Tips on How to Choose Your Vacation Spot

It's that time of year again when many have scheduled precious time-off to visit family or go somewhere different. Depending on your reasons for travel and companions involved, i.e. wife, husband, girlfriend, kids, the place you pick matters just as much as what and who you bring with you.

Picking the right spot to spend your days of leisure is almost as fun as going there. Imagine yourself relaxed, or contently distracted - what do you see yourself doing? And where?

Don't let the Mexican beer commercials persuade you, let your dream vacation be solely yours. Whether you're fishing in the open ocean or hiking the great outdoors - remember, this is your vacation. And if you have multiple companions and their tastes to consider, your chosen destination is ideally one where everyone can find just enough of their version of paradise to have a good time.

Paradise can come in any number of shapes and sizes: free time to read, relaxed atmosphere to dance, casual ambiance for conversation, nice weather for a sail or snorkel, pleasing sights and sounds for a photograph or thrill ride. Don't let your idea of fun be limited and let the holiday season of 2010 be one to remember - even if you end up going nowhere but where your feet and imagination may lead. Make it a good one!

What's in a Place?

Have you ever wondered why we pick the beach as one of our top vacation destinations? Year after year, regardless of poll, beach getaways tend to make the top five of any place to visit?

So what's in a place? More specifically, what's so special about the beach?

Interviews with coastal habitat specialists, including Dr. Beach, will tell all you need to know about the uniqueness in biodiversity and climate of these special places. But what else about the beach continues to lure generation after generation?

Some say the tranquility, while others the climate (in reference to the tropical beach). And finally, others describe it as the frontlines between the known and the unknown, a metaphor for transition.

Regardless of what lures you this this place, where the land meets the sea, help preserve its more delicate feature for future generations, avoid polluting it with garbage and learn all you can about its distinct animal-life.

Stay at hotels that work to not only accommodate their guests, but also protect the environment they inhabit.

The Beauty of the Beach

If you are a beach lover, then little convincing may be required in terms of enlisting your support to protect the unique and fragile habitats that border all of our planet's oceans. Everything from plants and wildlife, mammals and crustaceans, coral and water quality affect how well the ecosystems along our beaches continue to thrive and survive.

One of the largest contributors of pollution along most beaches around the world are hotels. If you go to the beach and stay at a hotel, you are playing a role in supporting how that hotel operates and affects the habitat around it.

Many hotels exist that operate in an sustainable, or earth friendly manner. By staying informed about what your preferred hotel does to preserve the local environment, conserve energy and minimize waste you are playing a POSITIVE role in protecting our beaches.

Why Go Green?

It seems the why behind the sustainability movement remains a hot topic, particularly among those industries with the greatest exposure to doing the opposite of conservation, i.e. the oil and gas industry, the internal combustion engine industry, the coal mining industry. No surprise there. But does it stand to reason that sustainability should lag in other industries, such as tourism, where conservation may not only equal a better PR campaign but also savings on extremely valuable and limited resources?

Say for example water or electricity conservation among hotels, or limiting snorkeling tours to sensitive areas where overexposure to visitor traffic may adversely affect the biodiversity. A lot of this comes down to a better understanding among travel and tourism operators on the short and long-term impacts of their businesses upon the environment they so heavily rely to attract tourism dollars.

Nonetheless, an equal amount of responsibility lies upon a better educated consumer on the effects of what ultimately comes down to be their demands on the environment. We, the public, must demand that the hotels we patronize and the tours we demand pay due diligence to preserve their local environment and communities, upon which their very existence relies. It all starts with you!


www.EcoBeachHotels.com

Best Green Hotel

We would love to hear back from our Face Book and other fans on their favorite beach hotel experience. And if you can tell us whether this hotel was earth friendly or not, even better!

The trend, so say certain industry analysts, is that more and more people from business travelers to tourists are inquiring, if not out right demanding, that their hotel be "greener." What do you think?

What do you belive comprises a sustainable property? What would be your top two or three qualities of such a property?

We're looking forward to your input!

What is an Eco Hotel?

