The majority of visitors to this site are from the United States of America, and for the sake of the environment, if you plan to vacation in another place, it would be preferable to chose a place near to your home so as to shorten the journey. It is a good thing that this worldwide online accommodation booking site list all the 51 states of America. Not only that, they have special categories of hotels such as eco green lodging which is most relevant to what this site is all about.
In addition to category of hotels that have adopted environmentally friendly practices, they also have other special categories such as spa resorts, yoga retreats and a few others, even a haunted hotels!!! category for the brave ones.
Unfortunately for our one and only Spaceship Earth which still have no lifeboat, either hotels in the United States have not taken to environmentally friendly practices on a wide scale, or for reasons of their own, are not listing their environmentally friendly hotels with this site because I checked quite a number of America's state, but all those I checked had no environmentally friendly hotel listed. I can't check all the 51 states, so if you happened to be staying in one of those states listed and you check your state, you may just find something. Further, things are not static, and I am sure operators of this site are hard at work, and hopefully before 31st December, 2008, you will find such American eco green lodgings listed in the site without any problem.
Why before 31st December, 2008, you may ask. Simple. With the Special Offer Code SPC7258603, you can get $10.00 off for reservations over $100. But this special offer is not forever. You have until 31st December, 2008 to make use of it.
13 sht 2007
10 sht 2007
Ecotourism in Sarasota County, Florida, United States of America
Sarasota County is in Florida, in the south eastern part of United States with its administration seat in Sarasota. It has 2 state parks and have very good beaches. It also has many barrier islands, one of which, Siesta Key
, have one of the best beaches in the United States. More about that later. This a haven for diverse wildlife including ducks, warblers, hawks, ospreys, meadowlarks, herons, ibis, wading birds, waterfowl, migrating birds, wild turkeys, snow geese, bald eagles, hummingbirds, falcons, etc. Dolphins and manatees are aplenty in Sarasota. There used to be plenty of turtles laying eggs on its beaches, but unfortunately the are now few and far in between. But there are conservation efforts going on.
It has Florida's biggest and oldest state parks - the Myakka River State Park. It has excellent hiking trails. The Myakka River, fondly called "Florida Wild and Scenic Myakka River", flows through its woodlands, wetlands and prairies. It is good for wildlife observation and you can go hiking and fishing, among other eco friendly activities. There are canopy walkway for you to take to the treetops and view foliage, twigs, birds, caterpillars, and insects at the tree tops, plus get spectacular views of the entire park.
The other state park is the Oscar Scherer State Park. Its habitats include pine flatwoods, scrubby flatwoods and the hardwood hammock plus varieties of other plants like wild grape, blueberry, cabbage palm, persimmon, prickly pear cactuses, coontie, wax myrtle, mangrove trees and giant leather ferns. You can see rabbits, river otters, bobcats, foxes, indigo snakes, alligators, gopher tortoises and gopher frogs in the state park.
A walk on its beaches can be considered an ecotour for you are likely to find prehistoric sharks' teeth and marine fossils washed up to its beaches from the sparkling ocean water.
If you are a bird watcher, the place to go is the Celery Fields, a low, marshy area drained to grow celery. Its deep lakes attracts many bird species. It is also a site of archaeological findings.
If fine beaches is what you are looking for, head for Siesta Key, a 8 mile long barrier island off Sarasota on Florida’s West Gulf Coast, famous for its white 99% quartz sand beaches. The white sand is very reflective and deflects off the heat from the sunlight so that the beach feels cool and comfortable. The most famous and popular is Siesta Key Beach where the sand is finest. It is one of the best beaches in the United States and have plenty of awards to prove it. However, if privacy and being away from the crowd is what you value, there is Crescent Beach and Turtle beach.
Siesta Key also has lush foliage, mature trees and tropical flowering shrubs, wild sea oats. Its mangroves is a habitat for diverse native birds. In its sparkling green ocean water are dolphins, manatees and other aquatic wildlife.
If you plan to go to Siesta Key, you can do it on line at accommodations, where you can find a variety of choices, including hotels, motels, apartments, condominiums, beach resorts and houses, cottages and suites.
