With World Environment Day just round the corner, we bring you a roundup of the top 5 responsible travel experiences you will love. Sustainable travel truly allows one to enjoy your trip guilt free. Discover these luxury destinations which will enable you to learn eco-friendly practices, be one with nature as well support local communities while also ensuring you are indulged in superlative comfort, services and accommodations.
An Ode to the Earth at Cenizaro Hotels & Resorts
With sustainability being one of the biggest trends shapers in travel, Cenizaro Hotels & Resorts makes serious efforts to cater to this growing demand for both sustainable and culinary experiences amongst high end travellers. The luxury hotel group has a number of ongoing initiatives across its portfolio which spans Mauritius, Tunisia, Zanzibar, Bintan and the Maldives. The resorts across the group offer plant-based menus, with dishes that incorporate vegetables and herbs plucked from each of the resort’s on-site “Earth Basket”. Happy hour is swapped with Healthy Hour.
A tribute to the natural world, the “Earth Basket” is a kitchen garden concept where local fruit, vegetables and herbs are grown before being harvested an incorporated across the resort’s restaurants and spa. The menus showcase produce grown here, inviting guests to opt for a number of delicious dishes created with ingredients grown fresh on-site, from The Residence Maldives’ black bean & potato quesadillas to wild smoked couscous and vegetable confit at The Residence Tunis. Through this initiative Cenizaro hopes to encourage guests to be more mindful through their choices, offering a healthy and organic alternative whilst also minimising food waste and imports to the resorts.
When it comes to beverages, swapping the happy hour for Healthy Hour not only allows guests to sip and savour local ingredients, but also cater to the growing number of sober-curious travellers. Healthy Hour concoctions feature an array of smoothies and juices to both quench thirst and replenish the soul, made up of nourishing ingredients such as chia seeds ginger, Matcha powder and turmeric. Expertly curated by the resort’s mixologists each of the drinks is designed to provide a picturesque sundowner experience without the hangover. Guests can enjoy a Wellness Booster on the Maldives’ golden sands with papaya and bananas before taking part in sunrise yoga, whilst those heading to Tunis can sample a traditional mint, lemon & honey concoction after rejuvenating spa treatments.
These initiatives are a further extension of Cenizaro’s commitment to inspiring change for a better, more sustainable tomorrow. Not only focused on giving back to the natural surroundings and minimising carbon emissions, the wider Cenizaro Cares programme was also created to enhance the welfare of those in need within communities local to the resorts. Alongside the new sustainable dining experiences, guests can donate one dollar per day of stay to support local beneficiaries and enrich the lives of underprivileged children and families from within the communities Cenizaro Hotels & Resorts serve and operate. As the portfolio continues to grow globally, the brand hopes the wider programme allows each property to become ever more rooted within the community, whilst allowing guests to make a positive impact which will be felt long after their stay.
Environmental Stewardship at Capella Ubud
Capella Ubud has been one of the frontrunners in sustainable luxury hospitality winning numerous global accolades. Located in the heart of Bali’s lush rainforest, Capella Ubud has distinguished itself through its remarkable commitment to environmental conservation while offering unparalleled luxury experiences. The resort’s groundbreaking design, conceptualized by renowned architect Bill Bensley, draws inspiration from the early European settlers from the 1800s, showcasing a unique approach to conservation and sustainability, and is a tribute to their adventure. The entire resort comprising 22 unique one-bedroom luxury tents and 1 two-bedroom lodge was constructed without removing a single tree from the pristine site.
Last December, Capella Ubud was awarded the EarthCheck Gold Status, a testament to the property’s five-year journey as the custodian of their hidden paradise within Keliki Village. EarthCheck is the world’s leading scientific benchmarking certification and advisory group for sustainable travel and tourism. Since 1987, EarthCheck has helped businesses, communities and governments to deliver sustainable, clean, safe and prosperous destinations for travellers to visit, live, work and play.
The property’s sustainability commitment translates into a series of innovative eco-friendly initiatives. These include a water bottling plant by BioSystem, designed to create purified drinking water in glass bottles using the Nano Membrane Ultra-filtration Technology, which meets Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Water Quality Standards. This project helps decrease the carbon emissions when transporting drinking water to hotels and eliminates the need for single-use plastic bottles.
