In a previous post, when 2010 was just starting, we wrote about the top travel destinations for this year. Among the places selected by the cited specialist websites there were two local ones: London and the Isles of Scilly, both in England. Well, London has worldwide reputation and needs no further recommendation, but what is great about the Isles of Scilly? Let’s explore…

The Isles of Scilly are an archipelago 45 Km off the Cornish peninsula, the southernmost mainland point of the UK. They were designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1975, so with that title you can’t go wrong. Peaceful, beautiful and uncrowded are probably the most fitting adjectives to describe this paradise. The “outstanding natural beauty” of the isles is protected by the local community by attaining sustainable practices and the establishment of a “visitors Code of Conduct” where mostly green travelling tips are recommended to preserve the natural beauty of the islands and decrease the carbon footprint left behind by those who choose them as their holiday destination.

Photo by Tom Corser

The five larger inhabited islands are Bryher, St Agnes, St Martin’s, St Mary’s and Tresco, and they are surrounded by several smaller rocky islets. Natural tourism is the main economical activity, followed by fishing and early-flower production. Bird-watching is one of the high points of the islands, due to the presence of rare migrant species mostly during October. But don’t let the relaxed spirit of this barely touched gems give you the idea that there are not exciting things to do in Isles of Scilly: golf, tennis, biking, snorkeling, diving, horseback ridding, sea safaris, kayaking, windsurfing and shark-fishing are some of the activities that can give you a sense of adventure as well.

So if your HomeForHome quest sets you off to the southwest for a home swap you may want to include a visit to the Isles of Scilly in your tour and explore an area of sandy beaches, clear waters and undisturbed nature.

For more information, you may visit:
* http://www.ios-aonb.info/
* http://www.simplyscilly.co.uk/

If you have joined the group of active environmentally aware travelers or if you are on the verge of doing so, HomeForHome has some basic ideas to help you get started. These tips are applicable everywhere so you may use your home exchange as an excuse to get used to them and then apply them year-round.

Food. Buying local food is an easy way to reduce CO2 emissions. There is no need to transport the goods from a distant location, so not only the CO2 release is cut, but there is also zero added cost due to transportation somehow lowering their price. There are farmers that are producing organic, fresh fruits and vegetables, reducing the impact of farming on the environment and promoting sustainability. Locate and support local farmers that are embarking on such projects to help them sustain their production. Buying seasonal food is another way to cut back on CO2 release, since there is no extra energy invested for either transporting or preserving of these products, and being fair, fresh goods taste better.

Shopping and entertainment. As in the case of farmers that are applying “greener” technologies, there are several businesses that are adopting sustainable practices. Ranging from restaurants to art exhibitions, there may be local entrepreneurs near you that want to help the environment too and by supporting their business you help us all.

Walk more or use public transportation. Walking is probably the best way to get around in a place we are eager to learn about. It will give you first hand contact with the locals and the reduced speed will certainly help you appreciate architectural and landscape beauties you may otherwise miss. If you want to visit several locations that are separated by a great distance, then instead of walking you may use public transportation to decrease your trip’s carbon footprint. Usually, local governments take good care in having the local landmarks in the way of public transport routes.

Electricity. Before you leave your house to your home exchange, unplug any appliances that are not going to be in use while you are gone. Another easy way to save on electricity is to turn off the lights when you are the last to leave a room. These small actions will not only save money in your electrical bill, but also will save on the precious resources used to generate electricity.

These are just a few of many good small ideas to help our big home (the one we cannot exchange), and we are sure your imagination and creativity can come up with many more to put in practice in your next green swap.

Continuing with the idea of reducing stress, which is probably the leitmotif behind almost every vacation, we present you another advantage of home exchange: the possibility to travel light. As you go to a home, used daily by another family, chances are you’ll find everything you need so there’s no need to bring that extra luggage we usually carry when other lodging options are used. Of course you have to check with your home swap partner what things are available for you to use, and you probably have your own “musts” you bring with you everywhere you go, but a lot of weight may be off your travelling shoulders if you decide to swap homes.

To make it more appealing to you, here we list some advantages of travelling light:

- It will save you some money now that airlines charge you for almost everything you bring.

- Eliminates CO2 emission from the extra weight travelling along with you, helping fight global warming.

- Makes your trip more flexible, any transportation is easy accessible with a small bag, so your choices are widened: plane, train, bus, and even walking! Sometimes you get faster from one terminal to another using your own feet.

- Reduces time spent on baggage checks.

- There are less chances your luggage will get lost or misplaced.

- It makes packing back and forth a lot easier, especially on the way back  when you don’t want to pack (of course you may have a few extra pounds from souvenirs, but that’s OK).

The home exchange community continues to grow worldwide. Some of the main reasons for this tendency are savings and flexibility, but there is another trend that deserves to be mentioned: world climate change awareness.

“Green travelling” has two main premises: 1.- Avoid increasing the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions during the trip, and 2.- Preserving the environment you visit. As we have mentioned before, home exchange seems like a perfect option for sustainable travelling, because:

There is no additional CO2 released into the atmosphere by any means during the swap, as you live as if you were in your own home.

You can decrease the CO2 emission due to transportation to your destination if you also include car exchange in the package, as you may travel by train or other mean of public transportation. Keep in mind that planes and cars have the highest rate of CO2 emission per traveler. Also, you may reduce the environmental cost of transportation by travelling nearby and visiting areas where things that interest you the most are within walking distance (for example: the beach, the ski slope, the market, etc.)

By consuming local food and cooking yourself, which are feasible choices when you have a complete kitchen in your destination, you do not increase the emissions from freight transport to move “ingredients” around. For example, if you eat local seafood in a coastal town, it probably only “travelled” a few miles (or “yards”) to your plate.

Go green! Go swap!