Who doesn’t love to daydream about exotic eco-travel destinations? One day in the not so distance past as I happened to be thinking about that very subject, I Stumbled Upon Travel Blissful–a place to be inspired to see more of the world.

I instantly became enamored with the plethora of great information that the site provided and reached out to author Erica Johannson. She agreed to contribute to PPnG from time to time with some fabulous eco-destinations around the world.

Here’s a post she wrote on eco-travel in Ecuador; a country I visited 12 years ago and have been longing to return to since.

The south-western province of Ecuador offers some of the top agro-tourism and eco-tourism sites in South America. Home to the nation’s largest city, Guayaquil, the region Guayas (pronounced gwī-äs) attracts travelers year-around.

The Canton of Bucay

Located east of Guayaquil, the Bucay Canton boasts more natural resources than any other canton in Guayas. The most visited attractions include El Bosque Humedo de la Esperanza (The Rainforest of Hope), and El Balneario de Agua Clara (The Clear Water Spa), where scenic waterfalls flow into the Chimbo river – a great place for rafting and tubing.

The Botanical Garden

Throughout the year, visitors to the Botanical Garden north of Guayaquil can observe more than 60 butterfly species, 70 bird species, 80 varieties of orchids, unique stones and minerals, and several medical plants.

Cerro Blanco (White Hill) Forest Reserve

Home to more than 200 species of birds, the Cerro Blanco (White Hill) Forest Reserve in Guayaquil serves as a shelter for plant species and animals such as the jaguar and howling monkey. With a large network of nature trails, three guided walking tours, camping and picnic spots, and an exhibit hall specifying the area’s ecosystem, Cerro’s guests can choose between many ways to experience the reserve’s abounding biodiversity.

Puerto El Morro

Often called “Las Pequeñas Galápagos” (The Mini Galápagos), Puerto El Morro acts as a start point for boat tours to the island of Manglesito and La Isla de los Pajaros (Island of Birds), home to more than 50 migratory bird species. Puerto El Morro is located about an hour and a half drive from Guayaquil, along the southeast coast of Guayas.

The Manglares-Churute Ecological Reserve

Considered one of the most important ecological reserves in South America, the Manglares-Churute Ecological Reserve situated in the Naranjal province features numerous ecosystems. Almost 70% of the park is covered in protected mangroves, where visitors can spot shorebirds such as egrets and laughing gulls.

Apart from observing protected ecological reserves and beautiful plants and wildlife, visitors to Guayas can enjoy cultural festivals, kayak and horseback ride along the coast, and tour banana, cacao, mango and coffee “haciendas” (plantations). To make the experience more personal, plantation farmers often invites guests home for a traditional meal with their family.

In an effort to prevent deforestation in Guayas, the region and Fundación Natura launched the “Amigo Árbol” (Friend of the Trees) program in May 2008.

Up to now, everyone from local school children to employees of large corporations have helped keep Guayas green for generations to come by planting miles of trees throughout the region.

Travelers wanting to help can visit the organization’s site www.amigoarbol.org (friends of trees) for more information.

This sweet 280 square foot guest suite was designed with the earth in mind. It’s called the Eco-Shed and is located on the hillside above Snug Cove Village on Bown Island in B.C.

Here are some eco-details: Its numerous green qualities include passive-solar design, extensive reclaimed and FSC-certified wood, highly efficient fixtures and windows, nontoxic materials and finishes, and excellent ventilation. The building’s spray-foam insulation system also offers excellent soundproofing. Via:: Eco-Shed

The Limes Hotel by Argentinian designer Alexander Lotersztain opened at the end of last month in Brisbane, Australia.

Okay, so talk about aesthetics up the yin yang. There’s an internal buzz happening on my end. This is just hot stuff. Check it out.

Roof setting overlooking the city of Brisbane, which is now officially on my radar.

Another rooftop view. I love those odd shaped tables that glow in the dark. So seductive.

“Drawing inspiration from a lifetime of international travel, with countless hours spent in airplanes and hotel rooms, Alexander concentrated his design focus on the 21 rooms to cater for the independent traveler, rejecting the 5-star norms and opting to focus on guests’ primary travel requirements through unique design solutions in styled lodgings.” Source:: Dezeen

Well…a trip to a country of tropical islands for vacation would hardly be complete without a trip to a beach with white sands and turquoise waters. Particularly for my 13-year-old daughter Lydia this was the fulfillment of a long-held dream; to be able to frolic in warm, clear waters that turn from a light turquoise to a deep blue.

The quiet island of Gili Meno off the northwest coast of the island of Lombok was just the ticket. The fastest thing on the island were the little lizards and the donkey carts and the noisiest things were the roosters in the morning and the geckos at night. Gili Meno is quiet in part because there are only about 300 inhabitants, no motorized vehicles and no fresh water. Lodgings are adequate but still fairly primitive and there just isn’t any nightlife. At least not in the nightclub sense! It suited us just fine.

A stroll around the entire island took just over 2 hours with a break for coconut juice at a little open air cafe. A bit of snorkeling revealed an aquarium’s worth of brightly colored fish and a trip in a glass-bottomed boat gave us the thrill of seeing about a dozen sea turtles! Dinner was as much freshly caught fish as you could eat for about $3.00 and, as long as the fan didn’t give out in your bungalow, life was good.

We only had a few days but they were a wonderful few days. As we lined up to splash through the surf and onto the boat that would take us back to Lombok we couldn’t help but think about the future of Gili Meno. Of all the reports and speculation I’ve seen and read about global warming and rising sea levels - small, flat Gili Meno made it very real to me.

Again, I come back to that feeling that all of these places are important to us - to our dreams and imaginations and the idea that, like Lydia, they can one day be realized. What a precious place you are Gili Meno. May you stay safe and be here for us to return to.

—Karen LeAnn McKay, Manager of Ten Thousand Villages Portland

In Bali I met with a group called Mitra Bali (shown at right.) They work with about 70 groups, primarily on Bali but also on Java. These beautiful products perfectly fuse traditional Balinese craftsmanship with modern design. It’s wonderful to witness the creative freedom in artisans as they explore new designs and ideas in art rather than being forced to hammer out the same thing over and over again. Fair trade is a way to both preserve traditional art forms and and allow a market for new expressions that are equally authentic. Mitra Bali has some great social programs and a very important business ethic that puts honesty, transparency and respect first.

Naturally scented cinnamon bowls from Mitra Bali.

On the island of Lombok I met with a smaller group (shown at left) that focuses exclusively on the traditional pottery of the island. Lombok pottery produces beautiful, low-fired pottery in traditional ways in the village but, again, with an openness to new shapes and designs. I was blown away by the simple beauty of the pieces. I hope that the design asthetic in the states returns again to a more natural, earthy look as I think that this will really help groups like this using natural materials. This group has to work very hard to make things work as their product is more limited, heavy and fragile. They work very hard to pack everything well (an art in itself!) and then they have to deal with the fact that shipping is getting more and more expensive. Lombok does not have a container port so things have to be trucked and ferried to Java.

Traditionally crafted cannisters from the island of Lombak; fairly traded pottery

So, once again, lots of connections. Let’s keep those connections active.

–Karen LeAnn McKay, Manager of Ten Thousand Villages Portland