, have one of the best beaches in the United States. More about that later. This a haven for diverse wildlife including ducks, warblers, hawks, ospreys, meadowlarks, herons, ibis, wading birds, waterfowl, migrating birds, wild turkeys, snow geese, bald eagles, hummingbirds, falcons, etc. Dolphins and manatees are aplenty in Sarasota. There used to be plenty of turtles laying eggs on its beaches, but unfortunately the are now few and far in between. But there are conservation efforts going on.
It has Florida's biggest and oldest state parks - the Myakka River State Park. It has excellent hiking trails. The Myakka River, fondly called "Florida Wild and Scenic Myakka River", flows through its woodlands, wetlands and prairies. It is good for wildlife observation and you can go hiking and fishing, among other eco friendly activities. There are canopy walkway for you to take to the treetops and view foliage, twigs, birds, caterpillars, and insects at the tree tops, plus get spectacular views of the entire park.
The other state park is the Oscar Scherer State Park. Its habitats include pine flatwoods, scrubby flatwoods and the hardwood hammock plus varieties of other plants like wild grape, blueberry, cabbage palm, persimmon, prickly pear cactuses, coontie, wax myrtle, mangrove trees and giant leather ferns. You can see rabbits, river otters, bobcats, foxes, indigo snakes, alligators, gopher tortoises and gopher frogs in the state park.
A walk on its beaches can be considered an ecotour for you are likely to find prehistoric sharks' teeth and marine fossils washed up to its beaches from the sparkling ocean water.
If you are a bird watcher, the place to go is the Celery Fields, a low, marshy area drained to grow celery. Its deep lakes attracts many bird species. It is also a site of archaeological findings.
If fine beaches is what you are looking for, head for Siesta Key, a 8 mile long barrier island off Sarasota on Florida’s West Gulf Coast, famous for its white 99% quartz sand beaches. The white sand is very reflective and deflects off the heat from the sunlight so that the beach feels cool and comfortable. The most famous and popular is Siesta Key Beach where the sand is finest. It is one of the best beaches in the United States and have plenty of awards to prove it. However, if privacy and being away from the crowd is what you value, there is Crescent Beach and Turtle beach.
Siesta Key also has lush foliage, mature trees and tropical flowering shrubs, wild sea oats. Its mangroves is a habitat for diverse native birds. In its sparkling green ocean water are dolphins, manatees and other aquatic wildlife.
If you plan to go to Siesta Key, you can do it on line at accommodations, where you can find a variety of choices, including hotels, motels, apartments, condominiums, beach resorts and houses, cottages and suites.
6 sht 2007
Siesta Key, Florida, United States of America
Siesta Key has the word "Key" in it, but don't get confused and think that it is located in Florida Keys. Siesta Key is actually a barrier island off of the central western coast of Florida situated between Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, just below Tampa. A portion of it lies within the city boundary of Sarasota. It is famous for its beaches, especially Siesta Beach, a long stretch of 99% pure white quartz sand with a texture like refined sugar, and which never feels hot. The beach has won for itself numerous awards including being named the “Best Overall” in the "1987 International Sand Contest", the “Best Sand Beach in America 2004” by the Travel Channel, rated one of the best for walking by National Geographic Traveler, ranked third in the Top 10 US beaches in a poll by USA Today.com reader poll ranked and voted Number 3 in its list of Top 10 U.S. beaches Best Beach 2000 by Florida Living Magazine.
There are other beaches like Crescent Beach and Turtle beach, but are not as popular as Siesta Beach. There are lifeguards on Siesta Beach all year round, but Turtle Beach has no lifeguard. However, you can be sure of getting a parking space on Turtle Beach. They all can be referred to as a crystal beaches because the beaches consists of quartz crystals. There are people who believe that quartz crystals have physical, mental or emotional healing properties, but these are not backed by any scientific studies.
Siesta Key is covered by lush tropical foliage and inhabited by wild rabbits, herons, wild parrots and other native birds, gulls, terns, plovers, pelicans, egrets, herons, ibis, spoonbills, storks, cranes, manatees, dolphins and an estimated 1000 species of fish in the Gulf, bays, lakes, rivers and streams.
