Eat Green In London

happyjourney — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:23:55 +0000

What better way to compansate your flight then to eat organic green klimat friendly food?

If you’re going to London you’ll find many green oases with delicious delights!

I found my favorite which is the The Gallery Café, a cozy café with delicious pizza, and some really good wraps, pasta, sandwiches an divine VEGAN cupcakes!

And they’ve got free WIFI !

Me and Olof sat and enjoyed their lovely outdoor space for a loooong time

Nee diractions? Click here

Eco Tourism in Ukraine

happyjourney — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:20:27 +0000

Ukraine is the largest country in Europe but remains the least visited, probably due, in part, to the Chernobyl disaster and flagging post-Soviet economy, but like many countries in Eastern Europe Ukrainians have put the past behind them and are moving forward to a brighter future, especially in regards to ecotourism.

In a country that still boasts large stretches of relatively untamed natural areas,
ecotourism in Ukraine is growing fast. The value of this kind of tourism can never be underestimated as it not only provides the people of the country with much needed foreign currency, but it also helps to set up systems which protect the natural wildlife and help promote a more stable environment.

Visit Carpathian National Nature Park, home to the Hutsuls people, descendents of a nomadic tribe, explore the wetlands and wildlife of Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve or enjoy scuba diving and sailing in the Black Sea. Ukraine is certainly a country to keep an eye on.

There are still some beautiful and untouched places in Ukraine where time has stopped…

Unusual Hotels Of The World.

happyjourney — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:42:44 +0000

Are you craving something different? Visit http://www.unusualhotelsoftheworld.com/ and try a unique and unusual hotel for your next vacation.

Magic Mountain Hotel – Chile

You can spend the night underwater, cuddle up in an all-ice hotel, stay in a treehouse, or sleep in a sandwich. These unique hotels provide various lodging options, they have all kinds of categories like Art, Wild, Family or Romance so why not take your loved one and spend the night in a rustic waggon?.

Showmans Waggon – Rhayadar, UK

How To Find Green Hotels?

happyjourney — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:53:30 +0000

Do you want to find an eco friendly hotel? How do you know if a hotels is eco friendly?

It’s a jungle out there, but here are some sites that might help you in becoming a green Traveller!

Notice that these sites are helpful to a certain extent, none are foolproof. Use your best judgment when looking for an environmentally friendly hotel.

EnvironmentallyFriendlyHotels.com shows the most promise only because individual reviewers can submit their ratings. But unfortunately, not many folks have done that yet. Their rating system is a series of green trees where hotels that are the least green receive 1 tree and hotels that are the most green receive 7 trees. If people started reviewing these hotels this site could become beneficial.

Eco Hotels and Lodge Collection seems to have hotels and lodges that are more environmentally conscious, but there are fewer of them. One piece of information I found to be interesting on their site:

There are over 2500 Properties (including camp grounds) around the world claiming to be either “eco” or “green”. EHLC estimates that no more than 5% of these Properties fully deliver on all the required criteria, while another 15% are in the process of attaining truly Sustainable Tourism status. This top 20% segment is EHLC’s select target group from which we invite Properties into membership.

Green Hotels Association while it has a nice name, seems to be more of an advertising membership directory where you pay to be listed.

Sustainable Travel International offers an eco-directory (look under lodgings).

Responsible Travel specializes in holidays and tours and has an accommodation only section of their site.

The EU has the EU Eco-label and through their search catalogue you can search for tourist accommodation.

Energy Star rates American buildings including hotels. According to their website these facilities “are among the top 25% in the county for energy performance” .

Eco-Index Sustainable Tourism focuses on Latin America and the Caribbean.

Green Globe is a consulting and advisory company that allows you to search for accommodation.

International Ecotourism Society members must sign a code of conduct stating that they meet certain requirements.

Audobon offers a “green leaf” rating system. However, it is based on self-evaluations and a membership program.

Check list (when travelling with your pet)

happyjourney — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:55:48 +0000

You always forget something when you travel, right?

I’m a big fan of check lists, I think this one is good to have in hand while preparing for your trip with your pet.

Carrier

Leash

Collar

ID Tags

Food and Water

Dishes

Food

Bottled Water from Home

Blanket or Bedding

Pooper Scooper or Litter Supplies

Favorite Toy

Recent Photo of Pet Health Certificate or Shot Record (get from Vet)

Grooming Supplies ( brushes,toothbrush,shampoo…)

First Aid Kit for Dogs and Cats

Carpet deodorizer or Cleaner (just in case…)

Fjäderholmarna

happyjourney — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:35:43 +0000

Fjäderholmarna are a set of lovely archipelago islands close to Stockholm. One of my family members had a birthday recently and we decided to celebrate it on fjäderholmarna. We took the boat from Nybrokajen in central stockholm. It was a beautiful day and the sun was shining, so I really enjoyed the 25 min boat trip out to the islands. There is something magical about sweden during the summer, I have never seen a sky quite this blue.

