Going places - In Brief

ON TREND

Tour on Two Wheels

Cycling rather than driving just once a day can reduce your transportation-related carbon emissions by up to 67 percent — and new bike routes make it easy to pedal your way through stunning destinations. In south Scotland, the 250-mile Kirkpatrick C2C links the west-coast town of Stranraer to Eyemouth on the east coast, passing by breathtaking coastlines, glistening lochs, the medieval ruins of Dryburgh Abbey and Scotland’s textile hub, Hawick. And in Sweden, a newly opened 125-mile trail along the Göta Canal makes for a leisurely ride on a car-free towpath, with plenty of opportunities to fika — the Swedish custom of enjoying coffee and a sweet pastry with friends.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Track Your Impact

Thanks to Intrepid Travel’s new carbon labels, you can make a mindful decision when booking your next trip. The company has added emissions information to more than 500 itineraries, including its top 100 trips, disclosing the footprint of each tour. The eight-day Galapagos Island Hopping adventure generates the equivalent of 37 kg of CO2 per person per day, for example, while 22-day South East Asia Uncovered produces 52.12 kg per day. And, as a carbon-neutral business, Intrepid offsets all emissions on behalf of travelers — it’s just one of the ways the climate conscious company is taking action to reach net-zero emissions before 2050.

MUST-HAVE

A Perfect Use for Plastic

What’s behind this spinner’s eye-catching icy blue color? Water-cooler jugs! Sustainable luggage brand Paravel has rolled out the world’s first wheeled suitcase set made from 100-percent recycled polycarbonate shells, which retain their water-cooler hue due to the purity of the material. The limited-edition Aviator100 Set Plus comes with two suitcases — the Grand for your checked belongings and the Carry-On Plus for the cabin — both outfitted with even more recycled features, from zippers to telescopic handles made from aircraft-grade aluminum.

Aviator100 Set Plus, US$1,125, tourparavel.com

CRUISE NEWS

Ports Less Traveled

Thirty stops. Fifty-nine days. Three continents. Oceania Cruises’ new itinerary, A Tale of Five Seas, begins in Barcelona and sails along both coasts of Africa before heading to Asia for its terminus in Singapore. Along the way, discover off-the-beaten-path ports, including the lush, laid-back city of São Tomé, Ghanian twin cities Sekondi-Takoradi, and Walvis Bay, Namibia, with its sprawling coastal dunes.

DREAM DESTINATIONS

Journey by Brushstroke

British visual artist SJ Axelby is known for her whimsical watercolor paintings of interiors, but her new book trades homes for travel hot spots. Featuring 60 international destinations handpicked and painted by Axelby, this coffee-table tome is a guide to must-see places, including GoldenEye, Ian Fleming’s Jamaican estate where he wrote all his James Bond books, fantastical London dining room Sketch, and Populart, a longtime Seville antiques shop known for its azulejos (tiles).

Painted Travels: Portraits of Remarkable Places , US$40 harpercollins.com

BAR HOPPING

Grab a Stool at These Sustainable Bars

Viajante87, London

This Notting Hill bar’s innovative mixology lab uses leftovers from sister restaurant Los Mochis to create zero-waste cocktails, including the vodka-based Mango Zapoteca that’s infused with mango skins.

FURA, Singapore

At their pioneering gastrobar, Christina Rasmussen and Sasha Wijidessa use ingredients made from invasive species, like jellyfish, featured in a gin martini with fish leaf, spirulina, kombu oil and dry vermouth.

RE, Sydney

One of the world’s most sustainable bars was built from waste and its mixologists find ways to serve it, too.

IN THE AIR

New Fuel for Flights

Emirates is reaching greener altitudes: The airline recently became the first to test Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), a waste-derived alternative that reduces up to 80 percent of CO 2 emissions compared to traditional jet fuel. After a successful test flight in 2023, the carrier plans to use three million gallons of blended SAF over the next two years for departures from Amsterdam and Singapore.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY

AI Reduces Hotel Food Waste

Hospitality group Accor is tapping artificial intelligence technology to measure — and cut down on — food waste at its properties. (On average, nearly 20 tons of food waste is produced per hotel every year, making up about 43 percent of a hotel’s total waste.) By partnering with AI start-ups to scan surplus food, and using Gaïa, the group’s online reporting tool, to measure waste, Accor intends to beat its target for a 50-percent reduction in food waste across its 5,500 properties by 2030.

LOCAL LINGO

Flâner

(v.) If you’re ambling through a city without a destination in mind, you are enjoying a pastime the French have a dedicated word for: flâner . To flâner may mean to stroll aimlessly, but the walk is not without purpose, as it’s all about taking in your surroundings and contemplating your place within them. On your next trip to Paris, simply pick one of the city’s 20 arrondissements and start roaming.