The Secrets of Pedra Furada Island

Visiting Pedra Furada Island is an incredible opportunity to be in the midst of pristine nature. In addition, there you will be able to observe a curious peculiarity of the place, which is its exotic geological formation. That’s because the ground is covered with gravel and all the stones are actually stuck. A highlight is a natural stone arch, which was shaped by the blue waters that beat hard on the small island, and today houses an image of Iemanjá.

The tour lasts about 2 hours.

The beauty of Camamu Bay

This tour is the best option to get an idea of the size and beauty of the Maraú Peninsula. The third largest bay in Brazil, which gathers a multitude of islands, beaches and rivers. We arrange the rental of fast, covered boats that leave the Jobel Port, about 6 km away from Casa dos Arandis. Your tour passes by the islands of Goió, Sapinho and Pedra Furada, stopping at restaurants where you can eat seafood and watch its beautiful and famous sunsets.

5 off-the-grid hotels where nature and comfort meet

Bee + Hive Launches as Global Sustainable Tourism Association

Top Sustainable Travel Destinations for 2019 from Bee + Hive

Bee + Hive, a not-for-profit sustainable tourism association based in Canada, unites hotels, restaurants and parks that embrace sustainable practices and experiences. The association continues to expand around the world with members in Brazil, the Philippines, the U.S., Australia, Zimbabwe, and Sweden. An expert on sustainable tourism, Founder Bruno Correa shares his top places to travel that positively impact the communities visited.

Pousada Trijuncão is a new small luxury lodge amidst the unexplored biome of Brazilian Savannah (Cerrado). The eco-friendly property offers an array of sustainable experiences; which include night safaris to spot the dwarf-caiman (a native species of alligators and the smallest in the world), eco-safaris for the elusive Brazilian maned-wolf, expedition to the spring of Formoso River, and visits to Grande Sertão Veredas, a national park.

The birthplace of barefoot luxury, Nay Palad Hideaway nestles between ancient mangrove forests and the soft white sands of Siargao. In easy reach of tropical jungle, underground caves, untouched beaches, deep-sea fishing and the legendary Cloud 9 barreling wave, Nay Palad Hideaway lets you create own rhythm, turning each day into a different story. It’s an experience of hospitality, freedom and beauty that can never truly be described—only shared.

Treehotel in Sweden offers a unique hotel experience: treerooms with contemporary design in the middle of unspoiled nature. Here you can forget about the time constraints of everyday life, enjoy the serenity, and rejuvenate in a sophisticated yet familiar environment. Treehotel has a strong sustainability element (they developed their own solution to saving water), combined with a very wide array of activities in local culture and environment.

One of the crown jewels of Georgia’s famed Golden Isles, Little St. Simons Island offers 7 miles of pristine beaches and 11,000 acres of undeveloped wilderness for exploration and relaxation. Privately owned and accessible only by boat, The Lodge on Little St. Simons Island has retained the charm and unhurried pace of coastal living. Moss draped live oaks and glistening marshes surround comfortable accommodations for no more than 32 overnight guests.

Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef is a beach-side safari camp nestled in the dunes of the Cape Range National Park on the west coast of Australia. Each of the fifteen wilderness tents offers views of the surrounding bush & beach. Wake to the song of a butcher bird, the raucous squawks of a galah or the thump of a wallaroo passing by. At night fall asleep to the sound of the waves on the beach, exhausted by a full day of activity, fine food and camaraderie. At Sal Salis you will discover the magic of “glamping,” true eco-luxe camping.

The Fogo Island Inn, in Canada, is the ultimate example of a sustainable and community-driven luxury hotel. On the rugged coast of north Fogo Island, this luxury hotel in an ultra-modern building is perched on stilts atop jagged rocks. Contemporary suites are individually designed and feature heated wood floors, custom-made furniture, hand-crafted quilts and floor-to-ceiling windows with North Atlantic views.

The Cayuga Collection is a pioneer in sustainable tourism with 9 award-winning sustainable hotels & lodges in Costa Rica, Nicaragua & Panama; tucked away in the most incredible corners, committed to protect and preserve the communities and ecosystems that surround them. Bruno said that any of the hotels managed by Hans Pfizer and their team is a guaranteed sustainable destination.

Founded by Bruno Correa, Bee + Hive’s origins lie in his first-hand knowledge developing sustainable experiences. Belonging to a successful hotelier family, for over a decade Correa has helped launch and run boutique hotels which have positively impacted their local areas.  In one case, boutique hotel Pousada Literaria de Paraty in Brazil replanted 21,000 trees to regenerate a neglected environment, which in turn attracted a plethora of birdlife. This transformed the site into the country’s first private bird reserve, enhancing the local wildlife and the community. Such inspiring action, coupled with Correa’s experience witnessing other sustainable initiatives led by luxury boutique properties, has resulted in the launch of Bee + Hive.

Pousada Trijuncao is the Newest Member of Global Sustainable Tourism Association, Bee + Hive

Pousada Trijuncão, a small luxury lodge amidst the Brazilian Savannah (Cerrado) is now open.  The eco-friendly property will offer an array of sustainable experiences; which include night safaris to spot the jacaré-anão (a native species of alligators and the smallest in the world), safaris for the elusive Brazilian Jaguar, expedition to the spring of Formoso River, and visits to Grande Sertão Veredas, a national park.