If you plan to visit Siesta Key, various kinds of accommodations are available, including hotels, motels, apartments, condominiums, beach resorts and houses, cottages and suites.
There are other beaches like Crescent Beach and Turtle beach, but are not as popular as Siesta Beach. There are lifeguards on Siesta Beach all year round, but Turtle Beach has no lifeguard. However, you can be sure of getting a parking space on Turtle Beach. They all can be referred to as a crystal beaches because the beaches consists of quartz crystals. There are people who believe that quartz crystals have physical, mental or emotional healing properties, but these are not backed by any scientific studies.
Siesta Key is covered by lush tropical foliage and inhabited by wild rabbits, herons, wild parrots and other native birds, gulls, terns, plovers, pelicans, egrets, herons, ibis, spoonbills, storks, cranes, manatees, dolphins and an estimated 1000 species of fish in the Gulf, bays, lakes, rivers and streams.
If you plan to visit Siesta Key, various kinds of accommodations are available, including hotels, motels, apartments, condominiums, beach resorts and houses, cottages and suites.
31 gush 2007
Fort Myers Beach, Kissimmee and Panama City Beach for ecotourism
Florida is a lush region with undiscovered areas that will attract environmentally responsible travelers who may come here for activities related to nature like fishing, hiking, biking, hunting, bird watching, photography, boating, canoeing, kayaking and swimming. There may be some particular regions that may interest them:
Pay a visit to Kissimee to see how they restored the Kissimmee River and the wetlands associated with it. There is also a nearby Lake Kissimmee State Park for nature lovers. Kissimmee is also near to many famous themed park, especially the Walt Disney world Resort which is withih a short drive.These themed parks are enjoyed both by children as well as adult. This means you can kill more than 2 birds with one stone.
For your accommodation needs, visit Kissimmee vacation rentals.
There are many trails for hikers. A popular trial for hikers is the Blue Heron Trail take will take you through various plant communities. There is also the Gator Lake Trail good for spotting alligators and a variety of waterfowl, wading birds and other small animals.
You can find all kinds of lifeforms there including the horseshoe crab (which is actually not a crab but an Arthropod) and is one of the oldest animals on earth. Others include the Blue Crab which is the most common edible crab in Florida, the Stone Crab which is reddish brown and the largest of the mud crabs (harvesting of this crab is regulated), the Ghost Crab (so called because it is difficult to see due to its sandy color and also because it is active at night), the Horse Conk, the largest conch in the world, the Sand Dollar (Phylum Echinodermata) which consist of mainly a hard shell and very little live tissue, The Starfish (Asteroidea) with 5 points and neither head nor tail, right nor left and can move in any direction without turning, the Sea Hare(Aplysia brasiliana) which looks like the garden slugs. the jellyfish and the Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) one of the larges birds whose span of the wings can reach 2 1/2 m with a dark brown body, a massive nozzle and a throat in the shape of pocket and the Armadillo.
Like to visit Panama City Beach? Get your accommodation from Panama City beach vacation homes
There is the Lovers Key State Park is especially known for its gulf and estuary bird life.
There is also the 12 mile long Sanibel island, known for ecotourism, whose 6,000 residents fiercely protect its natural beauty. You can find bike paths but no chain restaurants or structures taller than the tallest palm tree. There is the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, with more than 5,200 acres of mangrove ecology ands home to manatees, alligators, otters and other creatures.
North Captiva Island is known for its known for its dazzling white sand beaches, lush tropical vegetation and shelling with thousands of perfectly shaped shells along the shoreline. There are no cars on North Captiva Island. Other activities available on North Captiva include boating, fishing, nature walks, birdwatching, biking and diving. Note that nude bathing is popular on one side of the island and you may want to avoid that part if you have children with you.
The seven-mile-long Estero Island is a protected island with abundant population of dolphin, manatees, and other marine life. Little Estero Island Critical Wildlife Area is a popular sandbar for birds making rest stops from a major flyway. For a boardwalk trail into mangrove and gumbo limbo forest, go to Matanzas Pass Preserve. At the northern tip of Estero Island is Bowditch Point Regional Preserve whose beach is a shelter for gulls, terns, sandpipers, and many number of other shorebirds.
