nuts4chic - the online women's lifestyle magazine

Helen Smith

Eco Tourism: The New Wave

Palolem beach, Goa

WHERE TO STAY?

EUROPE:

Domaine Des Andeols is, in my opinion, the most stylish place to stay in France. A collection of nine houses forming their own hamlet in the heart of the luscious Luberon, each individual habitat is surrounded by lakes, orchards, woods and gardens, making this an unbeatable location for a truly relaxing holiday. Local organic produce (the majority of which comes from the garden) is used in all of the dishes – don’t go expecting to lose weight – you won’t.

Take the Eurostar from London to Avignon, then luxuriate in your surroundings on the 45 minute drive to your stylish haven.

INDIA:

Bhakti Kutir is a collection of stunningly simple, eco-friendly thatched huts set into the lush jungle on a headland near Palolem beach in southern Goa. The impeccable attention to detail makes each hut feel like a palace. This place offers total peace and quiet, but a long list of activities including yoga and meditation are on offer.

Palolem is one of the few places in Goa to go unnoticed by the developer’s JCBs, but this won’t last forever. Book it now (and even if you don’t stay here, you HAVE to go for breakfast).

St. Ives, Cornwall

When the sun does eventually come out, there's no finer place in the world than the South coast of England. A superb location is Little Cutmadoc Barn, in Lanhydrock, based in the beautiful Fowey Valley of Cornwall. An uber-stylish barn conversion, decked out with Bang & Olufsen gadgets, the fridge is full of local produce as is the garden. The Helligan Gardens and breathtaking Minack theatre are both within 30mins fo the property.

HOW TO GET THERE?

Air travel currently accounts for 3-5 per cent of carbon emissions, and is steadily rising. If possible, it’s worth considering a scenic rail journey to your destination (Eurostar now visit a wealth of destinations), and a train journey creates 1/8th of the emissions of a flight.

However, if flying is the only viable mode of transport, then sign up to the Carbon Neutral Company who organise for the CO2 associated with your flight to be ‘balanced out’ by forestry and climate friendly energy projects which save equivalent amounts of CO2.….

ON A NEED TO KNOW BASIS…..

www.carbonneutral.com/

www.eurostar.com

http://www.domainedesandeols.com/EN/01PHILO/index.htm

www.i-escape.com (Bhakti Kutir)

www.luxurybreaks.co.uk/ (Lanhydrock, Cornwall)

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