Eco hotels are more than just hotels - they are a working philosophy for change in the hospitality industry. They encompass more than fresh linens, clean towels, early check-outs and lots of coffee in the morning. While these may be some important and often treasured experiences of hotel guests, extremely few travel for leisure to spend most of that time consuming coffee, smelling fresh linens and grading towels for softness.

Most of us travel to experience "a place", whether it be New Orleans for Mardi Grass, Hawaii for the Polynesian culture, Southern California for ocean and desert culture or Florida for the food and turquoise water. The essence behind sustainable travel and accommodations is to reinforce and preserve "the place." To preserve the reason one travels to Costa Rica for the rainforests or Antigua for the snorkeling. Africa without wildlife would be like Disneyland without Mickey Mouse or Christmas without Santa.

Support your eco-smart hotels, express concern for the places you visit and become part of the solution to a powerful industry and player amongst our world's most precious natural resources - the travel industry.

So It Happened - Now What?

Never in the history of our country's oil exploration has any other spill matched the one that began on the Deepwater Horizon rig 35 days ago - and still continues. Decades, if not centuries, will pass before the stench of oil and its spiraling residue will sufficiently subside for the Gulf's coastal habitat to once again resemble what it once was. So - now what?

Today, BP began the process of a “top kill” in an attempt to stop the leak. All the while, the situation could worsen as the oil plume is pushed to shore and is spread by sea currents and the approaching hurricane season. Yet, regardless of what happens and when - an ecological mess in a scale unknown to us until now will remain to be dealt with.

Not everyone can jump into their car and head toward the coast, but if you wish to contribute in anyway, here are some numbers and websites with information on how to help:

To report oiled wildlife, please call: 866-557-1401

To report sightings of oil on the beach, call: 866-448-5816

To report oil related damage, please call: 1-800-440-0858

To submit your vessel for skimming opportunities, call: 281-366-5511

To sign up for volunteer opportunities off the Louisiana coast go to:

www.lagulfresponse.org

www.volunteerlouisiana.gov

To register as a volunteer in Florida go to:

www.volunteerflorida.org

For volunteer opportunities in Alabama visit:

http://www.servealabama.gov/2010/default.aspx

To find volunteer opportunities in Mississippi:

http://www.volunteermississippi.org/1800Vol/OpenIndexAction.do

If you don’t live near the Gulf Coast it’s best not to drive your car there, and instead make a donation to reputable organizations that can put your money to work, such as:

The Audubon Society at: http://www.volunteermississippi.org/1800Vol/OpenIndexAction.do and the National Wildlife Federation at: http://www.volunteermississippi.org/1800Vol/OpenIndexAction.do

Finally, write your elected officials with your concerns and support cleaner alternatives of energy!

john@go-bela.com, www.ecobeachhotels.com

Eco Gadgets To Use on Your Next Trip

Ever wonder what happens to batteries when they're dead - no, they don't go to battery heaven - more like landfill hell. Yes, few if any recyclers exist for this entirely too common household item.

Check out these and other alternatives for batteries and more while on the road, or to incorporate into your everyday routine. Vote with your purchases - every one counts.

Fuji EnviromaxIt doesn’t take a scientist to realize that chucking used batteries into the trash can translate into an environmental nightmare. Fortunately, Fuji Enviromax batteries are PVC, cadmium and mercury-free, which means landfill-safe and eco-friendly. Batteries are available in AA, AAA, C, and D and are $3.99 for Super Alkaline and $5.99 for Digital Alkaline. www.greenfuji.com

Moixa Energy Ltd. Ultimate Rechargable Battery. These USB-powered rechargeables last for 500 charge cycles, so say goodbye to the 15 billion disposable alkaline batteries produced annually, and their toxic runoff. Functions like your standard everyday AA battery. When empty, though, just pop the top to expose a USB connector, then connect to a laptop or other portable device to enjoy a quick refill. $20. www.usbcell.com

AspenwareIf you’re too lazy to wash but too guilty to waste, check out Aspenware’s disposable, biodegradable wooden cutlery. Packs of 12 for knives, forks and spoons cost $3.99 each. Serious campers without a sink can also purchase a 250-pack for $45 or a 500-pack for $85. www.aspenware.ca

Bedol Water-Powered Travel Alarm Clock. Tells time by using salted water; the device’s electrodes harvest energy from the liquid to fuel the nightstand-friendly gizmo’s simple digital LCD. No batteries necessary, it’s small enough to stuff into any carry, and it’s especially easy and cost-effective to keep going the next time you’re cruising the coast of Sicily. $16. www.bedolwhatsnext.com

EcoBeachHotels is the world’s first internet booking engine for sustainable beach properties.

