Beyond Backpacking

I have been eco-friendly since I was 7 years old. My family moved to Hawaii for awhile and then to Guam and then to Samoa and then back to Hawaii where I finished high school. In all those years my life style was simple at the beach or swimming at a waterfall in the jungle. We left things as they were: realizing the pristine beauty of nature came easily for me. I did not need pay for an expensive "eco friendly hotel" I often just slept on a lahala mat. I did not need to study the turtles with a guide, I found the now packaged beauty free and unspoiled. Sorry so many people missed it! Not

The Ellermans of Milwaukee may not see their trip as eco-friendly, and it probably isn't any more so than a family staying in a hotel. What their trip is most likely is local unfriendly. The bed and breakfasts in which they plan to stay are likely unlicensed and illegal. Hawaii has a horrible housing shortage, primarily fueled by the conversion of long term rentals into B&B's. No B&B has been licensed on Oahu since 1979, if your hosts cannot provide evidence of continuous licensing since at least 1979, shun them. You are contributing directly to very serious human misery. Frederick S. Williams Kailua, HI

Avoiding washing towels in hotels is not acceptable, any more than a shoddy job of dishwashing or not so clean forks would be - but travelling by public transport and travelling more often to nearer destinations and less often via planes is a good idea, as is backpacking and trekking.

Avoiding washing towels in hotels is not acceptable, any more than a shoddy job of dishwashing or not so clean forks would be - but travelling by public transport and travelling more often to nearer destinations and less often via planes is a good idea, as is backpacking and trekking.