For a diversion from nature, you may want to pay a visit to the well preserved winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford in Fort Myers itself along along the Caloosahatchee River. Edison had a love exotic plants. The prolific inventor had a huge botanical garden, and brought in plants from all over the world. There is now a 400-foot wide Banyan tree from Calcutta, India. in his garden.
Book your accommodation online from Fort Myers Beach vacation rentals.
Kissimmee, Florida
Kissimmee, Florida, has lots of wetlands which is very important for the environment, regulating the river flow, filtering pollutants, is a spawning zones for many species of fish and provide a habitat for a great diversity of life forms. It has also been credited to help prevent floods, absorbing a great volume of flood water. However, the local people took up airboating and retired folk from colder climates came with motorboats, upsetting the balance of nature in the Kissimmee watershed. In 1981, the Resources Rivers Act directed the district and others to provide recreation in "an environmentally acceptable manner" and later a project to restore the Kissimmee River and the associated wetlands was initiated.Pay a visit to Kissimee to see how they restored the Kissimmee River and the wetlands associated with it. There is also a nearby Lake Kissimmee State Park for nature lovers. Kissimmee is also near to many famous themed park, especially the Walt Disney world Resort which is withih a short drive.These themed parks are enjoyed both by children as well as adult. This means you can kill more than 2 birds with one stone.
For your accommodation needs, visit Kissimmee vacation rentals.
Panama City Beach
Panama City Beach surrounded by a lush region known with well known great biodiversity one of the six most important places for diverse and rare species in the US. Panama City Beach, located in the Panhandle has an assemblage of plants and animals that occurs nowhere else on earth. There are a number of places which will be of interest to nature lovers:St. Andrews State Recreation Area
This park has rolling, white sand dunes separated by either pinewoods or marshes. There are many dunes covered with sea oats while dunes farther inland are populated with sand pines, scrub oaks, rosemary and other hardy plants that help prevent soil erosion. There are freshwater and saltwater marshes teeming with wildlife and birds. The Button Bush Marsh is frequented by a variety of birds including herons and ibis.There are many trails for hikers. A popular trial for hikers is the Blue Heron Trail take will take you through various plant communities. There is also the Gator Lake Trail good for spotting alligators and a variety of waterfowl, wading birds and other small animals.
Shell Island
Shell Island is a 700 acre pristine and undeveloped barrier island providing a great spot for sun bathing and for collecting shells. There is an interesting Water Planet's "Swim with the dolphins" program on Shell Island. Swimming is therapeutic and it is said to be able to cure mild to moderate depression. You can snorkel on the shoals where the grass beds are. The seagrass beds are where many marine life starts.You can find all kinds of lifeforms there including the horseshoe crab (which is actually not a crab but an Arthropod) and is one of the oldest animals on earth. Others include the Blue Crab which is the most common edible crab in Florida, the Stone Crab which is reddish brown and the largest of the mud crabs (harvesting of this crab is regulated), the Ghost Crab (so called because it is difficult to see due to its sandy color and also because it is active at night), the Horse Conk, the largest conch in the world, the Sand Dollar (Phylum Echinodermata) which consist of mainly a hard shell and very little live tissue, The Starfish (Asteroidea) with 5 points and neither head nor tail, right nor left and can move in any direction without turning, the Sea Hare(Aplysia brasiliana) which looks like the garden slugs. the jellyfish and the Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) one of the larges birds whose span of the wings can reach 2 1/2 m with a dark brown body, a massive nozzle and a throat in the shape of pocket and the Armadillo.
Like to visit Panama City Beach? Get your accommodation from Panama City beach vacation homes
Fort Myers Beach
Sea turtles come to Fort Myers beach to nest from May 1 to October 31 which have been officially declared as the Sea Turtle Nesting Season. And for this season, these are the conditions set via public notice regarding beach furniture. Summary: "All beach furniture and equipment must be removed by 9pm every evening to behind the permanent dune line or 200 feet from the mean high tide line whichever applicable. shall not be set out in the morning before 8:00 AM or before completion of daily monitoring for turtle nesting activity by Turtle Time, a non-profit organization authorized by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission to conduct daily sea turtle nesting monitoring." So Fort Myers Beach is one area you can observe turtle laying eggs, something that is getting rare.There is the Lovers Key State Park is especially known for its gulf and estuary bird life.
