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| Stay green despite the credit crunch Tue 2 December 2008
As carbon footprints and global warming become part of our everyday vocabulary, many of us want to minimise the environmental impact of our holiday. You'll be glad to know that going green doesn't have to break the bank balance with some help from holidaylettings.co.uk. When taking an eco holiday don't stop at travelling by train and offsetting carbon emissions, the eco-credentials of your holiday home are important too. From taking a dip in the solar-heated pool, to enjoying a cosy evening in the warmth generated by ground source heat pumps, being a green traveller won't see you compromising on comfort.
Up Your Eco Credentials…
 Moonraker, Camber, Sussex
This warm and welcoming beach house is decorated in a rustic comfortable style in keeping with local themes. All rooms are underfloor-heated using energy drawn from a geothermal pump in the gardens. Rooms are equipped to high standards with iPod docking, digital radios and flatscreen televisions. There is a playroom on the ground floor to keep children entertained, which includes table tennis, pool table, vintage boxing bag, air hockey, darts and various board and beach games. The property also has two large patio areas (off the living room and master suite) allowing you a chance to relax in the winter sunshine.
Moonraker is neighbour to an eco-cafe selling delicious local fare and will make up lunch picnics including hot and cold food. Camber itself is famous for the award-winning Blue Flag sandy beach, with the only sand dunes in East Sussex. There are great shallows at low tide, allowing keen kite and windsurfers alike to make the most of this coastline. In the autumn and winter months the beach is almost mystical, with sun-dappled cycling paths and great gusts of winds for those brave enough to continue their watersports, or perhaps just walk the dog.
Sleeps up to 6, from £550 per week
 Ararat Cottage, Pampelonne, Tarn, Midi-Pyrenees, France
Ararat is a delightful two bedroom beamed cottage with a superb viewpoint and picnic terrace which overlooks the gorges of the Viaur River. A woodland area below has a trampoline, swing and play area for children. Relax and chill out by the heated swimming pool or take one of the marked walks that start directly from the property, all in an area of outstanding natural beauty. The cottage is managed by English speaking owners who are on site.
Ararat’s green credentials include solar power, solar hot water and pool heating, and emissions are offset by investments into renewable energy projects. Energy saving devices are installed throughout the site and water is collected and stored. The Tarn is an area of outstanding natural beauty with winding gorges, steep hills and woodland. The climate is hot, dry and sunny in the summer and cold and dry in the winter. The area is surrounded by Bastide towns (walled, medieval towns) which contain a rich history and have retained much of their orginial character.
Sleeps up to 5, from £320 per week
 Finca de Arrieta, Lanzarote, Canary Islands
This luxury property has been tastefully furnished with infuences from Morroco and Indonisia giving it a luxurious, exotic feel. The house in set on an estate of 30,000 meters of land and has a number of friendly farm animals, such as free range hens that deliver fresh eggs for breakfast every morning and the on-site donkey, who happily provides rides for children. There are also mature gardens which include fruit trees & bushes such as Mango, Banana, Guava & Lime. The area was originally farming land and has two natural wells, the house is in fact a fully restored Aljibe 'Water Deposit' and has been styled using local volcanic stone and wood.
Finca de Arrieta has impeccable green credentials as everthing is efficiently powered by solar and wind energy - there are 30 solar panels, batteries and two large windmills. This rural location is a perfect setting for a relaxing holiday in the country with the beauty of being next to the beach. Arrieta is a Canarian fishing village with restaurants serving local cusine, supermarkets, bakers & sea front tapas bars. Finca de Arrieta is a wonderful place to holiday and experience the true Lanzarote.
Sleeps up to 8, from £855 per week
Top Tips for a Green Holiday
• Wherever you travel on holiday, try and offset your carbon emission. Use a search engine such as Google to find out how to do this.
• Even if you need to travel by air to reach your holiday destination, try not to hire a car when you're there. Rent a bicycle and explore the local area, or if you're planning longer day trips, use public transport where possible. If you do need to hire a car, pick the most fuel-efficient model on offer.
• Take a solar-powered battery charger with you if you're holidaying in a sunny destination. This will save you a lot of money in the long run too.
• Support the local economy and try to buy local goods when you're on holiday. Buying locally produced groceries and souvenirs will cut down on carbon dioxide emissions created by transporting goods from afar.
• Unless it's not advisable to drink tap water in the country where you're holidaying use a refillable water bottle rather than buying gallons of bottled water when you're out for the day.
• Carry a spare bag with you when out and about so you don't have to use plastic carrier bags.
• If you're exploring the countryside, always stay on marked paths and respect any wildlife you come across.
See the full selection of eco properties offered by holidaylettings.co.uk here
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About Holiday Lettings:Holidaylettings.co.uk provides an effective means of online advertising for holiday homeowners and a user-friendly search tool for holidaymakers to book accommodation direct with owners. There are currently more than 30,000 holiday homes to choose from in 114 countries worldwide.
Established in 1999, holidaylettings.co.uk is the UK's most visited holiday home website attracting in excess of 1 million visitors each month; and is part of FTSE 250 company Rightmove.co.uk. Contact details:
Public Relations Team
Kate Stinchcombe
+44 (0)1865 312010
Click here to email the PR Team |
