April 19, 2007

Europe | England | London

The A to Z of Eco-cations

By Mark Jolly

Going green doesn't mean staying home.

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So it’s Earth Day on Sunday, and you’re thinking: how do I make sense of it all? How can I blend the luxe life and the green life? How can I globetrot like the globorati and still keep my trip carbon-free, or carbon-neutral — or wait, should I be reducing my carbon footprint, or is it carbon offsetting? Traveling in sustainable style has never been more pressing — or confusing. With clear-cut pointers, Forbes addresses the “modern paradox” of trying to embrace the world’s natural wonders without destroying the environment to get there (think: slow travel). Meantime, Daily Candy’s straight-to-the-chase travel missive lays out some ways of “paying your energy toll” with such services as Terra Pass, which works out your emissions based on the distance you’re driving or flying.

But globorati is all about giving you the ultimate experience. And so here’s the ultimate A to Z of eco-cations: Acorn House and Zanzibar. Named by The Times as “the most important restaurant to open in London in the past 200 years,” Acorn House is Britain’s first truly environmentally sustainable eatery. By which we mean every single element from design to delivery is squeaky-clean eco-intelligent: bio-diesel transportation; purified water on site (no wasted glass or plastic); tables from reclaimed wood; and yes, locally-sourced produce. Oh, and you don’t have to wear hemp underpants to feel comfortable there: located in swiftly gentrifying Kings Cross, Acorn has been conceived stylishly enough to rival the chicest of joints on nearby Upper Street.

And Zanzibar? Yes, as we recently reported, that’s where you’ll be able to experience the planet’s first five-star carbon-free resort, now being developed by the group behind the world’s first underwater spa. Don’t expect an opening date any time soon. But who knows, by the time it’s a reality perhaps the all-premium class Silverjet — “the world’s first carbon-neutral airline” — will be flying there?