An incredible array of organic Indigenous vegetables, spices, and herbs are hand-harvested on the property and utilised by chefs and wellness practitioners, highlighting their healing properties in traditional wellness treatments. Green and food waste is turned into compost to replenish the garden soil and reduce the property’s ecological footprint.
Capella Ubud engages with the local community by providing English language classes for elementary students in exchange for discarded plastic bottles. This not only helps the students but also promotes recycling and environmental awareness in the community.
The property supports the ROLE Foundation’s Zero Waste Soap initiative, a programme aimed at reprocessing and converting used soaps into new ones. Every month, Capella collects and sends the used soaps to the upcycle unit in Nusa Dua, operated by a trained group of women from the local village of Sawangan. The reproduced soaps are then distributed to orphanages, other humanitarian organizations, and individual families in need, contributing to both environmental sustainability and community welfare. The culinary team works closely with the Green School, supporting their BioBus initiative, a pioneering vehicle that runs on 100% biodiesel from used cooking oil. This innovative bus reduces the property’s carbon footprint and highlights the incredible potential of renewable energy. It also provides green transportation for students and staff while doubling as a hands-on classroom about sustainability and turning waste into fuel.
Capella Ubud empowers guests on a journey of discovery into its destination’s history through their Capella Curates programming. As an example, “A Soul Reborn” is a profoundly spiritual experience combining tradition and nature through one of Bali’s many magical rituals involving water as a ritual cleanser within the Wos River Temple. Learn to make Jamu, a traditional Indonesian medicine with incredible health benefits and a fascinating history. Jamu is claimed to have originated in the Mataram Kingdom era, some 1300 years ago. Guests will be able to handpick the ingredients from the camp’s organic garden before making this celebrated health tonic, learn about the historical background, and discuss the various ingredients and benefits.
Restoring the Mediterranean Forest with Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, France
A legendary sanctuary at the very tip of Cap d’Antibes, overlooking the Mediterranean and the Lérins Islands, the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc represents the very essence of the iconic French Riviera. A privileged environment where elegance and luxury are always in perfect balance, this Oetker Collection property has been providing guests excellent service for over 150 years.
Beyond its iconic status, the Palace is fully committed to preserving its surrounding environment. Since it was first set up in 2010, the hotel’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) department, now led by Amélie Pigeon, Regional CSR Manager, has made a point of developing and running a large number of social and environmental initiatives all year round. These include raising awareness among guests and staff and making the hotel an eco-responsible and environmentally-friendly luxury destination.
Global warming is an important issue for the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc and it is working hard to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. To this end, the hotel has embarked on a reforestation project in the state-owned forest of Les Maures, in Var, working alongside Région Sud and the Office National des Fotêts. This forest is facing a certain amount of pressure most of which is the result of climate change (prolonged summer droughts, serious health hazards, very high susceptibility to fire, increased visitor numbers). There is therefore a real need for reforestation with the aim of adapting to new climate conditions and improving carbon sequestration.
Hotel guests can play their part in this project by making donations which will go towards restoring the forest. All participating guests will receive a thank-you bag made from unused and repurposed hotel fabrics given a new lease of life. Unused materials are turned into products of higher quality or greater utility, also known as upcycling.
As part of its «Une COP d’Avance» Climate Plan and more specifically its «5 million trees by 2028» scheme, Région Sud supports adaptive forest planting initiatives. Through the RESPIR fund, it also facilitates the involvement of local businesses, proposing sustainable forest management projects tailored to companies hoping to play a part in ecological transition through CSR. Part of an operation to recover scrubland, a «mosaic forest» is being planted to broaden the diversity of tree species and stand structures. 1,200 seedlings have been planted on the site where the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc site is embracing its project for the future.
Building on the success of this operation, a new partnership has been signed to join the fight against invasive alien plant species. This is a project in the Estérel national forest, in the heart of unique coastal uplands famous for their diverse and beautiful landscapes. Managing invasive alien plant species is an integral part of the 2030 national biodiversity strategy. This operation will help preserve the environment, flora and fauna, and will make the discovery paths through the uplands safer and more secure. Three areas of intervention have been targeted, corresponding to the 3-year duration of this partnership.
