The Global Basecamps Blog

While helping people globe-trot responsibly is our specialty, we applaud giving Mother Earth a helping hand at home as well. That's why we've started a new blog series to honor those in our own backyard (San Diego County, California) who have developed innovative ways to recycle, reuse, and reduce. Top on our list is Enjoy Handplanes, an ingenious product developed by avid surfers and creators of The Leucadia Project, Ed Lewis and Kipp Denslow.

So, what are handplanes? Think of them as mini surfboards for your hands that take bodysurfing to a whole new level--you'll ride waves all the way to the sand and about five times faster. Want proof? Just check out this picture on the left from a camera mounted handplane.

cc licensed flickr photo shared by Dean Terry

We know you love to be green on your sustainable vacations with Global Basecamps, but isn’t it time you brought the green home with you?

One latest trend in green design is fairly simple—build less. You probably know the three ‘R’s of conservation: reduce, reuse, and recycle. Well, what better way to reduce than by reducing your house’s square footage?

But of course, building a smaller house is more difficult than it sounds—for many, a big home is more of a status symbol than a convenience. Nevertheless, the days of 'garage mahals', 'McMansions', 'hummer homes', and 'starter castles' are limited.

Pole Pole, which means “take it easy” or “slowly, slowly” in Swahili, is one of the world’s most exclusive eco-resorts. With an ideal location in the Mafia Island Marine Park of Tanzania and only seven bungalow suites, Pole Pole provides the ultimate in the deserted island (with five star service) experience--the best of both worlds, if you ask me!

So far we’ve talked about two aspects of sustainability: community outreach and sustainable construction management. Today, we’ll add one more element to the mix to further break down what makes a hotel sustainable: energy efficiency!

In America, energy efficiency is a well-known face of the green movement. With US EPA initiatives like Energy Star, regional water conservation campaigns, and fluorescent light bulb displays in every IKEA, Americans are often asked to conserve and make their homes more energy efficient.

A common phenomenon in hotels now is to encourage guests to reuse towels and sheets to conserve water. However, real sustainable hotels take it a step further, using creativity to build energy efficiency into the building’s architecture.

Curious about exploring India? From ancient cities to some of the most luxurious heritage hotels in the world, travel expert, Andres Zuleta, shares his advice on how to plan an amazing adventure.