With only seven luxury bungalows and three villas, this resort is definitely high-end. Balconies with views of the sea, an open dining room, and cliff-top bar make Nihiwatu a place that won't soon be forgotten. At the resort you can explore the property, which is housed on 438 acres of tropical forest, with rice terraces and grasslands opening up to two and half kilometer long Nihiwatu beach.
Directly in front of the resort is one of the world's most perfect waves. Note: This wave is not for beginners. It breaks from deep water onto a shallow coral reef directly in front of the resort, tubing from start to finish. It is thick and steep on the takeoff and sucking a lot of water up the face. Looking for a thrill? The biggest season is from May through October. In between you may find waves in the three to six foot range.And here is why we can't wait to go to Nihiwatu: they are a leader in responsible tourism through their strong support of the Sumba Foundation. The Foundation's mission is to help the local Sumbanese people by improving their quality of life while carefully preserving their strong cultural traditions and heritage. Sign us up!
Finally, for the snow bunny who wants to tread lightly, Montblue Resort in Tahoe is doing its best to go green. Some of the initiatives they are working on are behind the scenes (using recycled paper for all business cards and letterhead, changing to florescent lights, etc.), and like many other hotels, they now encourage guests to reduce the laundering of linens and towels in an effort to conserve water. Montblue is also changing to environmentally-friendly products, such as Aveda toiletries in the rooms and housekeeping's cleaning products. The resort is also planting more trees and plants around the inside and outside of the hotel and they are trying to conserve energy by placing lights on timers. Shuttles from Montblue go directly to some of the major mountains in the Lake Tahoe area, including Heavenly (which we noticed has an all-women's clinic for female riders!) and Sierra at Tahoe.
Wherever you travel, remember to lighten your footprint. You can easily offset carbon emissions from air and car travel by donating online at carbonfund.org. Additionally, ask that the hotel wash towels and sheets from your room only when you really need it and remember to conserve both energy and water wherever you are (take shorter showers and turn off lights when you are not in your room!). Do some research before you travel and try to choose hotels and restaurants that are eco-friendly (if you call to ask about what they're doing when you book or while you're there, maybe it will encourage them to do more). Happy traveling!
Wish I was there,
Rebecca
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