Make like Meghan and Harry and opt for a guilt-free trip of a lifetime
Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park
This dramatic terrace belongs to the aptly named Rhino Ridge, an Isibindi Africa lodge in South Africa’s Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park. You’ll spend the first two days of your five-night Extraordinary Journeys rhino conservation itinerary here, soaking up the unreal vistas and supporting the orphanage and ranger programmes, before moving on to the Manyoni Private Game Reserve to meet endangered black rhinos. From £1,775pp.
Gili Lankanfushi
As if we need any further encouragement to pack our bags for the Maldives, Gili Lankanfushi, a luxury eco resort on Lankanfushi Island with an intense focus on its extraordinary environment, has a bucket-list worthy project you can dive right into. With Coral Lines, you can assist marine biologists in a mission to re-plant coral in this precious corner of the Indian Ocean, preserving its vital ecosystem. Stays start at around £1,400pp.
Phum Baitang
Set within eight hectares of lush gardens and lemongrass meadows on the outskirts of Siem Reap in Cambodia, Phum Baitang means ‘green village’ in Khmer. The 45-villa luxury getaway has been designed to respect and value the surrounding ground by limiting its environmental imprint: it has its own water treatment facility, fuelled vehicles and plastic straws are forbidden and the rice served in the two on-site restaurants is directly cultivated by local farmers from surrounding paddy fields. Prices start at around £305 per night for a Terrace villa.
Peg Farm And Nature Reserve
Can you believe the Peg Farm and Nature Reserve is in Barbados? The Caribbean island, celebrated for its pure sands and azure waters, is also committed to eco-friendly farming practices, particularly at Peg, where two-hour daily tours will teach you about traditional uses of native Bajan plants and its free-range livestock. Stay at the nearby Fairmont Royal Pavilion for seven nights from £2,055pp.
Shamwari Game Reserve
South Africa’s Shamwari Game Reserve is not only a private paradise in the Eastern Cape for couples hankering after a quiet haven away from home, it also has a Born Free Big Cat Sanctuary on site, along with a rhino awareness centre (has there ever been a better time to visit?). Take tours and enjoy game drives (below), safe in the knowledge that you’re a help, not a hindrance. Kuoni offers four nights starting at £3,049, including flights and transfers.
Tivoli Eco-resort Praia do Forte
On the north coast of Bahia, Brazil, Tivoli Eco-resort Praia do Forte is home to monkeys, birds and lizards who live quite happily alongside the guests. The hotel itself has been designed with biodiversity in mind and built with natural materials, and the resort’s events diary is stuffed full of activities, such as trekking and whale-watching, that reflect this eco ethos. Superior rooms start at £270 per night’s stay.
Zapata Cattle and Bison Ranch
Meanwhile, back at the ranch: ride off into the sunset at Colorado’s 103,000-acre Zapata Cattle and Bison Ranch where you can participate in actual cattle work (if the cowboy hat fits…) and get to grips with its conservation herd of 2,500 wild bison. Owned by the Nature Conservancy of Colorado, this place is the real deal, whether you stay on site or venture out into the Great Sand Dunes National Park bordering the ranch for a hike. Seven nights costs from £2,559pp.
Sandals Ochi Beach Resort
Sandals is synonymous with the art of unwinding, but if you’re more about giving back than kicking back, there’s scope for that too. Jet off to its Ochi Beach Resort in Jamaica and you can make a positive impact on the community with the Reading Road Trip, which can be booked via the resort. As part of the rewarding experience, you’ll visit local primary schools and read to the children. Seven nights in a Riviera Bamboo Grove Luxury room costs from £1,879pp. </p
