Secondary Navigation
  1. About Myakka
  2. Fair Trade
  3. Request a Catalogue
  4. Recommend a friend
  5. Help
  6. Blog
    8. Search Search
     

Fancy a Holiday – our top 10 guide to ethical breaks…

June 9th, 2010

As we move deeper into summer and we all start to take our holidays we thought it would be interesting to look at 10 of the best ethical and green holidays around the world.  There was such a large variety of different holidays that we have tried to choose a great selection to suit every taste and budget.

 

1. Rail and Ride in Amsterdam

 

With a new high speed link from Brussels to Amsterdam it now only takes four hours to get to the Dutch capital from London.  Hire a bike once your there and stay in a barge along the river for a truly unique trip.  www.raileurope.co.uk

 

2. Yurt Camping in France

 

If you enjoy camping but appreciate a few luxuries then camping in a yurt may be your ideal solution. With proper beds and furniture, this really is posh camping and you can chose your location to be as isolated or as central as you like. The choice is yours! www.lecamp.co.uk

 

3. Luxury Hide Away in The Bahamas

 

If you are looking for something a little more luxurious then this green hotel in the Bahamas should be perfect.  Set next to the third largest barrier reef in the world this is the ideal place to truly relax and get a way from it all. Everything about this hotel is green from the biodegradable soap to the solar power. www.tiamoresorts.com

 

 

4. Bio Hotel in Turkey

 

If it is a truly restful and healthy holiday that you are after then this is the holiday for you.  Set in the hills of Bodrum, this hotel is a real gem. The Antik Zeytin Hotel is built from entirely natural materials, produces it own olive oil and serves local organic food.  www.organicholidays.co.uk

 

5. Eco Barns in Pembrokeshire

 

If you are looking for something a little closer to home then these Asheston eco barns in Wales may be perfect.  Using a combination of renewable energy sources; solar heated water, ground source heating, wind turbines and water harvesting systems, these barns are only 4 miles away from one of Britain’s best beaches.  www.ecobarns.co.uk

 

6. Eco Barge Holiday in France

 

Fancy a more adventurous holiday then take a trip down the Canal Du Midi in an Eco Friendly barge. You can either captain the boat yourself of hire a crew member for a truly memorable holiday.  With a solar heated shower and hot water this is a real winner in environmental terms.  www.greentraveller.co.uk

 

 

7. Community Owned and Run Safari Lodges in Kenya

 

This is the ideal way to gain the knowledge of the locals by going on Safari to a community run lodge.  These lodges benefit the local community by offering long term employment opportunities while allowing you as the visitor to enjoy gain local knowledge and give something back to the community you’re visiting.  www.ilngwesi.com

 

8. Take the train to Marrakech

 

Take the leisurely way down and see some sites on route.  Plan your trip to stay at any number of European cities such as Paris and Madrid, catch the ferry over to Morocco and then train the rest of the way to Marrakech.  This is not only a very civilised way to travel but also saves your carbon footprint. Visit www.seat61.com for information

 

9. Organic Farm B&B in Somerset

 

Stay at a real working farm in Somerset and enjoy all the hospitality and a local breakfast with fresh from the farm organic eggs.  And if you get really inspired, you can even take a bee keeping lesson in the village.  Huntstile Organic Farm offers B&B, self catering and camping so all options are covered.  www.huntstileorganicfarm.co.uk

 

10. Ski Holiday in The USA

  

If you’re planning further ahead and skiing is your thing, then look into Hotel Terra is Jackson Hole.  This is a truly green hotel – building materials are all recycled and the hotel’s energy is provided through a mixture of solar power, micro hydro power and wind power.  www.hotelterrajacksonhole.com

Whatever your ideal holiday, it is now easy to be ethical with a selection of different options to suit every taste and budget.  Remember that if your flying you can easily offset your carbon footprint using a number of schemes (most airlines offer their own schemes) or you can plant your own trees!  When away ensure you carry out your usual practices – don’t leave lights on, use as little water as possible and only use the air conditioning when really needed.  The most important aspect of a holiday is to enjoy it so whatever your style, make sure you have as much fun as possible!

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Fair Trade, Helpful Articles | 2 Comments

Myakka supports World Fair Trade Day!

