Travel – Eco Karen

How To Create An Eco-Friendly Budget Travel Package List

Central America is a beautiful place to visit and a huge draw for tourist annually. If you are on a budget, the best destination in this part of the world is Honduras.

Honduras gives you the beauty of the tropical Caribbean, the rich Garifuna culture of the area, and it will not break the bank. There are actually some very reasonable ways to travel to Honduras.

Research before you go

As with any country, there are a few places you would not want to travel in Honduras. Just as the United States has areas that are troubled with gangs and unsavory activities, Central America has it’s troubled spots.

However, for the most part, Honduras is a tropical paradise. As long as you know where to travel, you will have no worries.

Photo credit/site https://pixabay.com/en/pyramids-mayan-ruins-chichen-itza-2803447/

Beautiful and affordable

The Northern coast is famous for natural beauty. La Ceiba is a destination that many people flock to. This area is very affordable, and there are many options to allow you to customize your trip. For example, you may opt to stay in a hostel which is considerably less money than a hotel. You may also choose to rent a cabin. If you are traveling in a group, a cabin with up to 4 bunks may be just what you are looking for. Travel light and have your luggage delivered to you. This allows you more options for getting to your destination. You can even arrange to have it shipped back home at the end of your trip.

Embrace the culture

When Americans go on vacation, we seem to have a preconceived notion that we have to eat, sleep, and live as we do at home. When you are traveling to Central America, you will find their lifestyle is different from yours. This is their home, and they are accustomed to making the most of it. To save money and enjoy a true Central American experience, live as they do. Instead, be open to trying new things. For example, instead of eating at a restaurant, try a local cafeteria. Enjoy low prices and traditional foods like “pastelitos” and “baleadas” from famous Cobel’s Cafeteria. Cobel’s is well known for their breakfasts.

In the evening, it is not unusual to find food vendors on the beach. They serve their authentic meals such as baleadas which is (warm wheat flour tortillas) topped with refried beans, cheeses, avocado, chicken, pork or a local favorite “chorizo”.

Getting around

In Honduras, you do not have to spend a fortune renting a car or taking a cab. The most popular form of transportation is walking. However, using a taxi is very inexpensive. The charge is per person, and it usually equals less than $2.00 per trip. The taxi can pick up a total of four people while in route. This is a great way to meet the locals, see the sights, and save a bundle. There are also shuttle services available between popular destinations.

Money saving tips

Check your bill carefully. Some establishments add the tip directly to your bill. If you are not watching, you could tip your server twice.
Use cash. The credit card and debit card fees in Honduras are costly.
Take care of your currency exchange before you go. There are money changers at the borders, but they charge hefty fees.
Download apps to help you with the currency and the language. Take your time and be sure you know what you are paying for and how much it costs.
Consider backpacking and camping while you are there. The weather is great, and there is no better way to enjoy the tropics.
Shop for travel packages before you go. Make your purchases online and compare the adventures.

Most popular attractions in Honduras

Honduras is popular for many things. When you are planning your travels, learn which attractions are where. Then shop that area for the best deals on food, lodging, and fun. Here are some popular things to do on your Central American trip:

Visit the Mayan ruins
Go on a zipline adventure in the wilds of Honduras
Visit the world’s second largest coral reef
See a wide variety of wildlife in the rainforests, pristine lagoons, and sea
Go scuba diving in Roatan. See shipwrecks, seawalls, and marine life.
Go whitewater rafting or kayaking at Pico Bonito.

No matter what your idea of fun it, you will find it in Central America. No where else can you experience this natural beauty at such an affordable price. Once you go, you will return again and again.

The Best Ecotourism Destinations in the U.S.

Looking to take an eco-friendly vacation without wasting precious fossil fuels while saving money? There are more places in North America than you might think!

Countries like Africa, Australia, and South America offer a plethora of eco-lodges that offer low-impact tourism centered around the indigenous peoples of the area. In the United States, however, ecotourism seems to be a scarce and rarely heard of phenomenon. It isn’t impossible to find wonderful destinations in our country though.

If you are starting to plan your next eco-trip, consider some of these beautiful locations!

Eco-Tourism in the U.S.

I had to do a little digging to find eco-tourism locations in the country, or even its neighbors, which prompted me to find out why this wonderful way of traveling hasn’t taken off here like it has in other countries. The main reason stems from the fact that environmentally-responsible tourism has its roots in developing nations. A large part of the movement is giving back to local communities that are just beginning to blossom.

The U.S. does not have a national, government-run tourism board like many other nations have. This has led to smaller community-based organizations heading the movement. While North America might not have the same scale of eco-tourism that other countries do, you can still experience rapidly evolving eco-destinations in the country.

Most of them are far from perfect, but I picked out the top two locations based on the principles of eco-tourism.

El Monte Sagrado

This resort made entirely of adobe-styled structures, constructed from fly ash, can be found in Taos, New Mexico. It runs on what they call the “Living Machine”, which consists of plants and sea life that treat water for reuse. That, and photovoltaic solar cells that power the electrical components of the Living Machine as well as heating and cooling.

The resort collects rainwater, composts, recycles, and even uses water from their Living Machine to irrigate crops. They transport treated water back to the city of Taos, and have even founded a local school.

Sadie Cove

Located in Homer, Alaska, this wilderness lodge features off-the-grid coastal cabins in Kachemak Bay State Park. Using hydroelectric power from a nearby stream, each cabin effectively runs on alternative energy. They offer meals from their organic vegetable garden, and focus heavily on their “leave no trace” philosophy.

I found their benefits to the local ecosystem interesting. They are actively working to have the area officially declared a mountain goat sanctuary, which means you can definitely observe the adorable creatures in their natural habitat.

Have you ever been to either of these locations? Do you know of any other great eco-tourism locations in the U.S.?

What Exactly is Ecotourism?

Maybe you’ve heard of the term ecotourism before, maybe you haven’t. Either way, this post is here to inform you on this absolutely fantastic way of travel.

Everything seems to be going “eco” these days, and that couldn’t make me any happier. From the spur in health consciousness to business adopting environmentally friendly practices, the world is slowly becoming a better, more sustainable place.

Ecotourism is one of the practices people around the globe have been picking up, but what exactly is it? How does one do it? These questions an more are all answered below!

Defining Ecotourism

The International Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education.” Essentially, it means leaving only your footprints behind when you visit a location.

The Principles

As with any movement, there are a set of principles to follow when practicing this form of travel. It starts with minimizing any impact you may have on the environment as well as the culture and people of the area. That can be as simple as not leaving your trash on a hiking path, or something more thought-driven like respecting the customs of a particular religion or culture.

Aside from respecting the people of the area, I try to contribute direct financial support for any conservation efforts they make. Alternatively, I could financially help the surrounding area by choosing to buy from only local small businesses. I would also avidly work to conserve natural resources by using as little power and water as possible.

The end goal is to unite conservation, communities, and sustainable travel. Some even take things a step further by choosing to stay in the area and work to market it as an ecotourist location while helping to construct low-impact facilities and aiding the indigenous people of the area in conservation efforts.

Others choose to become interpreters who uphold the area’s spiritual beliefs and create positive interactions between visitors and indigenous people.

Sustainable Travel Just Makes Sense

Traveling to a new location is always an exciting adventure, but enjoying and preserving the beauty of nature while doing it is even more of an enriching experience. As traveler’s, we have to do our part to preserve environments and cultures around the world before industrialization and mega corporations decimate them.

What are your thoughts on ecotourism? Where have you traveled to recently where you could put these principles into action? I would love to hear about it!