The No-Plane, No-Problem Guide to a REAL GREEN GETAWAY

Whether your motivations to travel more sustainably are rooted in wanting to be a better person or avoid the holidayhalting, last-minutegrounding of your booked airfare, this is your guide to making a green getaway wherever you are in SA.

- Kelleigh Korevaar

GROOTBOS PRIVATE NATURE RESERVE™

Gansbaai, Western Cape

BEST FOR: Lapping Up Luxury

Tucked between mountain, forest and sea, this award-winning eco-paradise is the perfect spot if you want to dabble in tons of different activities. They've got horse riding, fine dining, mountain biking, beehives or a tour designed to showcase how Grootbos has been designed to best benefit the environment and local community. In short: it's a way to stay active that doesn't feel like you're working out. Plus, after a long day on the trail (or halfway up a mountain) you can settle in at your choice of the garden lodge, forest lodge or a scattering of private villas. Itineraries are easy to tailor based on who you're travelling with; whether it's the SO, kids or your mates.

Price: R10 500 pppn, grootbos.com

HOTEL VERDE

Cape Town, Western Cape

BEST FOR: A Carbon-Offset City Stay

Most layover stayovers at airport hotels are begrudging slogs, but Hotel Verde isn't settling for a mediocre experience. Situated just 400m from CT's airport, this spot is pegged as Africa's greenest hotel. Your stay will be a 100% offset carbon-neutral stay, and you'll be close to all of Cape Town's major sights and landmarks. In one direction, you'll find the Cape Winelands, in the other, you're in the middle of CT's central hub sitting in the shadows of Table Mountain. But if you don't want to fly the coop before you, um, fly the coop, you can grab some R&R at the hotel's eco pool which is free of chemicals and surrounded by lush flora. Or pop into the outdoor workout zone to sweat in nature-there's even a wetland running track that'll put the picturesque in your next PB. Price: From R1 200 pn, hotelverde.com

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