From luxury resorts to lodges to campgrounds and more, Bela offers detailed information on each. Making easy to compare and safely book online.

Paradise Lost

The cause to the tragic oil rig explosion that is now spewing an endless river of oil into the Gulf of Mexico remains unknown. Plenty of finger pointing will ensue. Regardless, as you sit and read this, thousands of gallons of oil pour out daily from their natural reservoir thousands of feet below the ocean floor.

Clean-up crews have had to struggle against rough seas and strong winds to contain the spreading oil slick as it approaches shore. While in its path lay numerous species, unaware and unprotected from the massacre that awaits them. Bottlenose dolphins use the shallower waters to birth, endangered species of sea turtles have already begun their annual nesting season in the area – a few have already been discovered dead off the coast of Louisiana – and countless species of birds, many of which are already endangered, migrate through the area this time of year.

Finger-pointing is never the answer – but a catastrophe such as this certainly merits a careful review of our society’s lurid and seemingly unquenchable obsession with oil. How much longer should the United States postpone alternative, renewable energy on a massive scale and put off a whole new generation and industry of jobs?

And who is truly paying the ultimate price, humanity and its loss of other species of animals and plants that can never be replaced, or the wildlife itself and natural habitat lost and vanished from our purview? A life lost, or a paler world – denied one more color to its once limitless spectrum.

As a tribute to the wildlife and natural habitat of this area, following is a brief list of those expected to suffer the greatest casualties. Future blogs will elaborate more on these and others as the collateral damage to this catastrophe is more accurately tallied.

Brown pelicans (formerly endangered), Least terns, Piping plovers, Wilson’s plovers, migrating song birds, endangered Kemps Ridley sea turtles, Bottlenose dolphins, Blue fin tuna (only place they spawn in the western Atlantic), shrimp and all associated habitat.

The Color of Green

Plenty can be said about eco this and eco that. It seems everything is going green these days. So, how can you tell what is really good for the environment and what is not?

Good question. For starters, when it comes to hotels and the travel industry, there are only a few certification sources and none with a truly global reach, yet. Green Globe is probably the most widely recognized, but not so among U.S. based hotel companies, where getting the story straight gets even trickier than in Western Europe, Southeast Asia or Central and South America.

My best advice: research the particular area or property you are interested in visiting. Find out what they do in regards to waste management, energy management and local environmental conservation. These are usually the most common identifiers in determining a property's true eco colors.

Told you So?

Well, in case you haven't heard, it happened, the oil rig catastrophe that oil companies promised would be highly unlikely.

Forty-two thousand gallons of oil per day, gone. Not to mention the environmental damage that awaits to be tallied - another month of this and guess how much oil was just trashed? About 1.2 million gallons.

My dad was a helicopter pilot for Petroleum Helicopters Incorporated. I know the business as much as a family member of one of its employees can. So, do I believe oil is baaad? No. But do I believe the U.S. has been slow and irresponsible in establishing cleaner sources of energy and jobs? YES!

What do you think?

Your Favorite Beach

We're working on adding a whole lot of new properties on EcoBeachHotels.com. Do you know why the beach and sustainability are important? Well, let any one of our 20+ properties tell you about it.

Sure, a Chinese ocean freighter just rammed into the Great Barrier Reef and coral reef bleaching is on the rise. So what does this mean to you? If you enjoy a clean and quiet stretch of sand with plenty of activities, or just laying back - then anything that may irreparable harm the health of this environment is important to you.

