Alight Travel

08/07/2022

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/agra/10-year-old-activist-raises-issue-of-trash-around-taj-mahal/articleshow/92398135.cms

Logan Cohen, Director of Sustainability for our parent company Wayaj, has this to say about it:
"Without proper handling, plastic waste can remain in the environment for a very long time. In fact, even the very first piece of plastic still has not had enough time to degrade. It's great to see that young people understand this issue and are inspired to take action against it and make the world a better, cleaner place."

Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues in the country and especially the conveniences it offers have led to a thr

08/07/2022

We have BIG news: India has banned 19 single use plastic items that frequently become litter, from straws to plastic cups. In a nation of 1.4 billion people, that's a major environmental win...and one we can't help but toast (with a glass cup, obviously) during ! At Alight, we know small things can have enormous impact—as evidenced by 10 year old climate change activist instagram.com/licypriyakangujam who spoke at the United Nations Climate Conference in 2019 and recently went viral publicizing the rampant trash on the riverbanks behind the Taj Mahal. Licypriya, you are !

06/07/2022

When life hands you 🍋, make a Limoncello Spritz! 📹 from Capri, courtesy of instagram.com/erinnobrienn

05/07/2022

You don’t have to imagine a world without single use plastic, because it actually exists: and in paradise, no less. Royal Davui Island Resort ~ Fiji abstains from using ANY throwaway plastics on their 10-acre private isle, including straws and water bottles. Instead, you’ll find the types of luxuries that last—like private plunge pools in all 16 bungalows, prime overlooks of the Beqa Lagoon, and incredible snorkeling in the reef (thanks in part to their firm “no fishing” rule in the one mile of sacred surrounding waters). No wonder it’s garnered a 97/100 sustainability rating with Alight Travel! It’s 🌎 💯

04/07/2022

Fireworks are * so * 1776, amirite? So in 2022, we’re celebrating 🇺🇸 the eco-friendlier way: by getting out to enjoy our nearest jaw-dropping natural wonders. Shown here? Horseshoe Bend, Arizona, where the Colorado River snakes through three layers of rock—kaibab limestone, coconino sandstone and hermit shale—under 1,000 foot high cliffs. 🌟

03/07/2022

People rave about “Sundowners” when they go on safari, but maybe “Sunuppers” are actually the way to go?! 🥞🤤 Thanks for the inspo, instagram.com/marlondutoit!

01/07/2022

We don’t want to get too alarmist, but facts like these make us question every spritz we ever drank. The fact is, humanity survived juuuuust fine (well, relatively) before the advent of synthetic plastic in 1907. So why do we seem to need it in almost everything we buy these days? Our goal for —beyond avoiding single use plastics—is to focus on changing the way we travel, so the only thing we leave behind at the hotels we visit are our Insta posts. Join us!

30/06/2022

Amsterdam is *already * renowned for its sustainable ethos (68% of commuters here bike, after all). And yet Instagram.com/ecomamahotel is pushing the green envelope even farther. You’ll know from the moment you check in at the lobby—where all the furniture is upcycled, and the reception desk was made from towers of recycled books—that this place is anything but standard issue. Among the many, many things that make this one of the greenest stays on earth: a grass roof; water-efficient plumbing; bans on single-use plastics, and more. Oh, did we mention that 80% of the food and drink served here is locally sourced? Talk about a green scene!

Ecomama Hotel has a Hotel Sustainability Rating of 70/100 on Alight, and 100/100 rating for community impact and involvement. 💚 Head to the link in our bio to learn more about this special property.

29/06/2022

Monkeying around is soooo much more fun at Bali’s Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, where some 1,059 macaques frolic through lush forests and 14th century temples. For your safety, be sure to abide by all 🐒 guidelines…like don’t slide down the stair banana-ster!

