23rd May 2018 by @emilerossouw

Sustainable Soujourns – Tips to offset your travel footprint

Developing countries and remote destinations are becoming increasingly popular, as we strive to travel further off the beaten path. Though with our adventures, we should own our responsibility as temporary visitors to these beautiful places, and strive to leave as little trace as possible.

Here are our simple tips for any traveller looking to reduce their impact on the environment, regardless of the destination:

Say no to single-use plastic

The single most impactful thing you can do, is reduce your usage of single use plastics.

We understand that no-one wants the dreaded ‘Delhi Belly’ in destinations where tap water is a no-go. The obvious solution: buy and drink bottled water. But there are so many innovative products available that will set you up for your entire adventure, no plastic bottles necessary.

For recycled, reusable, BPA-free water bottles that will crumple into a side pocket at the boarding gate when empty, check out Vapur.

To make sure you stay gastro-free, snag yourself a Steripen – the first handheld UV water purifier, small enough to pack in your carry-on.

Cocktail straws and plastic cutlery can be replaced with these very cool and lightweight bamboo travel accessories, better still, you can keep using them when you get home!

Ditch the motor

To get pretty much anywhere these days, the quickest way of arriving at your chosen destination is by ‘plane. The carbon footprint from flights is astronomical, but what’s the alternative?

Try the Eurostar into Europe and once you’re there, hire an electric or hybrid car, crank up the tunes, turn left and see where you end up?!  Nothing quite like a road-trip to discover places you might not have stumbled across otherwise.

Or ditch the motor altogether and hire a bicycle at your chosen destination. Offset your carbon AND those extra holiday calories!

Let’s not forget though, wherever you are in the world, the use of public transport to reach your chosen destination is the most eco-friendly approach, and a golden opportunity to meet and interact with local people going about their daily lives. Everyone’s got a great taxi or tuk-tuk driver story..

Offset your carbon

Climate Care offers a great online service to help you offset your carbon footprint. It uses a handy calculator to measure your carbon usage, then let’s you choose a project where your donation will support the protection of the environment.

Pasture to palate

Explore local markets, visit local ‘farm to table’ restaurants, buy local, eat local! Buying from local people, market traders, farmers, brewers and vineyards supports the local economy. It also reduces the demand for imported ingredients to that destination, keeping the tourist pound in local farmer’s pockets.

Better still, buy organic and further reduce the environmental impact of synthetic fertilisers running into the local water supply.  Choose restaurants whose chefs prefer to use home grown produce – enjoy the local recipes and flavours in all their glory, without the preservatives and air miles!

“Individually we are one drop.  Together we are an Ocean” – Ryunosuke Satoro.