April 29th, 2010

World Fair Trade Day

This May, Myakka will be supporting World Fair Trade Day.  World fair trade day is designed to encourage us all to buy more fair trade products so we can make a real difference to the lives of millions of producers across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

 

On the 8th May 2010, World Fair Trade Day will be celebrated across the world from the USA to Austria and Thailand to Brazil.  Events will take many different shapes from music and dancing to tea drinking and information sharing, but all will share the same message – that we all have the ability to change the lives of farmers, small producers and artisans around the world through our actions.  

 

Fair trade is an essential part of the Myakka ethos and we’re confident that more than 90% of the products we offer are fair trade.

 

Make sure you support world fair trade day on the 8th May 2010!

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Fair Trade | View Comments

More beautiful cushions from SKSN School

April 21st, 2010

We’re really pleased to announce that we have recently launched even more cushions, handmade by older students within the SKSN School Vocational Training Centre in Jodhpur.  We have added two new styles, Rania Cushions and Kota Cushions both of which are available in square and oblong sizes.  These two new ranges offer a touch of distinctiveness to our range and we will continue to offer the ever-popular Pure Silk Cushions and Pure Linen cushions alongside these.

 

SKSN is a charitable school based in Jodhpur, northern India which provides care and education to around 500 physically challenged children.  The cushions are made at the Vocational Training Centre in the school by older students who have completed their studies.  Myakka has been working alongside the VTC for the last 18 months to help develop the production.  This fair trade project helps to give the students an opportunity to gain meaningful employment as well as develop skills and confidence for self-sufficiency in the future.  The centre also makes clothes and accessories which are sold locally.   

 

The fabrics for the new cushions were chosen by Georgie and Alexandra from the markets in Jodhpur on their last visit to the School in October 2009 and the design was finalised before they left for home.  The first batch of cushions arrived to Myakka this month ready for sale, exclusively from Myakka.

 

The new cushions are available to view online now along with the whole range of cushions from SKSN School Vocational Training Centre.  The charitable school relies entirely on support from local and international donors – to find out more about the fantastic work of SKSN or to donate funds, please visit www.sksn.org

 

SKSN fabric shopping Oct 097788-LTd (copy)Rania OblongSKSN VTC madam Oct 09

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Behind the scenes, Fair Trade | View Comments

Turn your lights off for Earth Hour

March 22nd, 2010

 WWF earth hour 2

 

Here at Myakka we always try and make sure that we are being as kind to the environment as possible and because of this we are supporting WWF Earth Hour.

 

Taking part is simple; all you have to do is turn your lights off for just one hour on Saturday 27th March at 8.30pm. This global event is organised by the WWF every year to try and curb the effect of climate change. The aim is to get a billion people around the world to turn their lights off for one hour at the same time. Last year famous landmarks round the world joined and homes and businesses switched off their lights in support.

 

We’re always trying to reduce our carbon footprint and we think this is a great way to help.  You can register your participation on the WWF website  where they have tips and ideas on what to do in your hour without lights. The Myakka team are all keen to support Earth Hour and will all be spending an hour on Saturday night with our lights off.  Make sure you get involved and make a difference!

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Fair Trade | View Comments

Bag-swapping success and your chance to win £50!

March 9th, 2010

We would like to say a big thank you to everyone who sent in ten carrier bags to claim their free Myakka fair trade jute bag and supported fair trade fortnight. 

 

We have been truly overwhelmed with more than 550 people sending in over 5,500 carrier bags.  We’re in the process of sending out hundreds of fair trade jute bags in return so if you haven’t received your jute bag yet please be patient it should be with you shortly!  Please do make sure you register your swap on the online ‘swap-o-metre’ to help reach the nationwide target of one million and one swaps – click here to visit the Fair Trade Foundation website.

 

FTF lots of bags (copy)

 

Because of the success of our Big Bag Swap and all those lovely Myakka bags in use around the country, our customer service expert Heather had an excellent idea… to ask you to submit a picture of yourself with your Myakka bag in the most exciting / exotic / unusual / interesting place possible. 

 

We’d love to see all the good uses that our bags are put to, so please use your imagination and take a picture of yourself (or ask a nice person to take it for you) with your Myakka jute bag and send it competition@myakka.co.uk  Our trusty dog Floe has a very artistic eye and will select a winner each month who will receive a £50 Myakka voucher to spend as they choose on our great selection of fair trade Sheesham & Acacia furniture, home accessories and giftware.  We will post the winning picture (along with any close contenders) on our blog each month for everyone to see – the first judging session will be on 31st March so get snapping!

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Fair Trade, News & Press | View Comments

« Older Entries