Most travelers, when dreaming of an escape, picture an unspoiled beach scape, where dolphins frolic, food grows on trees and exotic plant species out number visitors hundred to one. Do you want to help preserve this?

I can go on, instead, I will wait for your feedback on this blog. Please share your thoughts, pass this around and let our properties learn of your experiences - on the beach.

This posting will occasionally re-appear in the future as a reminder of why we exist and who we serve in our mission to recognize, appreciate and preserve the pristine in beach destinations.

Pristine: does it exist anymore?

Some might argue that Paradise Found is Paradise Lost. And why not, name any beach destination made popular 20-plus years ago and compare it then to now.

Hawaii, Costa Rica, California, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands... not much remains virgin about any of these places. Growing populations and diminishing resources in these island communities could be used as a microcosm for our planet at large. Might the Earth not be an island of sorts in the sea of space? I wonder, what would be the nearest island chain to our lonely world?

Here lies the crux behind why EcoBeachHotels.com was developed. If we can show how sustainability as well as regenerative practices can serve to preserve the ecological integrity of our coastal treasures, we might apply a similar approach to managing our communities and businesses in the world at large.

Thoughts?

Questions on Eco Hotels an Idiot can Answer

Not literally. No one is calling anyone an idiot. But the catchy title of the Idiot's Guide does offer some very good suggestions on how to spot a hotel, resort, or lodge worthy of a sustainability accreditation.

As I've done earlier, I posted an article mentioning this worthy read on my bi-weekly Examiner.com column for San Diego. Take a look. You may recognize it from an earlier blog post.

If You Had the Money...

Where would you go on vacation if you had the money? What would you do?

Well, if most websites, Wikipedia and the World Tourism Organization are right, chances are you picked a beach. And if money wasn't an issue, you probably picked a luxury hotel, swimming with dolphins and all the scuba, surfing, bird watching, kayaking and helicopter rides you can handle.

Are having the money and sustainable tourism mutually exclusive? Do luxury hotels exist in the universe of eco travel? They do. And they are growing in number, in influence and setting a standard for the Ritz, Four Seasons and Hiltons of the world.

The Importance of Eco Hotels

What is an Eco Hotel and why does it matter?

Eco accommodations are a growing niche industry within the mega world of toursim.

If we don't start to take notice of the importance of eco travel and it's powerful effect on resource conservation, then hotel owners and managers won't either.

View my most recent article on Examiner.com for a deeper look at this important issue in travel.

What have been your experiences with eco travel or eco hotels? How would you recommend mainstream hotels address the increasing importance of energy conservation or waste management?

Survey: Do you Love the Beach?

All of the fabulous, award winning, eco accredited, earth conscious properties at EcoBeachHotels need your input.

Most of our properties are remote and rely on surveys such as ours to better cater to the needs and wants of Beach Enthusiasts as yourself.

So, by contributing five minutes of your busy day to fill-out our survey, you are contributing towards the "greening" of the travel industry and providing valuable input to our growing list of eco accredited lodges, resorts, hotels and campgrounds. No personal information is shared, see our privacy policy.

And as if playing such an important role weren't enough, by filling our our survey you will be automatically awarded a $100 travel credit through EcoBeachHotels.com, where our prices are guaranteed to be the lowest published rates on the web.

So, take a break from that daily grind, put on your sunglasses and get ready for the Beach. Take a few moments to fill-out our survey and we'll help get you where you want to be.

This is a month-long effort to collect as much data as we can from as many beach-lovers as possible. Please pass this message along to all who share the passion for sand covered toes, soothing surf and oodles of sunshine.

Relocating to... San Diego

This is Bela's last week operating out of Texas. Not that Texas wasn't a kind host, home to a broad expanse of beaches and wide estuaries teeming with wildlife - Texas is generous to those so inclined to explore its natural resources. But every good host has its limits.

There is still so much more that this grand state can do to preserve its natural legacy and promote a healthier, wiser and cleaner approach to its prospering economy. On that note, the state has decided to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for implementing a cap on the emission of green house gases. Citing it as unfair to small businesses and entrepreneurs as well as questioning the science behind this regulation, the lone star state has once again sided on the side of economic sense over common sense.

