Maui, Hawaii: Eco-Travel with the Fairmont Kea Lani

Feel like staying closer to home, but need a tropical 'feel good' getaway? We love the Fairmont Kea Lani in Wailea, Maui. Huge comfortable rooms, an exotic all-white mediterranean design, not too many kids (but just enough for families), and delicious restaurants right onsite. There's a reason why they named it "Kea Lani" since it means "Heavenly Whiteness." Their new organic restaurant, Ko, where 100% of its fish are from sustainable fisheries and their island classic, Nick's Fish Market, make it a solid go-to getaway for in-the-know Maui eco (yet chic-o) vacationers.

We like them because they're giving back in an interesting way. Through their Recycling Cents program, they donate their HI-5 recyclables to local non-profit charities, raising, to date, over $20,000. One school group used the funds to build an electric car and, in addition to that mad giving, the hotel donates bath amenities to the women's shelter on Maui and hosts a Mother’s Day and Christmas dinner. If that's not enough... the hotel's Director of Engineering goes to the shelter once a month to fix things like door locks and plumbing. With nearly 50 environmental programs going on at the hotel (and others in the Fairmont portfolio), their latest initiative, converting to the just-on-the-market Eco-Mode Thermostat, is connected to the hotel’s database and automatically turns on when a guest checks in and shuts off when a guest checks out. The motion detectors scan the room for movement and, if there is no motion detected, the thermostat automatically adjusts the temperature 5 degrees higher than either the default setting, or the temperature the guest set. The thermostat also shuts off when doors to the lanai are opened, monitors humidity, and allows the hotel to ensure all air conditioning units are in good working order. Installing the eco-MODE thermostat is yet another progressive initiative emphasizing The Fairmont Kea Lani’s dedication to waste reduction, energy management, and water conservation.

So we say... heavenly whiteness, in more way than one, in the house.

Rates from $340/night.

www.fairmont.com/kealani

Maui, Green Travel: Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ambassadors of the Environment

Take one of the most beautiful hotels in the Hawaiian islands, the always impeccable Ritz-Carlton service, a $180 million transformation, and a partnership with renowned diplomat for the environment, Jean-Michel Cousteau, and you have... the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua’s Ambassadors of the Environment program! We can't ever say enough about the Ritz. They just know how to do it right, down to the five food and beverage presentations of their Club Level, unmatched service with a smile, and now a program benefiting our most beloved resource... the ocean. Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ambassadors of the Environment program at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, Maui (and other select Ritz destinations worldwide) offers everything from underwater photography sessions at Kapalua Bay to seasonal whale-watching excursions paired with Trilogy, as well as hikes in the Kapalua Arboretum. The best part? All activities are led by trained naturalists with degrees in the sciences. I visited in February and had an amazing time playing tennis with my husband, enjoying their stunning spa (complete with a private co-ed hot tub), nibbling delectable cuisine on the Club Level (not to be missed if you're staying at the Ritz), and alas... taking part in the Ambassadors of the Environment program.
Before our guide, Iokepa Naeole, took us on a memorable hike throughout the Kapalua Arboretum, he sang a moving Hawaiian prayer, thanking the environment for allowing us to appreciate her beauty and enter her honorable rainforest. When he sang, it seemed as if everything suddenly went still. The wind, the birds, and the trees. Once inside, Naole informed us about the culture, native endemic species and invasive species, but my favorite part of the hike was swinging from a branch like Tarzan while Naeole picked fruits for us to eat along the way.
The program certainly lived up to it's goal: inspiring Ritz guests to live a more sustainable life with a greater understanding of the relationships between land to sea, humans to nature, people to people, and present to future. To that end, the center's furniture is made with completely recycled materials like Marmeloum and tables made of reclaimed shredded U.S. currency and sunflower hull and straw. Using only CFL and LED lights, they also have dual-flush toilets and coreless toilet paper, 100% Recycled and biodegradable non-bleached paper towels, sustainable bamboo floors, reusable containers for beverages, and all single use products (cups, utensils, etc.) are made from non-GMO corn, potato or sugar cane that are biodegradable and compostable.

