We all love a holiday, but do you worry about their impact on the environment?
You might be keeping your carbon footprint low by not flying to sunnier climes, but there are even more ways to travel ethically while at home.
There’s a low-carbon adventure holiday provider that supports conservation efforts, a Dorset walking holiday which supports local businesses, and even a campsite that’s embracing the wild life.
Looking for a more luxurious getaway? Head to North Yorkshire for a mini-break in a hotel that’s as sustainable as it is comfy.
Carbon aware in Scotland
Care about your holiday’s carbon footprint? Book with Much Better Adventures, which carbon-labels its trips and tops up your feel-good factor by supporting conservation and reforestation.
An option would be its weekend on Ben Nevis, with a hike to the summit while learning survival skills.
Trips run from January to April and cost from £415pp, including equipment hire, guiding and two nights’ B&B in Fort William. muchbetteradventures.com
Best foot forward in Dorset
Leaving nothing but footprints is the way to visit wild places but don’t forget the economic benefits.
Aim for locally owned businesses, the way InnTravel puts together itineraries. Its self-guided walking holiday to Dorset includes stays in a guesthouse, an inn and a restaurant with rooms.
The six-night trip is available from March to October and costs from £685pp, including accommodation, transfers and some meals. inntravel.co.uk
Eating locally in Yorkshire
Not every mini-break has to be an adventure. If your ideal escape is chilling out in sustainable style then check in for coastal charm at Raithwaite Sandsend in Whitby.
Set between the sea and the moors, it comes with all the cosy cosseting you’d want but there’s more: this is a business with sustainability at its core. Most of the produce comes from within 30 miles.
Rooms from £110pn, raithwaitesandsend.co.uk
Public transport in East Sussex
Slow-travel specialist Byway plans trips using public transport, handling all the details. A three-night trip to the South Downs would see you taking the train to Lewes for its castle, brewery and shops, then heading out to sightsee by bus.
From the village of Firle to Charleston, it’s all the more satisfying for having got there causing so little pollution.
From £253pp, including B&B accommodation and train travel, byway.travel
Go wild in East Anglia
If nearly two years of pandemic conditions have taught us anything, it’s that meaningful immersions in nature are essential for our wellbeing… so where better to dive in than a rewilding project where nature has the upper hand?
All over the country chunks of land, ranging from gardens to former farms, are being rewilded in a bid to boost biodiversity and promote carbon capture.
Among such initiatives is WildEast, a project that aims to convert some 250,000 hectares of East Anglia to wilder, wetter, woodier natural habitats.
At its heart is Deepdale Farm, a devotee of regenerative agriculture. Its self-catering bunkhouse has ensuite doubles from £42 per night, with a ‘third night free’ winter special on midweek stays.
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