Earth Day is April 22nd, and we’ve uncovered a few of the best luxury resorts celebrating Earth Day in a highly unique way. If you’re looking for a luxury resort promoting eco-friendly, earthly travel experiences to further connect guests and residents with the world around them, you’ve come to the right place. From intention trees and lights-out stargazing in Nicaragua, coral planting in Fiji, or eco-kayaking in Hawaii, these four incredible eco-friendly travel experiences need to soar to the top of your travel list.
1. Mukul, an Auberge Resort (Nicaragua)
About: At Mukul, Nicaragua’s first luxury resort, the commitment to sustainability runs deep. The resort was built with the use of rainwater catchments, regional materials and energy-efficient windows. The implementation of a gray-water program is ongoing. Environmental disturbance was minimal; builders replanted more than 1,500 trees – including a one-million pound, 150-year-old Guanacaste – rather than cut them down to make room for construction.
Earth Day Experience: Mukul invites guests to attach ribbons inscribed with their Earth Day intentions (actions they plan to do while in Nicaragua, such as avoid using plastic straws) on specially designated “Intention Trees” located throughout the property. Mukul will help facilitate these intentions where possible. On the evening of Earth Day,Mukul will also “turn down the power” and ask guests do the same – when the resort is extra dark, a local astronomer will lead an evening of stargazing, pointing out celestial bodies that are extra-illuminated in the darkness.
2. Nanuku Auberge Resort (Fiji)
About: Almost two years after Cyclone Winston caused nearly $1.4 billion in damage in 2016, the archipelago of Fiji is back and better than ever, teeming with luxury resorts including the all-villa Nanuku Auberge Resort. Set along the coastline of Fiji’s main island Viti Levu, also known as the “adventure capital” of the island chain, this resort is acclaimed for its blend of contemporary luxury and traditional Fijian culture, outdoor adventure and highly personalized service.
Earth Day Experience: Nanuku Auberge Resort has one of the top ecological sustainability programs in Fiji. Nanuku employs an on-site Fijian Marine Scientist that spearheads hands-on ecological sustainability offerings for guests including planting coral nurseries, reef conservation and Mangrove replanting. The resort has banned single-use plastics like straws and shampoo bottles.
3. Turtle Bay Resort (Oahu, HI)
About: Turtle Bay Resort is home to the largest area of protected swimming and snorkeling waters in Hawaii – Humpback whales, sea turtles, monk seals and dolphins are just some of the different marine mammals and endangered species that visit the resort’s shores. The expansive beach resort located on Oahu’s legendary North Shore features dynamic ocean and land adventures through its on-property horse stables, tennis courts, two golf courses, 15 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, daily fitness and wellness classes, surf school and water adventures including eco-kayaking.
Earth Day Experience: Resort team members participate in monthly beach clean-ups of nearly 5 miles of shoreline. Efforts to reduce its carbon footprint include the creation of a Green Committee in 2009; the addition of 1,600 solar roof panels in 2013 that made Turtle Bay the first resort in Hawaii to complete a major solar project that significantly reduced its carbon footprint; a lighting retrofit initiative where nearly 70% of the resort’s lighting has been converted to Compact Florescent Light Bulbs; resort-wide recycling; and cups in the resort’s restaurants and outlets that are either washable and reusable or are made from corn-based or post-consumer materials.
4. Nekupe Sporting Resort and Retreat (Nicaragua)
About: With only 8 accommodations on 1,800+ acres of nature reserve, Nekupe’s ecological footprint is minimal. Nicaragua’s first luxury countryside resort houses an animal sanctuary and refuge with spider and howler monkeys, deer, foxes, sloths, 78 species of birds, ducks, and 61 species of butterflies. The reserve, which was once flattened plains, contains 158+ species of plants, 34,000+ reforested trees, reservoirs developed by a team of local experts and ecologists, a greenhouse, organic farm and butterfly garden.
Earth Day Experience: Nekupe invites guests to celebrate Earth Day with an itinerary of nature-centric activities like bird and wildlife watching, horseback riding through its nature preserve and taking cooking classes using produce plucked from the resort’s own farm.
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Hi Alison. Thanks for letting us know about these resorts and the super cool things they’re doing. All of these resorts look fabulous. I think the most difficult question is which one to pick.
All of these properties look incredibly cool. We are huge fans of your site