India's best eco-resorts

India's best eco-resorts

Planning a holiday? Ah! Perhaps the best part of any holiday is planning it and anticipating all the excitement and fun. And what if you could take it one step further and make it an environmentally friendly holiday for the truly relaxing experience away from the city's hustle-bustle?

We present some of the best eco-resorts in India, that could make your vacation that much more 'natural'.

Shergarh Camp, Kanha Tiger Reserve, MP

 

 

Shergarh is the creation of naturalist Jehan Bhujwala and his English wife Katie and is an image of an eco-tourism paradise. The resort has a strong policy on water conservation and waste disposal for its guests as well as sensitivity to local people and traditions.

The food at the resort is prepared from locally grown vegetables and local produce. The fish farmed from the nearby lake. The resort also employs local labour and provides detailed information and guided tours for the wildlife enthusiast.

 

 

 

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Annapara, Wayanad, Kerala

Now this is what I would call a true holiday away from the city. Annapara, which literally means elephant rock is a small (only 5 rooms) guest house that offers a 360 degree view of the surrounding hills and valleys. One can enjoy the 'luxury' of no TV, newspaper, phones; and soak in nature in its truest form.

From Annapara one can go trekking into thick jungles with the help of guided tour. One can also visit the ancient Eddakal caves famous world over for their pre-historic carvings and paintings.

The resort generates is own electricity, has its water sourced from natural springs, recycles waste, has invested in composting, uses minimal plastic and employs local labour and services.

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Banasura Hill Resort, Kerala

Tucked away at an altitude of 3500 feet above sea level in the hills of Wayanad in the Malabar region, the Banasura Hill Resort has been named Asia's largest 'earth' resort and is considered on of the 'greenest' destination in the Nilgiris biosphere.

Eco-friendly features include a bio-gas plant that recycles organic waste and fires the resort's kitchens. Also the resort is completely lit by CFL lamps to minimize energy consumption. The resort itself has been built from mud and recycled wood and natural light is exploited to the fullest.

The resort is nestled on a 35 acre farm in the midst of a forest with exotic flora and fauna and close to an indigenous tribal hamlet.

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Yoga Magic, Goa

If you are looking for relaxation and tranquillity or rejuvenation of mind, body and spirit, Yoga Magic is just the place for you. The resort doesn't have rooms, instead you get to stay in tented eco-friendly lodges in a magical atmosphere, tucked away amidst coconut palms and rice paddy fields near Anjuna beach.

The tents feature solar halogen lighting, natural composting toilets and waste management using EM (effective micro organisms). water is heated by way of solar energy. Much of the construction uses locally sustainable materials such as mud, clay, stone, bamboo, jute, wood, palm leaves and cow dung.

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The Dune Eco Beach Village, Pondicherry

The Dune is a thematic hotel designed to cater to the growing demand for long stay destinations and is spread over 35 acre eco-friendly beach hotel. It is Located on the Coramandel coast of Tamil Nadu, 150 km south of Chennai and just 15 Kms from the heart of Pondicherry.

The Dune cherishes the spirit "to live in harmony with nature and men". The resort has its own solar heated water, waste water treatment plant, uses reclaimed timbers and maintains its own organic farm.

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Our Native Village, Bangalore

Now if you want to get your taste of 'Desi Girl' that currently airs on a TV channel, here's your chance. You can get a taste of unadulterated village life at Our Native Village, about an hour from Bangalore. The resort offers a range of unique activities such as cow milking, bullock cart rides, kite flying, bicycle riding and organic farming.

The Village generates its own electricity from a wind-mill and a solar power plant. There are also 2 bio gas plants which are fed with a mixture of de-oiled cakes, chicken waste and food waste. The gas produced is used to fuel a generator and is also used in the kitchen instead of LPG.

The resort also uses most of its water from a rain water harvesting unit and was built using local eco-friendly materials. Moreover, all the waste on the resort is processed and reused appropriately - except plastics that is sent out to a recycling unit.

The resort also offers 100% natural and organic toiletries and has a natural, chemical-free, pond-styled swimming pool.

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Coconut Lagoon, Kerala Backwaters

The beauty of the Coconut Lagoon is that it's only accessible by boat, making it a wonderful escape from the world and a stately resort that beautifully captures the Kerala of old.

The resort does its own recycling, composting and organic farming to keep impact on the environment as low as possible. What's more, they have cows to eat away the grass instead of using a lawn-mower.

From waste water recycling to plastics disposal, from sewage treatment to the avoidance of all chemical pesticides, Coconut Lagoon represents a new, highly sustainable model for ecologically sensitive tourism destinations.

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Wildernest Nature Resort, Goa

Set on over 450 acres of forest land on the Goa, Maharastra and Karnataka state borders, Wildernest is a wonderfully serene nature resort that offers tranquillity in abundance. The resort has 16 eco-friendly cottages, built in simple rustic style with wood panelling and tiled floors inside. Guests can enjoy nature walks, bonfires, folk dances, and village excursions.

Eco Features: Constructed out of eco friendly materials, eco friendly washing and hair products, no plastic, operates conservation programs.

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The Orchid EcoTel, Delhi/ Mumbai

With the Orchid EcoTel hotels it is possible to enjoy an eco-friendly stay in the heart of India's busiest metros. The Orchid, Asia's first 5 Star ECOTEL Hotel, is committed to enhancing the guest experience while setting a new standard of environmental responsibility by conserving natural resources, educating, enlightening and motivating our staff, and cultivating community
relationships.

Eco features include energy conserving design, use of environmentally friendly materials, active water and energy conservation measures, vermiculture to reduce waste, initiatives for guest participation in conservation measures.

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Mountain Trail, Mukteshwar

This eco-friendly resort is situated at 2300 mand is an idyllic spot to spend your holiday. Set on a gentle hill slope, facing the Himalayas, deep valleys and a beautiful sunrise, the resort is surrounded by a 2.5 acre orchard of over 100 fruit trees and flower beds of over 70 variety of flowers.

The resort offers green features like employing 100% local labor and services, energy conservation, naturally sourced water, recycled waste, organic garden and is also a chemical free premesis.