative is that they are polluting our planet. Another thing they do is contribute to global warming. Gas as a form of energy is finite, once it’s gone, it’s gone. Oil takes at least 50 million years to form and is not sustainable or renewable. Another thing to take into consideration is that it pollutes. It also contributes to global warming. When gasoline evaporates it gives off carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and unburned hydrocarbons. And when gas burns it produces carbon monoxide. These are bad for the environment.

And whether we want to admit it or not, petroleum contributes to wars and nasty politics. Power is a heady thing and those who want or have these negative sources of energy will fight for it. In the immortal words of John Lennon in Imagine: “Nothing to kill or die for.. Imagine all the people living life in peace”.

In Conclusion

We need to use sustainable and renewable energy for the health of our planet and future generations. Global warming is already a big problem. I’m seeing the effects in the small town I live in outside of Tucson, Arizona. Things like colder winters and hotter summers. Also the monsoon season that used to be regular as clockwork, according to old timers, is no longer dependable. I hope you will join me in promoting sustainability via sustainable and renewable energy use.

Ecolodge in Dominica

What makes a Sustainable Ecolodge?

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What makes a Sustainable Ecolodge

There are 5 Parts of what makes a Sustainable Ecolodge, as there are 5 parts to our Online Eco Rating. The parts include energy, water, recycling and waste, land and nature conservation, and community. These 5 areas are able to be measured, that adds credibility and verification for a lodge.

In 2015 a branch of the United Nations: The Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development came up with 17 sustainable goals. Their mission statement is: “A blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all people and the world by 2030”. Because the UN’s goals are all encompassing, it would be impossible to include them all in what makes a sustainable lodge. Therefore, I’ve narrowed it down to the 5 areas in the online eco rating that I think are most important to what makes a sustainable ecolodge. Therefore I will wrote about each of these next.

This sign shows the basics of Sustainability

Energy and it’s Conservation

Energy uses up resources. Conservation of energy involves using renewable energy that doesn’t use up resources. Sustainable energy includes but is not limited to solar, wind, hydro, tidal, geothermal, and biomass. When an ecolodge uses one of these renewable energies, that helps them rate as sustainable. Most of the eco lodges on our Directory use one or more of these. In fact, many lodges are located where there is no power grid, so must use alternative energy. Preserving energy helps us from polluting the earth

Water

Clean water is a limited resource for our planet. Lodges can conserve water several different ways: Harvested rain water from roofs or stormwater, reclaimed wastewater, and graywater. Parts of the world have an over-abundance of water, whereas other areas have a lack. Therefore, careful use of water is important. Many ecolodges use reclaimed graywater to water their plants. If an ecolodge is in an area of water abundance, then educational items should be made available for guests. We are part of the whole.

Recycling and Waste

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase: Reduce-Reuse-Recycle. This catch phrase is important to help us keep this in mind when getting rid of waste. Recycling and disposing of waste responsibly helps us keep from polluting the environment. It is an important part of what makes a sustainable lodge. Recycling is using waste materials and converting them into usable new materials. Where I live in the U.S., in Arizona, we have recycle and waste bins. So that makes it convenient and easy. In 3rd world countries recycling may not be available. During my time in Mexico, recycling was not available. But I noticed that people were very good at re-using things and adapting other things for use. An example of this was my van. The latch had broken on one of my windows and we were far away from a dealership to get spare parts. The person who fixed it used different screws and waste metal to create something that worked. It may not have looked great, but it worked and kept the waste metal out of the trash.

Most of the sustainable lodges on this directory are not close to recycling facilities. As an alternative, lodges can leave information out for guests about re-using items. Some examples of immediate recycling are having guests refill water bottles and putting food waste into a compost bin for the garden. Another is recycling of graywater. Many of our lodges have recycle bins available for use by guests. And some of them have helped local villages to recycle and reduce waste.

Lodges can separate waste into usable materials such as food waste and yard clippings for use in compost.

Land and Nature Conservation

An ecolodge should have little to no impact on the environment, unless it’s positive. That’s a big part of what makes an Ecolodge Sustainable. Some lodges make sure that part of the land remains in its natural state. This natural state insures the local fauna and flora can thrive, as well as letting guests enjoy the natural landscape.

Community

Hiring people in the local community helps lodges benefit the local people. Information and training in sustainable ways also benefits the communities. Some lodges sell local handicrafts to visitors as another means of helping locals gain by the presence of a lodge. By involving nearby communities it helps them understand and participate in preservation of natural and cultural resources. When someone is living at a subsistence level, there’s not much room to think about conservation when taking care of basic needs is so difficult. When lodges or people offer alternatives, then change is possible.

Years ago, I was lucky enough to visit Jem Winston in Dominica. He runs 3 Rivers Dominica and Rosalie Forest Eco Lodge. I saw first hand the dedication and work it takes to create and run an eco-lodge. His 2 lodges are fine examples of what makes a sustainable ecolodge.

In conclusion, maybe the most important part of what makes a sustainable ecolodge is the warm and caring people that own, create and run them. It takes a special kind of person to go to the extremes it takes to make an eco lodge. My hat is off to them.