Visiting Hawaii is like traveling to another planet, and if you’re American, you don’t even need a passport to get there.  The island state has an incredibly rich ecosystem, full of life and beauty that simply can’t be found anywhere else.

The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua has just launched a new program to give visitors a closer look at the incomparable Hawaiian ecosystem called Ambassadors of the Environment.  This program is an educational journey led by expert naturalists, designed to teach visitors about Hawaii through experience and exploration, and to inspire participants to live more sustainably.  According to program creator Jean-Michel Cousteau, “We expect everyone, by learning more about our natural world and their places within it, to return to their communities as environmental stewards – ambassadors of the environment.”

The program includes several activities for children, adults, and groups of all ages, so there will surely be something to interest everyone in your party.  You can hike through the Hawaiian rainforest while the naturalist leaders will guide you through traditional methods of gathering and creating sustainable products to be used at home.  If you prefer the water, try snorkeling among Hawaii’s coral reefs, where you’ll learn about the underwater community and how all the life above and below the surface is interconnected.  Underwater photography expeditions let you capture your coral reef experience on film in ways that you probably never have before.

Now through April is peak whale-watching season in Hawaii, with approximately 10,000 humpback whales currently hanging out in the Hawaiian waters.  Ambassadors on whale watching trips will learn about the whale song, identification, and more through fun and interactive education.

The Ambassadors of the Environment program has lots to offer all year round — and it is flexible.  You can arrange customized group activities within the program when you contact the Ambassadors of the Environment Center at ambassadors.kapalua@ritzcarlton.com.

In addition to learning about the Hawaiian environment, you’ll learn valuable lessons about sustainable living that you can apply in your daily life, wherever you live.  The Ambassadors of the Environment program will soon be available at other Ritz-Carlton properties around the world.  For now, though, it’s one more good excuse to take a Hawaiian vacation.

When a quarry goes out of use, so often you’re just left with a giant hole in the earth that can’t be used for anything.  In Sonjiang, China, near Shanghai, developers are taking advantage of the “useless” real estate and building a 5-star resort hotel inside a quarry.  And it’s going to be flippin’ sweet.

Atkins Architects won a contest to design the hotel, and construction is currently under way on an aquatic-themed luxury resort.  As the quarry is partially full of water, the hotel will be partially underwater, offering spectacular aquarium views to guests in the restaurants, fitness areas, and lower story guestrooms.  At the top of the hotel, rising above the quarry, guests can enjoy an extreme sports center with activities like rock climbing and bungee jumping.

The 400-bed hotel is expected to be completed sometime this spring or summer.  The amenities are everything you’d expect from a 5-star resort, but my favorite part of the hotel is that it’s very green.  Building in an abandoned quarry instead of tearing up more land is innovative and environmentally friendly, but the Songjiang Hotel is going above and beyond just eco-friendly building.  The hotel will feature green roofing, natural lighting, and geothermal energy.  Sustainability is an important feature in the Songjiang Hotel design.  It’s luxurious, it’s eco-friendly, it’s totally unlike any other hotel I’ve ever visited — if only I had a good excuse to go to China…

Everyone knows it’s important to stay hydrated. Drinking lots of water is especially good for you when you’re on the go, because it will help keep your body from crashing while you’re out trying to see the world. I’ve been carrying a Nalgene water bottle with me everywhere I go for years. The hard plastic is durable and secure, so I can literally throw a full bottle of water in my backpack and not worry about leaks.

Of course a water bottle is a great accessory for outdoor adventures like hiking and camping, but they’re really pretty handy all the time. The only way I’m sure to get enough water each day is to carry it around with me. Drinking a glass or two with each meal and taking a sip at every water fountain I pass simply isn’t enough. I definitely recommend carrying a water bottle with you for air travel (fill it up after the security checkpoint, though), because lots of airlines won’t even give you free water anymore.

One last reason to carry a bottle like this with you is the environmental impact — reusable bottles like this are much more eco-friendly than disposable plastic bottles, even if you are recycling them.

But hard plastic bottles like my beloved Nalgene have gotten a bad rap lately. You can read a full explanation here, but basically the plastic in the bottles gives off an estrogen-like chemical that can be harmful, especially to young children and babies. From what I’ve read, you can avoid most of the dangers by never using the bottles for hot beverages, and washing them with cold water rather than in the dishwasher. The FDA has said that the exposure levels are nothing to worry about, though, so this could be a case of mass fear going overboard.

