Eco-friendly home exchanges perfect for sustainable travelers

If you are a home exchanger, you already are taking an important step to travel in an environmentally friendly, sustainable way. These house swaps take it a step further, with each offering eco-friendly amenities that make them a "green" option.

With Earth Day coming up on April 22, it's a good time to evaluate our travel habits and make some changes that will have a positive impact on the earth. There are many ways to travel responsibly, from mode of transportation to researching animal activities to visiting local markets. By choosing a home exchange, you are already playing a big part in helping the environment. Here are some gorgeous home swaps that will have you dreaming about your next vacation and ways to travel in a more eco-friendly way.

Yoga, nature & beach lover's retreat in Sri Lanka

In this Sri Lankan house swap, comfort and eco-friendly hospitality are thoughtfully combined. Hidden among a lush garden, the eco-apartment is equipped with solar-powered hot water, designed to meet bioclimatic standards. Yoga lovers will love practicing while overlooking the rice paddies as water buffalo and monkeys pass by.

Eco house swap in the beautiful nature of Quebec

This cottage in Quebec is a comfortable, peaceful, relaxing escape in nature. The home's two-foot-thick walls, insulated with straw bales, make it warm in the winter and cool during the summer. The building materials— straw, clay, lime, and wood— are recovered from a century-old barn in the area to minimize the ecological footprint.

Self-sustaining home exchange in Colorado

This one-of-a-kind house swap is self sustaining and off-grid, nestled into the hillside on 35 acres of Ponderosa Pine forest in the foothills of the La Plata Mountains of Southwest Colorado. There is a composting toilet bucket, a wood stove, and solar energy. The home's owner purposes to show guests that it is possible to live comfortably while having no utility bills and a low carbon footprint.

Family house swap near a lake and volcano in Chile

This eco-friendly home exchange has a grass roof, thermo-pane windows and optimal thermal insulation. You can enjoy the stream, organic orchard and greenhouse, trampoline, grass volleyball court and furnished terrace with panoramic views.

Beautiful home exchange in Botswana

This home is set on an island in the floodplain system in an ancient forest of the Okavango Delta. In this house swap, you will be surrounded by rural communities, wildlife and birds. The home is completely off the grid and you can even see elephants on the surrounding islands!

Australian adventure nestled in nature

This home exchange is welcoming and blissfully tranquil. The upstairs deck is situated among the treetops and you might see a kangaroo lounging just outside. You can also spot ducks, kookaburras, parrots, possums and bandicoots. When you're ready to experience city life, you're just minutes from a small bustling town with a library, train station, cinema, shopping chains, restaurants and more.

"Green" home swap in Normandy, France

This house swap in Normandy was built with eco-friendly materials and has a solar heating system. It is full of natural light and surrounded by a garden. You can enjoy sunlight even in the indoor swimming pool, plenty of nearby hiking, and the home is near Normandy's most famous tourist spots.

Eco-friendly home exchange in the jungle of the Mexican Caribbean

This house swap in Tulum, Mexico, is solar-powered, uses dry toilets, and has no windows, just mosquito nets, keeping the whole house cool during the summer. The home is family-friendly, with a large garden and plenty of toys for kids.