Alex on his mandatory sailing holiday

Archaeologist to eco travel writer. A bit of a change! Explain.
Ah yes, I must admit it appears to be a strange route. Well, archaeology really appealed to my sense of adventure. I grew up watching Indiana Jones and in some way I suppose I wanted to be a little like that. I travelled a lot in that sphere and fell in love with exploring new destinations or at least finding new ways of seeing old ones. I love living and understanding different cultures and really getting to know what makes a place tick. Writing about it was only a small step away.

What is your favourite place that you have visited. Is it featured in the book?
You know that’s the hardest question. I think that your favourite destination changes all the time, I think it changes with you… One year the perfect place is that small beach on a tiny Greek island, the next it might be the bustling activity of Old Delhi, everything depends on how you are feeling at the time and in some ways it is important to keep it that way (after all you don’t want the same holiday every year!). In the book I cover pretty much most of the globe and, from property to property, everything is so different that pitching them against each other is almost impossible.

Carbon offsetting – your opinions please.
Well it’s a good interim solution. It allows us to keep flying responsibly and in the meantime gives airlines and aircraft manufacturers a much needed breathing space to come up with better and more efficient permanent solutions. I often hear that the best thing to do is not to travel at all, but I have to disagree. Travel is an enormously important social phenomenon; it allows people to see things, to open their horizons and to understand the world around them. The cultural, historical and economical ramifications of travel are intrinsic to our humanity and people should not be deprived of it. However, we should all make a personal effort to travel responsibly, take the train if you can, take the most efficient flight routes and then offset the rest with a trusted provider.

What are your top five tips for planning an Eco holiday?
Everything is in the planning and the devil is in the detail. The more you plan at home the more you get to relax on holiday. Spending time looking at where to stay, how to get there and where to eat are all important parts of the planning stages and ultimately can be great fun, they help you visualise a place and learn a little about it before you arrive. You should also make sure that before you leave you: pack wisely (extra weight on flights means extra fuel and also extra back pain), choose the most efficient method of transport (train over plane and direct flights over indirect), choose your providers wisely (if you are using a local tour operator make sure they are environmentally aware, the hotel should also be the same) and finally do your homework (reading up on local culture and habits will stand you in good stead).

Does your love of all things green spill into your own life? Do you furiously try to reduce reuse and recycle?
I am afraid that it does, but only in the same ‘realistic green’ manner that I apply to travel. I love recycling as it only requires the smallest effort. It reduces the emissions associated with extracting virgin materials, manufacturing products and to top it all off, it can be done in the comfort of your home. Another obvious solution I like is making sure that when I replace an appliance it is always with one that is more efficient, the old one is donated or recycled. Gone are the days of throwing things away, there is always a second life waiting for most of our possessions whether you give them to charity, to a recycling centre or even just a friend who needs them, whatever you do try not to throw them away unnecessarily.

Ethical vs environmental – different issues or intrinsically linked?
It’s all linked. When we talk about environmental concerns the associated argument is normally ‘nature-centric’ but in its broader sense I think it overlaps with a lot of ethical issues we also like to talk about. One term that I see mentioned more often lately is that of ‘Geo-tourism’. This works well as it refers to tourism that sustains and enhances the geographical character of a place: its culture, environment and heritage. I like it because it makes no distinction where there should be none. If we take the trouble to organise an eco holiday the local people and businesses are just as much a consideration as the local flora or fauna. In our eco hotel or lodge selection it is imperative that the properties follow these small but important rules that ultimately take into account both environmental and ethical questions: dependence on the natural environment, ecological sustainability, proven contribution to conservation, provision of environmental training programs, incorporation of cultural considerations and provision of an economic return to the local community.

What are your own travel plans for this New Year?
For the New Year there are many travel plans in the pipeline. I have some research to do in Europe to seek more eco properties for our listing and consolidate the current entries. Then there will of course be the mandatory sailing holiday! Sailing has become something of an eco living benchmark for me, being that close to nature and seeing the effects that even the smallest personal action can have on the immediate environment is quite telling. I often think that if we all lived as efficient as people do at sea the world would be a different place.

What does 2009 hold for Alex Conti?
Who knows! A new book is in the pipeline which will be completely different and promises to be quite a shock. In the meantime I will be there to help people have the most incredible experiences of their lives without any eco-guilt.