After eating a satisfying meal at Systrarna Degen a cozy café that serves food, sandwiches and ice cream, we decided to go for a stroll and maybe find some interesting shops. And we hit the jackpot cause the main island is full of lovely handicraft shops (i love handcrafted stuff) so I was in heaven.

The main island is small but there is still a lot of things to do even for children, there is a children theater, an aquarium, a playground (witch we visited) and you can swim off cliffs or feed the ducks. The day passed by to quick, so I guess I have to go back and visit this lovely place again.

Dalarö – a Swedish Paradise Island!

happyjourney — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:14:26 +0000

I’m becoming more and more in love with Sweden. This weekend I visited Dalarö, an island in the southern part of the Swedish archipelago.

This beautiful summer paradise is situated only 40 km south of Stockholm. You can reach the island by car or buss and of course boat. I don’t know why I never took the time to swing by this lovely island?? Anyway I’m here now

Dalarö has a many attractions like galleries, museums, live music in the nice restaurants and breathtaking sceneries over the swedish archipelago The village center offers some really interesting boutiques I especially enjoyed Hampavaruhuset, a boutique that offers clothes and some other interesting stuff, such as oils etc all made from hemp. (An eco friendly alternative to cotton!) And there are plenty of cozy restaurants surrounding the village and the dock and they do allow pets at the patio.

Restaurant Mysingen

Dalarö Krog (restaurant)

Wandering around the old winding alleys and watching the lovely colorful houses (most of them are built in schweizer style) I can’t help but to wonder what this place would look like 200 year ago. I guess not much has changed? It’s still peaceful out here you can’t hear any cars, only some boat engines running and seagull laughing, the whole atmosphere in Dalarö really breathes relaxation. I am so grateful that I decided to have an eco friendly vacation and discover Sweden this year. I will definitely return to this paradise island soon

Lovely Houses

Sigtuna

happyjourney — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:03:53 +0000

I have decided to be a tourist in my own country, Sweden. See I have lived here for 27 years, but never seen, I mean like really seen what this country has to offer.
So I will begin by sightseeing in Stockholm and it’s surroundings.
My first stop is….

SIGTUNA

Sweden’s oldest town, founded in the 10th century. This is an small-scale and pedestrian friendly town, with charming wooden buildings by Lake Mälaren, less than an hour outside of Stockholm.
Sigtuna has a good selection of stores, cafés, restaurants and hotels, plus an interesting museum. The district is rich in rune stones, to fascinate history buffs.
It’s hard to imagine that this was once the city of kings, political contacts and the lutheran church. Today the streets of Sigtuna look like something straight out of an Astrid Lindgren fairy tale like Pippi longstockings.

Walking at the shores of Lake Mälaren, I realize that there is so much to do in Sigtuna: enjoy a sandwich or some fresh Danish pastry, newly grinded coffee, visit an art gallery and/or glassblowing hut, have an amazing shopping experience in all the beautiful boutiques or just stroll down the shore and look at the boats. Sigtuna seems to be a place where every one can find something they like.

5 Easy Eco Travel Tips!

happyjourney — Fri, 22 May 2009 21:01:29 +0000

Why not try to make your next trip a Eco friendly one? It takes less then you think to make a difference.

Here are some tips that can make your travel more GREEN and eco friendly:

1. Pack lightly. The heavier a plane is the more fuel it needs to get off the ground. Take one bag. That’s all you need. You can wash your clothes abroad.
You can read more on how to pack lightly here.

2. Stay with a friend. Your friend is heating or cooling his/her house anyways. Staying with them uses significantly less energy than staying in a hotel. You will probably have more fun and it’s usually cheaper.

3. Stay at a green hotel. There are plenty of hotels out there that cater to the green lifestyle. If you are going to stay in a hotel, stay at one of those.

4. Pick and choose your souvenirs. Kitsch can be cool, but it’s not cool when you bring a seven miniature, steel Eiffel Tower statues across the Atlantic via airplane. You are wasting gas to give people stuff that is less valuable than our resources, our environment and our future.

5. Take the train. The train may not get you there very fast, but you meet interesting people. You can sit by the window and watch the beautiful countryside unfold in front of you.

Travel Well

Travel Light

happyjourney — Fri, 08 May 2009 18:01:20 +0000

Oh I just love onebag.com, a site dedicated to the art and science of traveling light.
I enjoy traveling light, and I barely ever check luggage.
Packing light doesn’t just reduce hassle, it’s also good for the environment!
Getting in the habit of lightening your load means less stuff, which means less waste, and it also means that less energy is needed to transport you to your destination.

Doug Dyment, the author of onebag.com, gives you a detailed analysis of everything from what to pack, what to pack it in, and how to pack.
Dyment’s clever check list is available here.
This information is really handy when you travel extensively.

Dyment’s diagram of how to pack efficiently without wrinkling your clothes