If that's not impressive enough, they get their drinking water from one of the most space-age devices I've ever come across - an atmospheric water generator (AWG) which converts ambient atmospheric water vapor into potable water. It extracts, filters, treats and purifies water all from the air we breathe! I was so impressed with their eco-friendly earth-conscious tips that as soon as I'm in one place long enough, I'm saving up for that handy water vapor machine.

So we say, get on that first flight to Maui and be sure to follow up your visit by joining Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Futures Society (OFS), a non-profit that explores our global ocean, inspiring and educating people to act responsibly for its protection, documenting the critical connection between humanity and nature, and celebrating the ocean’s vital importance to the survival of life on our planet.

The ocean can't wait!

www.ritzcarlton.com
www.oceanfutures.org

Aromatic Journeys: Awaken Your Senses

AQUA CANCUN
Stroll past two sparkling white Rolls Royce Phantoms through the sliding glass doors into paradise. Inlakesh. That’s how the staff of this ultra-chic Cancun resort greets you. In Mayan it means, “We are different faces of each other.” And this is what it means to ‘Feel AQUA.’ At peace and one with the environment. From the custom aromatic oils pumped throughout the hotel to Watsu treatments, Ashtanga Yoga, Regional Cooking Classes and your choice of two superb restaurants, Siete and MB, home to James Beard Winner, Michelle Bernstein’s stellar boite...

This certainly ain’t your parents run-of-the-mill Cancun resort. Think the W’s modish elegance meets Ritz-Carlton’s flawless service. Fans include the likes of Paris Hilton, Kim Cattrall, and… me. When they say awaken your senses, they truly mean it. Right down to a nightly choice, delivered straight to your room, of six aromatic oils blended specifically for the hotel.

www.feel-aqua.com

FOUR SEASONS RESORT MAUI at WAILEA
Intoxicating, sensual, and unique. Just like you. Sure, anyone who’s anyone knows about the Four Seasons Resort Maui, but do they also know about their brand-spankin’ new demi-blending scent analysis? Through a discussion with your mélanger, along with an in-depth computerized test, personalized perfume sessions target elements of your personality and aspects of your health that directly affect the scents - and senses - you’re drawn to. Ajne Rare & Precious, the expert all-natural and organic essential oil perfumerie out of Carmel, California, is run by husband and wife duo, Jane Hendler and Rex Rombach, and Handler personally trains each mélanger at the Four Seasons Resort Maui to guide you during your prêt-à-porter fragrance consultation.
Hendler is one of the few accredited Certified Master Essential Oil Therapists in the nation and has been called the 'Star Perfumer' by US Weekly. Some of her clients have included Jessica Biel, Reese Witherspoon, Alanis Morrisette and Rob Lowe. In addition to owning their own lavender farm in Carmel Valley, Jane and Rex work with small growers from around the world to obtain the organic and sustainably-harvested fruit, flower, leaf, grass, wood, lichen, fungi and spice oils that Jane transforms into parfum, lotions and skin care preparations in her Carmel laboratory boutique. Hand-blending each formula to a customer’s specific needs, Handler also developed a signature scent for Four Seasons Resort Maui, Palena`ole, available at the Spa’s retail.

Custom blend and consultation from $250

www.fourseasons.com/maui/

So bring the sweet smell of vacation home with you.
OJAI VALLEY INN
Feel like a guided aromatic meditation? Might we recommend a personal aromatherapy session with Renate, the on-site Artist-in-Residence, at the Ojai Valley Inn's Artist Cottage and Apothecary? This German beauty will guide your senses through a holistic journey of self-discovery in a variety of media, whether it’s pottery, painting, drawing, wreath-making, or, my personal favorite, scent. Allow for time alone or share the experience with your family and friends. I had the pleasure of being guided through an afternoon of aromatic self-discovery with my husband - who just happened to develop my current favorite anointment he lovingly called ‘Orchard Floor.' It was the perfect experience to end a perfect birthday weekend. Each scent is composed of essential therapeutic oils which you can also introduce into lotions, gels and creams that will carry your own name. Also worth mentioning... The Personal Mandala class, another Signature Ojai Experience, recommended at times of transition or when seeking clarity. Quiet and introspective, with insightful feedback from your instructor, these sessions reveal a deeper meaning to what lies on the paper.

From $150

www.ojairesort.com