Do dollars today necessarily equal a natural disaster for tomorrow? Why not dollars today and a healthier environment for tomorrow? What about clean energy, cleaner industry and new jobs to replace older ones? Has this topic not been debated and abated long enough?

I leave you with more questions than answers. Until then, we will be operating from the west coast, hoping for clearer sunsets and a cleaner tomorrow.

Bela is the world’s first internet booking engine for sustainable beach properties.

From luxury resorts to lodges to campgrounds and more, Bela offers detailed information on each. Making easy to compare and safely book online.

What's In a Name?

The powers that be at Bela are putting serious consideration towards promoting and thereby going with a new url, www.EcoBeachHotels.com.

Bela.com is parked - since 1996 it seems. And gobela.com is for sale - $500. What would you do?

And what is in a name, after all? Well, according to some experts, if the name doesn't say what your site is about, you're already facing an uphill battle. Others recommend against using hyphens or names that are too long

With this in mind, what do you think?

Eco Lodges Indonesia joins Bela

Eco Lodges Indonesia operates four pristine, quality eco lodges that perfectly blend the needs and comfort of their visitors with effective preservation and conservation practices of their local environment.

With properties located in Bali and the Island of Flores, as well two others bordering national parks, each ecolodge employs an environmental management system that includes recycling water and waste, maximizing the use of solar power, reducing energy consumption, growing fruits and vegetables and employing local people.

Udayana Ecolodge of Bali was the first independently-owned hotel in Indonesia to be Green Globe accredited.

Bela is the world's first search and booking engine focused entirely on on sustainable beach accommodations for the eco traveler.

From luxury resorts to lodges to campgrounds and more, Bela offers detailed information on each. Making it easy to compare and safely book online

2010: Is It Too Late?

Twenty-ten has been dubbed an uphill battle in terms of meaningful environmental policy. “We are very disappointed with the outcome of Copenhagen,” said Patrick Hofstetter, head of climate policy at WWF Switzerland. “Copenhagen will probably be remembered as a missed opportunity to put the world on the path of a binding climate agreement. I see a very difficult 2010.”

The northeast of the U.S. has seen record snowfall. El Niño is in full effect, the media explains. How could there possibly be global warming, decried the snowed-in skeptics who mistakened their snow-covered yards and local road-closures earlier this year as an accurate depiction of global climate change.

Still, the doubters press on and the oil and gas executives wait patiently in the sidelines, pressing their hands in sheer delight. The much anticipated Copenhagen climate change conference of 2009 was deemed a meager starting point, if not an outright failure, and global warming has begun its downward slide towards hoax status by the mysterious dissemination of "secret emails." Emails depicting a global-scale conspiracy by the scientific "elite."

Forget the 30-plus years of peer reviewed studies in scientific journals spanning millennia of data-points that conclusively point towards a clear warming trend during the past 100 years. Even the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has concluded:

The Earth's climate has warmed by approximately 0.6 8C over the past 100 years with two main periods of warming, between 1910 and 1945 and from 1976 onwards. The rate of warming during the latter period has been approximately double that of the first and, thus, greater than at any other time during the last 1,000 years.

I now leave you with a couple of examples depicting ecological events in your world; the point is not to place fault but to look ahead to a change in future economic activities that take serious consideration of their effects on the overall environmental health of the region.

Rising seas claimed their first, once inhabited, island in December of 2006. Lohachara island, at one time home to some 10,000, was located in India's Sundarban region in the Bay of Bengal. Many more low-lying islands in the region are following suit, as well as in other parts of the world.

The mountain pine beetle is the culprit behind an outbreak not seen in more than 25 years, claiming millions of acres of trees, mostly the lodgepole pine, in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Washington. Yes, it’s happened before, but this time the pine beetles are moving into higher elevations, where bitter winter temperatures once kept them at bay, and attacking whitebark pines near Yellowstone National Park and jack pine in British Columbia. Robert Mangold, director of Forest Health Protection for the U.S. Forest Service, agrees warmer temperatures are playing a role in the current outbreak.