Sustainability at Chiva-Som Hua Hin
Chiva-Som is committed to the holistic approach to wellness, and provides a sanctuary nestled within seven acres of lush tropical gardens. Here amongst the peace, guests come to rest, relax, rejuvenate and focus on their life-long goal of improved health and vitality. Chiva-Som understands the connection between the health of the environment the wellbeing of people. It remains committed to the preservation of the planet and are proactively involved in conserving precious natural resources as it grows into the future. Its approach to being environmentally responsible and ethical is based on six dimensions: energy efficiency, water efficiency, resource efficiency including a zero-waste approach, sustainability knowledge, corporate social responsibility, and sustainability acknowledgement.
Celebrating 30 years this years, Chiva-Som has been pioneering a sustainable approach to balancing mind, body and spirit holistically since its inception. Its philosophy is rooted in the belief that wellness and sustainability must go hand in hand. Sustainable wellness means developing healthy lifestyle habits that can be maintained, long-term, for wellbeing and longevity by living mindfully, in tune with nature. It also means working proactively to conserve, preserve, and regenerate the world’s natural environments, and looking after the wider community.
The pressing need to tackle the challenges facing humanity, from food and water inequality and climate change which affect the most vulnerable to the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) caused by air pollution, plastic pollution and unhealthy western lifestyles drives Chiva-Som’s dedication to building wellness and sustainability into the fabric of society for the long-term. Highlighting the need for a cultural shift to address these challenges, Chiva-Som emphasises on the importance of early education to firmly re-establish our connection to the natural world, underpinning the symbiosis of planetary and human health.
From nutrition to waste management, to ensuring a healthy ageing global population, education has a key role to play in providing a better world for future generations. In turn, the wellness industry is in a unique position to inspire change, and Chiva-Som is actively promoting a culture of family wellness with the development of the new and unique offering at its newest outpost, Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som in Qatar. Launched in 2022 on a beautiful stretch of Qatar’s northern coast in Khasooma, the resort has introduced the idea of sustainable wellness to a whole new community with its dedicated family offering. It is also the first integrated wellness resort to offer Traditional Arabic and Islamic Medicine (TAIM).
Eco-Friendly Hideaway to Experience Simplicity, Nature and Time at FORESTIS, Dolomites
Cool, calm and connected to its stunning setting, FORESTIS is a summit-level sanctuary in a South Tyrolean mountainscape. Forests and snow-dusted peaks stretch out in every direction from this perfectly poised spa hotel, every part of which is in tune with the elements.
Light streams in through the windows-for-walls, drawing the eye to the stunning views and illuminating the mellow, minimalist spaces. From the Suites and ultra-luxe Penthouse to the restaurant and spa, the FORESTIS interiors echo the mountains: stone basins and white-as-snow tones, crisp fabrics and clean lines. Sip Plose mountain spring water from the stone carafe in your bedroom. Experience a forest spa therapy. Then sit down to dinner at altitude, where you’ll have front-row seats to the sunset over the summit.
For FORESTIS and its people, sustainability is a mission and a matter of the heart. Located in the thick of the forest in the UNESCO Dolomites, for every tree felled in the construction two new trees were planted, or the wood was repurposed into fencing and furniture to preserve and re-grow as much of the precious woodland as possible. With its own natural spring, wood heating and steam cleaning systems, FORESTIS runs on 100% renewable energy, replacing outdoor artificial light sources with open fireplaces where possible. According to its zero-waste ethos, goods are delivered or collected from local farmers in reusable FORESTIS food boxes, while herbs, roots, and edible flowers are picked from the on-site organic garden.
The origins of FORESTIS date back to 1912, when doctors were commissioned to carry out various environmental studies in the area. The outstanding conditions here prompted a tuberculosis sanatorium for officials of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy to be established, and FORESTIS is still building on these results today. Inspired by the same natural features that led to the sanatorium’s construction, the architecture of FORESTIS draws on the elements – reflected in the use of locally sourced, durable, natural materials such as pine wood and stones of the Ploseberg. The wooden façade of the historic building is under monumental protection, while the South Tyrolean wooden ceilings and stairs were carefully preserved.
Nature’s bounty and local farmers supply the freshly foraged Forest Cuisine, overseen by native South Tyrolean Executive Chef Roland Lamprecht who personally scours the surrounding meadows, mountainside and lemon groves of Lake Garda for the very best ingredients, while building a close relationship with the farming community to both showcase regional produce and support small businesses which have often been handed down families for generations. Thanks to the Brixen Card, a free public transport pass throughout South Tyrol available through the hotel concierge on request, guests can easily access nearby vineyards for wine tasting, museums and historical buildings, and artisanal markets to purchase local produce.