Cute pics by instagram.com/zeynepalkanz

28/06/2022

We’ve got nothing against a pool, but…what if your hotel aaaalso had access to subterranean swimming caves worthy of Indiana Jones on vacay? At Bermuda’s 21-acre Grotto Bay Beach Resort & Spa, you will—and the 500,000-year-old spa cave is so cinematic (as this video by instagram.com/robertharvey proves), you’ll never, ever want to leave. Adding to the hotel’s allure: a rum bar, private beach, dive shop, all-inclusive option…should we go on? 🌊☀️ 🏊🏝️

27/06/2022

🌱 🌎 🌱
Desmond Tutu—South African human rights activist (and the first Black Anglican Archbishop of Johannesburg and Cape Town)—won a Nobel Prize, so…yeah, we should listen to him!

24/06/2022

Mkay, so maaaaybe El Salvador’s 114-foot-long Rainbow Slide—which is tucked within the grounds of Picnic Steak House near San Salvador City—looks like it was built for 🌈. But who cares? Sometimes we are in desperate need of a li’l technicolor fun (as this video by instagram.com/thetravelingchild will attest). And when you can have it with a side of steak? We’ll say it: “Wheeeeeee!”

23/06/2022

No wonder Greece tops many an influencer’s bucket list: it *ouzos* with charm, does it not? We’re currently obsessing over Thalatta Seaside Hotel, which is like a Greek God’s fever dream sprung to life. Not only is it far from the madding crowds on a quieter island, Evia, but the beachfront property has won a coveted Green Key award for its sustainable approach to hospitality. Oh, and lush forests, secret canyons and towering waterfalls are your neighbors here…just waiting to be explored. How do you say “heavenly” in Greek?

22/06/2022

Um....we're not sure how instagram.com/kenziesgoneagain remained as cool as an Alaskan stream when that bear frolicked like he was on Dancing with the Stars right in front of her but...we're furever grateful for this video!

20/06/2022

Even more life-changing than *finally* crossing Machu Picchu off your Bucket List? Knowing that Peru is working to make the 15th century Incan citadel the first ever totally carbon-neutral wonder of the world (on the agenda: planting a million trees in the surrounding cloud forest and transforming all oil from area restaurants into biodiesel). We're going to alpaca our bags!

Video by instagram.com/chloe_emeline3

19/06/2022

Wishing fellow Americans happiness and love this Juneteenth ❤️ 🖤 💚

17/06/2022

Bored with your standard green smoothies? Us, too. This chocolatey recipe from an .travel partner ecolodge set on a biodynamic farm, Costa Rica’s Finca Luna Nueva Lodge has alllllll of the antioxidants and a bit of a kick, thanks to a whisper of cayenne. We only wish we were sipping on ours in our rainforest-side hammock at Finca Luna Nueva Lodge right now!

16/06/2022

Making zoos fun for adults is an (ahem) tall order. But Emirates Park Zoo has more than done it, thanks to unforgettable experiences. Top of our list? Their “Breakfast with Giraffe” experience, which includes—you guessed it!—starting the day the best possible way by indulging in nibbles alongside these gentle giants, with plenty of photo ops along the way. But what's even better is that Emirates Park Zoo is renowned for its green scene: they convert animal waste into compost, save more than 100,000 cubic liters of water annually (thanks to their water filtration system), and much more. Talk about !

Pic by instagram.com/handsomegent14
Emirates Park Zoo & Resort

15/06/2022

Marry us, Marrakech….because you’re too fabulous for words! The gem featured here is La Sultana Marrakech –one of our all time favorite Moroccan retreats. This jewel in the crown of the Kasbah has lush courtyard gardens 🌴, a 21,000-square-foot rooftop terrace, and a spa scene that’s nothing less than divine (don’t miss the black soap and local clay exfoliation in the hammam). Discover this and many other now on alight.travel.

Special thanks to instagram.com/rosannafalconer for capturing this picture-perfect moment in the hotel's Bahia Riad 🤩

14/06/2022

We’re [water] falling for the Dominican Republic after seeing this dreamy situation (thanks for the FOMO, sirenomanrd!). Seen here: La Culebra, which mistily tumbles 30 feet into turquoise pools. Say it with us: “Aaaaah.”

Video by instagram.com/sirenomanrd

13/06/2022

Sure, Nemo was cute…but the pufferfish of Mexico’s Baja Sur are LEGENDS. In seconds, they can inflate into a ball to ward off predators; contain a toxic substance that tastes awful (also off-putting for any beast hangry enough to try to eat them); and unlike other fish—don’t have scales, but spines. Oh, did we mention they’re carnivorous? Talk about “killer"!