Pousada Trijuncão is also the newest member of Global Sustainable Tourism Association, Bee + Hive, which aims to offer consumers a go-to platform in which to discover the best in sustainable travel experiences. Bee + Hive unites hotels, restaurants and parks that embrace sustainable practices and experiences. The association continues to expand around the world and has recently announced the addition of Nay Palad Hideaways in the Philippines and Reserva do Ibitipoca in Brazil to its roster as well. Additional members are Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef in Australia, Masuwe Lodge in Zimbabwe, Bananal Farm, Pousada Tutabel, Pousada Literária de Paraty and The Caiman Ecological Refuge in Brazil, and the Treehotel in Sweden.

Cerrado is known for its biodiversity, which is greater than any other savannah in the world. Covering more than 20% of Brazil, it has the same area of Spain, France, Germany, Italy and England combined. It is home to 5% of the world’s plant species, more than 10,000 species of plants, almost half of which are found nowhere else in the world. Also, the maned wolf, giant armadillos, 850 species of birds, 251 species of mammals, 204 species of amphibians, 1,200 species of fish and 278 species of reptilians.

Located where the border of the Brazilian states of Goiás, Bahia and Minas Gerais meet, the property is powered by solar energy and combines authenticity and creature comforts: seven luxuriously appointed suites, some with wraparound terraces and outdoor baths; amenities by Natura, a Brazilian cosmetic company that sources products from the Amazon; and an in-room mini bar stocked with delicious native nuts.

The traditional culinary concept of the lodge includes outdoor and indoor kitchens; and Pousada Trijuncao offers picnics and alfresco night grills serenaded by local musicians, in addition to a restaurant for guests only. Breakfast, offered anytime of the day, is a highlight of the best the area has to offer, with typical cakes and fruit.

Bee + Hive advocates for sustainability

MONTREAL — Launched in January 2017, Bee + Hive is a not-for-profit association based in Montreal committed to creating a better world through sustainable tourism. The association works with and promotes luxury hotels, restaurants and parks that offer activities and experiences that benefit a destination’s local community, environment or economy.

Their premise is that more and more people are seeking experiences instead of accumulating more things — travel experiences that provide memories to last a lifetime, as opposed to items that get tossed aside by the next season. Bee + Hive offers unique experiences for guests to give as gifts this year, as part of its hospitality marketing.

These experiences include moose calling in bear country at the Treehotel in Sweden, a visit to a Pataxo Village at the Posada Totable in Brazil, swimming with shark whales at Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef in Australia, a dinner cruise on the Zambezi River at the Masuwe Lodge in Zimbabwe and noctournal spotlighting in the Pantanal at the Refugio Ecologic Caiman in Brazil.

Bee + Hive’s origins lie in founder Bruno Correa’s first-hand knowledge developing sustainable experiences. Belonging to a successful hotelier family, for over a decade Correa has helped launch and run boutique hotels which have positively impacted their local areas.

In one case, boutique hotel Pousada Literaria de Paraty in Brazil replanted 21,000 trees to regenerate a neglected environment, which in turn attracted a plethora of birdlife. This transformed the site into the country’s first private bird reserve, enhancing the local wildlife and the community. Such inspiring action, coupled with Correa’s experience witnessing other sustainable initiatives led by luxury boutique properties, has resulted in the launch of Bee + Hive.

Three years ago, Correa chose Canada as the best place to start his new business, taking an entrepreneurship course at the University of Toronto and developing the idea for Bee + Hive idea in a term paper.

He identified a consistent operational issue among small, independent, unique hotels that needed to reach a broad audience. “It takes a lot of money to build a global reputation,” he told CLN.

Sustainability is at the core of Bee + Hive’s philosophy. “It’s not about the thread count of the linen or the size of the room. [But] you can have a really unique eye-opening, jaw-dropping experience and still be comfortable. Traditionally, if you were immersed in the jungle, you were not comfortable!

“We allow the local culture to be fostered and protected and for local residents to share the benefits. As a third party, we’re still part of the local population.”

While Canada is the organization’s headquarters, its eight members come from South America, Africa, Europe, Australia and the U.S.; there are no Canadian members so far.

“We receive recommendations from travellers and agencies regarding something unique. If hotels get in touch, we give them a set of indicators that include Global Sustainable Tourism Council [criteria]. It’s not an audit or a certification, just a tool hotels can use to evaluate themselves to see how well they fit with [our philosophy],” Correa said.

AGB – A Green Beauty

Sea Pagoda

Swim right in front of the resort at high tide, or take a short walk down the beach to a peninsular point with a sandy beach that’s ideal for swimming and lounging. You can also take a small boat, kayak, or SUP board to our Sea Pagoda, located about 800 meters from the beach. As you dive and swim around the pagoda, you’re likely to see crabs and fish!

Snorkeling

To snorkle around our local coral heads is best enjoyed during low tide using the Sea Pagoda as a staging point. Arrange an excursion to Halian, Lahanusa, Anahawan or Corregidor for a full morning or afternoon of snorkeling. The trip can be extended to include a picnic lunch on beautiful Mamon Beach.