There is also the 12 mile long Sanibel island, known for ecotourism, whose 6,000 residents fiercely protect its natural beauty. You can find bike paths but no chain restaurants or structures taller than the tallest palm tree. There is the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, with more than 5,200 acres of mangrove ecology ands home to manatees, alligators, otters and other creatures.
North Captiva Island is known for its known for its dazzling white sand beaches, lush tropical vegetation and shelling with thousands of perfectly shaped shells along the shoreline. There are no cars on North Captiva Island. Other activities available on North Captiva include boating, fishing, nature walks, birdwatching, biking and diving. Note that nude bathing is popular on one side of the island and you may want to avoid that part if you have children with you.
The seven-mile-long Estero Island is a protected island with abundant population of dolphin, manatees, and other marine life. Little Estero Island Critical Wildlife Area is a popular sandbar for birds making rest stops from a major flyway. For a boardwalk trail into mangrove and gumbo limbo forest, go to Matanzas Pass Preserve. At the northern tip of Estero Island is Bowditch Point Regional Preserve whose beach is a shelter for gulls, terns, sandpipers, and many number of other shorebirds.
For a diversion from nature, you may want to pay a visit to the well preserved winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford in Fort Myers itself along along the Caloosahatchee River. Edison had a love exotic plants. The prolific inventor had a huge botanical garden, and brought in plants from all over the world. There is now a 400-foot wide Banyan tree from Calcutta, India. in his garden.
Book your accommodation online from Fort Myers Beach vacation rentals.
16 korr 2007
Ecotourism and Eco tourism, which one is better.
Tried to find some article which discuss which is better (more widely used term) but couldn't find any. So did the next best thing, googled "ecotourism", "eco tourism" and "eco-tourism". Result of the "test":
Results 1 - 10 of about 5,310,000 for ecotourism
Results 1 - 10 of about 2,360,000 for eco tourism
Results 1 - 10 of about 5,290,000
The blog title stay as "Enviroment and Ecotourism".
Results 1 - 10 of about 5,310,000 for ecotourism
Results 1 - 10 of about 2,360,000 for eco tourism
Results 1 - 10 of about 5,290,000
The blog title stay as "Enviroment and Ecotourism".
10 korr 2007
Sydney and ecotourism
What can one write about ecotourism in Sydney? For one, there is the Sydney Wildlife World right in the heart of Darling Harbour. It houses a large variety of native Australian plants and animals, nine different habitats, exhibits replicating some Austrialian ecosystem and you can see Australian animals in their natural environment. You may even get the unique experience of holding a cockroach as big as your hand if that is your idea of fun. Get to see the Cassowary, a flightless bird that had been observed to attack humans and listed in the Guinness World Records as the world's most dangerous bird. Get to see the Rock Wallabies and the Koala, Australia’s cute national icon. Observe Australian birds such as the Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Galah and Red Tail Black Cockatoo.
If you are prepared to travel approximately 100 kilometres, you can visit the Blue Mountains which is located west of Sydney. It got its name from the blueish tinge when viewed at a distance. This is caused by the release of volatile oils from eucalyptus forests. Blue Mountains has been included on the World Heritage list by UNESCO. You can go for day walks, overnight hikes and wilderness treks.
If you want to visit the Sydney Wildlife World which is in the heart of Darling Harbour, you may want to stay in Darling Harbour Hotels. If you do so, you can also enjoy other attractions of Darling Harbour like the Chinese Garden of Friendship which was a gift to Sydney from its Chinese sister city of Guangdong and was designed in China to celebrate the Australian Bicentenary. The Garden embody principles dating back to the 5th century. You can also visit the Sydney Aquarium which is one of the largest aquariums in the world. It display more than 5000 different Australian fish in their natural habitats. Experience "walking on the ocean floor" by going through 145m of acrylic underwater tunnels. Get to see Water Screen displays during the evening, hear music and see laser images projected onto water fountains.