Video by instagram.com/thegreatplanet

12/06/2022

If there’s one thing we can all agree on in this world, it’s that children are the future. In honor of —observed since 1856—we’re shining a spotlight on one of our favorite Nepalese retreats, Alight partner . Along with Pack for a Purpose, they help the kids in local Rakhi and Shillinge villages receive the school supplies they need to thrive, from solar calculators to math textbooks. Guests of the regenerative stone lodge, which peeps out on the show-stopping, spire-like mountain peak of Machhapuchhre, can often stop in to meet the kiddos…a transformative experience no one will ever forget.

10/06/2022

Ah, sunflowers…is there anything sweeter? We love that each one is made up of thousands of itsy bitsy blooms (look closely 👀) and that they track the sun as it dances across the sky each day. Seen here: the lush sunflower fields of Waimanalo, Hawaii. Aloha! 🌻

09/06/2022

Got a case of the Thursdays? Us, too. Thankfully, life’s even better than a beach at Guatemala’s Las Lagunas Boutique Hotel, Museum & Spa —straddling a lagoon and shrouded in rainforest. Here, ancient Mayan ruins of Uaxactún, Tikal and Yaxhá are your neighbors; there’s a 300-acre nature reserve right on the premises; and everything from the infinity pool to the suites lofted over the water is jaw-dropping. Meet ya there?!

📷 Las Lagunas Boutique Hotel, Museum & Spa

08/06/2022

You don’t have to be a mer-person to dive down deep into the coterie of mobula munkiana rays in Baja, Mexico’s Ventana Bay. They arrive by the thousands here late April through July (and again November through January) to feast on plankton and—well—participate in mobula munkiana ray hookup culture! (Yep, it’s mating season.) Nobody who swims along with them will ever forget it. What better place to celebrate ?

📹 by Instagram.com/alexsharks_

06/06/2022

Vacay vibes, amirite? 💃🕺 Here on Renaissance Island’s adults-only Flamingo Beach, you may spot the resident birds seemingly “dance.” They’re actually performing any of some 136 courtship moves…so it might be time to avert your eyes and focus on your local Aruban aloe, sage and gin cocktail……😂

📹 instagram.com/thegreatplanet

05/06/2022

Happy World Environment Day!
Alight empowers travelers to make small changes that lead to a huge positive impact over time. This principle is based on the butterfly effect–the idea that small events can have large influence on the future. Hence the butterfly in our logo. 😉

Head to alight.travel to learn more about how you can be part of the movement to make travel more sustainable for communities and the world.

📹 of the monarch butterfly migration in Michoacán, Mexico, captured by instagram.com/mexicosorprendente 🦋

04/06/2022

We feel soOoo sorry for Emily in Paris. Sure, she has fun, but so far she has not gotten to stay—like this lucky lady, shown—at the new . This garden-flanked retreat has zero carbon footprint, loaner bikes, and suites complete with leafy terraces and deep soaking tubs. Comme c'est magnifique! 🇫🇷

Explore this hotel property and others on alight.travel.

📷 instagram.com/decouvrirensemble

03/06/2022

We're smiling bc it's Friyay. And we're *also* smiling because Sal, a paradisiacal island off the coast of western Africa where it's sunny a whopping 350 days a year, exists. 😎 Oh, did we mention this 84-square-mile isle is home to a reserve of loggerhead sea turtles, whose nesting grounds have boomed here in the last five years? Friyay, indeed. 🐢🌊

📷 instagram.com/roryyyyyyyyyy

02/06/2022

This tree house would give Swiss Family Robinson a major case of The Sads. Tucked alongside the glimmering lagoon of Oualidia in Morocco, the pride of La Sultana Oualidia is stocked with a private terrace and whirlpool bath and comes with doting butler service plus eco-leaning amenities galore (yep, that’s an organic garden with your name on it 🥒🍆🍅🥕🥬).

📹 La Sultana Oualidia