Why? - Air and ground transportation contribute to an increase in carbon emissions effecting the atmosphere & environment, locally and globally. Without getting into an discussion of numbers and percentages, we know that too much carbon dioxide in the air is no good, for people nor for Costa Rica's wildlife.

How? - E4 allows travelers to offset their carbon emissions for transportation as well as lodging through payments to programs that serve to preserve and protect current rainforest as well as facilitate reforestation throughout Costa Rica. Trees turn C02 into oxygen, the reverse of carbon creation resulting from burning jet fuels and gasoline for transportation.

Cost/Value - Many travelers can offset 100% of their carbon emissions for less than $40. E4 is able to direct carbon offset payments to projects in and around our most popular travel destinations. The result is a carbon-free vacation.

Why? - Every time you step on (or off) a trail, traverse a canopy tour, or interact with wildlife in remote locations there is some inevitable negative impact for the environment. There are many factors that contribute to the overall impact of one activity versus another, many of which may go unnoticed or are considered irrelevant. Even when taking all precautions, travel impact can never be erased, only minimized.

How? - E4 provides information regarding all tourist activities in Costa Rica. This information is a result of an Environmental Impact Analysis performed by E4 with IBIS, criteria provided by Rainforest Alliance. Visitors may use these results to determine the best combination of low-impact activities for their trip. Please keep in mind, activity impact is limited to environmental impact only, and is specific to location and/or business.

Cost/Value - Low-impact activities do not have a special price tag, they just take some effort to locate and separate from their med/high impact counterparts.

Why? - Sustainable lodging means that owners and managers are taking steps to minimize any negative impact that their establishment has on the environment, economy, and social well-being.

Sustainable ecolodges highlight education and ecology in their model of sustainable lodging. Many of these lodges are located in remote locations, providing the best opportunities to experience wildlife, while taking advantage of solar power, recycling & reforestation projects, as well as additional sustainable lodging practices.

How? - Take advantage of our lodging guide which highlights sustainable lodging options. All hotels that have earned sustainable certification from the Tourism Board of Costa Rica (ICT), are appropriately labeled with their respective level (5 total) of achievement in sustainability.

Cost/Value - The cost per night to stay in a true sustainable ecolodge may seem like an expensive upgrade at first glance. However, read closer and you'll find that many lodges include transportation and meals due to their remote locations. Hotels with sustainable certification from ICT and participation with Rainforest Alliance do not differ greatly in price from their non-sustainable counterparts. Any additional price associated with sustainable nature lodges is worth the value of conservation and experience with wildlife.

Why? - A major part of sustainable travel and tourism is the preservation of indigenous peoples and their culture as well as support for rural, or community-based ecotourism. Apart from books and museums, indigenous communities and rural, farming communities serve as the last remaining example of how things were done in the past. Many times we can better understand our current place in history and solve modern problems, by looking to lessons learned in the past. Participating in indigenous and rural tourism in Costa Rica provides a glimpse into the ways in which previous inhabitants of this country coexisted with nature in order to live, both sustainable and non-sustainable lifestyles.

How? - We offer various options for visiting indigenous communities of Bribri, Yorkin, and Guaymi with opportunities to learn about the culture, customs, language, handcrafts, food, and more! E4 offers volunteer vacations and rural ecotourism in the town of El Sur de Turrubares. El Sur is a small village of roughly 30 people adjacent to Carara National Park. Read more about El Sur. Contact an E4 representative to participate in indigenous and rural tourism.

Cost/Value - Rural tourism and visits to indigenous communities are reasonably priced when compared to other activities. (half the price of an ATV tour!) Be sure to use local guides if you're not traveling with E4. The value of preserving indigenous culture is priceless. Rural tourism provides a means by which traditional farming communities, who can no longer compete with domestic and international agriculture markets, can achieve sustainability with a balance of modern tourism and traditional culture.

Why? - At E4 we believe that volunteerism is a powerful tool for offsetting travel impact. Whether its helping to protect giant leatherback turtles, teaching an English lesson at a local school, or providing aid and assistance to victims of sex trade and prostitution, just a few hours of your time and effort can go a long way. E4 makes volunteering easy, whether its a few hours, a few days, or even a few months, we provide options, contacts, coordination, and travel combo packages to facilitate your volunteer experience.

How? - First decide on your target for outreach: the environment, education, or social well-being. Then decide where you would like to volunteer: in the city, on the beach, in the rainforest, etc. Take some time to browse the volunteer section of our site. If you don't see something that interests you, or you have a specific area of outreach you want to focus on, let us know and we'll do our best to find the perfect match for you.

You may feel overwhelmed with our discourse on sustainable travel, however we call them "simple" steps to sustainability for a reason: at E4 we take the work out of piecing together the puzzle of sustainable travel. We would like to think of our travel services as a sustainable buffet. You are free to pick and choose the sustainable elements that you think are most important to your travel experience. Again, you may feel like the choices you make are insignificant, but your effort combined with the other 1.5 million tourists passing through Costa Rica next year, can make a huge difference for the future. We believe this is the best way to ensure that what you see, hear, and experience on your next trip to Costa Rica is available for your children and grandchildren to equally enjoy. Travel, just like any other thing in life, is about choices. In order to make choices, you need options. We hope that our travel services reflect our efforts to provide the best options possible for your next trip to Costa Rica.