5 Eco-friendly travel tips

Jonita Colaco

From packing light to eating like the locals, Jonita Colaco shares a few eco-friendly travel tips that will make your travel experience more interesting

Pack light

Did you know that merely by packing light you can actually save on fuel of airplanes, cars, trains, buses or any form of transportation that you use? The more weight the vehicle carries, the more fuel it will use and the lesser will be its efficiency. Pack fewer clothes, but choose ones that you can mix and match to create different outfits that keep up with your style statement. And the rule of the thumb goes–stick to essentials. What's in it for you? Packing light also means that if you shop a lot on your trip, you won't have to pay any extra charges for additional baggage.

Eat like the locals

Who doesn't love trying new dishes for an entirely different experience! Eating local food like the locals and if possible with the locals will not only expose you to a new cuisine and culture, but in rural areas it will also result in a boost to the economy of the village and the community. Shop at the weekly markets, dine at restaurants using local ingredients and take pleasure in the fact that you ate fresh instead of something that was flown or shipped from elsewhere.

Explore nature naturally

Are you out to explore a place all alone or with just your spouse? Why not join some other tourists, exchange notes and experiences, and if possible also hire a vehicle together (like a carpool of sorts)? If you’re travelling shorter distances, say in a city or village, you can go marching on foot and feel up close and personal with vibe of the place. Satisfy your curiosities about the place. Discover something new. Cycling is another lovely way to go green–you'll be building a healthy environment and a healthy body.

Have a 'Good' stay

Most hotels or homestays try to offer you a home away from home. We're suggesting that you even treat places you travel to like your own home. So if you put off the lights when you're stepping outside your house, don't let the tap run endlessly, don't throw trash all around your house, then why do this at places you travel to? Keep up with your green habits wherever you go and be a good friend of your environment.

Shop, shop, shop

Shop for therapy, shop for fun, shop till you drop. While you're at it, create your personal stamp. Don't bring back your treasures in the common plastic bags, carry it back in your own trendy, cloth and paper bags. So you get to be different and make a difference to the environment too. Can you beat this deal?