Prepare for your trip - Educate yourself about your destination. Be on the lookout for news and current events about the area. Learn about local history, customs and culture as well as vital ecosystems. Learn at least the basics of the local language. A simple hello, please, or thank you goes a long way. Approach travel with the desire to learn rather than just observe.

Pack light - Every kilo counts when flying. The more a plane weighs, the more carbon emissions it produces. Pack only what you really need during your holidays.

Enjoy the local drinks & food - Consuming a locally brewed beer, you will probably enjoy high quality ale, and your drink can be low-carbon by cutting down on 'drink mileage'. This applies to eating local products too. Let your taste buds be adventurous.

Be at home in a hotel - A great tip is to remember to act in a hotel like you would at home. Avoid getting clean towels when not necessary, don't have long showers and something frequently forgotten is to turn off lights and the Air Condition unit when you leave the room.

Reduce-Reuse-Recycle - As a thoughtful and responsible traveler, there are several things you can do during your holidays to minimize the amount of waste and ensure that specific objects as paper, glass or metal are deposited for recycling. If no bins are available in rural areas, keep all trash with you and deposit it once you return to your hotel and use the recycling bins.

Don't bag it - You want memories of your holiday to last for years but 500 years is way too long. Plastic bags can take up to 500 years to biodegrade so take a re-useable shopping bag with you when you go to local markets.

Avoid buying bottled water - Plastic bottles account for a lot of waste. The tap water in western Crete is safe to drink and we have installed water filters so our guests can use it to refill the eco-friendly bottle of water offered upon arrival.

Stick to the path - When hiking, always stay on marked trails and maintain a safe distance from any animals you may meet. Going off the beaten path could mean you trample on protected or endangered plants.

Be responsible at the beach - Travelers are visitors to these coastal areas and should enjoy them as such. Remember that the beach is home to numerous plants, animals, and birds that are found nowhere else in the world than at a beach, and many require beaches for nesting.

Use public transportation - Wherever possible, use public buses instead of a taxi or a rental car. Travel in local buses and ferries wherever possible is cheaper, kinder to the earth, and you will have a chance to meet with ordinary people while perhaps even learning more of the local language.

Share maps & books - Make sure to take as minimal of these maps and brochures as you can. Share one map between multiple people and look at the brochures while you are at your room and then put them back instead of taking them with you. If your map is in good condition or marked with some cool places, you can pass it on to a new guest. Use our book exchange service. By leaving a book you’ve already read and taking another one, you participate in a process of good exchanging, done by travelers from around the world.

Continued ecotourism - Spread awareness, as ecotourism definitely doesn't need to end with your flight home. Follow through on your commitment to conservation of the special places you visited and in your back yard at home. Share your experiences with others to foster a greater understanding of our world. The environment will thank you !!!