If you want to stay nearer to Sydney City Center, try Central Sydney Hotels. You can also look for hotels in other part of Sydney from Sydney Accomodation.
If you are prepared to travel approximately 100 kilometres, you can visit the Blue Mountains which is located west of Sydney. It got its name from the blueish tinge when viewed at a distance. This is caused by the release of volatile oils from eucalyptus forests. Blue Mountains has been included on the World Heritage list by UNESCO. You can go for day walks, overnight hikes and wilderness treks.
If you want to visit the Sydney Wildlife World which is in the heart of Darling Harbour, you may want to stay in Darling Harbour Hotels. If you do so, you can also enjoy other attractions of Darling Harbour like the Chinese Garden of Friendship which was a gift to Sydney from its Chinese sister city of Guangdong and was designed in China to celebrate the Australian Bicentenary. The Garden embody principles dating back to the 5th century. You can also visit the Sydney Aquarium which is one of the largest aquariums in the world. It display more than 5000 different Australian fish in their natural habitats. Experience "walking on the ocean floor" by going through 145m of acrylic underwater tunnels. Get to see Water Screen displays during the evening, hear music and see laser images projected onto water fountains.
If you want to stay nearer to Sydney City Center, try Central Sydney Hotels. You can also look for hotels in other part of Sydney from Sydney Accomodation.
7 korr 2007
Johannesburg and ecotourism
Johannesburg has been called the Cradle of Humankind, but it can also be a destination for ecotourism. The Kruger National Park extending over 18,989 square km. is one of the greatest natural sanctuaries in the world to Africa’s wildlife including elephants, buffaloes, lions, antelopes, zebras, black rhinoceros, cheetahs, giraffes, hippopotamus, impalas, leopards, reedbucks, nyalas, spotted hyenas, tsessebes, warthogs, waterbucks, etc. There are also 1,982 species of plants and 517 species of birds.
The Kruger National Park is a 5 hours drive from Johannesburg. If this long, daunting drive is too much for you, you can opt to fly. There are daily flights from Johannesburg International Airport to Eastgate (Hoedspruit) Airport by SA Express (Hoedspruit) or SA Airlink (Phalaborwa). You can also charter flights. Eastgate Airport (Hoedspruit) is 74 km from Phalaborwa Gate, 68 km from Orpen Gate, 93 km from Hazyview and 147 km from Nelspruit.
There are also much things to see, African cultures to savour in Johannesburg itself. If you plan a trip to Johannesburg, you will obviously need accommodation, which would be wise to book ahead of your arrival. Hotels in Johannesburg is a site you can chose and book accommodation online, especially if you are on a budget. If you plan to fly to the Kruger National Park, you may want to look for Hotels near Johannesburg Airport. This site have a Lowest Rate Guarantee. According to what is stated in the guarantee, if you find a rate lower than the best available from Cheaperthanhotels.com Internet rate on another web site for the same hotel/accommodation, on the same dates and advise us within 24 hours of booking your room(s) with them, they will honour that rate for the night(s) for which the lower rate was found and refund you the difference.
The Kruger National Park is a 5 hours drive from Johannesburg. If this long, daunting drive is too much for you, you can opt to fly. There are daily flights from Johannesburg International Airport to Eastgate (Hoedspruit) Airport by SA Express (Hoedspruit) or SA Airlink (Phalaborwa). You can also charter flights. Eastgate Airport (Hoedspruit) is 74 km from Phalaborwa Gate, 68 km from Orpen Gate, 93 km from Hazyview and 147 km from Nelspruit.
There are also much things to see, African cultures to savour in Johannesburg itself. If you plan a trip to Johannesburg, you will obviously need accommodation, which would be wise to book ahead of your arrival. Hotels in Johannesburg is a site you can chose and book accommodation online, especially if you are on a budget. If you plan to fly to the Kruger National Park, you may want to look for Hotels near Johannesburg Airport. This site have a Lowest Rate Guarantee. According to what is stated in the guarantee, if you find a rate lower than the best available from Cheaperthanhotels.com Internet rate on another web site for the same hotel/accommodation, on the same dates and advise us within 24 hours of booking your room(s) with them, they will honour that rate for the night(s) for which the lower rate was found and refund you the difference.
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