Some many places to go, beautiful wonders to see…expat lifestyle and a love for travelling means I am often left feeling guilty about my carbon footprint. So how can we find a balance between looking after our planet and ticking off the bucket list? Here’s a few ideas on how we can reduce the global impact when travelling…

Res-usable cups

Whether it’s water or a coffee fix, a lot of my travel budget goes towards buying drinks…I dread to think about how many plastic water bottles or paper coffee cups I could go through! I always try to take a water bottle with me so I can fill up on the go, or use my res-usable coffee cup to reduce the waste from my coffee needs! Using reusable products really does make a difference – most cafes will be more than happy to make the coffee in your own cup, some even offer a discount which is always a bonus!

In some countries where the water may be unsafe to drink, you might need to buy plastic water bottles. However, we can still reduce the impact by remembering to recycle!

Getting about

It might take a plane ride to reach our destination, but once we are there we have plenty of travels options to help reduce that footprint! I love to walk everywhere on holiday – you see so much more that may have gone unnoticed! Walking is also great for the old Fitbit steps! If you prefer to move a little faster, why not try cycling? The cycling culture is huge across Europe and many cities offer ‘Borris Bikes’ to hire for the day.

There’s always the option to try a unique form of travel…scooters, roller blades and even segways are often available!

Viva la veggie

Whilst it might not be for everyone, reducing the amount of meat we consume can really make a difference. Whilst I am not a vegetarian, I have been making a conscious effort to reduce the amount of meat I eat. Some countries offer a wide variety of vegetarian and vegan options, whilst it can prove more difficult in others…why not try a new vegetarian dish on your next trip!

Litter pick

When travelling in Vietnam, I was shocked by the amount of litter (particularly plastics) polluting the beautiful Ha Long Bay. Truth is that many countries still remain uneducated on the impact of litter and plastic pollution – the fishing villages of Ha Lang Bay don’t have east access the the wealth of information we do in the Western world. So if you have the chance, why don’t you do your bit? We decided to collect any litter we came across when kayaking in the bay…a small gesture but a positive one!

There are so many wonderful places to see across the globe and ultimately, getting to see the world will impact on the environment. However, with a few considerations we can still make a difference!

Happy travels, K x