Loath to trade in your 1,000-thread-count sheets for rough-woven ones that feel like burlap? Have no fear. Here are our picks for green retreats that are eco-friendly and still sinfully sumptuous.
Almora, India: The first and only place of its kind in the Himalayas, Shakti 360 Leti has four stylish cabins at 8,000 feet. The eco-chic cabins are built with local materials - and all have glass walls so you never have to waste the mind-blowing views. Spend your time reading, doing yoga, or taking walks through the mountains.
Northwestern Egypt: Adrere Amellal is a desert eco-lodge constructed in 11th-century style-that is, out of rock salt and clay. There's no electricity, rather beeswax candles light up the place. Use it as a base for excursions into the Great Sand Sea, or check out the ruins of the Temple of Amon, where Alexander the Great visited in 331 BC. Or simply chill in the Siwa lake, said to be as salty as the Dead Sea-therefore excellent for the skin.
Jalisco, Mexico: Want to try a beachfront resort quite unlike any other? Try Hotelito Desconocido, a sustainable retreat in Playon de Mismaloya, a marine turtle sanctuary, on Mexico's Pacific coast. Committed to preserving the natural surroundings and making as little impact as possible on the environment - the hotel runs on solar power by day, and at night is illuminated solely by candlelight. Rooms have no phones or electricity and windmills pump water for spa treatments.
Hoang Lien Mountains, Vietnam: Topas Ecolodge is the perfect base from which to visit Hoang Lien National Park and to commune with ethnic hill tribes. When you're not trekking or mountain biking through friendly villages, enjoy the stunning view of the green peaks from your own private solar-powered bungalow constructed from local materials.
Northern Belize: Owned by Francis Ford Coppola, Blancaneaux Lodge is a 20-room eco-resort in the Maya Mountains. All the buildings use environmentally sound design, the lodge is self-sustaining in energy, and with over three acres of vegetable and fruit orchards, most of the food at the restaurant is grown on the premises. Explore the jungle on horseback, visit ancient Mayan ruins, or just hop into a hammock.
