From The Straits Times    |

If you want to help the environment but still have a holiday, you’ll find these eco-friendly destinations right up your alley.

Eco-friendly destinations for your next holiday Lanzarote

Timanfaya National Park, Lanzarote
If you love cooking, but are worried about the amount of gas or electricity baking those delicious goodies uses up, then the Timanfaya National Park in Lanzarote (pictured above) have come up with an ingenious solution. This volcanic park retains residual heat from the volcanic activity which happened thousands of years ago and the famous El Diablo restaurant in the park uses this heat in a unique way. When you order your food, you will be able to watch it being cooked in front of you over a large griddle using only the intense heat that escapes from the ground. Don’t worry though – it’s highly unlikely that your meal will be interrupted by any eruptions!
Top Tip: Take a camel trek around the park instead of the coach tour for less of a carbon footprint!
Getting there: Go to www.lowcostholidays.com/spain/lanzarote-holidays for more information

Souss Massa Park, Agadir
If it’s nature that you’re after, then a holiday to Morocco may not have yet crossed your mind. The National Park of Souss Massa, just 40km south of Agadir, covers a massive 83 acres and is home to several wildlife sanctuaries and over 275 species of birds. These sanctuaries are home to rare species from the Sahara like the Ostrich and the Oryx, which they are trying to re-introduce. It is also the only place in the world where you can see the Northern Bald Ibis, perfect for bird watching.
Top Tip: This Park has some stunning wild beaches and great surfing spots, so remember your swimming gear.
Getting there: Go to www.lowcostholidays.com/morocco/agadir-breaks for more information

Eco-friendly destinations for your next holiday Barcelona

Barcelona
Let’s face it, cities aren’t generally associated with being eco-friendly but Barcelona is one of the best when it comes to environmental awareness. Boasting buses run on hydrogen, electric trams and not to mention countless bike hire schemes, you can easily explore this city without creating a big carbon footprint, taking in beautiful green spaces including the magnificent Parc Guell (pictured above). Make time to pick up locally sourced fresh food from one of the popular markets such as Mercado de la Boqueria during your trip. After you’ve got a taste for the city, pick an eco-friendly base for your holiday such as the ME Hotel which has a Biosphere award for its sustainable credentials.
Top Tip: Book a Trixi tour for a quirky and eco-friendly rickshaw ride around the streets.
Getting there: Go to holidays.easyjet.com/spain/barcelona-inner-city-breaks for more information

Florida
If you’re an adventurer looking for an eco-adventure, Forever Florida Wildlife Conservation near Orlando boasts nine unique ecosystems all preserved in the way nature intended. Travel around the eco ranch in the comfort of a safari coach to witness an array of birds, alligators, bears and even panthers or explore the forested floodplains by horseback or foot to reduce your carbon footprint even further.
Top tips: For the best view, explore the 4,700 acre conservation from the sky by a zip line or canopy cycling tour.
Getting there: Go to www.lowcostholidays.com/florida/orlando-holidays for more information

Benidorm
With Benidorm being well-known for its excellent beaches and vibrant nightlife, we didn’t really expect this resort to be supporting an eco-friendly lifestyle; how wrong we were. E bikes are a very popular method of transport when navigating around the busy streets of this Spanish city.  Not only do these bikes provide a speedy get-around, they are environmentally friendly too. The E bikes are powered off electricity, which means that no petrol emissions are pumped into the environment. In the last 12 months the numbers of cycle lanes in Benidorm have increased, this is to encourage locals and tourists to trade in their car for an E-Bike.
Top Tip: Use your E Bike and visit the mountains which surround Benidorm and enjoy the views. 
Getting there: Go to www.lowcostholidays.com/spain/costa-blanca/benidorm-holidays for more information

Portugal
Cork is often associated solely with wine stoppers; however, there is a new and innovative trend emerging for the use of this versatile and eco-friendly material. Pelcor is a brand that fashions Portuguese cork into beautiful, sustainable and ecological accessories for everyday life in the office and for travel. Sandra Correia, the founder and brains behind Peclor, designs and creates items such as umbrellas, belts and iPad sleeves, all out of cork! Cork is an incredibly environmentally friendly material and provides the eco systems with many benefits. A harvested cork oak tree stores up to five times more carbon than an un-harvested tree, can live for 350 years and can be harvested every nine years. Furthermore, every year cork forests account for 10 million tonnes of CO2 absorption. As traditional wine stoppers are rapidly being replaced with plastic or screw top alternatives, Sandra Correia’s vision is to help sustain the cork industry through producing trendy and ecologically aware products.
Top Tip: There are three Peclor stores in the Algarve.
Getting there: Go to www.lowcostholidays.com/portugal/algarve-holidays for more information

Eco-friendly destinations for your next holiday Egypt

Ras Mohammed National Park, Egypt
Unique coral reefs are increasingly in demand and Egypt can offer some of the world’s best. Since the 1960s, the stunning marine life of the Red Sea has been enticing tourists, divers and biologists to check out over one thousand species of fish. By the 1980s, governing bodies became aware the attention was disturbing the natural balance and declared Ras Mohammed National Park near Sharm El Shiekh (pictured above) as the first marine protected area. Even better, the area keeps expanding and now covers the entire 250km Sinai coast with guidelines such as no littering and no removing of any natural material. When you visit, keep an eye out for Crown-of-Thorns starfish which like to eat the coral!
Top Tip: Stick to the cross-reef walkways to enjoy the stunning natural beauty without causing any damage.
Getting there: Go to www.lowcostholidays.com/egypt-holidays for more information

Ibiza
Ibiza Green Tours allow visitors the chance to discover the essence of Ibiza and enjoy its beautiful landscapes and settings, while preserving and respecting its environment. The tours are ideal for nature lovers, activity enthusiasts and people who are concerned about the environment. Split into five different areas: Mystic, Active, Cultural, Musical and Natural, these tours cover almost everything you would wish to do on holiday, while still maintaining that eco-friendly focus. In addition, a part of the program is dedicated to environmental awareness and education, to provide each visitor with information and guides for a greener life. Finally, eco tourists have the chance to participate in activities for the conservation of the nature side of the island, such as beach cleaning and recycling workshops.
Top Tips: Try the ‘Natural Ibiza’ tour, and discover the undisturbed beauty on offer.
Getting there: Go to www.lowcostholidays.com/spain/ibiza-holidays for more information

So, getaway on a guilt-free trip to one of these eco-friendly destinations and see more of the world by helping to save it at the same time!

Coach ID Lanyard
Now $75
Original price: $168
Shop Now
Jabra Elite 4 Wireless Earbuds
Now $88
Original price: $162
Shop Now
BaByliss Air Pro 2300
Now $63
Original price: $144
Shop Now
Abib Collagen Eye Patch
Now $19
Original price: $35
Shop Now