Top 10 Back-To-Nature Destinations

These bucket-list hotels are not only immersed in nature but also work to protect the environments they inhabit, making them memorable eco-escapes

- Zoe Louise Cronk

1 Sheraton Full Moon Resort & Spa, Maldives

Idyllic resorts can be found all over the world, but few with vistas so vibrant you’d be forgiven for thinking the colours had been enhanced with a photo filter. Even better is one that takes responsibility for its environmental impact. Here, you can lay back and indulge your senses totally guilt-free. It’s called the Sheraton Full Moon Resort & Spa and is located on the North Malé Atoll, a convenient 15 to 20-minute speedboat ride from the airport. Pristine golden beaches, fantastic snorkelling, friendly circling reef sharks, an orchid garden, secluded island cottages, and overwater villas that look out on nothing but the crystal-clear Indian Ocean… the list of nature-based reasons to visit goes on. And for those with conservation and low carbon footprints high on their list of requirements, note that the Sheraton have really kicked their earth-friendly efforts into high gear this year. Initiatives includes banning single-use plastics, building their own bottling plant (preventing any need for plastic water bottles), launching a coral regeneration programme in association with the marine biologists Reefscapers, and introducing heat exchangers so zero energy is needed for heating domestic and laundry water. What’s more, you’d never know this place is so ‘green’ — it all happens quietly in the background while staff attend to your every need and deliver the escapism you’ve been looking for.

www.marriott.com

2 Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef, Australia