(CNN) -- Travelers today are more socially and environmentally conscious than ever, seeking places they feel safe and know they're having the least impact on the planet's resources.
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While we know that many destinations claim they are doing their part to minimize their footprint, there are some that have gone out of their way to take sustainability to new heights.
Here's a list of the top 10 global destinations and experiences where your vacation won't cost the Earth.
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1. Soneva Fushi (Maldives)
Kunfunadhoo was a desert island in the Indian Ocean, in the idyll of the Maldives, until Eva and Sonu Shivdasani built their first hotel there, in the process of pioneering the trend of being environmentally responsible by offering ultra-luxury vacations. It sounds like a contradiction, but it is not. Since 2014, the property has been completely carbon neutral.
They recycle 90% of their waste, including 100% of food scraps used in their organic gardens, instead of the cost of transporting food. The construction includes extruded polystyrene blocks, electricity is provided by a solar energy system and 100% of the water used is desalinated.
Soneva – which now has a property in Thailand and a second in the Maldives – is also leading the implementation of a mandatory 2% carbon tax on rooms that supports its Soneva Foundation, which works on reforestation and renewable energy projects in regions in growth.
2. Bom Bom Resort (Sao Tome and Principe)
Few destinations are as under-visited and as unspoiled as Príncipe, the smaller of the two main islands in the tiny country of São Tomé and Príncipe, situated in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of Africa. Only 5,000 people live there and the Bom Bom Resort has just 19 beach cabanas, surrounded by tropical forest.
There are world-class diving classes and walks in the Unesco biosphere reserves, you can visit cocoa plantations and fishing villages. It also offers to discover the smallest city in Africa: San Antonio. Not to mention the animals, from whales to nesting turtles, monkeys and birds found nowhere else on Earth.
3. eXtreme Hotel (Cabarete, Dominican Republic)
It may come as a surprise that one of the kite surfing capitals of the world – Cabarete, in the Dominican Republic – is also home to a small ecologically sustainable hotel. And for those who are not fans of kite surfing, you can surf, do yoga, horseback riding and hiking.
The property is 100% solar powered and does not have air conditioning, but uses a smart ventilation system to circulate the natural wind from the beach. It has rainwater harvesting systems and an organic farm with 2,000 trees to offset carbon emissions.
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4. Inkaterra (Tambopata National Reserve, Peru)
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The remote Tambopata National Reserve (Peru) is home to the Inkaterra Field Station, once only for researchers but now open to travelers and volunteers from around the world.
The remote Tambopata National Reserve is home to the Inkaterra Field Station, once just for researchers but now open to travelers and volunteers from around the world. This jungle refuge leads conservation projects supervised by the Inkaterra Association, which include studies of fauna and flora.
It has four cabins with private terraces and large pavilions for shared accommodation. The excursions include hanging walkways over the forest, boat trips and visits to the Gamitana Model Farm, where the Inkaterra Association works together with local communities.
5. The Best of Myanmar (Intrepid Travel)
The Intrepid Travel company promises great adventures for small groups, all sheltered by genuinely responsible travel. Its Best of Myanmar tour, for example, offers full carbon offsetting, 577 kilograms per passenger.
Transportation and lodging are local, including a stay at the country's first community-based tourism project, in Myaing, where locals provide meals and activities.
6. Bushmans Kloof Nature Reserve (South Africa)
The Bushmans Kloof Nature Reserve is more than 270 kilometers from Cape Town, in the Cederberg Mountains (South Africa).
Bushmans Kloof Nature Reserve is a 18,000-hectare reserve, 273 kilometers from Cape Town, in the Cederberg Mountains. In Africa it is normal for hotels to work with communities on conservation projects, but at Bushmans Kloof this takes it to another level.
There are initiatives to process wastewater, have organic and sustainable farms and save energy, but it is with the projects to protect and reintegrate endangered species that have stood out. This reserve is home to the Cape Mountain Zebra and is home to some 130 rock art sites, which are over 10,000 years old.
7. Turtle Conservation (Kyrenia, Cyprus)
The north coast of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus is practically untouched. And there is a beach (Alagadi) with a particular attraction for a special visitor: green and loggerhead turtles that are in danger of extinction.
It is estimated that only about 400 green turtles and about 2,000 loggerhead turtles remain in the entire Mediterranean. Volunteers are received here, basically doctoral students, although not only. Those who go must have at least three months to commit to the project and all volunteers must contribute their food and lodging expenses.
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8. Osa Peninsula (Costa Rica)
Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula boasts of being the "most biologically intense" place on the planet.
Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula boasts of being the "most biologically intense" place on the planet. That means it's home to 2.5% of the world's biodiversity, in an area half the size of Rhode Island.
Lokal Travel offers an eight-day exploration of the region, visiting three jungle communities and learning about cooperatives that have launched sustainable ways of earning income.
Elsewhere, you can enjoy sunset horseback riding, remote beaches, or canoeing on a private lagoon surrounded by 1,000 protected acres of pristine forest.
9. Yoga retreat in Oleiros (Portugal)
Far from the tourist path in Oleiros, in central Portugal, there is a yoga retreat where classes and meditation go hand in hand with nature and a simple life. Accommodation is in Mongolian-style yurts that are off the beaten path, with solar-powered reading lamps, hot water, and eco-friendly toilets.
The furniture is made from wood from local trees (pines, olives and chestnuts), most of the food comes from gardens and there is a reserve nearby (Zezere River) where you can swim in crystal clear waters.
10. The Emerald (Cornwall, England)
The Emerald eco-development project in Cornwall, south-west England, is the only one in Britain to offer zero-carbon accommodation. In practice, that means they generate their own electricity, produce their own water, and reuse it and use recycled materials. They have also planted hundreds of native trees, reducing their energy consumption by 90%.
It has four houses clad in cedar that offer services such as a private Jacuzzi, in addition to having an indoor and heated pool, gym and playground. It also has four hectares of forest ready to be explored.
