This Atlas Won't Make You Shrug

BWC Members Receive a 10% Discount at the Dar Itrane Eco-Lodge in Morocco

There's nothing ho-hum about the high Atlas range in Morocco. The Dar Itrane eco-lodge offers guests breathtaking views of the range as well as and access to traditional Berber culture.

The lodge is built of adobe and other natural materials to promote and respect the building traditions of the Bougmez Valley, offering both authenticity and a high level of comfort. The lodge also boasts green building extras like solar energy, waste management, and water consumption management.

Click here to find out more about the Dar Itrane Eco-Lodge in Morocco.

Dar Itrane rates are noted in Euros. Calculate the US exchange rate here.

Seasonal Travel Specials: Winter

Beaches and Casinos and Skiing! Oh, My!

Aruba Whistler Kona, HI

Big Sky, MT Lake Tahoe Cozumel

Additional Links and Resources - Channel your inner Boy Scout and make sure you're prepared before you go to the airport: Check out airport security wait times with flightstats.com - WiFi? Why Not? (Sorry, we couldn't resist!) - We're suckers for a good theme park, but don't sit near us on the spinning teacup ride. Click here to find a nausea-inducing ride near you. - Feeling hostel? We can help.	***WHEN YOU TRAVEL, DON'T FORGET TO TravelCool!***

GO STRAIGHT TO THE SOURCE: BWC's "Bodacious Page of Travel Links and Resources"

TravelCool Website of the Month:


Will prices go up or down? Want to know the best time to buy an airline ticket? Check out farecast.com to find out.

Escape From New York?

You'll Want To If You Follow These Tips

We at TravelCool! believe you can learn as much, if not more, from your mistakes as from your successes. New York Times Travel Columnist Seth Kugel apparently agrees because he laid out a description of how NOT to see the city in a recent column entitled "Pitfalls for Tourists", which is excerpted here:

Here is a guide to spending an utterly hideous weekend as a tourist in Manhattan, taking full advantage of absolutely nothing that the city has to offer, and getting entangled in as many of its provocations and vexations as possible.

...It's pretty easy to find an overpriced hotel with a view of an airshaft. Just make sure it's in Midtown, where the pretzel vendors and thousands of other goggle-eyed tourists will tease out your latent claustrophobia. The New Yorkers who normally stalk these streets on weekdays are off in the neighborhoods south of 23rd Street that you would be staying in, too, if you actually wanted to have a good time. Complete Story

What's So Great About Britain?

Tonnes (of offset CO2)

Warm beer, boiled food, and cold weather. These were the images that used to come to mind when would-be tourists contemplated a trip to Great Britain. However, thanks to refrigerated kegs, Indian restaurants, and global warming, these stereotypes no longer apply. The last, global warming, is specifically why we recommend Europe-bound travelers visit ‘Jolly Old England'.

The British are on a roll. Though they only produce 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions (as compared to the US' whopping 25%), they are taking serious strides to reduce their eco-footprint. Unlike the oil-loving cowboys running things in the US, British leaders are being pro-active when it comes to global warming. Here are some examples:

- The Mayor of London is calling for the penalization of Gas Guzzlers (See our story from the November issue of Driving Change for more details).

- Prince Charles, heir to the throne, is an ardent environmentalist. He has taken on projects to encourage green business, to note greenhouse gas emissions on his "Duchy Originals" line of food products, and has even produced an organic cookbook.

- Queen Elizabeth recently announced that the British Parliament would enact a climate change bill this session.

- The British government actually has a Climate Change Minister.

- British business leader Sir Richard Branson has pledged $4 billion to fight global warming ( Click here to read the story we wrote about Branson and Virgin Airlines in the September issue of TravelCool).

- Of the 56 countries that produce 90% of global CO2 emissions, Great Britain ranks 2nd in fewest emissions (behind #1 Sweden). The US is ranked, sadly, 4th from last (barely beating out China, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia).

And the list goes on. We at TravelCool like to encourage environmentally responsible travel, whether it be through offsetting your carbon emissions with Better World Club or using your travel dollars to support the environmentally responsible. As such, we recommend a visit to the British Isles.


Just for kicks: Email Prince Charles and let him know what a good job he's doing.

TravelCool Tips of the Month:

Responsible Travel

It doesn't matter if you're visiting relatives in Indiana, flying to Guatemala to work on a Habitat for Humanity project, or just constantly moving to avoid alimony payments, whatever your reason for travel, don't forget to travel responsibly. Here are some tips for environmentally friendly travel:

1) Need a monster to terrorize a small midwestern town? We recommend creating a hybrid atomic dinosaur. Need a rental car? We recommend renting a hybrid electric vehicle.

2) Did you just inherit a spooky castle in Eastern Europe with the stipulation that you have to spend the night there before taking ownership AND need to fly over there right away? No? Well, whatever your reason for flying, you can help fight global warming and offset the harmful greenhouse gas emissions from your flight with Better World Club.

3) Interested in ecologically friendly lodgings or tours? Sorry, can't help you. Just kidding. Check out our recommendations for eco-lodging and eco-tour companies.

4) Express your concerns about the environment to the businesses that you patronize. Your voice makes a difference. That includes us. Click here to send us an email and let us know what's on your mind.

Additional Tips

Need more fiber in your diet? Try eating bran muffins. Need to read more travel tips from Better World Club? Click Here.