I love that we now have a gazillion choices if we want to take an earth-friendly trip. Whether back packing or deluxe chilling a la Four Seasons, there is something for everyone.

What is so un-green about regular travel? Just about everything: getting there and back for starters usually involves an airplane, which leaves a somewhat massive carbon footprint, and then you will be carbon-foot printing all over the place in a conventional hotel with their daily laundry services and A/C blasting 24/7. Don’t think that going green means you’re going to have to sweat away in a grubby bamboo hut with mud floors, although if that’s your thing you can, but going green has now been taken to the next level of resort and hotel luxury.

You may choose to vacation nearer to home this year in order to avoid the cost and otherwise nightmarish aspects of air travel. Road trips are back in vogue, especially in a fuel- efficient hybrid (rent one for the trip); and rail travel is totally the way to go for the green girl.

Remember to tread super-lightly wherever you go, always respecting the land (don’t take rocks, shells or anything else to decorate your bathroom). Treat the local people and animals with great respect.

If you don’t want to go the whole green hog this year, as far as your vacation is concerned, pick just one thing that will make a difference. You might decide to carbon-offset your flight (www.climatefriendly.com), or pick a hotel that respects the environment. Remember very eco-choice you make counts!

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Hotelito Disconocido - $$$

This is the most eco-luxurious hotel you can imagine. Just north of Puerto Vallarta, you will arrive at this wonderful hotel and be able to totally remove yourself from the outside world.
You will be invited to switch off more than your Blackberry as you ease into a world of absolute peace.

There are 24 little bungalows on stilts over the water and each bungalow has itís own row- boat to get around. At night, the paths are lit by candlelight and the bungalows are all solar powered - can you imagine anything more romantic. The beauty of the Hotelito is that you get to be absolutely green, while at the same time being able to enjoy some serious luxury - yoga and massage aplenty and simply delicious food! A trip here is a gift for anyone you love. www.Hotelito.com

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KONA VILLAGE RESORT - $$$

If you want to take the weight off your shoulders and reduce your impact on the environment, head to Hawaii’s Big Island and book yourself in to the Kona Village Resort.

Built on the site of an ancient Fishing Village, the Resort spans 83 private acres set around a magnificent bay of salt and pepper sand. The water is pristine - only two feet in and you will see a myriad of brightly colored fish, manta rays and sea turtles. Needless to say, the snorkeling and diving is fantastic. Much of the property is built of a massive promentory of black larva which flowed down from the volcano two hundred years ago, splitting the village in two. The resort is comprised of 125 thatched hales (pronounced ha-lay). Coconut fronds are recycled to thatch the roofs and coconuts shells are used for the “do not disturb” signs in the rooms. Each hale is deluxe, with oversized beds, comfy reading chairs, huge wooden decks (some with hot tubs), and a lovely bathroom. There are no telephones, television or computers in the rooms so you really get to kick back and let go. This resort is the old Hawaii and it invites you to reconnect with nature in the most beautiful way; you will be lulled to sleep by the ocean waves and woken up by the cawing of minor birds; you can enjoy an oceanside massage and watch the giant turtles sunbathing on the beach every afternoon.

Ideal for a family vacation, the room rates are all-inclusive of food, numerous activities, kid’s programs and water sports. Here are two fresh-water swimming pools and two oceanfront restaurants. You can use the tennis courts, with daily lessons offered, a gym, a spa and a nearby golf course.

The food is delicious - breakfast and lunch is a gargantuan buffet feast offering everything your heart could desire. The chef sources much of his food locally, which makes for an eco- dining experience. There is a weekly paniola (cowboy picnic) with music and food and the resort boasts a permanent lu’au ground where they host a weekly Hawaiian dancing extravaganza (children invited to participate).

The loving details of the village are the icing on the cake: a tiny flash light to find your way around at night, a little stuffed donkey for children on arrival (there is a donkey sanctuary on the property), and an Orchid lei on your pillow every night.

I love that the Gorgeously Green girl can have her cake and eat it too at the Kona Village Resort: She can delight in all the fabulousness of this paradise, safe in the knowledge that her footprint is light. - www.KonaVillage.com