Relax - Let's go eco!

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THE little fella wiggled in my arms, flapping its tiny flippers excitedly, in rhythm with the quickened thumping of my heart.

Together with more than 100 journalists, I lined up on a beach in Cherating one evening, about two days into a recent trip.

We were about 2m away from the gentle waves breaking gently on the pristine sand, by now compacted by the rising tide. We were all holding little turtles in our hands, ready to release them into the big, bad world.

I whispered a quick goodbye to the tiny hatchling in my arms - seven-day-old Esther II, self-christened in the haste of the moment, and with my usual lack of creativity - before laying it down on the sand, and watching it shoot off into the frothy waves. Others followed hurriedly, all equally brave.

Earlier in the day, we had visited a government-run turtle sanctuary located just next to the beach. It not only serves as a visitor education centre, but also monitors turtles during their nesting season, removing any eggs laid in the beach, so as to help protect the endangered animals.

The eggs would be allowed to hatch, and the newborn turtles released into the sea.

Another protected turtlenesting site can be found in the 4km-long beach at Club Med Cherating, which the French holiday chain had just declared its first Eco-Nature resort.

The resort works very closely with the nearby sanctuary for mutual benefit.

For example, resort guests get to enjoy visits to the sanctuary, and even witness turtles laying their eggs during the nesting season.

In return, the sanctuary gains a wider audience and creates greater awareness of its conservation message.

Within the region, Club Med Cherating is the latest addition to a fast-expanding group of resorts with an ecological and environmental focus.

Britain's Independent newspaper recently reported statistics by online-travel booking site Travelocity, suggesting that green-hotel bookings are about 65 per cent higher than nongreen bookings during the first three months of this year.

In 2006, German travel giant TUI awarded its first "ecoresort" badge to establishments that allow guests to experience nature, commit to sustainable development, are ecologically efficient and are certified "green" by international standards.

The number of TUI properties awarded the label has risen from 24 in 2006/07 to 50 this year, the report said.

CLUB'S GREEN CONSCIOUSNESS

Club Med Cherating was opened in the late 1970s, and constructed with local materials, the holiday chain said, adding that it boasts a low ratio of buildings to nature.

The resort also houses at least two endangered species, the clouded monitor lizard and the hornbill, which makes it the perfect place to inaugurate the holiday chain's Eco-Nature line.

Said Mr Olivier Horps, Club Med's managing director in the Asia-Pacific: "More and more people are telling us that they want to go to a place of unspoilt nature when they go on holiday.

Reconnecting with nature is important to our guests and their children."

The turtle experience is but one of many activities the resort's guests can choose to enjoy. Adventurous ones can take a refreshing jungle hike through Club Med Cherating's newly launched Rainforest Walk attraction.

Others might prefer a challenging climb up a natural rock wall, a spanking-new feature at the resort.

However, a holiday destination can no longer simply offer a few nature-based activities and dot the recycling bins around its property to pass off as an ecoresort.

To be considered truly green, the establishment must also take concrete steps to curb greenhouse gases, lower its carbon footprint and involve the local community in its eco efforts.

Such measures, usually hidden from the view of the guests, are what truly affects the environment.

At Club Med Cherating's guest-reception area, there is a recycling point for batteries; on some of the roofs, there are solar panels that harness the sun's energy; identification boards dot the property, educating visitors about common species of plants and animals that can be found on site.

Environmentally friendly features and practices that are not so obvious include the recycling of selected types of wastewater; the separation of kitchen waste, some of which are composted; and the use of building materials and workers from nearby villages.

Sadly, despite the best efforts of some resorts, eco-tourism still gets labelled as hype. Much of this is due to the term being interpreted and implemented differently by different parties.

That is why Club Med Cherating strives to maintain a standard set by its Green Globe silver award. The accolade comes from an environmental-certification programme run within travel and tourism industry in the Asia-Pacific.

"Working with an outside company and certification programme guarantees that it's not only us at Club Med who feel that we are eco-friendly and sustainable," said Mr Horps.

"It's a guarantee to our guests that we maintain a high level of best practices and conduct."

It's not just about catering to the demand for eco-travel - ecologically friendly measures have also saved Club Med a considerable amount of money.

Besides Club Med, other resorts in the region that strive to be environmentally responsible include Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru in the Maldives. It boasts a fully equipped marine-biology lab in its premises, which turned six early this year.

It, too, is aware of criticisms of "green washing" within the industry. Its manager, Dr Paul Newman, a marine biologist, said upon his appointment late last year: "In this global market, it is all too common for organisations to give the appearance of being green rather than acting green.

"However, I came into this environment with an open mind and high expectations. I have not been disappointed at Banyan Tree."

Currently, the lab continues to study the effects of El Nino on corals, while also conducting research on green turtles and black-tip reef sharks.

Over in Langkawi in North Malaysia, The Frangipani Resort & Spa has also put in place green measures similar to Club Med's.

Its owner, Mr Anthony Wong, agreed with Dr Newman's concerns, saying: "While there are now more and more 'green' resorts and tourism products, we still have a long way to go.

"Consumers need to be able to read between the lines to work out who is committed for life, and not just doing responsible tourism because it is a fad.

"Those who do it because it is trendy will be doing something else next week when something new comes along."

Well, at least one holiday- maker - yours truly, after her Eco-Nature experience - has stopped taking plastic bags at supermarkets, in the hope that the world may become that little bit better for a certain baby turtle.

Let's go eco!

By Esther Au Yong, my paper | Mon, Jul 26 2010

Club Med Cherating offers its guests a variety of nature-related activities, such as a vigorous climb over natural rocks.

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