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If sustainability and a commitment to the environment are high on your list when it comes to booking a room, you’ve probably stayed at an ecolodge or two during your travels. These nature-focused retreats work in sync with the surrounding environment to offer a stay that has as little impact on the environment as possible, and they often place you right in the heart of the local landscape. If this sounds like your kind of getaway, check out these six amazing ecolodges from around the world.

Huaorani Ecolodge, Amazon Jungle, Ecuador

Not only does Huaorani Ecolodge place you in the depths of the Ecuadorian Amazon (you’ll have to take a canoe to reach the lodge), but you’ll also get a chance to interact with the local community of Huaorani tribe members during your stay. This ecolodge offers a complete immersion into the Huaorani way of life, including activities like hikes, community visits and market tours. Guests stay in palm-thatched cabins built in the traditional Huaorani style, too.

Selva Negra Ecolodge and Coffee Estate, Northern Nicaragua

This fully sustainable compound in Northern Nicaragua offers “a stay in the clouds,” thanks to its location in the cloud rainforest of Selva Negra. Guests can tour the coffee estate, check out the working farm or sample artisan cheeses that are made onsite. The surrounding forest and lake make the hustle and bustle of home feel a million miles away.

Sal Salis, Ningaloo Reef, Australia

Nine wilderness tents sit off the Australian coast near Ningaloo Reef at Sal Salis, where guests are treated to views of the surrounding sand dunes and waters from the comfort of their luxury tent. In the spring, guests can swim with whale sharks, while fall guests can watch sea turtles climb ashore to lay their eggs (the camp works with the Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation to monitor the turtles). Here, there is nothing standing between you and the natural beauty of Australia.

Hale Akua Garden Farm, Maui, Hawaii, United States

There isn’t a single pesticide or herbicide to be found on the seven acres of Hale Akua Garden Farm on Maui, where guests can retreat to learn about organic farming, soak in a saltwater pool or join a yoga class. This eco-friendly organic farm uses well water as its water source, a solar system for most of its power needs and sustainable bamboo flooring.

La Selva Lodge, Amazon Jungle, Ecuador

The check-in amenity at La Selva Lodge in the Amazon Basin? A pair of binoculars, which come in handy when it comes time to check out the surrounding rainforest and its wildlife inhabitants from the bamboo suites. Guests can learn to cook from a local, tour a village of a native tribe or learn to use a blowgun like an indigenous tribe member. Committed to protecting the Amazon, La Selva Lodge uses sustainable bamboo rather than wood, and waste water is treated and returned to the local environment. Food waste is also repurposed for the onsite gardens.

El Portal Sedona Hotel, Sedona, Arizona, United States

Situated in the desert town of Sedona, Arizona, El Portal Sedona Hotel is a traditional Southwestern-style building with plenty of eco-friendly architecture. The building’s 18-inch-thick adobe walls keep the hotel so insulated that the inside temperature would hardly change if the air conditioning went out. Recycled 200-year-old wood beams and trim are used throughout the property, while the roofs are covered in plants and grasses that absorb rain water and offer thermal protection. While you’re at El Portal, you can also join one of the hotel’s eco-friendly jeep tours of the surrounding desert.

(Main image: Hale Akua Garden Farm)

About the author

Marissa WillmanMarissa Willman earned a bachelor's degree in journalism before downsizing her life into two suitcases for a teaching gig in South Korea. Seoul was her home base for two years of wanderlusting throughout six countries in Asia. In 2011, Marissa swapped teaching for travel writing and now calls Southern California home.

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