I’m glad someone else has faced this dilemma! Let me know what you find out. I will post our plans on the blog once we’ve firmed them up.

In the mean time, if you (or anyone else!) decide that you still fancy Cornwall, there’s always South West Tourism’s Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS). Hotels and restaurants in the GTBS use local produce, grown or reared organically, with home-cooking and menus inspired by seasonal ingredients, and dishes created and served by local people using fair-trade goods. Visit http://www.visitsouthwest.co.uk/feelgood which has got everything from luxury hotels and cottages to B&B accommodation, ferries, gardens, visitor centres, pubs, restaurants and attractions.

I might keep it in mind for the next holiday after the honeymoon, as I think that one is definitely going to be a low carbon occasion!

Jenny

You haev hit on my main “green guilt”! I was set on cornwall or somewhere in Europe, but this will be a once in a lifetime trip and we want to go furtehr afield. I think we too will start to investigate the ethical tourism/eco-tourism route

Liz

Jenny

I have lived in China for three years and have been involved in promoting ethical and responsible tourism for a long time now.
There are a few resources you can check out and also feel free to contact me for direct recommendations of small eco-tourism and community tourism projects you could visit when you are in China. The whole eco-tourism issue is contentious, with many companies using the eco-lable all over asia to sell simply adventure and nature tours. So you need to ask a lot of questions of the operator who is selling these tours.

If you offset your CO2 emissions from flying, I would suggest that the cost of the offset be spent in the destination you are visiting, eg. for renewable energy projects in China.

Resources:
1. the China travel industry blog has a responsible tourism category for news and information about China’s responsible tourism activities. http://www.ccontact.com/Blog
2. Intrepid Travel organise low impact small group tours in China off the beaten track. They won the responsible tourism awards last year.
3. Tourism Concern is a charity campaigning for ethical tourism in developing countries and helps empower communities to benefit from tourism.
http://www.tourismconcern.org.uk

There are also several local Chinese organisations that can be contacted. Train travel is one option which is very popular in China. You can also travel by bicycle across beautiful parts of China with the help of local agencies.
Feel free to contact me for details.
Best regards,
Roy
+44 20 78719886 http://www.china-contact.cn

I have had a look at the trans-siberian railway before and it does look like an amazing trip! I don’t think it will work for us, because it crosses a different part of the continent to where we are hoping to be on our adventure to Beijing. But you’ve inspired me to investigate the trains and buses generally in China. Even if we have to fly to get to Hong Kong, you’re right that we can at least make sure we cross the country by ethical means when we get there ;o)

Have you considered getting the train to Beijing on the transsiberian express? Have a look here for tips: http://www.seat61.com/Trans-Siberian.htm

That way you can save a large part of your carbon emissions, although it will take you a week but for your honeymoon you don’t need to skimp on time!

Good luck planning your honeymoon, sounds like a wonderful trip!

As well as Ethical Weddings, I also coordinate the annual Responsible Tourism Awards for responsibletravel.com!

The Awards are now entering their fourth year and the 2007 Awards will launch in The Times on Saturday 28 April.

We’ll be looking for nominations from the public telling us all about your best responsible tourism holidays that make a positive contribution to conservation and the economies of local communities while minimizing any negative impacts of tourism.

You’ll be able to nominate online from Saturday 28 April onwards and if you do, you’ll be in with a chance to win a prize holiday to Uganda or Nepal! I’ll do a short post on the blog when nominations open.

And while you’re on the search for an ethical honeymoon, why not check out responsibletravel.com’s selection of China holidays?
http://www.responsibletravel.com/TripSearch/Asia/Country100009.htm

Good luck!

Katie