Nevertheless, Nalgene’s popularity is giving way to metal water bottles, which are now recommended by three out of four treehugging hippies. The new brand of choice is SIGG, a Swiss company that has been making their bottles for 100 years. The bottles come in sizes from .4 liters to 1.5 liters, and in a variety of solid colors, patterns, and collectible designs. (Note: I like purple.)

Backpacker magazine dubs SIGG bottles “The World’s Toughest Water Bottle,” and you should expect your bottle to last for 10-20 years or more, after which they are 100% recyclable. The materials have been thoroughly tested for leaching (the concern with plastic) and have been found completely safe. The internal coating is taste and scent neutral, so you can put just about any beverage you like in this bottle, from water to fruit juice to liquor.

SIGG is a member of the 1% For the Planet alliance, so when you buy SIGG products, 1% of that money will go straight to environmental causes.

I’m not necessarily on the get-rid-of-your-Nalgene bandwagon, but I do think SIGG bottles have a lot going for them, and if I don’t get one for Christmas this year, I’m treating myself.

According to YPartnership, 80% of travelers consider themselves environmentally conscious, and 40% say they would definitely choose eco-friendly accommodations if they were available. But did you know that, as a traveler, you probably have a much higher carbon footprint than those who stay put? No matter how well you reduce, reuse, and recycle, any flying you do is going to give your footprint a nasty jump. Jets use a lot of fuel. Even if you don’t fly to get where you’re going, hotels are notoriously bad at conservation. They wash towels and often linens after just one day’s use, everything in your room is individually wrapped and disposable, and just think of all the electricity it takes to heat and cool 450 rooms all to different temperatures. It’s staggering.

That’s why it takes more than just a little effort for a hotel to go green. Every little bit counts, of course, and we treehuggers appreciate every baby step taken, but for a hotel to really call itself a friend of the environment requires major efforts. Some do it by cutting back on certain amenities, meaning travelers often have to choose between their conscience and their comfort.

AAA says it doesn’t have to be this way. There are hotels that are both green and luxurious, and though most of the industry has a long way to go, more and more hotels are going green nowadays as consumers become more aware of their own environmental impact. AAA is currently working with the hotel industry to develop and publish eco-certification standards, and in a recent article, the travel authority has highlighted three American hotels that do both luxury and green very well.

Garden at the Fairmont Olympic

AAA commends the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle, which has maintained its AAA Five Diamond hotel status (the highest) for 24 consecutive years. It’s the only Five Diamond hotel in the Pacific Northwest, and it was one of the first in the country to embrace the green movement, putting compact fluorescent light bulbs in all guest rooms, implementing a recycling program, and using steam for heating and hot water. Earlier this year, the Fairmont began a composting program that has already diverted over 26 tons of organic waste from the landfills. The Fairmont has also published a Green Partnership Guide, full of ideas to help other businesses go green.

On the other side of the US, two Florida hotels also receive high marks from AAA, both as Five Diamond and eco-certified hotels.

The Breakers Palm Beach

First up is The Breakers in Palm Beach.  In addition to the standard green practices of recycling, regular A/C maintenance, and using energy efficient appliances and post-consumer recycled products throughout the property, The Breakers has an innovative water conservation program in place.  The hotel has installed low-flow automatic faucets and a reverse-osmosis plant with a 1,500-foot well.  This converts undrinkable water into irrigation water that the hotel uses in landscaping, saving 104 million gallons of potable water each year.  Wow!

The third Five Diamond eco-friendly hotel is The Four Seasons Hotel Miami.  Both the Four Seasons and The Breakers participate in the Florida Green Lodging Program.  The Four Seasons uses the latest technology in all of its plumbing to ensure water conservation, and the hotel promotes recycling among guests by providing a recycling bag in every room.  The hotel purchases the best in energy efficient appliances and eco-friendly cleaners, and has a massive daily recycling program for its 70-story building.

Your very green, super luxe bathroom at The Four Seasons Miami

These three getaways really are the best of the best, each striving for the best in luxury and eco-friendliness.  Here’s hoping that more vacation destinations will soon follow these excellent examples.